The White House is taking a note from history — and The West Wing — by holding a virtual Big Block of Cheese Day this Wednesday. Inspired by an actual event, the day gets its name from President Andrew Jackson's 1837 open house, which featured a 1,400-pound block of cheese that sat in the main hall. Back then, members of the public visited the White House not just for a slice of cheddar but also to mingle with the cabinet and staff.
That's not exactly how this week's version will go. The modern-day take was announced in the silly, West Wing-inspired video above, and it will involve officials answering questions through social media. Naturally, people have already taken to Twitter with their questions, and there are some strange, hilarious inquiries attached to the #AsktheWH hashtag. For every hard-hitting question about immigration reform or healthcare opportunities, there's a "Pepsi or Coke?" tweet. See the funniest questions below, and check out the White House social media accounts this Wednesday to participate in the virtual Big Block of Cheese Day [1].
#AskTheWH [2] Will Mickey Mouse be invited to the Big Block of Cheese Day??
— Rita Jill Montes (@rjmontesLC) January 27, 2014 [3]
Barack! If you could sing like anyone, who would it be? #AsktheWH [4]
— Carson Wade Lambaiso (@NobodyDoeSr) January 25, 2014 [5]
Are hipster glasses a liberal prerequisite? #AskTheWH [6] http://t.co/zx2wyrCn7Z [7]
— Patrick O'Grady (@patrickogrady_) January 27, 2014 [8]
Pepsi or Coke? #AskTheWH [9]
— Miles Halpine (@MilesHalpine) January 26, 2014 [10]
Did anyone "cut" the cheese? Haha
#AskTheWH [11]
— Lianetsy☆ (@Lianetsy_Ramos) January 27, 2014 [12]
What country did America first trade it's cheese products with? #AskTheWH [13] #howaboutcheesequestions [14]
— Jack Glore (@JackGlore93) January 26, 2014 [15]
If you could bring in any type of cheese to the lobby for 2014 Big Block of Cheese Day, what type of cheese would it be? #AsktheWH [16]
— Lauren Barrows (@scouterlauren) January 26, 2014 [17]
It's not world peace, but, could you get @BarackObama [18] to follow me? I'm not dying or anything but it's on the bucket list #AsktheWH [19]
— stu stein (@thestustein) January 25, 2014 [20]
Will @BarackObama [21] be making chili for #BigBlockOfCheeseDay [22]? #AsktheWH [23]
— Angry Jonny (@JonnyIsAngry) January 25, 2014 [24]