Michelle Obama

The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.

You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms… you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation.

Today Jazz music is performed and listened to by people of all ethnicity, backgrounds, ages and creeds.

We can aim to create a culture, where kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them.

Courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

We’re so afraid of each other… Colour, wealth, these things that don’t really matter still play too much of a role in how we see one another. And it’s sad, because the thing that least defines us is the colour of our skin.

One thing I’ve learned about the press is that they’re always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better. It’s in the nature of the job, and I understand that. The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous.

There’s so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?

Television is the first truly democratic culture – the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.

You can’t interview my brother!… We can call this thing off – right now!

We want someone to bring us the news.

We got killed in Newsweek.

The media is really, the word, I think one of the greatest of all terms I’ve come up with is fake. I guess other people have used it perhaps over the years, but I’ve never noticed it.

With the press there is no ‘off the record’.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, I don’t enjoy doing press. I’ve been asked the same questions a million times now, and I don’t particularly like talking about my personal life.

Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.

If you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you.

You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.

What I try to keep in mind is that there are going to be a lot of articles that are going to be misrepresentative of what I’m about as a person and as a writer.

If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed.

I actually don’t read most of the coverage about Facebook. I try to learn from getting input from people who use our services directly more than from pundits.