A comic video commissioned by the White House, to help encourage young people to get the Covid vaccine, has managed to also outrage many conservatives.
With the Delta variant running rampant across parts of the country, the White House decided to collaborate with TikTokers and YouTubers to raise awareness about the vaccine amongst Generation Z.
One of the people it worked with is gay actor and comedian Benito Skinner, also known as Benny Drama. In the minute-long skit, Skinner (who has 1.4million followers on Instagram) plays an intern, Kooper.
“Hi, my name is Kooper and this is a day in my life as a White House intern,” he says as Lana Del Rey’s song ‘National Anthem’ plays in the background.
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The video co-stars Jen Psaki, the real-life White House spokesperson.
In the video, camp Kooper, wearing extravagantly long false nails and a chic blazer, is shown turning up at the West Wing, exclaiming “vogue” when he arrives, drinking coffee from an official White House cup, and interacting with Psaki.
Kooper the Gen Z (@WhiteHouse) intern 😋🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/zFItHhqJqp
— Benito Skinner (@BennyDRAMA7) August 9, 2021
Psaki informs Kooper, “We’ve come a long way in our fight against this virus. We’ve vaccinated 160million Americans.” As Kooper distractedly browses his phone, Psaki asks him, “Are you getting all this down?”
“Don’t worry, queen, it’s all here,” he says, tapping his head with a nail and winking at an unimpressed-looking Psaki.
By the end of the sketch, even Kooper is on board with the message, telling someone in a phone call, “We need to get shots in the arms of every single American.”
The video has proved popular on social media. It notched up over 450,000 views in about five hours of appearing.
Skinner, who told Politico he did the video for free, said, “We wanted something that could be funny and that both my followers and the White House followers could laugh at, but would also deliver the really important message of getting vaccinated.”
However, many conservatives were outraged at the fun sketch. Donald Trump Jnr. tweeted that watching the video was worse than torture: “Next they’re going to waterboard you till you get vaccinated, though there’s no way that would be worse than watching this!!!”
Next they’re going to waterboard you till you get vaccinated, though there’s no way that would be worse than watching this!!! https://t.co/dliVqejHNF
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 9, 2021
Others were quick to follow suit.
Hiring a mentally ill, gender confused, narcissistic femboy doesn’t exactly make a stronger case for the vaccine hesitant https://t.co/51FXWzltcA
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) August 9, 2021
This is an actual video from inside the Biden White House.
What depraved shit is going on in there? pic.twitter.com/WQ71GSSph5
— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) August 9, 2021
Our tax dollars helped make this video for @WhiteHouse @JoeBiden and @PressSec. Our country looks insane to anyone with an iota of common sense. pic.twitter.com/oIGQMksWfj
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 9, 2021
Don’t women find it insulting to be cosplayed? Isn’t that a form of objectification and stereotyping?
— Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com (@stillgray) August 9, 2021
Skinner responded to some of the right-wing reactions on his Instagram yesterday.
“To any queer people who follow me and saw some of the deeply homophobic and hateful comments yesterday, I want you to know that I received thousands more of love and support. These sketches have made me love myself and it is a privilege to try to use them to help others. Spirit fingers mama!!! If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, I hope you will reconsider ❤️ NOW TELL ME I’M YOUR NATIONAL ANTHEM!!!!”
View this post on Instagram
Skinner was raised in Idaho and recently moved to Los Angeles. You can check out more of his work via his Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Me to my boyfriend’s mom: pic.twitter.com/iBBfogmYmC
— Benito Skinner (@BennyDRAMA7) July 31, 2020
Kangol2
I saw this video yesterday and didn’t know it was officially commissioned, but Benito Skinner is a born comedian, has such a great sense of comic timing, and is doing a great thing by participating in helping to get people vaccinated against Covid-19! We need that now more than ever. I’m also glad he’s receiving support after the homophobic attacks; of course the anti-gay snowflakes can’t deal with humor or anything that challenges their psychic fragility and toxic ideas about gender and sexuality!
Chrisk
Yeah, at least he’s just an intern and not given important white house jobs like Don the Con did for his spawn and the spawns partners.
Also is this is all it takes to make you vaccine hesitant then the mentally ill status definitely falls on you.
[email protected]
I don’t think he’s a real intern, he’s just playing one for the spot. And if Don Jr. wants to be waterboarded, I’m ok with that.
Hank31
Pure horrific, minstrel-performance cringe. Has there ever been any media stunt at the White House as undignified as this?
Cam
Hi Miss Terri and Caddy4J,
You’ve been using this screename to defend the man who attacked the Asian family and their gay son and attack LGBTQ people.
Now you’re here doing what? Oh right, attacking an out of the closet person who is advocating for vaccines.
Your troll game, no matter what old screename you re-use, is still sad and tired.
wikidBSTN
YES – It was called the TRUMP Administration.
jayceecook
Trump’s presidency.
Mr. Stadnick
Dear fake person
STFU.
man5996853
You’re precious.
jsmu
Hello, hideous little trollette’s newest sock-puppet!
Why don’t you run along back to Junior’s latest COKE BINGE and see if he’ll let you lick the dust off the floor?
Mehki
Yeah, Trump’s “presidency”, his administration of incompetent, felonious swamp monsters and those press conferences where he constantly lied to the American people.
Oh and taxpayer footing the bills for his constant golfing and staying at his own businesses that he illegally didn’t divest himself.
One giant minstrel show of incompetence and blatantly lying, cheating, and stealing and forcing his moronic spawn on us.
barryaksarben
YES there have been many much much worse and every single one of them starred DONALD J TRUMP or one of his horrible children. This young man is not stealing from the American people or LYING to them with every single breath he takes so isnt thata HI LAR I OUS? WE see you troll we ALWAYS see you and you fool NO ONE now that is Hi Lar I IOUs
MynameisSid
A certain march across the masses with tear gas spraying so the Cheeto could hold up a novel, upside down, and get it’s picture taken in front of a church, which was then vandalized comes to mind.
leonard
As a gay male, I totally agree with you. He is a mess. Gay or straight.
Hdtex
Hank….grow the EFF UP!
Hank31
To the various commenters above responding “Trump!”: I don’t disagree at all that he was an undignified President. But I was asking specifically about a White House media event/stunt like the one above.
Obama had a great sense of humor, and he even went on “Between the Ferns” to promote the ACA website. But it was always restrained, dignified humor. He never would have authorized something like this. Ditto for the 2 Bushes, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, etc.
jayceecook
@Hank31 Spare us the righteousness indignation. The only reason you think this is “undignified” is because the gay guy in the video is femme. And we ALL know about your sick, twisted hate for anything not masc presenting. Seek help.
Georgeiv2
No, none left The Orange Oaf used all the best ones while he let people die and enriched himself !
MOE-X
Only every press conference under Trump’s presidency.
Annaronimo
Did it ever occur to you that maybe you aren’t the target demographic here? Given the public response, maybe take a breath to realise it’s not all about you and that it IS actually appealing to a younger audience, and one more likely to be motivated by it. Right wingers are a lost cause, so might as well focus on the people who actually have open minds.
Liquid Silver
I can’t say it was a very professional video, but it wasn’t that bad. If it works, that’s great. It’s the sort of video that says, “We’re aware of who’s a lost cause and we’re ignoring you.”
jcool
the fact that junior hated it and felt compelled to share his disgust is proof enough that this was a good idea. thanks, benito
barryaksarben
Don jr is so FUKING easy to rile. He thinks he is doing daddy proud? LOL what a dumbass
jayceecook
Normally I would cringe at vidoes like this. Well TT videos in general. However this was actually kind of funny. I’m a fan of non sequitur humor and while it might not be the most high brow variety it certainly works here. Plus his character is pretty much how I view a lot Gen Zers.
Fahd
Funny; the democrats have underutilized tiktok, twitter, youtube, etc. There’s no doubt an apathetic, rather than resistant, group among the non-vaccinated that needs to be motivated.
As for Don Jr., he always seems drug-addled to me; maybe it’s just the way he is.
Hdtex
How is it that you are consistently wrong about everything?
whereshouldistart
Hey Hdtex…EVERYTHING Fahd said was spot on!
Fahd…that’s because he’s a crack head…
and dumber than a bag of hair.
Fahd
@ Hdtex
It’s not that I’m wrong – it’s that you’re not right (in the head).
@ whereshouldistart
Thanks for jumping in.
Derek Northcutt
This comedian pranced around the White House with Jen Psaki to help the vaccination effort. Don Sr. pranced around the White House pretending to be a lead to help no one but himself. Tell Don Jr. that the irony is thick — and leave the Webster’s definition for him because at college he pranced around drunk all the time pretending to get an education.
Why does anyone care what these worthless people think? I think it’s great they aren’t vaccinating themselves — give Darwin’s theory a chance!
macattack
The only thing tortuous is Jr. People should not report on what he and family have to say. Maybe they’ll go away
Jer
I wanted to like him, and his presentation.
I tried.
But I couldn’t; he was too over the top.
And remember, the target of this was young people who refuse to be vaccinated.
If anything, this will make them more solidly opposed than ever.
Sorry; it reeks of failure to me.
rickywintour
The only one who reeks of failure is you. Failure to see the good our people do if you even are gay. Now go wash off the nasty bitter hating stench that’s on you because it stinks.
The real Bruce
One minute sit-com can get people to get vaccinated. Being silly works if it gets the job(jab) done. Nuf’ said.
jdr11201
Yep, He will be the next Chief of Staff. ??
HenryHawke
Why should I care about what that fool Don Jr. or anyone else in that felonious family has to say? Delusional Beloved Leader still thinks he won the election and that by some means, likely criminal, will be reinstalled at some point or another. Can’t we just ignore them?
PerhapsYesNoMaybe
He’s a comic. Good lord the people who take these things too seriously. It’s a skit. It gets the message across so good for him and the White House.
Rock Star
I am not a programme? low IQ so Calle? conservative, therefore I be gettin’ ?a joke. Humor is a positive way to get a message into almost anyone who is not a stormtrooper. I ignore those about to be in?ice? for crimes against Merica.
whereshouldistart
“What depraved shit is going on in there?”
Yeah…because planning a coup, ripping off taxpayers for every dollar he could steal, fawning over evil dictators, having a porn star as FIRST SKANK, lusting after his own daughter, and telling morons to inject bleach and stick light bulbs up their asses was much more in-line with their FAMILY VALUES!
Iona Lexiss
YEP
nm4047
well at the very least Jnr watch the clip so has been informed more now than he was prior to viewing the clip.
JDean
who in their right mind isn’t disgusted at this mentally ill weirdo
Den
Yup. Don Jr. is (like the rest of Trump’s “adult” children) pretty disgusting.
GayEGO
How’dya like dem apples Donnie Jr? Benito is promoting the vaccines that your daddy started and got!
Invader7
Love it. Piss of the right wing lunatics !!!
Jon in Canada
Anything that will piss off, flip off or just plain make heads explode on the right is a good thing.
Also, I love reading the fauxgay, homocon concern trolls on here trying desperately to feign indignation; the anti-femme (my husband is proudly so) pseudo masc nonsense is hilarious. All those insecure gays who, on the one hand, love the gay sex yet, on the other hand, clutch pearls because “what do you mean not all gays are cookie cutter gays like me?”
Silly, silly concern homocon trolls, always good for some sanctimony and laughs.
Openminded
Funny skit. The only sad thing about this is that so many American’s refuse to hear the truth about masks and being vaccinated. What ever happened to being able to simply tell the American people the facts, ask them to be vaccinated, and step back while the vast majority followed the request. Now we have to offer money, days off, and produce skits like this in hopes to coax people to do what is in everyone’s best interest. It’s clear that the twisted Trump followers are refusing to mask/vaccinate just to make Biden’s performance look as bad as Trumps. Talk about cutting one’s nose off to spite their face.
HMFan
@Robby Starbuck: no less insane and unhinged than 2016-2020. And I would expect Don Jr. would find ANYTHING disgusting if it didn’t involve shooting defenseless animals in Africa. Hmmm… maybe we should suggest Kimberly Guilfoyle dress up in a leopard print body suit and go frolicking in the woods for a bit?…
Bengali
Awesome how toilet lickers like Don Jr and the rest of his family and other “CONservatives” are outraged by Benny. But there’s no outrage for the lying of Rand Paul (I remain so disappointed in his neighbor who wasn’t in a bad enough mood that day), Marjorie (INSERT WORD THAT RHYMES WITH “smallest puppy of the litter” HERE) Greene, Dirty Donald Diaper Filler, Matt “Gotta Keep Nestor Quiet” Gaytz and the rest of the shi* show that is today’s “conservative movement.
Like Daddy, Douche Jr cheated on his wife so he could enjoy motorboating podium ranter Kimberly (Gavin Newsom – what were you ever thinking???)
Iona Lexiss
WOW! How many hours did he spend on that hair!? Typical Republican reaction…only people who don’t like themselves and who have no idea who someone is, would instantly publicly judge them and make disparaging commentary.