Oh dear. Octavia Spencer caught the attention of employees at Elon Musk’s freshly minted Department of Government Efficiency with an unexpected proposal – she offered to bake the iconic chocolate pie from her award-winning 2011 film, The Help. Posting a snapshot of her character Minny in a memorable scene from the historical drama on Instagram, Spencer promoted a bake sale in Washington, D.C. specifically for “all DOGE employees and supporters.” “I need top-notch vanilla from MEXICO and some authentic CANADIAN maple syrup,” she detailed in reference to the “limited edition” pies. “Corn and chocolate. Generous donations are required for the unique ingredient. Consume lots of corn. This is a one-time-only offer.”
Want to stay updated on more movie buzz? Subscribe to Entertainment Weekly’s complimentary newsletter for the latest trailers, star interviews, movie reviews, and more. Directed by Tate Taylor and set in 1960s Mississippi, The Help delves into the lives of Black women who dedicated themselves to serving prominent white families. Notably, Spencer’s character concocted a chocolate pie filled with her own excrement as a means of revenge against her unjust employer (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) after being terminated.
“We prepared a visually stunning pie with sugar, butter, and all the trimmings, and placed it on the table. Then, we discreetly swapped it for a sugar-free pie for [Howard],” shared the film’s property master Chris Ubick in an interview with Entertainment Weekly from 2017. “It was a clever sleight of hand scene so she could indulge in the pie without consuming excess sugar.”
President Donald Trump recently introduced DOGE, a special task force spearheaded by Tesla’s CEO Musk, which has significantly slashed federal funding and targeted areas like diversity, equity, inclusion, and the Department of Education. The exact objectives and composition of DOGE remain ambiguous, causing concern among lawmakers, government employees, and even award-winning celebrities. Numerous legal complaints have been lodged against the tech magnate and DOGE, arguing that Musk’s authority is unconstitutional.
Responding to the mounting criticism, the White House issued a contradictory statement asserting that Musk does not occupy an official position at DOGE and lacks decision-making power. “In his capacity as a Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Musk holds no more authority than other senior White House advisors,” clarified Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, in a legal document obtained by The Hill.
