The White House is on some strange kick, using video games to create cringe content on X (formerly Twitter), likely because it knows it will spark controversy and get people to react. I mean, that’s basically the formula for X.
It’s already done the predictable titles, like Halo, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. But the fighting game community was shocked to see White House Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. using Super Smash Bros. Melee to promote the questionable new Dietary Guidelines’ upside-down pyramid, which places meats at the top and whole grains at the bottom.
In the clip shared on X, Kennedy beats up a donut using the inverted pyramid on Onett with classic Super Smash Bros. sound effects in the background. He gets the donut, which uses Kirby’s voice, to 300 HP and then KO’s it. It ends with the phrase: “Make America Healthy Again.”
In response to the viral tweet, many members of the FGC announced that they would be boycotting Nintendo and its games until the company denounced the tweet and denied association with the White House.
“Insane that Nintendo hasn’t shut this shit down, but tried to cancel Evo Melee 2013 after they raised money for breast cancer awareness,” one player wrote.
Indeed, the hypocrisy is pretty crazy. Nintendo has notoriously filed lawsuits and sent cease-and-desist letters to Smash tournament organizers, esports events, and Smash streamers in an attempt to kill the esports scene. Nintendo not only doesn’t financially support Smash esports, but has actively fought against it to the point where pros in the scene have to fund their own tournaments to keep it going.
The Super Smash Bros. community, largely Melee players, has been actively fighting Nintendo for decades. With Project M barred from tournaments, Melee removed from major fighting game events, and modders continually threatened, Nintendo has made it clear that it’s not afraid to involve the law if people mess with the games at all. Even in a positive way.
For this reason, the FGC was rubbed the wrong way by the White House’s use of Melee’s characters, sound effects, and stages without Nintendo’s permission. Because why was Nintendo suddenly silent?
The most obvious answer is money. Nintendo has been attacking the Smash esports scene for years to avoid losing out on whatever profits it believes it could have, but suing the White House would just cost a lot and probably go nowhere. This is not something Nintendo would find enticing, unlike bullying broke tournament organizers who can’t stand up for themselves.
The White House clearly has substantial legal resources and may even counterclaim, since parodies are often legal. On top of being tedious and expensive, this would also pit Nintendo against the U.S. government, potentially sparking political debates and assumptions.
Wrote one Smash player: “Nintendo is literally only concerned with hypothetical profit loss from pirating games they no longer produce. They’re not gonna do shit about this. One of the most spineless, greedy, anti-consumerist companies on the planet.”
It’d be cool if Nintendo had the same energy towards the government as it did when a tournament organizer tried to get passionate Smash 64 players in a room to compete for $200. But what did we expect?