Let’s pretend for a moment that time travel were possible. If it were, I guarantee with 100% certainty that right now, Will Smith would be traveling back to the year 1990 so he could prevent himself from starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. That way, the following video would not exist.
The video in question is a roughly 90 second long parody of the Fresh Prince theme song, in which members of the Utah House of Representatives rap about how bill are made. Think of it as an update of Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just A Bill,” except with none of the charm, and way more over-eager Utahans.
Here’s the video, which somehow hasn’t been taken off Youtube yet. Warning: if you suffer from sympathetic embarrassment, DON’T CLICK.
The video was first shared on the official Utah House of Representatives Twitter feed, accompanied by a simple description: “Our representatives have taken the time to explain how a law is made…with a surprise twist. Give it a listen and share so all your friends can know how laws are made!”
Once the video was posted online, it was promptly trashed across social media, which might be why we know so little about the video’s origins. We don’t know whose idea it was. We don’t know why they felt it needed to exist. We don’t know whether anyone involved questioned whether this was a good idea. And whoever made the video is probably already living under an assumed name in Central Asia, so we’ll probably never find out.
It’s also difficult to pick my favorite part of the video, because there were just so many excellent candidates. For example:
1. The title slide, with a visible Photoshop background
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
2. This very accurate and detailed depiction of what a state bill looks like
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
3. This sweet-ass lapel flower
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
4. Representative John Westwood not even bothering to rap his lines.
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
5. Representative Brad Wilson’s hat
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
6. Representative John Knotwell’s tongue
Photo Credit: Utah House of Representatives
7. Or, just the fact I finished the video knowing less about how laws are made than when I started.
I’ll be up all night thinking about my pick. In the meantime, the entire Utah House of Representatives has resigned and formed a 75 person hip hop group called “MWA” (Mormons With Attitude). Their debut album, Straight Outta Provo, drops this fall.