Joe Biden Cites White House Milestone In ‘Flamin’ Hot’ Screening, Says Storytellers Should Get “Respect And The Value They Deserve” — Update

Ted Johnson
·4 min read
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UPDATE: President Joe Biden said that Flamin’ Hot was “the first-ever public screening of a film focused on the Hispanic community at the White House,” just before the Disney+/Hulu project was shown before a crowd of several hundred on the South Lawn.

Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and director Eva Longoria walked out together to make brief remarks to the crowd, who were spread out on blankets and munching on chips and, of course, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The movie is the story of Frito Lay janitor Richard Montañez, who claimed to have invented the snack, although the origin story is in dispute. Montañez rose in the ranks at Frito Lay to become a marketing executive and “played a key role in accelerating the growth of our Flamin’ Hot Brand and other brands particularly through his Hispanic marketing efforts,” according to the company.

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Biden said that it was “fitting that we host this screening during Immigrant Heritage Month,” telling the crowd, “Like so many of you, like my family and Jill’s from Ireland and from Italy, we look and see American families … and most of us came because we were persecuted. Most of us came because we weren’t welcome where we were. And when we got here, we had to fight like hell to be recognized.”

He said that the movie “is a reminder of that essential truth: opportunity. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy and the American dream.” He said that the project is “exactly what the Hispanic community embodies: opportunity and courage.”

Biden also cited the work of writers, telling the crowd that the event was “a reminder of the power of stories, the importance of treating storytellers with dignity.” He said that they should get “respect and the value they deserve.” At a screening last month, Biden cited the WGA strike and called for writers to a fair deal they deserve as soon as possible.”

Before the screening, Longoria spoke at a reception at the Motion Picture Association along with producer DeVon Franklin, MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin and others. Among those also at the event: Diane Warren, who wrote The Fire Inside featured in the film, as well as Disney’s Susan Fox and Jessica Moore.

Longoria also appeared at a fundraiser for Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, focused on the administration’s accomplishments for the Latino community. It was a kickoff for the Presidente Council of the Biden-Harris campaign.

“I don’t have to tell you how important this upcoming election’s going to be,” Longoria said, per a pool report. “I’m preaching to the choir.”

She added, “There’s a lot of attempts to drive this country backwards and it’s no longer hidden agenda. It is the agenda.” She added that book bans were “making me anxious.”

PREVIOUSLY, June 14: Flamin’ Hot, a recently released Hulu and Disney+ movie and the directorial debut of Eva Longoria, is the latest project to get a special screening at the White House.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host the screening on the South Lawn of the White House, joined by the cast and crew of the film and Latino community leaders.

The movie is based on the story of a Frito-Lay janitor Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who tapped into his Mexican-American heritage to develop Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which became a cultural phenomenon. But there has been considerable attention to the actual origin story of the snack, as owner PepsiCo said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that its origin was an “urban legend” that Montañez invented the snack, although they have since credited him for the launch and success to him and other people.

DeVon Franklin is the producer. Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Brice Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce, Hunter Jones also star in the Searchlight Pictures film, which debuted on Disney+ and Hulu on June 9.

The White House hosted a screening last month of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, and in February for Till. The screenings traditionally have been for projects that are tied to social issues, including diversity and equality.

Longoria has long been active in Democratic politics, having campaigned for Biden in 2020 and spoken at the last three Democratic National Conventions.

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