I'll say this for the Obamas – they know how to grab the spotlight and hang on, playing the little people for all they're worth and cashing in on their time in the spotlight, political and otherwise.
While Barack Obama plays the game for the most lavish of presidential libraries and makes his way around the country giving speeches and raking in the bucks along with his writing – his wife is no slouch at the same game.
Michelle Obama has suddenly appeared on the national media stage after keeping a low profile. The reason for the media reappearance of the former first lady is the publication of her memoir, "Becoming," scheduled for Nov. 13. Ah yes, the story of her life.
As expected, she's planning a series of 10 appearances across the country. They're titled as being "intimate conversations" with Michelle Obama.
Really? Consider that the venues where she'll be appearing are huge – they are arenas usually used for sports events or top pop-star music events. If she's on the stage surrounded by thousands fans in seats from ringside to the upper nosebleed seats – what she says will hardly be an "intimate conversation."
Regardless, the fans are eating it up. No sooner had tickets been put on sale then the venues got sold out. So much so that two more appearances in Washington and Brooklyn were added to the schedule. It's all being coordinated by Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter.
The success of the sales has surprised even the most jaded show-business people, especially considering the price tags of the tickets. I mentioned the nosebleed seats – they start at $30 – each and if you want to sit in the front row, that will set you back $3,000 – per! If you need a seat for a wheelchair, that runs $400.
Lest anyone think Michelle Obama is in it just for the money, media are quickly told that 10 per cent of the take in each city will be given to varied local charities.
That's nice, but consider that as Obama makes her way across the country from Chicago to Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Denver, Dallas, Inglewood, San Jose, Brooklyn, those sold-out arenas will rake in mega bucks – and that doesn't even take into consideration how much she'll make with the sales of the actual books!
Old Michelle has turned into a $uper $tar.
The question is why? She is a former First Lady – OK. She's an attractive, well-dressed and glamorously made-up woman whose only claim to fame and fortune is the fact that she's married to a former president. Oh, and she's a mother of two daughters. That's it.
For this, people are paying thousands of dollars to see her sit on a stage and talk.
But there's more. She and Crown Publishing have a deal with Hearst magazines, which mean that over the next months, you will see her and her book pitched on the cover of, and in, a whole variety of Hearst publications.
Lest you think the acquisitiveness in the family is only with Michelle, remember that she and Barack each has a deal with Crown for publishing their separate memoirs – and the value of that deal has not been made public. And never forget they have a joint deal with Netflix to create and produce TV and other shows. No dollar value here either, although those in the know estimate ultimately it will total in the tens of millions of dollars.
Not bad for a couple of average black kids from a Chicago neighborhood. Whether the exorbitant dollar amounts might come back to slap the couple remains to be seen.
I saw one report about Michelle's book tour which said the tickets are being sold for "obscene" prices.
Average fans are stunned because while they want to go, they simply can't afford the prices. One wonders whether they'll buy the book instead, but somehow I doubt it. KGO radio in San Francisco is offering listeners a way to win some tickets to the San Jose appearance, but so far no details are available.
Some have said the reason for the stampede to buy tickets is because Michelle Obama herself is a rock star. Really? Well, she has "something" fans like. She is already out-selling the ticket sales for Hillary Clinton's book.
And for those who see no difference between politics and show business – there are those who say that Michelle should run for president.
Picture it: Michelle vs. the Donald.
That would be some spectacle. No doubt it would get headlines and get people out in the streets, especially liberal women. The media would love it, but it would probably be the most damaging event that would face our country and our future – and I'm not referring to Donald Trump.
But given this book tour – be prepared for anything.
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