On Friday, even the hosts of NBC’s Today had enough of Michelle Obama’s effort to micro-manage people’s food choices as they mocked the First Lady’s attempt to create a healthy version of s’mores.
At the top of the 9 a.m. ET hour, co-host Willie Geist explained: “So the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, and the USDA have teamed up for this program called ChooseMyPlate.gov. It's an initiative proposing a makeover, for among other things, this classic campfire treat. So instead of graham crackers with chocolate and marshmallow, they propose graham crackers with, want-wa, strawberries and low-fat yogurt.”
Fellow co-host Tamron Hall declared, “it's not a s'more.” Natalie Morales pointed out: “And the s'more is not all that fattening to begin with. I mean, marshmallows have no fat, graham crackers are low fat, and one piece of chocolate is not going to kill you.” Geist replied: “Thank you. Amen, Natalie. Amen.”
Trying one of the s’more alternatives proposed by Mrs. Obama, Morales observed: “...they get a little soggy. Look at that, it’s falling apart....It falls apart in your hands.”
Geist noted: “So people are not pleased about this....@Texan tweeted, ‘Please tell Michelle Obama this is not a s'more. These are strawberry-yogurt-cracker sandwiches. Put this on a campfire.’”
He concluded: “I admire the First Lady’s initiative to make us healthier, I really do, but come on now. We're keeping the s'more the way it is.”
Here is a full transcript of the May 29 segment:
9:06 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: Okay, now we've got another controversy right here. This is big, we’ve got two kinds of s’mores right here.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Strawberry S’Mores?; ChooseMyPlate.gov: A Healthy Treat Makeover]
NATALIE MORALES: Tell us how you feel about this, okay.
GEIST: Is a s'more still is s'more without chocolate and marshmallow?
MORALES: No.
GEIST: Of course it’s not.
TAMRON HALL: No, it is not.
MORALES: It is not a s’more by any other name.
GEIST: So the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, and the USDA have teamed up for this program called ChooseMyPlate.gov. It's an initiative proposing a makeover, for among other things, this classic campfire treat. So instead of graham crackers with chocolate and marshmallow, they propose....
MORALES: Which we have here.
GEIST: ...graham crackers with, want-wa, strawberries and low-fat yogurt.
MORALES: It looks delicious, but you know what?
GEIST: I’m sure it is.
HALL: It looks tasty but it's not a s'more.
MORALES: And the s'more is not all that fattening to begin with. I mean, marshmallows have no fat, graham crackers are low fat, and one piece of chocolate is not going to kill you.
GEIST: Thank you.
HALL: That’s the headline.
GEIST: Amen, Natalie. Amen.
HALL: Marshmallow’s have no fat?
MORALES: Says the health nut.
HALL: Oh, I did not know that.
GEIST: So people are not pleased about this. For example-
MORALES: But I do think these do look good but they get a little soggy. Look at that, it’s falling apart.
HALL: It's just not a s'more. It’s not a s’more.
GEIST: It’s also about the experience of sitting around the fire.
HALL: Roasting them, yeah.
GEIST: You roast the marshmallows.
MORALES: Mushiness is not good.
GEIST: Here are some of the responses. @Texan tweeted, “Please tell Michelle Obama this is not a s'more. These are strawberry-yogurt-cracker sandwiches. Put this on a campfire.”
MORALES: And look what it does. It falls apart in your hands.
HALL: That does not look good.
GEIST: I admire the First Lady’s initiative to make us healthier, I really do, but come on now. We're keeping the s'more the way it is.
MORALES: I do like my yogurt with my strawberries, but...
GEIST: Not this way.
MORALES: ...I think for a graham cracker.
HALL: We like strawberries with everything but It's just not – the issue is if it's a s'more or not, and it’s not a s’more.
