Every president makes his share of flubs, and President Barack Obama is no exception. During the Women of Soul tribute at the White House on Thursday night, Obama delivered a speech and acknowledged Aretha Franklin. During the speech, he tried to tie in part of the chorus from Franklin’s hit song Respect, but goofed up the spelling of the word.
The Women of Soul event was part of the White House’s Women’s History Month celebration. Quite a few singers performed at the event, including Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, and the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. When Obama started talking about the impact Franklin has had on women, he flubbed the spelling of the word “respect,” which drew quite a few chuckles from the audience.
“When Aretha [Franklin] first told us what R-S-P-E-C-T meant to her, she had no idea it would become a rallying cry for African Americans, and women, and then everyone who felt marginalized because of what they looked like or who they loved,” Obama said. “They wanted some respect.”
Check out President Obama’s Aretha Franklin tribute speech below.
This isn’t the first time that the president has misspelled a word, but the last time was part of a team effort. Back in 2012, Obama and three others attempted to spell out the word “Ohio” using hand gestures at Ohio State University. Check out the failed attempt below.
A word of advice to @BarackObama: it's "O-H-I-O" that has 18 electoral votes, not "O-I-H-O" pic.twitter.com/babXzAtp
— Christopher Maloney (@CHRISMAL0NEY) August 22, 2012
In other Obama news, the president found himself the center of a slam based on a children’s rhyme over the weekend. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin modified Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham to make a few points about overspending and Obamacare.
“I do not like this Uncle Sam. I do not like his healthcare scam,” Palin said. “I do not like these dirty crooks or how they lie and cook the books. I do not like when Congress steals. I do not like their crony deals. I do not like the spying man. I do not like ‘Oh yes we can.’ I do not like this spending spree. We’re smart we know there’s nothing free. I do not like reporters’ smug replies when I complain about their lies. I do not like this kind of hope. And we won’t take it, nope, nope, nope. Hat tip the Internet.”
Image via YouTube