Producer J.J. Abrams (L) and First Lady Michelle Obama discuss Joining Forces with Hollywood Trade Representatives at the Writers Guild Theatre on June 13, 2011 in Beverly Hills.
Expect to see more movies and television programs that focus on military families. First Lady Michelle Obama Monday encouraged Hollywood to foster storylines that reveal the challenges those families face during service deployments. During her visit, the First Lady also got to work on the set of a popular cable show.
During a panel discussion in Beverly Hills, Mrs. Obama told more than a hundred Hollywood insiders that as she traveled the campaign trail with her husband a few years ago, she learned plenty about the hardships military spouses and their children face.
?The average military kid has moved six times in their lives," said Mrs. Obama. "You think about what it takes for a family to reengage with one another after deployment. It takes a while to reconnect and then you turn around and they have to be deployed again.?
Scenarios like that inspired Mrs. Obama and the vice president's wife Dr. Jill Biden to launch an effort called ?Joining Forces." The two-month-old initiative directs attention to the concerns of military families.
Mrs. Obama wants Hollywood to explore some of those challenges on screens of every size. ?I would just urge you to do what you do best. Be creative, be funny, be powerful, move us. Move America to think differently about these issues and about these families and about our men and women who serve so graciously.?
Director J.J. Abrams, whose film ?Super 8? dominated the weekend box office, moderated the event and couldn?t resist slipping in an unrelated question. "Mrs. Obama, what?s happening on the set of iCarly today?" Abrams asked.
Mrs. Obama replied, "Well let?s say I?m the coolest mom on the face of the planet.?
The creative team behind the hit Nickelodeon show convinced Mrs. Obama to make a guest appearance. Carly, the lead character, is the daughter of a military officer serving overseas.
The first lady praised the show for integrating military-related themes into its storylines. She said her daughters love to watch iCarly ? that means the pressure was on.
?I?m going to put on my acting cape," the first lady said. "I?ve been memorizing my lines ? I am terrified."
The audience that laughed along with Mrs. Obama at the Writers Guild Theater included actor Blair Underwood, Geoffrey Fletcher ? who wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay of ?Precious? ? and Katherine Fugate, the creator of Lifetime TV?s drama ?Army Wives.? Other panelists onstage with Mrs. Obama shared their personal experiences of growing up in military families.
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Source: http://feeds.scpr.org/~r/893KpccSouthernCaliforniaNews-Arts/~3/qAH7206DEcY/
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