Fans Warn Barack Obama After Michelle Obama Calls White Actor ‘Sexy’ to His Face
Former first lady Michelle Obama interviewed an actor from a 1970s sitcom on her podcast “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” recently, and her comments have her fans issuing a staunch warning to her husband, Barack Obama.
Obama interviewed Henry Winkler, one of the stars from the 1950s-themed sitcom “Happy Days,” for an episode that streamed on Dec. 24. Winkler played Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the show — a cool, good-looking greaser who sported a leather jacket, rode a motorcycle and was also referred to as “The Fonz.”
“Happy Days” also starred director Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Tom Bosley. All the ladies on the TV sitcom loved “The Fonz,” and Obama confessed that she was another female who crushed on the character.
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The 61-year-old podcast host admitted to Winkler that his character on the show was one of her first crushes as a young girl, and the 80-year-old “loved” to hear it.
“Let me tell you who The Fonz was, at least to me,” she said. “First of all, sexy. Now, what did I know about sexy?”
Winkler interjected to say, “I’m sitting differently in my chair right now,” as he adjusted to Obama’s admission.
“What did I — at the age, I can’t do the math, but I was young,” she continued as she and Robinson determined that she was a pre-teen at the time the show was on the air.
“I saw on the screen the coolest, you did — you read tall. You read 6’3″, yeah,” she added.
Winkler, who is 5 feet 6, added that people often thought he was much taller than he is because of the show. “I did,” the actor replied. “People would say, “Oh my God, I thought you were taller.”
“Think, um, an even cooler version of John Travolta,” Obama continued. “Thick, black, luscious, Italian hair. Who knew? Right?”
“I had it imported,” joked Winkler.
After fans saw a clip of the podcast, they joked that Barack Obama may have some competition. One fan wrote, “Does Mr. Obama have to step to the Fonz!… lol jk.”
“Barack better watch out,” another fan wrote. “Barack should file for divorce asap,” joked another.
Several other fans agreed with Obama about “The Fonz” being sexy. “We all loved the Fonz! He was sexy and cool!”
One fan exclaimed, “I loved me some Fonzi.”
“I watched this show as a kid, and Michelle, I agree with everything you’re saying,” noted another fan. “The Fonz was the coolest cat on TV back then!”
Obama also recalled that Winkler’s character also wore a khaki jacket, and the actor revealed why he changed his look.
“Very hard to be cool in cloth,” said Winkler. “Gary Marshall went to ABC, and with the network, the network was in the bottom. It was the third network, and there were only three at that time on television. And he said, ‘You know, he could be very hurt if he rides his bike and he knocks over in cloth.’ They said, ‘When he’s in a scene with his bike, he can wear the leather.’”
Obama again recalled her crush on “The Fonz” and replied, “I remember that change, because I think it did something to me. I was like, ‘Woo!’”
The episode is currently available for streaming.
