then i talked about being a desperate housewife one night lynn cheney and kara hughes hired chippendales. and i wouldn't mention it except sandra day o'connor saw us there. that humor doesn't translate to most countries. most countries you can't roast the president like that. for years heads of state would take me aside and say are you really a desperate housewife? >> sometimes it backfires. it was a white tie dinner, the gridiron. where they take themselves so seriously. it was on april 1st. and came up in my evening dress. george says, you're not going like that are you? i said, yeah, i am. some people thought i had cancer. some people said who is that woman with the president? nobody thought it was funny. i had gone through great trouble to get this wonderful wig. but it backfired. to what extent do the first ladies get involved in preparing the meals or menus that will be eaten just for your ordinary nights? >> none. >> ordinary night? >> no everything they cooked was good. i do wish i was there. only for the meals. we did have tastings for state dinners. we invite them to be the beg

and i said that one night lynne chaney and condi rice and karen hughes and i had gone to chippendales, and i wouldn't even have mentioned it, except sandra day o'connor and justice ginsberg saw us there. but that sort of humor doesn't really translate to most countries, because most countries you can't roast the president like that, and so from -- a year after that at least on foreign travel, heads of state, when we were somewhere else, would take me aside and say, are you really a desperate housewife? >> had yumor is such an importa thing. >> sometimes it backfires. i can't remember which dinner, but there is a white tie dinner. >> the gridiron. where they take themselves -- pardon me -- so seriously, you, the press, and it was on april 1st, and i thought, a-ha and i worked with my hair dresser and a wore a red wig and came out in my evening dress and george says you're not going like that, are you? and i said, yeah. i am. so we went to the dinner, and some people thought i had cancer. and some people said who is that woman with the president? and nobody thought it was funny. i had g