Barack and Michelle Obama Selected to Hollywood's 'Most Powerful People' List
They’re way ahead of the pole-dancing stripper.
And the man behind “Hamilton.”
They’re even ahead of the movie producer who once declared himself “King of the World.”
For Barack and Michelle Obama, the White House must be nothing compared their first year breaking into “The Hollywood Reporter 100: The Most Powerful People in Entertainment.”
And America thought Michelle being in charge of school lunches was bad.
Coming in at the No. 50 spot on the list, the Obamas and their Higher Ground Productions company are described with the breathless giddiness of a Cosmopolitan article on a girl’s first crush — which, considering it’s Hollywood and the Obamas, is about perfect.
“Who wouldn’t take their call?” The Hollywood Reporter said.
“The former president, 58, and first lady, 55, kicked off 2019 with a Sundance acquisition — doc American Factory, which premiered to strong reviews on Netflix in August en route to an awards-season run. Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan, co-heads of Obama banner Higher Ground, are steering projects under the couple’s deal with the streamer — including adaptations of David W. Blight’s Frederick Douglass bio and Michael Lewis’ Fifth Risk, and Bloom, a post-World War II-era show about fashion — plus podcasts under a new deal with Spotify.”
Of course, anyone who’s followed the Obamas’ career since they left the White House after Donald Trump’s election might not be totally shocked.
After all, buying a $15 million estate on the island of Martha’s Vineyard is a pretty good way of announcing you’re part of the Beautiful People.
But finishing on a list ahead of the likes of Jennifer Lopez (No. 92), the acclaimed hustler of prostitution and theft in “Hustlers,” and Lin Manuel-Miranda (No. 89), the creator of the ethnically diverse, politically correct version of American history known as “Hamilton,” had to be a pleasant surprise to the former first couple.
They even beat out James Cameron (No. 57), the creator of mega-hits hits like “Titanic” and “Avatar.”
The editors of The Hollywood Reporter might have been elated over the development, but there were plenty of social media users who thought it was stomach-turning.
As if the Western world wasn’t already aware of just how much liberal propaganda spews out of Hollywood already.
Is it bad of me that I want them to take over Hollywood and then run it into the ground like they tried to do to the rest of our nation? Because I think I would enjoy watching that go down.
The Obamas are the definition of Hollywood Whores. That is their desired audience
— Claudia BaconTonihka (@ClaudiaTonihka) October 16, 2019
He was always more interested in being liked by Hollywood than being a decent president. Only shallow Democrats will care about this.
— Freedom of Religion (@dlh8) October 17, 2019
Powerful n corrupt
— Women 4 Trump (@Womenx4xTrump) October 17, 2019
The Obamas’ transition from the center of political power in Washington to the center of cultural power in Southern California hasn’t been without its snags.
The family is currently in a legal fight with a small entrepreneur in Hollywood who registered a trademark for a company called Higher Ground Enterprises years ago.
A patent examiner found the Obamas’ proposed name of Higher Ground Productions was too close to that existing trademark, so the Obamas are actually trying to get that earlier trademark canceled.
But plot complications like that aside, the Obamas’ entry onto a list of Hollywood’s most powerful people is almost a perfect symbol of both the Obama presidency and Tinseltown’s pretentions.
The Obama years were all about the White House claiming moral “high ground,” while using the vast powers of the federal government to grind the opposition — whether it was Eric Holder’s Justice Department smearing local police (Dinesh D’Souza nailed that), the IRS targeting conservative groups or the FBI and intelligence agencies launching politically motivated investigations of the Donald Trump presidential campaign.
Hollywood, as the #MeToo movement has put on display, as been lambasting the American middle class for its alleged sins for decades, while covering up its own serial debauchery.
Barack and Michelle Obama as Hollywood’s latest power couple?
For once, the casting is perfect.
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