You might recognize the B-roll images from Funny or Die’s latest comedy video about Missouri.
The sweeping shots of Missouri’s lakes, forests and vineyards come from H&L Partners’ “Enjoy the Show” marketing campaign, which includes a trailer-style video that attempts to make the Show-Me State seem as exciting as an epic action movie.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
“Grab a seat and enjoy yourself,” the video says as a speed boat drives into the sunset. [See screengrab above.] “The Show-Me State is about to begin.”
The video on Funny or Die, the Emmy-winning comedy site founded by Will Ferrell’s production company, pairs H&L’s footage with a different message: Missouri is hella racist.
“While you’re on the water, don’t think about that tree we planted for Michael Brown that we chopped down 24 hours after it went up,” the parody video says over the same romantic shot of the speed boat and the sunset. “Think about boats. So grab a seat, the Show-Me No Black People State is about to begin. Missouri. We’re white, we have fun.”
The video’s creators, Ben Sheehan and Bryan Safi, say they were inspired by two back-to-back national news stories exposing Missouri’s struggles with racial equality: the police officers in Parma, Missouri, who quit after a black woman was elected mayor, and the memorial tree planted in honor of Michael Brown that was quickly cut down.
“It sort of wrote itself, sadly,” says Safi, who wrote the script and provided the voiceover. “These two very big news stories, both incredibly disappointing, happened almost simultaneously.”
Safi and Sheehan have both been Missouri tourists themselves. Safi says he “had a great time” in St. Louis, and Sheehan once attended a wedding in Joplin.
