Bill de Blasio is back in the spotlight, and this time it’s not for politics, but for a truly bizarre pizza-eating stunt.
In an attempt to draw attention to an upcoming virtual event supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, the former New York City mayor posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) that has left many scratching their heads. The video features de Blasio sprinkling a heap of dried coconut shavings onto a slice of cheese pizza before eating it—crust first.
In the post, de Blasio declares, “I am hungry. I will eat pizza today,” as he sits at a restaurant, flipping the pizza slice around and chomping down backwards. The coconut-topped creation is meant to be a quirky throwback to his infamous 2014 #forkgate incident, when he was ridiculed for using a fork and knife to eat pizza.
Now, with coconut in hand, de Blasio is once again making waves online, hoping to stir up buzz for “Paisans for Kamala,” a virtual event featuring Italian-American celebrities and politicians who will discuss their heritage and support for Harris in the 2024 election.
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) September 5, 2024
The event boasts an impressive lineup, including actors like Steve Buscemi, Marisa Tomei, and Lorraine Bracco, as well as politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Rosa DeLauro. The virtual dinner promises a mix of personal stories, recipes, and conversations about the stakes in the upcoming election, aiming to rally Italian-American voters for Harris.
De Blasio’s pizza antics come across as a tongue-in-cheek callback to the viral backlash he faced nearly a decade ago. At the time, New Yorkers were quick to roast him for what they saw as a betrayal of the city’s pizza-eating culture, launching the hashtag #forkgate and dubbing it his first big misstep as mayor.
Now, with coconut flakes and a crust-first approach, de Blasio is once again embracing the weirdness, trying to make his mark on the internet while promoting Harris’ presidential bid.
Whether it’ll work or just lead to another round of pizza-related memes remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: he’s got people talking.