Earlier this month, this picture of Pope Francis holding a mic in a classic rap pose during his visit to Africa went viral on Twitter with the inspired hashtag #PopeBars.
Here at NPR, we loved it. Sample favorites:
But the meme didn't fit neatly into our #memeoftheweek because it wasn't really tied to politics.
Today that problem is solved, thanks to #FLOTUSBars!
First Lady Michelle Obama collaborated with College Humor and Saturday Night Live cast member Jay Pharoah on a rap video encouraging high school seniors to go to college. It's part of Obama's "Better Make Room" initiative.
To be clear, the first lady actually spits rhymes in the video. Real lyrics:
If you wanna fly jets / You should go to college / Reach high and cash checks / Fill your head with knowledge
The video is cute — kids, college is great! — but what quickly emerged on Twitter as the real hit is #FLOTUSbars inspired by the picture of the first lady at the mic.
Sample favorites:
The first lady has been a savvy user of viral media to promote her initiatives.
Her "Evolution of Mom Dancing" video with Jimmy Fallon has clocked over 23 million views on YouTube. The video was a promotion for her "Let's Move" campaign.
Just hours after the video release Thursday, #FLOTUSBars had already been tweeted over 32,000 times.
We can only hope that the #bars meme finds its way into the 2016 presidential race.
#CruzBars anyone?
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