While awarding the medal of freedom to director Steven Spielberg and other celebrities, President Obama jokingly suggested that the director of movies like “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” and “Lincoln” should make one about his presidency.
“Despite redefining the word ‘prolific,’ a Spielberg movie is still a Spielberg movie,” Obama said as someone’s cell phone in the room began ringing.
“Somebody is calling to see if they can book him for a deal right now,” Obama joked.
“They want to make pitch … ‘so there’s this really good-looking President and…'” he hinted.
Obama grinned as the crowd laughed and he went on to praise Spielberg’s movies for their “boundless imagination” and featuring “characters whose struggle to seize control of their destinies.”
He praised Spielberg for creating the Shoah foundation and helping survivors of genocide.
“Steven’s films are marked most importantly by a faith in our common humanity … his stories have shaped America’s story, and his values have shaped our world,” Obama concluded.
Obama awarded the presidential medal of freedom to other celebrities including Gloria Estefan, Barbra Streisand, and Obama administration favorite James Taylor.