A Deadpan Hillary Clinton Visits Between Two Ferns

A Deadpan Hillary Clinton Visits Between Two Ferns
Hillary Clinton, a candidate who has gone to great lengths to showcase the playful side of her personality, apparently wanted to prove that she can take not only a joke but a full interview of nonstop lampooning when she appeared on the mock celebrity interview show “Between Two Ferns.”

In an election cycle where late night hosts have been criticized for not putting heavy questions to the candidates, “Between Two Ferns” offers a strange alternative.

The show’s host, the comedian Zach Galifianakis, plays so oblivious that the questions he poses often read as nonsensical and offensive. (“What is it like to be the last black president?” Mr. Galifianakis asked President Obama with a straight face in 2014.)

The show has attracted high-profile guests, like Mr. Obama and Brad Pitt, who have willingly signed up to be mocked by Mr. Galifianakis. The results are often very popular on the internet, where Mrs. Clinton has striven to appeal to younger voters who might enjoy a well-placed cutting joke.

Her appearance, posted by the site Funny or Die on Thursday, could also be another example of the candidate getting a helping hand from friends in Hollywood.

On Wednesday, an employee of the Clinton campaign tweeted that some members of the cast of “The West Wing,” including Martin Sheen and Allison Janney, would be campaigning for Mrs. Clinton in Ohio. That same day, the director Joss Whedon announced the creation of a super PAC in support of Mrs. Clinton, and kicked it off with a video that featured celebrities including Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr.