

“Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year to be an American,” Barack, 55, said in a press release.” It’s a day to count our blessings, spend time with the ones we love, and enjoy some good food and some great company. But it’s also one of the worst days of the year to be a turkey. They don’t have it so good.”
That’s very, very true. Thankfully, two birds will be spared the chopping block this year. Barack will issue his eighth and final Thanksgiving pardon, sparing the lives of two birds with an official White House proclamation. The ceremony takes place at 2:45 PM ET so tune in to see this yearly tradition.
The two turkeys that will receive Obama’s pardon are called Tater and Tot. Yes. Both birds are 18 weeks old, according to the official press release. Tater seems to have more of an attitude as he “walks with a swagger,” and has “strong” gobble style. The bird also cites “Me Too” by Megan Trainor as his favorite song. Sweet. Whereas Tot gobbles more “confident,” walks with a “relaxed saunter.” As for his jam? “Can’t Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake. Great choice!
Those are some pretty cool birds. After they receive their reprieve, both Tater and Tot will be taken to their new home at Virginia Tech. They’ll be under the careful eye of veterinarians and students of the university’s Animal and Poultry Sciences Department at “Gobbler’s Rest” in Blacksburg, Virginia.
It’ll be interesting to see how president-elect Donald Trump, 70, handles the ceremony next year. Barack has taken pride in pardoning poultry. He spared two birds, Courage and Carolina, in 2009, at the request of his daughters. Thus, the double-bird tradition was born. Since then, he’s saved the lives of birds such as Apple, Cider, Peace, Liberty, Cobbler, Gobbler, Caramel, Popcorn, Mac, Cheese, and last year — Honest and Abe.
Why it seems a bit ridiculous for a president to make a big deal over not killing a turkey, the ceremony is quite important. The presence of the turkeys at the White House promotes “the connections of modern animal agriculture,” the role of “land-grant research universities” in developing methods to feed a hungry world, and “the continuing important of agriculture in our nation’s economy,” according to the National Turkey Federation’s press release. Nice!
Are you going to tune in to see President Obama talk turkey for the last time, HollywoodLifers? Are you excited to celebrate Thanksgiving?