As part of her anti-obesity campaign, Let’s Move, first lady Michelle Obama, in association with Partnership for a Healthier America and Hip Hop Public Health, is releasing a 19-track hip-hop album to encourage healthy eating among youths. The album is titled Songs for a Healthier America.
The first lady herself will not be contributing to the album, recorded instead by artists such as American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, R&B singer Ashanti, pop singer Ariana Grande and rapper Doug E. Fresh. As bewildering as this sounds, it is in fact really happening and is currently the first lady’s leading attempt to fight obesity in America.
The idea behind this album is that children will be influenced by anything they see or hear in popular culture, such as music or television. The problem with this particular album is not that children are not influenced by music, but that most obese children weigh more pounds than Doug E. Fresh has had hits. That is to say, who are these people and how are they supposed to have a major influence on obese teens and children? How many young people even know of Mehmet Oz, whose daytime television show airs while school-age children are at school, eating unhealthy lunches?
Jordin Sparks has not released a successful album since 2009, although she is more likely to influence obese children than Ashanti, who has had little cultural relevance since 2004. And speaking of American Idol, the song from Healthier America, “Good Living,” is sung by Ashton Jones, who finished 13th in the 10th season of American idol. 13th! How will she have more influence than the first lady herself? The list goes on and on.
Unless Jordin Sparks becomes Rihanna and Doug E. Fresh becomes Jay-Z, Songs for a Healthier America will be no “We Are the World.” The album is more like “We are the B-list celebrities that Michelle Obama could convince to do her healthy eating album.”
Nothing can be accomplished from this album that couldn’t be accomplished by what Mrs. Obama has been doing in the past, appearing on various talk shows and writing books about living healthy. All downloads of this album are free, so no money is to be raised to support the movement. The only new part in this album viewers will get to see is Dr. Oz awkwardly dancing with elementary school children. And that will not encourage people to “get up and celebrate” like the song “Everybody” says.
So if you want to help Mrs. Obama further Let’s Move, download her album on Sept. 30. But if you want to help fight childhood obesity, try something else.