Michelle Obama appeared on the latest episode of Amy Poehler’s podcast to wax poetic about aging, where she lightly roasted Ellen DeGeneres for challenging her to a push-up contest while she was First Lady of the United States.
“I’m at the age where I’ll wake up and my shoulder’s sore,” Obama said on Poehler’s Good Hang podcast.
“Don’t get me started,” Poehler responded. “I had frozen shoulder a couple years ago. And guess what? Nobody knows what causes it and there’s nothing you can do about it, like every ailment for women in their fifties.”
Later, when Poehler asked Obama if she could do push-ups, the former first lady recalled the challenge with DeGeneres. “Now I do them on my knees,” Obama said. “This is another thing. I don’t need to do regular push-ups. I have nothing to prove. I can but it’s my hard. My arm length doesn’t go all the way down. You know who pointed that out was Ellen because my first term, she challenged me to a push-up competition.”
“I’m the first lady, you know,” Obama quipped, adding, “And she heard that I worked out. So I’m on her show doing push-ups and I did more push-ups than her but she still says I didn’t go down all the way. Anatomically, I don’t think I can. My arms are very long and she’s a much smaller person than me.”
Good Hang with Amy Poehler/YouTube
Michelle Obama chats with Amy Poehler on ‘Good Hang’ podcast
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DeGeneres challenged Obama to the contest during the former first lady’s February 2012 appearance following a discussion about her morning workout routine. “I can do some,” Obama said when the topic turned to push-ups, to which DeGeneres responded, “I was just wondering if you could do more push-ups than I could do.”
Obama, roasting the host, quipped, “You know, it depends on how your back is. I know you’ve got these back issues.” She emerged victorious with 25 push-ups.
DeGeneres’ Emmy-winning daytime talk show went off air in May 2022 after nearly 20 seasons, the ending of which was plagued by controversy following an internal investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace involving racism and sexual misconduct.
DeGeneres, who was not named in the complaints against top producers, apologized on-air and three producers were ousted as a result. The former first lady made a series of memorable appearances on the show pre-controversy, including in segments where she would dance and shop at a local CVS alongside DeGeneres.
Watch Obama chat with Poehler above.
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