Tomorrow will be the 25th anniversary of Spike Lee’s monumental film “Do The Right Thing,” so naturally, he threw a party in Brooklyn to celebrate. Despite the star-studded guest list—Dave Chappelle, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, and Erykah Badu—a video message from the nation’s first couple took the cake.
Lee played it before the film both at the Bed Stuy screening, and later, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art screening. Who can blame him, a presidential co-sign is clutch.
President Obama and his now wife, Michelle, explained that “Do The Right Thing” was the movie they went to see on their first official date. They will celebrate their 24th year of marriage in October of this year, but in the video the couple recall the details of their first date.
“‘Do The Right Thing’ was actually the first thing we saw together on our first official date,” Michelle explained. “He was trying to show me his sophisticated side by selecting an independent filmmaker.”
“I took her to this new movie everybody was talking about directed by a guy that not that many people had heard of,” Barack said. “But it was supposed to be pretty good.”
Michelle agreed: “It ended up being a pretty good movie—really great!”
“So Spike, thank you for helping me impress Michelle,” Obama joked. “And thank you for telling a powerful story. Today, I’ve got a few more grey hairs than I did back in 1989. You don’t look like Mookie anymore. But ‘Do the Right Thing’ still holds up a mirror to our society, and it makes us laugh, and think and challenges all of us to see ourselves in one another.”
Watch the full clip below.
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