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First Lady Urges Hollywood to Tell Military Family Stories
by Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2011 – WASHINGTON, June 14, 2011 – The entertainment industry can help to shine the light on military families by incorporating their compelling stories into movies and television, First Lady Michelle Obama said yesterday during a panel discussion hosted by the entertainment guilds in Los Angeles.
Speaking to an audience of about 500 producers, writers, actors and directors, the first lady discussed her “Joining Forces” military-support campaign and how Hollywood can play a role in her quest to stir up national support for military families.
Writer-director J.J. Abrams, who moderated the panel, kicked off the discussion by asking Obama what sparked her passion for military family support.
The first lady traced it back to her time on the campaign trail with her husband. As she met in small groups with working women, she heard voices she hadn’t heard from before – military spouses. These women — and men — talked about juggling careers and deployments, raising kids and managing moves, and dealing with finances alongside post-deployment reconnections.
“These stories took my breath away,” she said, “because they were so unfamiliar to me. And I thought, ‘Well, if I don’t know, and I’m educated and I consider myself aware, then where are we in this country? Why don’t we know about these families? Why don’t we know their struggles? Why aren’t we pushing for them?”
Obama said she vowed, if her husband got elected, to use her platform to give military families a voice, “because truly, these families are amazing.”
Military families also are strong, she noted, but because of this strength that’s so integral to military life, they often don’t complain or reach out for support.
“That’s one of the reasons we don’t know about them,” she said. “They count on each other, and they don’t ask for help. Well, they shouldn’t have to ask for help.”
In a year’s time, the first lady said, she’d like see a nation where military families know their sacrifices are understood and appreciated, and that everyone, including the entertainment industry, can step up and help.
“It can be telling a story on the big screen, on the small screen, or it can be helping a neighbor mow their lawn,” she said. People can volunteer to babysit for an afternoon, cook a meal, offer to fix a heater, or reach out to a reserve family living away from the support of a military installation, she added.
“Small gestures can make a big difference,” the first lady said.
The entertainment industry can bring awareness to these families by showcasing their strength and sacrifice, Obama said.
“You have the vehicle to tell stories that just pull people in,” the first lady told the audience. “I … urge you to do what you do best. Be creative. Be funny. Be powerful. Move us, [and] move America to think differently about these issues and about these families, and about our men and women who serve so graciously.”
The task shouldn’t be too difficult for Hollywood storytellers, she noted, “because the stories are already compelling. The individuals are already pretty powerful.”
Obama thanked the industry for the work they’ve done already to spotlight military families. As an example, she talked about her next stop — an upcoming appearance on “iCarly,” a Nickelodeon TV series about a teenager who hosts a popular Internet show. On the show, Carly’s dad is deployed. The first lady admitted some nerves about her TV appearance, but said she’ll push them aside to have the opportunity to spotlight military families on the small screen.
“This is an example of the way that we can integrate these story lines into shows,” she said, “and it’s important for kids to hear themselves in the shows that they love.”
Military families will need the nation’s support for the long haul, Obama noted, as the “real work happens when these men and women come home and they’re dealing with the ramifications of war.
“This is a forever battle,” she added. “We have men and women who are serving our country every day, and they’ll be dealing with the consequences of that dedicated service for the rest of their lives, and we have to be there for them and their children.”
To resounding applause, Obama said she and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will continue shining a light on military families “so that America understands that when our country goes to war, we have families who are serving right along with them.”
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Posted by Veterans Today on Jun 14 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Of Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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‘Obama said she vowed IF her husband got elected, to use her platform…..’ Why wait? Why not now with plenty of time in his first term? Its always IF or WHEN elected. Such BS!
In the story she said it to herself when her husband was still a senator. Hate him so much you can’t even remember the article.
More time wasted then and more proof its all BS!
Tell the story of Army Spec April Gallop who was knocked off her chair and covered w/debris when the missile hit the Pentagon ( apparently Flt 77 was supposed to but perhaps their was a malfunction in the electronic hijacking?) grabbed her injured baby and crawled through the hole made by the missile and saw NO WRECKAGE of a 767..( Just what Mark Harris of CNN sd that morning)…Then we could talk about the Tillman family whose son Pat was murdered bc he planned to come home and talk about what a croc the GWOT is….
Yeah Hollywood could make a movie about 9-11 and show all the intrigue, the yrs of placeing assets and planning…They could should Silverstein and Irgun terrorist Lowy taking control of the WTC..granting access to Dominic Suter’s dancing Israeli demo boys so they could do their thermite/rdx magic in the many vacant floors…They could show Michael S. Goff at P-Tech working in the basement of the FAA “keeping our nation safe fm electronic hijackings” while at the same time programming a back door that would allow this mayhem…incl turning off all 4 transponders on the aircraft…
Psssst…it takes multiple classified access codes to turn off a transponder….The movie could show Bush in his limo leaving the elem. school and yelling “yahoo…I couldn’t wait…” Sen Lieberman sitting at his desk and smiling…Etc..Come on Spielberg, yeah right.
I would love if Hollywood would show more about military families. When I was a journalist in the military I used to hear all kinds of stories from military wives. I think they should show what goes on with military spouses and families. There is an ignorance of all of us regarding what’s going on around us unless it’s Lady Gaga or Charlie Sheen.
Dear Hollywood,
I think a better movie would be about the struggles our brave men and women have in fighting the VA for services and compensation. Suggested title would be “Failure to Honor”. Are you listening Hollywood? Be sure to include a scene on Aid and Attendance, and how the VA has sat on this pension for 60 years like the goose that laid the golden egg. You can use VeteranAid.org as a reference.