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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