President Biden will be standing on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday to celebrate his inauguration, not to meet foreign officials or sign legislation. kind of true story About Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
The president and First Lady Jill Biden will attend a screening of “Flamin’ Hot,” a new film about Richard Montañez, who worked as a janitor and eventually became a marketer at Frito-Lay. Executive.
Montañez also claims to have invented a spicy, finger-staining snack, Los Angeles Times Survey It turns out that he most likely didn’t.
In any case, the film will perform in front of an audience of dozens of Latino organizers and community leaders, as well as film director Eva Longoria and Mexican folk ensemble Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. will be screened.
Film screenings have become a popular way for Mr. Biden to celebrate various communities in the White House. In this case, the president is honoring an ambitious Latino figure and a well-known Latino director as the race heats up.
Last month, ahead of a screening of “American Born Chinese,” Mr. Biden told how one of the actors in the film was born in Vietnam, then defected to Hong Kong, and then pursued his dream in the United States.
With some states restricting how schools teach African-American history, Mr. Biden Black leaders reminded audience that “history matters” Before showing “Till,” the story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy whose 1955 murder sparked the civil rights movement.
Presidents have long used movie screenings, usually inside the White House cinema, for political outreach. According to historian Tevi Troy, who chronicles the president’s movie-going habits, Henry Kissinger used the theater to entertain foreign diplomats.
On Election Night 2016, President Barack Obama watched “Doctor Martin.” strange. “
For “Flamin’ Hot,” Mr. Biden avoided theaters in favor of the South Lawn, which can accommodate hundreds of additional guests. (There are about 50 seats in the White House theater.)
“If you want to appeal to Hispanic voters, just getting 20 people in a room is not a big deal,” Troy said.
Melissa Morales, president of Latino voter advocacy group Somos Buttontes, said the film could resonate with Latino audiences like her. She said she remembers when she was a child running around with her fingers red “because she was always eating hot Cheetos.”
“To be able to experience that experience and what millions of other Latinos have experienced on screen is absolutely incredible,” she said.
