‘Married at First Sight’ Is Michelle Obama’s ‘Lowbrow’ Guilty Pleasure
Michelle Obama isn’t above indulging in some lightweight entertainment when she needs a break from everything that’s going on in the world. In her new book The Light We Carry, the former first lady confesses to a love of “lowbrow” TV. And her favorite shows to binge might include some of your favorites, including Lifetime’s Married at First Sight.
Michelle Obama opens up about enjoying ‘Married at First Sight,’ HGTV shows
Obama talked with People ahead of her book’s Nov. 15 release. She opened up about a moment in her memoir when she talks about how she thinks her husband, former President Barack Obama, watches too much golf. Meanwhile, he thinks she watches too much “lowbrow” television. She went on to elaborate on what’s on her DVR – including Lifetime’s long-running relationship show Married at First Sight.
“You name it, I watch it. HGTV. Anything on the Food Channel,” she said. “It’s not all lowbrow. I love the dating shows, Married at First Sight. Oh my God, yeah, I can do it all.”
Obama had a totally relatable reason for indulging in some guilty pleasure TV viewing.
“TV is an escape for me,” she said. “I am a fully informed citizen. I read the paper, I get briefs, I sit with Barack Obama every night. I know what’s happening in the world. When I’m by myself, I need to be able to turn my head off and think about wallpaper.”
The former First Lady was influenced by ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’
This is hardly the first time that Obama has talked about her favorite TV shows. In the past, she’s named The Dick Van Dyke Show as her favorite (via CBS News). She’s also revealed how The Mary Tyler Moore Show influenced her as a child.
“She was one of the few single working women depicted on television at the time,” Obama told Variety in 2016. “She wasn’t married. She wasn’t looking to get married. At no point did the series end in a happy ending with her finding a husband — which seemed to be the course you had to take as a woman. But she sort of bucked that. She worked in a newsroom, she had a tough boss, and she stood up to him. She had close friends, never bemoaning the fact that she was single. She was very proud and comfortable in that role.”
She added: “I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw that, and sort of started thinking, ‘You know what? Marriage is an option. Having a family is an option. And going to school and getting your education and building your career is another really viable option that can lead to happiness and fulfillment.’”
She also watched Orange Is the New Black,’ and ‘The Americans’
Obama even managed to squeeze in time to keep up with must-watch TV when she was in the White House. Her trick for getting caught on the latest episodes of hit series? Binge-watching during long flights, she told Variety.
“On a good flight to China? Having the fifth season of Orange Is the New Black is a lifesaver,” she says. “The only way I get through the next season of The Americans is on a long flight. And it helps, because you look up and say, ‘We’re here. We’re landing.’ ”
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