♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "A LOT SHOW." LET'S SAY HELLO TO JON BATISTE. JON, HOW ARE YOU? >> Jon: I'M GOOD. I'M FEELING LIFE RIGHT NOW. I'M FEELING LIFE. WE'RE ALIVE. THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. >> Stephen: WE HAVE OUR LIVES
AND LIFE IS ONLY GETTING MORE LIVELY. DID YOU HEAR THAT TODAY-- HOW
MANY, MANY? AT LEAST A HALF A DOZEN BROADWAY
SHOWS ANNOUNCED THEIR RETURN TO BROADWAY. ARE WE ONE OF THEM? DID WE ANNOUNCE YET? BUT WE'RE ANNOUNCING SOON,
RIGHT? WE WILL KNOW SOON WHEN WE'RE
COMING BACK. JON, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN
PERSON. >> Jon: MAN, I CAN'T WAIT. >> Stephen: DON'T GET ME
WRONG. I DIG THE ALBUM. I BIG "SOUL." BUT TO BE IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU
AND THE BAND ARE PLAYING IS A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. >> Jon: OH, IT'S LEVEL. IT'S ABOUT TO BE ON FIRE. COME ON, BROADWAY! LET US IN THERE! >> Stephen: I AM DECLARING--
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT-- WE WILL BE BACK
IN THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER SOON. YOU CAN HOLD ME TO THAT AND I
WILL ATTEMPT TO HOLD SOMEONE ELSE TO THAT, ALL RIGHT? JON, YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING TO
IN JUST A MINUTE. >> Jon: I KNOW, COME ON NOW,
THE FIRST LADY. >> Stephen: MICHELLE OBAMA. >> Jon: THE ORIGINAL FIRST
LADY. >> Stephen: THE ORIGINAL,
ACTUALLY, THE ORIGINAL. SHE IS-- SHE IS AN ORIGINAL, I
WILL SAY THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY MUSIC. DO YOU HAVE ANY PROPER
TRANSITION MUSIC FROM THIS MOMENT SPEAKING TO SUCH A LOVELY
PARAGON AS MICHELLE OBAMA? >> Jon: OH, YEAH. ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: I HOPE SHE WAS ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: I HOPE SHE WAS LISTENING. JON BATISTE, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, JON. FOLKS AS I ARB LEWDED JUST A
MOMENT AGO WITH JON BATISTE, I RECENTLY HAD THE GREAT PLIJ TO
GO DOWN TO WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR AN IN-PERSON CONVERSATION WITH
FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA, IN IN THE VERY SAME ROOM
I INTERVIEWED HER HUSBAND LAST NOVEMBER. NICE TO SEE YOU. WE HAVE TALKED FOR YEARS AND I
ALWAYS CALLED YOU MADAM FIRST LADY. AND I GOT AN EMAIL FROM YOU
ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT'S AN ACTUAL EMAIL, AND IT
SAID-- IT SAYS, "HEY, STEPHEN AND EVIE. GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU BOTH. AND YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO CUT
OUT THE 'MADAM FIRST LADI' STUFF. LOVE." SO I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM, HERE,
FOR THE CAMERAS. THAT YOU WOULD PREFER I CALL YOU
BY YOUR FIRST NAME. I'M ABOUT TO CROSS THAT RUBICON. >> PLEASE, COME, COME OVER TO
THE LIGHT SIDE. LIKE "MADAM FIRST LADY." THAT'S SOMEBODY ELSE NOW. >> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, I'LL
GIVE IT A SHOT. >> OKAY, LET'S TRY IT. BREATHE IN
( BREATHES ) OKAY. >> Stephen: SO NICE TO SEE
YOU, MICHELLE. >> DID YOU IT! GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO, STEPHEN. >> Stephen: I HAD THE PLEASURE
OF SITTING DOWN WITH YOUR HUSBAND IN NOVEMBER, AND I
IMAGINE THAT OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE TOGETHER-- BECAUSE
YOU'RE BOTH INCREDIBLY BUSY PEOPLE-- THAT THERE HAVE BEEN
LONG PERIODS OF TIME-- ESPECIALLY THE EIGHT YEARS IN
THE WHITE HOUSE-- WHERE YOU DIDN'T SEE EACH OTHER AS MUCH AS
YOU'D LIKE TO. OVER THE LAST YEAR YOU'VE BEEN
TOGETHER-- >> A LOT. >> Stephen: ALL THE TIME. HOW HAS THAT WORKED OUT? IS HE GOOD COMPANY? >> HE IS. IT IS GOOD, AND I THINK IT'S
EVEN BETTER BECAUSE WE DON'T-- TE PRESSURES THAT WERE THERE
ARE ALSO GONE. THEY'RE DIFFERENT. OUR KIDS ARE INDEPENDENT BEINGS. WE'RE NOT WORRYING ABOUT FEEDING
THEM OR CURFEW, ALL THOSE THINGS --
>> Stephen: BUT THEY WERE LIVING WITH YOU FOR A WHILE. >> TEY WERE BUT THEY'RE ADULTS. AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE, HEY, IT'S
YOUR LIFE. >> Stephen: MORE LIKE
ROOMMATES THAN CHILDREN? >> IT WAS. GOOD COMPANY, GOOD COMPANY. BUT IT'S BEEN LOVELY. I MEAN WE'VE-- IT'S-- THE
FRIENDSHIP THAT WAS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL OF THIS IS
STILL THERE. >> Stephen: OH, THAT'S WHY I
LIKE YOU. >> THAT'S EXACTLY --
>> Stephen: YOU TURNED OUT TO BE PRETTY GOOD COMPANY. >> THAT'S WHAT I TELL YOUNG
PEOPLE, YOUNG COUPLES. IT'S LIKE, IT'S GOING TO COME
FULL CIRCLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE LITTLE KIDS AND WORKING AND
HAVE A CAREER. YOU LOOK OVER AT THAT GUY AND
YOU'RE LIKE, WHY DID I DO THIS? I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER. BUT YOU COME FULL CIRCLE, KIDS
ARE OUT OF THE HOUSE HOUSE. AND IT'S LIKE, "OH! YOU'RE KIND OF CUTE." THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW. "LOOK AT YOU IN YOUR LITTLE GOLF
OUTFIT." WHEN HE GOES TO GOLF, IT'S LIKE,
"MMM, YOU LOOK CUTE." I FEEL IT NOW. SO IT'S BEEN GOOD. >> Stephen: THE KIDS,
OBVIOUSLY, YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN UNCONDITIONALLY. THEY LOVE YOU. >> MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE
WORLD. >> Stephen: AT WHAT POINT DID
THEY SAY TO YOU OVER THE LAST YEAR, "YOU GUYS, WE LOVE YOU. BUT YOU'RE A DRAG. WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE." >> THEY WENT TO THE WEST COAST
AND THEY'VE BEEN GONE. THEY JUST LEFT. >> Stephen: DID THEY LEAVE A
FORWARDING ADDRESS. >> WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. BUT THEY DON'T CHECK IN MUCH. BUT IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR,
RIGHT. AND IN THE HEIGHT OF QUARANTINE,
YOU KNOW, WE'LL SAY IT STARTED IN MARCH. BY THE SUMMER, WE WERE, LIKE,
OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOU. YOU KNOW, I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO
SAY. OUR YOUNGEST, SACHA, WHO IS NOT
AS TALKATIVE AS OUR OLDER ONE IS LIKE, "I REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO
SAY TO YOU. I DON'T. I'M NOT EVEN TRYING ANYMORE." BUT WE GOT THROUGH A COUPLE GOOD
MONTHS OF FEELING GOOD, BEING AROUND EACH GLRG YOUR HUSBAND
EXPLAINED WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT THROUGH, WHICH IS THE KIDS
ARE HOME, THERE'S MOVIE NIGHT-- >> GAME N95. >> Stephen: GAMES, STUFF LIKE
THAT. WHO MADE THE CALL ON THE MOVIES? LIKE, WHO WAS THE--
>> MALIA. MALIA IS THE MOVIE SAVANITY. SHE'S VERY CLEAR-- ALTHOUGH WE
DON'T LIKE THE SAME MOVIES. SHE AND BARACK LIKE DARK AND
SAD. AND SASHA AND I WE WANT A LITTLE
LAUGHTER AND FRIVOLITY. >> Stephen: BUT THEY HAVE TO
DO IMPORTANT MOVIES. >> YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY
TAKE THEMSELVES A LITTLE SERIOUSLY WITH THEIR MOVIES, YOU
KNOW. AND THEY LIKE TO REHASH DARK
MOMENTS. BARACK'S TASTE IN MOVIES IS
EVERYBODY IS SAD, AND THEN THEY DIE. THOSE ARE-- YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO
BE CAREFUL. >> Stephen: ALL THIS YEAR'S
OSCAR NOMINEES. >> RIGHT. HE RECOMMENDS IT --
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT "JUDAH AND THE BLACK MESSIAH?"
YOU TALKED ABOUT, SOME AN EXPERIENCE YOU HAD THIS PAST
YEAR WITH LOW-GRADE DEPRESSION, YOU CALL IT. AND I HAVE A TWO-PART QUESTION
WHICH IS, ONE IS, IT'S VERY COMMON PEOPLE THIS YEAR-- VERY
COMMON IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR. HOW DID YOU COPE WITH IT? AND WHY JUST LOW GRADE? BECAUSE I GET THE HIGH-OCTANE. >> RIGHT, RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE
OF YOUR LIFE AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PART OF..., YOU KNOW. NOBODY RIDES LIFE ON A HIGH. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
YOUNG PEOPE TO KNOW THAT. IT'S LIKE, NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING
TO FEEL GREAT ALL THE TIME. AND THERE ARE MOMENTS IN ALL OF
OUR LIVES, PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, AND, YOU
KNOW, UNREST, RACIAL UNREST, YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL KIND OF A
WAY ABOUT IT SO GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. BEING 57, I KNOW THAT THAT'S
TRUE. SO OVER THE COURSE OF WHYURE
ADULTHOOD YOU DEVELOP YOUR OWN TOOLS, AND FOR ME, IT'S TURNING
OFF THE NOISE THAT IS UPSETTING. UN, KNOWING THAT I CAN'T KEEP
READING ALL THE FEEDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FUELING MY ANXIETY AND
TAKING A BREAK FROM IT. I DID THAT AS FIRST LADY. THERE WERE JUST TIMES THAT I
COULDN'T HEAR THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE COUNTRY THAT I HAD TO SERVE
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE NEWS ISN'T A FULL REFLECTION OF WHAT
THE COUNTRY IS. AND IF I --
>> Stephen: THEY ALL KIND OF NEED THE BAD NEWS BECAUSE THE
DRAMA OF THE STORY OF THE CONFLICT IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE
BUSINESS MODEL. >> THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT REALITY. IT'S NOT HOW PEOPLE LIVE THEIR
DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. SO I PULLED BACK FROM IT. I SURROUND MYSELF WITH THINGS
THAT MAKE ME FEEL GOOD-- FAMILY, FRIENDS, WALKS, EXERCISE. SO WHEN I TALK TO MY KIDS ABOUT
THAT, I TRY TO URGE THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE VALLEYS ARE
TEMPORARY, AND SO ARE THE PEAKS. THEY CAN BE TEMPORARY. AND THEY HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO
HANDLE THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS. SO I'M TRYING TO GET THEM AND
OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE YOUR
TOOLS, THE THINGS THAT BRING YOU JOY, THE THINGS THAT BRING YOU
CALM AND PEACE? I KNOW THOSE THINGS FOR MYSELF
NOW. BUT IT'S TAKEN DECADES TO
DEVELOP THOSE TOOLS. SO WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH
OURSELVES, PARTICULARLY IN TIMES THAT ARE HARD, YOU KNOW,. >> Stephen: THE DIFFICULTY FOR
ME IS I KNOW THE THINGS THAT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE ME FEEL
BETTER, AND I DON'T WANT TO DO THEM. >> WELL WHAT-- THAT DOESN'T MAKE
ANY SENSE, STEPHEN. >> Stephen: NO, BECAUSE THEY
REQUIRE YOU TO DO SOMETHING. WHEN I'M DEPRESSED I DON'T WANT
TO DO ANYTHING. >> YOU DON'T WANT TO DO
ANYTHING. >> Stephen: THAT'S PART OF THE
ODD TRAP OF DEPRESSION. >> THAT'S TRUE. FOR ME, I HAVE TO PUSH BEYOND
THAT, RIGHT. SO THAT-- HAVING A SCHEDULE,
EVEN IN QUARANTINE, WAS SOMETHING THAT I DID. I WOKE UP, I TOOK A SHOWER, I
WORKED OUT, I GOT DRESSED EVERY DAY. YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T A DAY
THAT WENT BY THAT I DIDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE DOING
THAT GETS YOU OUT OF THE FUNK. I FIND IF I SPEND THE WHOLE DAY
IN A SOUR MOOD, LIGHTS OUT, IN THE BED, THE NEXT DAY I'LL FEEL
THE SAME WAY. BUT FIGET UP AND I SHOWER--
SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE COURSE OF ME DOING SOMETHING
THAT REALLY KNOCKS ME INTO A POSITIVE PLACE. SO I TRY TO FIGHT THE TENDENCY
TO NOT-- TO SORT OF WALLOW IN MY LOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING? >> Stephen: I DO KNOW, I DO
KNOW. >> DON'T WALLOW IN YOUR LOW,
STEPHEN. >> Stephen: I KNOW THAT'S THE
RIGHT THING TO DO. >> OPEN THE BLINDS, GET OUT OF
BED. COME ON, GET UP, TALK A SHOWER,
SHAVE. >> Stephen: CAN I GET THAT AS
MY ALARM IN THE MORNING? CAN I GET A COPY OF THAT AND
HAVE MY iPHONE PLAY THAT FOR ME? YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO THAT
YOU'RE 57 YEARS OLD. I'M GOING TO BE 57 IN A COUPLE
OF DAYS. >> WOO-HOO. >> Stephen: YOU AND I ARE
ABOUT THE SAME AGE. YOUR HUSBAND IS ABOUT TO TURN
60. >> HE'S AN OLD MAN. >> Stephen: AS A FELLOW
EXEN-XER, IS IT HARD TO RELATE? >> IT'S THE WAY HE TALKS,
THINKS-- I'M KIDDING. DID YOU HAVE TV WHEN YOU WERE
GROWING UP? YEAH, NO. HE'S GOING TO BE OLD! 60! <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
BUT HE LOOKS GOOD. I LIKE HIM. SO IT'S LIKE --
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND. >> YOU'RE CUTE. >> Stephen: YOU LOOK GOOD FOR
A 60-YEAR-OLD. >> YEAH, YEAH. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK. STICK AROUND E'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH MORE OF THE STAR OF "WAFFLE AND MOCHI" ON NETFLIX. MICHELLE OBAMA.
