Michelle Obama organizes with her brother Craig Robinson Video -Podcast ‘Imo’

Ask a prominent podcast moderator for a list of guests for dream interviews, and it is very likely that Michelle Obama’s name is on it.

Therefore, the former First Lady shouldn’t have any major problems to book them in their new show “IMO”, which she is briefly presented with for “in my opinion”, which she will be present with with her older brother, the basketball manager Craig Robinson.

The podcast was announced on Monday by higher soil, the media company founded by former President Barack Obama and Ms. Obama in 2018.

The podcasts of Higher Ground tend to prestige culture programs. Earlier publications include a limited series about Stevie Wonder, which is moderated by the New York Times Arts critic Wesley Morris. A celebrity interview about sensible family recipes moderated by journalist Michele Norris; And a number of conversations about Mr. Obama and Bruce Springsteen’s American life.

“IMO” corresponds more with the current industry -wide trends in podcasting: It is a chat show that is published as a video, a premiere for higher ways. (A third of the podcast consumers now prefer shows with video components, as can be seen from a report in December of Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.)

The Times was given the first two episodes of “IMO”, both of which were for about an hour. The hosts mainly stated advice based on their life experiences and undertook the fight against current events or politics.

In the premiere, Mr. Robinson, the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Trainer, spoke of the contrast between the well -equipped rent, in which they turned the episode and the small apartment in Chicago, where they grew up and shared a bedroom. Her parents have died since then – her father, Fraser Robinson III, died in 1991 and her mother Marian Robinson, who lived with the Obamas in the White House, died last May.

The siblings discussed the times when they had endured, such as the divorce of Mr. Robinson and the initial reluctance of Ms. Obama to support her husband’s president.

In the second episode, the format of the show becomes clearer. Ms. Obama and Mr. Robinson are accompanied by a famous guest – the writer, actress and producer ISSA Rae – who discusses a single topic that is maintained on the question of a listener friendship.

There were also easier and more obvious moments in both episodes. Ms. Obama announces that she started again after years of protection and restrictions on the secret service. She and her brother tease each other about the social differences between men and women.

Rivian, Pine-Sol and Theraflu are advertising partners for “IMO”. Mr. Robinson reads most of the ads.

It is not the first time that Ms. Obama organizes a podcast. The episodes of her previous one, originally “The Michelle Obama Podcast”, were released in 2020 and became Spotify’s fourth best show. A second series of episodes published in 2023 were recorded during their order tour for their book “The Light We Carry”.

According to Higher Ground, the list “IMO” will include a mixture of celebrities that appeared in Mrs. Obama’s former show like the director Tyler Perry. And new guests, like the actors Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer; And Jay Shetty and Dr. Orna Guralnik, the hosts of the popular psychological health podcasts.

Higher Ground has been producing his podcasts with Audible, which belongs to Amazon since 2022. Previously, the Obamas podcasts were only premiered on Spotify before expanding to other platforms.

The first two episodes of “IMO” will be released on Wednesday. The next day, Ms. Obama and Mr. Robinson will record a live show in the South by Southwest Culture Festival in Austin, Texas.