You may have already seen the cleverness that is Michelle Obama’s vegetable-themed Vine posted to the White House’s account on October 15, 2014. However, you may not have heard the story behind the First Lady’s amusing video snippet.
On October 14, Obama participated in a Twitter session called #AskTheFirstLady. The YouTuber and Vine star Iman Crosson (known to online video fans as Alphacat and famous for his Barack Obama impersonations) posed an innuendo-laden question dressed as the President: “How many calories do you burn every time you ‘turn up’?!”
The First Lady responded a day later with her now-viral Vine (with 19 million loops and counting), holding a turnip and asking Alphacat, “Turnip for what?” She then proceeded to dance (with the vegetable still in hand) to DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What
.”One reason why Obama could have responded directly to Crosson’s question is because she may have met him at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue earlier this year. The YouTuber was part of a select group of online video stars visiting the White House to advise the President and his staff on maximizing his office’s online video potential.
Whether or not this was the reason, we’re still glad she isn’t afraid to show a little humor in digital media. We’re also always big fans of getting old American institutions trending on Vine.
It’s no secret that streaming services are struggling to keep pace with YouTube. Google’s video…
Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends,…
Update: Meta has reversed course in response to community backlash. In an update posted July…
Netflix is making another addition to its lineup of creator content, and this time, it's adding…
The summer of 2026 includes the 250th birthday of the United States, but it's also…
You may remember the story of your first Pokémon card, but you probably don't know the story…