The Sasha Obama Mix-Up That Became A Reoccurring Joke Between Michelle And Barack
Every family has that one statement that's become an inside joke, and it's no different for the Obamas. Barack Obama once shared a funny mix-up from Sasha Obama, whom he humorously dubbed "the comedian in the family." He recounted a time during his demanding campaign when he and his daughters shared a much-needed rest. While they slept, Michelle, always the early riser, turned on the lights to wake them up, so seven-year-old Sasha sleepily protested, "Awww, Mommy, we are peace!"
Barack explained that the drowsy Sasha had meant to say they were peaceful, but had gotten the words jumbled. The cute slip-up officially became the Obamas' inside joke, with Barack and Michelle using "We are peace! I am peace!" as a playful code for wanting some quiet time. The former president shared this story with People in 2008, just months before his inauguration. But the jokes didn't stop there. When he became president, Barack found ways to display the family's humor in his public speeches.
Barack's playful jokes often included his daughters
Barack Obama publicly admitted that he'd started a tradition of "corny-copia" dad jokes to embarrass Malia and Sasha Obama during their childhood in the White House. These jokes were usually reserved for lighthearted situations like turkey pardonings, but the former president wasn't above slipping in Malia and Sasha jokes here and there. During the 2009 White House Correspondents' Dinner, he joked that Sasha and Malia had been responsible for the fighter jet that flew at low altitudes over Manhattan for a photo-op.
"Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight because they're grounded. You can't just take Air Force One on a joy ride to Manhattan. I don't care whose kids you are." He also told the crowd at his final turkey pardoning that Malia and Sasha had refused to come because they could no longer stand his turkey jokes. "What I haven't told them yet is we are going to do this every year from now on. No cameras, just us, every year. No way I'm cutting this habit cold turkey."
The Obamas mostly joke at Barack's expense
If Barack Obama seemed to enjoy his wisecracks a little too much, it was probably because his family usually makes jests at his expense. The former president said so himself, admitting that he was "generally the brunt of jokes" during a chat on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2020. He shared an anecdote from his book, "A Promised Land," about an incident in 2004 where he was recognized at the zoo.
To offer their family some more privacy, Malia Obama decided he needed an alias, prompting three-year-old Sasha Obama to propose he take up the name "Johnny McJonJon." Sasha also suggested he change his "really slow" way of speaking and raise his voice a few pitches. However, when they presented their plans to Michelle, her response was characteristically deadpan: "Hon, the only way daddy is gonna disguise himself is if he has surgery to pin back his ears." He also told Dax Shepard during a podcast episode that his family relentlessly teased him for "mispronouncing the name of some hip-hop star that Sasha's been listening to."