Michelle Obama slow dances with Big Bird. Will that sell veggies?
Michelle Obama may be pushing the envelope this time.
To promote her big issues of smart eating and healthy lifestyles she鈥檚 appeared in a wide array of video venues. She鈥檚 done and promoted She was pushing weight loss. she talked home garden seeds.
Now a sort-of game show on the Funny or Die web comedy network. It features, among other things, host Billy Eichner venturing on to the streets of New York to accost passers-by and ask them questions about pop culture. And we do mean 鈥渁ccost鈥� 鈥� there鈥檚 lots of yelling. Some show segments have titles that include terms for genitalia. The level of pop culture knowledge displayed is extreme.
In other words, an adult show. Which is fine. .
Maybe FLOTUS is taking a lesson from POTUS. In quest of signees for the Affordable Care Act, President Obama has appeared on 鈥淏etween Two Ferns,鈥� a fake Funny or Die talk show, as well as granted an interview to YouTube comedian GloZell. Oh, and made a video which included use of a selfie stick. As a result he鈥檚 reached a lot of viewers but also drawn criticism from some Republicans who think he鈥檚 demeaning the office.
But here鈥檚 the issue: On 鈥淏illy,鈥� Mrs. Obama has Big Bird in tow. They鈥檙e hawking a new line of "Sesame Street"-themed healthy food packaging named 鈥渆at brighter.鈥� How does the audience for that intersect with the audience for a show that features the first lady pushing the host down a food aisle in a grocery cart while he recites Gwyneth Paltrow鈥檚 Oscar acceptance speech for 鈥淪hakespeare in Love鈥�?
Elena, a 鈥淏illy鈥� regular, shows up as a co-contestant. They play a round of a quiz called 鈥�Ariana Grande or Eating a Carrot?鈥�
Six-year-olds are not watching that. They don鈥檛 even understand it. Are their parents? Not sure, but the show gave off a young and single urbanite vibe to us. Maybe Millennials respond to Elmo-brand snap peas.
That said, we did like the part where Mr. Eichner asked his guest 鈥淲ho is more deserving of a Kennedy Center honor, Martin Short or a box of corn?鈥� Mrs. Obama answered 鈥渁 box of corn,鈥� which was wrong, wrong, wrong, according to the host.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a genius, he played !鈥� yelled Eichner.
Also there was a funny bit where he apologizes for accidentally touching the first lady, and she says, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 OK, but watch it. You could get shot.鈥�
鈥淎 ha ha, fruits and vegetables, this is so much fun! I could die at any moment!鈥� Eichner replies.
Perhaps it鈥檚 our imagination but that鈥檚 a point at which Mrs. Obama looked genuinely amused.
