Former First Lady Michelle Obama has had a great political and legal career. She has also proved that she is not shy about appearing on TV in cameo roles.

So far, she has been in Black-ish and Parks and Recreation as a guest star in cameo roles. Still, the two productions did not treat her the same way, and we will look at why one of her cameos was much better than the other.

She was in Parks and Recreation during its sixth season back in 2014. In her role, she was trying to make Leslie Knope assume a managerial position in a new Chicago-based branch of the National Park Service.

Clearly, her role in this show was much greater, although she appeared for just a minute. That is because she did not take longer than necessary to achieve her goal, yet her presence played an important role in the plot.

They also ensured her story involved the main cast and not someone making a guest appearance.

Why Michelle's Cameo On Black-ish Left Something To Be Desired

As we have already seen, Michelle's cameo on Parks and Recreation was great. Unfortunately, that can't be said of her appearance in Black-ish.

The former First Lady was in Black-ish a whole eight years after her cameo in Parks and Recreation. In the comedy series, she befriends Dre and Bo during an event.

On Black-ish, her presence was clearly more pronounced, but it felt more like a distraction from the show.

What Makes A Great Cameo?

There is no doubt that Michelle is simply helping develop a larger plot in both of these cameos. Still, one of the cameos is great while the other is not.

A good cameo should be limited so that the episode proceeds as it normally would. When a guest appearance has an extended role, the cameo disrupts the main story.

The problem can be especially bad if the show's fans don't care as much about the guest star as the producers seem to think.

For these reasons, Michelle Obama's cameo on Parks and Recreation is superior to her Black-ish cameo. Fans of the show did not find her role distracting, yet they can't forget it - that is what a perfect cameo is all about.