Michelle Obama Does Funny or Die, Because Junk Food is Killing Us All

And it's not funny. At all.

Funny or Die released a new video today featuring a very special cameo from Michelle Obama. It's a parody of The Hunger Games, Divergent, et al, crossed with a healthy eating PSA.

The resulting video, "Snackpocalypse," is not remotely funny.

Yeah, yeah, kids are not eating healthy enough, whatever. The joke falls flat, though—it's too generic. The creators could have replaced junk food with any other perceived social problem and made pretty much the same video. Snack food-shaming fits here only because it's what Michelle Obama is best known for.

This isn't the first time an Obama has appeared in a Funny or Die video; President Obama sat down for a scripted interview with Zach Galifianakis on his awkwardly hilarious "Between Two Ferns." The video was a plug for Healthcare.gov and did earn some laughs, despite being propaganda. "Snackpocalypse," on the other hand, is unfunny propaganda.

Interestingly enough, the Barack video was conceived by the administration as a deliberate ploy to market the Affordable Care Act to increasingly skeptical millennials. Obama's people pitched the idea to Funny or Die's creative team, which accepted. It's not clear whether Michelle Obama's video was also planned by the administration (to be fair, this video is not promoting a specific policy the way the other one was). I've asked for clarification from Funny or Die, but have not heard back yet.

Funny or Die is also perfectly capable of pushing leftist policy ideas without help from the Obamas. Check out the pro-minimum wage video, "Mary Poppins Quits with Kristen Bell," and then watch Remy's rebuttal video.

Comments

[Idle Hands]

The one politician that I would reelect if she ever ran again. Go get them Michelle.

[Brandon]

Again? What did she run for before?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Calibrate your sarcasmetron.

[SugarFree]

He keeps his in the iCloud.

[Pro Libertate]

Our hearts, Brandon. Our healthy hearts.

[Bam!]

Does Funny or Die do any actual comedy anymore or is it all political propaganda disguised as comedy?

[Brandon]

Is it even disguised as comedy? I assume the USSR had funnier propaganda than this.

[Obama's Buttplug]

In USSR funnier propaganda had you!

[Episiarch]

The Wookie is not capable of being funny. When you take yourself that seriously, you become a black hole (racist!) of humor. Anyone who thought that she could be funny in any way should have their humor card revoked.

Check out the pro-minimum wage video, "Mary Poppins Quits with Kristen Bell,"

I'm just going to pretend she never did this.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Sorry Epi, I want to like her too, but sometimes people are just insufferable twats.

[Episiarch]

(throws a Veronica Mars episode into the DVD player and ignores CPA, then queues up House of Lies on the TiVo)

[Brandon]

I stopped watching HoL after season two, does Bell ever show her tits?

[SugarFree]

Of course not. And now that she's had that ugly guy's kid, I hope she never does.

#nomoreseanyoungs

[Pope Jimbo]

I don't think that libs/progs do funny. The best they can come up with is "humour". For them to approve of something being humourous it has to be so vapid that it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings.

Every weekend when I'm driving around, I turn on public radio and I hear people laughing at some program there, but I can't for the life of me figure out what they think is so funny. Garrison Keilor is the poster child for this.

[Zeb]

There are loads of funny liberals, though they may not be to your taste. I think Garrison Keilor is pretty funny, though I can see why people hate him (and I know just as many left-liberals who can't stand him as conservatives or libertarians). I haven't watched the Daily Show in a million years, but it at least used to be funny.

[Anonymous Coward]

All men must die, but first, we'll eat.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

So if it's not funny.....

[EDG reppin' LBC]

That was "Die".

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I don't frequent funny or die, but if a video isn't funny and the people in it then have to die, well, that seems interesting.

[NYC Liberal]

I like what Michelle Obama is doing and raising awareness about childhood obesity. I don't know why she gets so much heat for it.

Had Mitt Romney won the election and his wife had picked up the same cause, I don't see the liberals shitting on Mrs Romney. I know I would not.

[Episiarch]

So you're fat?

[Idle Hands]

No he's big boned Epi, jeez how could you be so insensitive. I don't see liberals shitting on you, I know I would.

[Episiarch]

Is it a glandular problem?

[Idle Hands]

It's a boner problem.

[Hyperion]

Oh, please. If Romney had of won the election, the amount of vile hatred from the left towards him and his wife would be beyond anything we've ever seen before. And they wouldn't even need a reason. Look at how they treated Sarah Palin, one of the most disgusting displays of hatefulness I've ever seen.

[NYC Liberal]

Sarah Palin is horrible. I think that's a bi-partisan thing actually. I am not a libertarian but I work and know tons of libertarians. We all agree on the Sarah Palin thing.

Look at Elizabeth Warren. I don't think conservatives/Libertarians dog her anywhere near as bad as everyone dogs Palin. That's because Palin is a whack job.

[PM]

"It's okay when we do it because it's true!"

/progderp

[Alice Bowie]

What is the Libertarian Position on Sarah Palin?

[sarcasmic]

Doggie I believe.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

She's more attractive than Warren.

[Idle Hands]

But Warren has those high cheek bones also I'm pro affirmative action.

[Sudden]

Don't forget that Lizzie is an exotic indigenous american. I have a soft spot for exotic wimminz. Doubleplus benefit that when I make my WAR ON WIMMINZ, I can channel my western settler ancestors.

[Pope Jimbo]

Do you force her to smoke the "piece pipe"?

I have to go look up on the urban dictionary what dirty sex act is known as "circle the wagons"

[Obama's Buttplug]

It involves prison rape. And until Reason addresses that issue, they have no business addressing any other issue.

[Zeb]

exotic indigenous

Isn't that self contradictory?

[Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)]

Well, since she neither, then no.

[Idle Hands]

Since we are not a singular entity and have a variety of opinions I don't think anyone could give you one.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I'd do Palin. But I wouldn't touch Warren with Epi's mom's dick.

[Idle Hands]

Why is she whack job? Is it because she slept with a black man or because she's from Alaska?

[sarcasmic]

Because she's attractive and intelligent at the same time. The left doesn't like that. Smart women are supposed to be ugly.

[WTF]

No, it's because she is a woman and a Republican; all true women are supposed to be Democrats. Duh!

[sarcasmic]

That too.

[Idle Hands]

I think intelligent is a stretch, political savvy opportunist probably fits the bill.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

She's more intelligent than Warren. We'll leave it at that.

[Idle Hands]

But Warren is a Hawvawd Lawyaw.

[Square]

I have to agree with this. People keep using the word "smart" to describe Sarah Palin, but I've never understood why.

[Brandon]

Look how much money she's been able to turn the Left's hatred into.

[Bill Dalasio]

I disagree. It's important to distinguish between smart or intelligent and knowledgable or educated. That is to say, intelligence or smartness is measure of one's cognitive ability, where knowledge or education is the material to work with. She doesn't particularly impress me with the latter. But, my impression is that she has pretty strong processing power.

[lap83]

I would say she's smart. Not intellectual, however. She's pragmatic.

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening."

Would a dumb person say that? Only if you equate intelligence with lofty, ivory tower elitism.

[grrizzly]

The "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer" zinger was posted by Jim Geraghty a few hours before Sarah Palin's convention speech. I read it in the Corner before her speech. He was ecstatic when she later used it.

[SLiebert]

How the fuck can you possibly justify calling Sarah Palin intelligent?

[Restoras]

Why is she dumb?

[SugarFree]

If she was smart she'd be a libertarian. I will admit she has a low cunning that makes her good at throwing out red meat.

[Square]

I don't think she's dumb, just unremarkable.

[Square]

But seriously, did I miss some book she wrote, or some article, or something she said at some point?

I've never heard her express an idea. About anything.

That's fine if you just want to dither through your life in unreflective cheerfulness, but don't expect me to praise your genius or vote for you for president.

[Zeb]

That has been my impression of her too. She hasn't done or said anything remotely interesting that I can think of.
I think you are spot on with "unremarkable". Which is why I was so amused with the hate for her from the left. She took no particularly extreme positions on anything really and was for the most part a pretty unremarkable Republican politician from a small state. I think she just confused people more than anything.

[Cap'n Krunch]

How many libertarians in a ton? I guess it depends on whether it's a metric ton or an imperial ton. Whatever, I expect if you're buying by the ton you get wholesale prices?

[Brandon]

I assume about 11, since we're all dudes. If it's more than that, some of us need to squat more.

[Hyperion]

It doesn't matter how horrible Sarah is as a politician. The personal attacks on her and her family were sickening.

Also, tons of libertarians? You don't exaggerate any do you?

Lizzie Warren is a wack job. What else do you call a white woman who claims to be a damn native American, all for her own gain?

[sarcasmic]

What else do you call a white woman who claims to be a damn native American, all for her own gain?

A heroine who managed to game an unfair system that's rigged to favor white men!

*swoon*

/progderp

[Restoras]

What else do you call a white woman who claims to be a damn native American, all for her own gain?

Shameless opportunist?
Politician?
Pathological liar?
Social climber?
Gold digger?

[SLiebert]

It only takes between 20 and 40 libertarians to have two tons of them, assuming they're between 100 and 200 pounds. If they're heavier, then it takes fewer than 20. I'm sure you can find at least two tons of libertarians who agree on Sarah Palin.

[Zeb]

What else do you call a white woman who claims to be a damn native American, all for her own gain?

Someone responding rationally to incentives created by a stupid system of racial preferences?

I can't stand Warren, but I think that everyone should start lying about their race on official forms at every opportunity.

[Rev-Match]

If anyone is a "whack job", it is most definitely Elizabeth "YOU-DIDN'T-BUILD-THAT!" Warren.

[Pro Libertate]

Warren is much worse than Palin.

[Square]

It seems to me that Palin has the advantage of having no real plan or positions about anything, while Warren has an actively menacing agenda, and has to keep restraining herself from pounding her shoe on the table.

[sarcasmic]

She's catching heat not for raising awareness about childhood obesity, but for using intimidation and coercion to force changes to Happy Meals, school lunches, and such.

If she stuck to persuasion that would be one thing, but that's not what she's doing.

[Hyperion]

Exactly this. She's using the threat of violent force to make changes to kids lunch choices. It's not like she just wrote a book or something.

[NYC Liberal]

She's using the threat of violent force

Is she ?

[sarcasmic]

Yes. That's what government is: threat of violence force. Obey these rules or we'll haul your ass to court. Resist and you will be beaten. Continue to resist and you will be killed.

[Hyperion]

Thanks for mansplainin it to the 'liberal'.

[Restoras]

It's not 'force' to liberals unless someone in uniform is pointing a gun at you.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

It's not 'force' to liberals unless someone in uniform is pointing a gun at you is trying to sell you something.

FIFY

[sarcasmic]

is trying to sell you something.

Or offering you a job. Because if you accept the job, then you have to do what your boss says if you want to get paid. That's force.

[Zeb]

Yes, raising awareness and encouraging children to eat better food and exercise more would be a great thing for a First Lady to do. But that is not all that she is doing.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I like what Michelle Obama is doing and raising awareness about childhood obesity. I don't know why she gets so much heat for it

It's because, like Nancy Reagan, she's determined to crowbar her pet cause into every facet of public life.

And who isn't aware of childhood obesity? It's not like it's any big secret. Maybe if today's parents and governments hadn't created a social atmosphere of low-grade anxiety about kicking kids out of the house to go play outside, by themselves or with their friends, all day on their days off, we wouldn't have so many fat kids.

[Alice Bowie]

Outside of the occasional WOMAN FROM WALMART and her kid Honey Boo Boo, I wasn't aware that it was a national problem.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Outside of the occasional WOMAN FROM WALMART and her kid Honey Boo Boo, I wasn't aware that it was a national problem.

So you were aware, you just weren't aware that you were aware?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't see the liberals shitting on Mrs Romney.

Now THAT was funny.

Congratulations, you don't have to die today.

[WTF]

Shorter NYC Liberal: Leave Michelle ALONE!!!1!! LEAVE HER ALONE!!!!!1!!!!

[NYC Liberal]

Oh I am not that passionate about this.
I'm all for free speech. I'm just surprised that educated people and intelligent like Libertarians are so critical of this topic.

[Hyperion]

I'm all for free speech

Then I would advise, be careful who you align yourself with politically.

[WTF]

You're surprised that libertarians are critical of government force being used to interfere in what people eat for lunch? You really are dumb.

[sarcasmic]

I'm just surprised that educated people and intelligent like Libertarians are so critical of this topic.

I'm not surprised that you're continuing to push the narrative, even though it's been explained to you that we're critical not of the topic, but of the use of force instead of persuasion.

What would surprise me is you being intellectually honest about the subject. I've never seen an intellectually honest liberal. Ever.

[Ayn Random Variation]

"I've never seen an intellectually honest liberal. Ever."

To be fair, they're honest when they think nobody outside of their echo chamber/base is listening.

[Steve G]

My "heat" is that her (and the rest of the official govt) guidance is comically under-informed. As if replacing one form of carbs with another is the answer. Better than status quo, but it's a fucking baby step. Meanwhile they completely ignore protein as always (thx vegans!) and are only now coming out the dark ages on fat, but still can't endorse ADDING fat to make a diet more healthy. The Calories!!! The Horror!!

[Rev-Match]

As if replacing one form of carbs with another is the answer.

THIS. If you're gonna blame something for childhood obesity, blame the goddamn government nutrition recommendations.

[Hyperion]

The entire low fat bullshit has been debunked a decade ago. You need fat in your diet. Sure, it's good to get it from a healthy fat source and not some hydrogenated oils. But a low fat / high carb / low protein diet is not good for anyone.

[Steve G]

Yet, I work in an office full of ~40 y/o educated folks who still talk about the evils of dietary fat as they rush off to do their pointless cardio. The BS has been permanently imprinted on an entire generation. Gonna take years...

[Restoras]

At least one generation. The propaganda has been imprinted on everyone younger as well.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I am getting my fiancee to come around on the dietary fat. Lots of work to do on the cardio though.

[Restoras]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09.....ealth&_r=0

People who avoid carbohydrates and eat more fat, even saturated fat, lose more body fat and have fewer cardiovascular risks than people who follow the low-fat diet that health authorities have favored for decades, a major new study shows.

At the moment 'government' and Ms. Obama are neglecting basic facts, not too mention how people raise their kids isn't anyone else's business.

[Steve G]

If I wasn't on the financial hook for somebody else's health care, I wouldn't give a crap what the govt says to eat, but seeings how I am, I do.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Hey, I just ate a loaf of white bread and a pound of organic fries.
Vegan!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Lame. D-

Try harder.

[OldMexican]

Re: NYC Liberal,

I like what Michelle Obama is doing and raising awareness about childhood obesity.

She's not just raising awareness about childhood obesity (whatever the term means for little red marxians.) Where do you think all that food that the ungrateful and unpatriotic brats are unwilling to even taste comes from? Heaven?

[Sudden]

Considering that The Hunger Games is about a tyrannical government located in an absurdly wealthy and gaudy capital city that oppresses the remaining provinces that make up the country, I wonder if Michelle has any sense of the irony here?

[Jan S.]

That was my first thought, as well.

[tarran]

Hey! Irony is for people in the projects!

She only does goldy and platinumy.

[StacyKay]

I snorted coffee all over my phone.

Thanks.

[Hyperion]

No, these people do not get it. They are totally disconnected from the rest of us. They THINK that they know better and could care less what us peasants think.

[Brandon]

Michelle thinks The Hunger Games is about an evil corporation.

[ant1sthenes]

It's been a while since we've seen her compared to Marie Antoinette. Maybe a vacation is in order?

[This Machine Kills 40s]

+1 Let them eat carrot sticks

[Cap'n Krunch]

When I was in school we had a drinking fountain, if we wanted snacks we brought them from home. We also didn't have "education degree" teachers, air conditioning or multi-million dollar gymnasiums and sports fields. We didn't even have computers and weren't allowed calculators, yet I somehow became a computer programmer after high school. Unlike today we did get educated. Yet today a year of pre-k through 12th grade costs more than a year of college. You can actually get a doctorate degree for less money than you can get a 12th grade diploma.

[Hyperion]

yet I somehow became a computer programmer after high school

The same thing happened to me. I am truly sorry for your misfortune.

[Cap'n Krunch]

No misfortune, I work from home, often nekkid. Video at 11

[Hyperion]

I work from home 2 days a week. That was sarcasm anyway. I don't mind my job. And now they call me a 'senior software engineer', which means that I'm old and I've been duped into thinking a title is more important than that raise that I didn't get.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Ah, I still look back fondly on my first promotion.
More work, more hours, more responsibility and same pay! Congratulations; let's have a cake party in the break room!

[Rhywun]

+0

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Oh, ho, ho, irony! Oh, no, no, we don't get that here.

[The Other Kevin]

The after-school talk around my house lately is how Mrs. Obama required the vending machines to be emptied, and the kids are wondering what kind of "healthy" snacks appear there in the near future.

[Vulgar Madman]

If it is government approved it can't be anything but healthy. Now eat it!

[Dweebston]

I'd imagine wheat thins, fig newtons, sun chips, and deep-fried battered green beans. You know, "healthy."

[Brandon]

Hey, fried green beans are delicious.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Funny, cause I fell for wheat thins as a healthy snack years ago.

[Restoras]

I prefer Trisquits

[Hyperion]

Unsalted tofu bars. Yummy! Enjoy your progressive future, children!

[Sudden]

Soylent Green

[Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)]

Soylent Green is tasty and healthy.

So probably Soylent Red and/or Yellow.

[misthiocracy]

I note that the Funny or Die is not allowing any voting on this particular video.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

How democratic

[DesigNate]

If you want to vote on it you're obviously an anti-government teabagging racist who wants our Glorious First Lady to be killed by one of your fellow right-wing offenders.

/progderp

[SLiebert]

Eh. I don't have a problem with this, as long as it's not being paid for with public funds. She's a person in the public spotlight so I have no issue with her using that platform to speak out on something she believes in. Then again, I suppose it is a prelude to restrictive diets being set forth in the ACA regulations.

That doesn't mean I found this funny, of course. In fact, it made me hungry for Doritos. As soon as I finished watching it I got up from my desk and got some from the kitchen. So it was totally counter productive. Maybe if the thought of eating a fucking carrot for the fun of it didn't make me cringe, but I digress. Well done, Michelle.

[SLiebert]

*suppose it could be a prelude ...

[Hyperion]

I like raw carrots and doritos. But the thing I like best about both of them is making my own fucking decision about which one of them I'm going to eat next.

[SLiebert]

Truth. I'm just saying that even if you were to disregard the actual lunch policy initiatives and the possibility that this is a PR campaign ahead of something even more wide-sweeping in Obamacare, even if this was just Michelle speaking out for a cause, it's counterproductive. At least for me.

[Hyperion]

There are all sorts of potential government control freak opportunity written into the ACA. Which is why neither party will ever try to get rid of it. There's too much cronyism and control in it for both teams to enjoy.

[PRX]

get your own oversized booty under control before you start worrying about other people. it's like drinking advice from a hobo.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I get all of my drinking advice from hobos (and inmates, the toilet merlot is the best)

[Swiss Servator, Bern baby Bern]

"I saw a wino eating some grapes. I said "Hey, you have to wait".

[Jensen]

Funny or Die...does not allow you to actually vote 'Funny or Die' for this video. Talk about bare-faced authoritarian logic there.

Your political betters has determined this state message to be both informative and funny. No need to ask the masses.

[Jensen]

Also, funny how that fits so well with Michelle's habit of throwing around orders without being elected.

[Jensen]

EDIT: Nevermind, you can vote on it. DIE it is. Guess I'll just have to make fun of the fact that it's sponsored by a goddamn fast food restaurant.

[Iron Sun 254]

It's truly brilliant how government operates. First, they tax you and give it to farmers to grow corn which is then turned into high fructose corn syrup and added to everything under the sun. Then, they tax you to pay for healthcare to deal with all the health issues related to the corn syrup. Lastly, they tax you to tell you to stop doing the behavior encouraged by their first action so you don't need the second thing you paid for.

[Obama's Buttplug]

Why is MO in bed with two chicks?

[Winston]

Funny or Die is also perfectly capable of pushing leftist policy ideas

As supposed to...?

[Steve G]

Denise is awesome; met her, heard her speak and had one of the first copies. Just listening to how the govt bullied the creator of the first pyramid is enough to piss you off.

[Rhywun]

Looks interesting, wish-listed

[Zeb]

No, you just don't like him and are making absurd generalizations. I think he is very funny. He doesn't hide his point of view and he is quite willing to make fun of his own side.