Michelle Obama Is Not The First White House Resident To Appear On The Oscars

Great job, FLOTUS, but this all started with FDR in 1941.

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First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the 85th Academy Awards to help actor Jack Nicholson announce the Best Picture nominees and winner.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

But this wasn't the first time the White House has been involved in the Academy Awards. The tradition dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941.

Via oscars.org

FDR gave a six-minute radio address from the White House during the 13th Academy Awards, in which he paid tribute to Hollywood's stars, directors, and producers.

Via time.com

Bob Hope was the master of ceremonies.

President Ronald Reagan made a video cameo at the 53rd Academy Awards in 1980.

Via oscars.org

He is also known for his role in the Oscar-nominated Kings Row (1942).

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First Lady Laura Bush appeared at the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002.

Charles Dharapak, 2005 / AP

She participated in a taped segment. That was the year Halle Berry became the first black actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress, for her performance in Monster's Ball. The host was Whoopi Goldberg.

Michelle's appearance was nothing new, but people still freaked out, calling it "inappropriate."

Michelle Obama's stint at the #Oscars was widely inappropriate and an affirmation that our politicians are no more than puppets on a string

— Sharky (@SharkJumper) February 25, 2013

. @michelleobama is the whore of DC, who was pimped out at the Oscars last night for propaganda purposes to promote war. #Argo. #oscars

— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) February 25, 2013

Including someone who thinks we vote for the First Lady...

Really Michelle Obama?Presenting an Oscar?This is not the First Lady we all voted for. #goplogic #Oscars

— Joshua Lumsden (@adabsurdum) February 25, 2013

Then this hashtag started:

#NextMichelleObamaAppearance She'll be in every movie theater preview telling you to shut your cellphone off & put away the popcorn.

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) February 25, 2013

#NextMichelleObamaAppearance ~ She will become the next triple crown winning horse--->ThunderThighs

— Southern With Sass (@LilSouthernSass) February 25, 2013

But it was Obama's co-presenter, Jack Nicholson, who had the most fun with her guest appearance, accidentally giving FLOTUS a new nickname: "Bama."

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