Watch: Michelle imitates Barack, everyone laughs, no one is trolled for making fun of the president
American politicians are willing to show their everyday human sides.
We always knew the Obamas were a team. Just how close-knit the team is became evident on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show, where Michelle does an impromptu imitation of her husband Barack Obama answering an interviewer's questions. "Let me answer that in three points," she says, doing a POTUS.
As we watch, and laugh, we can't help wonder if this could ever happen in India. The country's politicians seldom appear as real-life figures. Can you imagine an Indian prime minister crooning the news headlines and doing some standup comedy. Or the prime minister's partner appearing on Carpool Karaoke to belt out Beyonce (or maybe Asha Bhonsle)?
Even the candidates for the next American elections seem to get the need to show their human faces. Even Donald Trump, who appeared on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and allowed the host to tousle his hair.
Of course, Fallon, who was accused of being soft on Trump, did face a barrage of criticism from fellow anchors and the American media. Fellow talk show host Samantha Bee said, “Aww, Trump can be a total sweetheart with someone who has no reason to be terrified of him.”
In the past, Trump had appeared on Fallon's show twice and both times he was in on the joke and the talk show host did not press him about his racist or sexist comments. Social media obviously did not take too kindly to Fallon's interview and there were more than a few mentions of Adolf Hitler.
I don't fault Jimmy Fallon for not being a journalist. I do fault him for his willingness to serve as hell's court jester.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) September 16, 2016
Fallon interviewing Hitler: "Let's talk about your book!"
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) September 16, 2016
It really humanized Hitler when Jimmy Fallon mussed up his mustache.
— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) September 16, 2016
Not to be left out, Hillary Clinton bravely made an appearance on Zach Galfianakis' Between Two Ferns, the show whose USP is that the host is sometimes rude to his guests.
In a previous episode where the guest was Barack Obama, Galifianakis had asked with a straight face, "What does it feel like to be the last Black president?" and had mentioned his discomfort with registering online for Obamacare because he didn't want the president "spying on his text messages".
In the episode featuring Clinton, Galifianakis is back to his best. She is introduced with the words, "Hillary Clinton had pneumonia". And it only gets better (or worse, depending on where you stand) from there. Some choice questions:
Are you excited to be the first girl president?
As secretary [of State], how many words per minute can you type? And how does President Obama like his coffee, like himself – weak?
When you see how well it works for Donald Trump, do you ever think to yourself, maybe I should be more racist?
