As Twitchy reported, Michelle Obama previewed her appearance at SXSW with a contribution to Lena Dunham’s newsletter, urging girls to worry less about their bodies and more about their education. (She’ll do the worrying about their bodies through her national school lunch overhaul, thanks.)
.@FLOTUS Michelle Obama pushes back against those who 'mock' healthy food, exercise efforts https://t.co/CbQ0hfONVp pic.twitter.com/Ccm03ckEq0
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 15, 2016
The first lady declared at SXSW that she wasn’t considering a run for president, but Mrs. Obama’s really big announcement was the release of “This Is For My Girls,” a charity single commissioned for her Let Girls Learn initiative. Did we say single? Rolling Stone magazine, currently facing multiple lawsuits by people it slimed in a falsified article about a fictionalized campus rape, prefers “empowerment anthem.”
Michelle Obama enlists Missy Elliott, Zendaya and Janelle Monae for new empowerment anthem, "This Is for My Girls" https://t.co/pFTsXGwehh
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) March 15, 2016
Michelle Obama enlists Janelle Monaé and Missy Elliott to help promote girls’ education https://t.co/3j47foMRdo pic.twitter.com/T1FeribsVA
— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) March 16, 2016
Hear Michelle Obama’s song with Missy Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Zendaya and others https://t.co/QEsdbPKT15
— TIME (@TIME) March 16, 2016
Some familiar faces. Thank U @FLOTUS #THISISFORMYGIRLS pic.twitter.com/O28EGH3RkT
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) March 16, 2016
Speaking of singles, could we please make a request that reporters stop referring to it as “Michelle Obama’s song”? Her office might have commissioned it, but the sole writing credit goes to Diane Warren, who’s happy to “Let Girls Learn” on the strict condition that they don’t hunt. A couple of years ago, Warren tapped into a different side of her lyrical talents when she saw a photo of big game hunter and Texas Tech student Kendall Jones and wished that “someone would hunt that Texas cheerleader bitch animal murderer and hang her head in a lion’s den.”
If that comment didn’t teach girls a thing or two about the definition of “empowerment,” maybe the lyrics to the new song and the strong women who sing them will:
This is for my girls, all around the world
Stand up, put your head up, don’t take nothing from nobody
This is for my girls, stand up and be heard
This is for my ladies, my sisters all over, this is for my girls.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member