Mark Preston at CNN's Political Ticker reports there's a major Hollywood contingent judging a Health Reform Video Challenge contest for the Democratic Party's Organizing for American campaign. (See today's Open Thread for one flag-mangling contestant.)
Stars on the judging panel for the final 20 TV ads include John Cho ("Flash Forward"), Rosario Dawson ("Men in Black"), Dule Hill ("The West Wing"), Brandon Routh (who played Superman), Kate Walsh ("Private Practice"), Olivia Wilde ("House") and musician Will I. Am of the Black Eyed Peas.
But the most risky name is Seth MacFarlane, the abrasive atheist creator of the Fox cartoons "Family Guy," "American Dad," and "The Cleveland Show."
The harshest ad in the contest features grade-school kids talking about how they'll suffer (and even die) because health care is denied:
BOY: A year from now, I’ll break my leg and my parents will have to sell our house because we couldn’t afford health care
GIRL: Three months from now, I’ll need surgery, and my parents will go bankrupt because they couldn’t afford health care.
GIRL #2: Two years from now, I’ll be diagnosed with leukemia, and I’ll die. Because we couldn’t afford health care.
On her national radio show Wednesday, Laura Ingraham decried this ad as exploitative, and NBC reporter Chuck Todd agreed that using kids was wrong: "I hate it."
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
And let's not forget the 14 year old girl
October 29, 2009 - 22:10 ET by needleAnd let's not forget the 14 year old girl that needs an abortion on the QT.
- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler for your portfolio management.
- I didn't leave the Republican Party; the Republican Party left me.
Why?
October 29, 2009 - 22:15 ET by SlyrrWhy should liberals think it 'wrong' to exploit the young, the sick, the elderly and the ignorant? They've been doing it for decades. They've built their entire political party on exploitation and lies. Why be ashamed now?
Oh, That's Great
October 29, 2009 - 22:16 ET by HoosierEmJust what overtaxed and angry Americans need. Another group of wealthy, out-of-touch, elitist, superficial celebrities (some of whom probably never graduated from high school) to give us their opinions on the health care debate; just the same as the politicians deciding our fates.
KUDOS
October 30, 2009 - 06:34 ET by TexndocSeconded. I saw a lecture of high-school non-graduate Leonardo diCaprio "lecturing" on global warming and asked about the earth's inclination. Naturally his response was "the what?"
Ha!
October 30, 2009 - 06:37 ET by RukusLeoFartKnocker diCrappio knows squat about squat. Stick with the "actin'" Leo! : (
Gary
POLITICS: poly (many) + ticks (blood sucking parasites)
I think the only things
October 30, 2009 - 07:03 ET by rockyracoonI think the only things Decrappio knows, are Jack & Squat, not necessarily in that order.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
No Surprise Really
October 30, 2009 - 08:45 ET by HoosierEmI can't wait until these celebrities get their first tax bill once all of the tax increases go into effect.
Their heads will collectively ESPLODE.............but they'll still support the Celebrity-in-Chief anyway.
Other commercials
October 29, 2009 - 22:27 ET by CO2MakerTVC 1
Opening scene: Explosion in Kabul street (like the scene in The Year of Living Dangerously). Two American soldiers stagger across the scene.
Cut to: Obama on golf course, standing over ball in fairway. He look up at the sky, as if he heard something. Then he shakes his head slightly, purses his lips, and resumes the shot.
TVC 2
Crowded waiting room, with fussy, crying children and haggard looking parents. Nurse opens door to clinic area and says, "Sorry. No more flu shots until next Thursday, when we expect to get out next allotment. Remember, the numbers you drew today will not be valid next week."
TVC 3
Doorbell rings. Thirtysomething man answers. "Yes?"
"Mr. Smith? Federal Insurance Registrar. May I come in?"
"What's this about?"
"We have become aware that you have not gotten insurance coverage, and we'd like to speak with you."
A few steps behind him, someone is waving and saying, "That's him! That's him!"
Ugh.
October 29, 2009 - 22:51 ET by ThatDudeWhat's sad about that, is that despite being satire, it is really very likely to occur. Bloated beauracracy and elitist detachment will have that very result.
Outstanding examples,
October 29, 2009 - 22:55 ET by TheBigBOutstanding examples, CO2. May I take the liberty of piggybacking on your numbers and submit one of my own?
TVC4
Camera shot of a 13-16 year old girl in a soccer uniform holding a ball:
"Recently, my grandpa was diagnosed with moderate degeneration in his hip. His doctor told him he should get it taken care of. Within 8 weeks from his doctor visit, he was able to see an orthopedic specialist, schedule hip replacement surgery and go through his rehab. Next spring, he'll be able to walk from his car to the soccer field to watch me play.
In Canada, my grandpa would have had to wait between 15-18 months to have his surgery, and his hip may have gotten to the point in that time where it was too damaged to replace.
Which health care system would YOU rather have?" Fade out.
I Am . . .
October 30, 2009 - 00:24 ET by DoktorFranken. . . . in the presence of greatness. Both of you, well done.
I was just going to say, ''Finally, we come to the 'It's For The Childrun' meme to be played to death. No pun intended. I think.
JMHO, you understand.
If Saul Alinsky owned a news channel it would be MSNBC. ---- Me
How about this one:
October 30, 2009 - 06:33 ET by HockeyKidHow about this one: 12-year-old looks plaintively into the camera.
"Two years from now, I'll die while waiting in the federal health system for an MRI that would be able to diagnose my life-threatening condition. My grandparents escaped from the Soviet Union to get away from government control, but I guess they couldn't run far enough."
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
You guys are all missing the point....
October 30, 2009 - 07:31 ET by motherbeltThe real counter-ad would say this:
Next year I will be diagnosed with leukemia and I will die because free health care won't be available until 2013. But that's OK, because getting Barack Obama re-elected in 2012 is more important than my living to see it.
Zinnnnnngg
October 30, 2009 - 09:40 ET by CO2MakerBut if you could get in to see the doctor, it would be covered because your 25-year-old "invulnerable" neighbors are now buying insurance, which adds to the pool of insurance premiums, which means your payments are lower. But by next year, your payments will be zero for the rest of your life.
Compared To Those Who Exploited Terri Schiavo For Their Schemes
October 29, 2009 - 22:44 ET by The7SticksYeah, nice try, but you Republicans also do it as well. Isn't that right, Sen. Frist? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were too busy inside the Senate chambers counting down the minutes that Schiavo had left for you to pass your own schemes by exploiting her case. And as much as I admire Pres. Bush, I was rather disappointed that he hid behind those snow children in vetoing the embryonic stem-cell research bill. He's the president, isn't that enough clout to show what he thought about the bill? Honestly, I think he was talked into doing it even though I get the feeling he didn't want to hide behind snow children in vetoing federal funding for embryonic research.
So, nice try, but you are no less guilty in hiding behind the children or the frail than the Democrats are. In other words, it's business as usual.
So what you're saying is...
October 29, 2009 - 23:09 ET by TuariSo what you're saying is that no one on here can gripe at what 0's doing or how the Democrats have been exploiting practically every group because the Republicans have done it too... hmm, have you maybe thought that not everyone on here is a Republican? or that people might not have even agreed with it when the Republicans were doing it? How about we stop pitting party against party. How about we start using our own judgement instead of pointing the blame on "What Bush did", call a spade a spade, and realize that Bush is not the President anymore and that the current administration should be accountable for it's actions.
No, Tuari
October 30, 2009 - 00:27 ET by DoktorFrankenWhat he's saying is that he has to redirect and distract from the actual topic at hand in order to be able to say anything at all.
JMHO, you understand.
If Saul Alinsky owned a news channel it would be MSNBC. ---- Me
Zing!
October 30, 2009 - 06:42 ET by RukusOuchy! Dat's gonna leave a mark! Excellent Dok! : )
Gary
POLITICS: poly (many) + ticks (blood sucking parasites)
Bwaaaaahahaha! It's
October 30, 2009 - 06:26 ET by HockeyKidBwaaaaahahaha! It's getting so old! The7sticks REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHT.
You can't come up with even ONE idea other than "boths sides do it, so it doesn't count".
We'll be waiting for your next (ever so predictable) episode. Thanks for yet another laugh.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
if you had to choose...
October 30, 2009 - 09:50 ET by OuttaMyWaylet the snow children be ABLE to be adopted as embroyes OR have the government fund a type of research by "BIG PHARMA" that is such a risk, they won't fund it now?
Moot point, Wake Forest found how to generate usable stem cells from skin, so the Embroyic stem cell research should be off the table.
I have the music
October 29, 2009 - 23:00 ET by upcountrywaterState controlled health care ! music video.
Gee when the infrastructure breaks.
No flush, no showers, no heat, no refigeration and no drinking water.
Average life expectancy will drop to 40 years old.
Leathernecks arise.
The Marines wore leather around
their necks as protection from sabers, leaving them with the name
leathernecks.
Not quite old enough to retire, but still glad. I'm very close.
Brave new world, NOT
So Upcountry
October 30, 2009 - 11:33 ET by well99How did the Marines get the nickname Jarheads?Inquireing minds want to know.As Bob Hope would say Tanks for the memorys.
transparency
October 30, 2009 - 02:20 ET by m1xramThis is the "transparency" that Obama promised us. We can see right through the lies.
But, it will become more difficult, and dangerous, as he continues his attack on our First Amendment rights and the Constitution in general. Watch for newspaper bailouts, Net Neutrality, and "Fairness" doctrine coming to your area soon.
He has already failed... his country.
As they force this POS
October 30, 2009 - 04:54 ET by RR GOPAs they force this POS through Congress, they have to give the illusion that the majority of (non-conservative, non-racist, non-greedy) Americans support it..."Hey, look at this grass roots organization supporting ObamaCare...has nothing to do with Obama after all...just concerned citizens supporting Progress and what is right!"
In the long run, the majority of Americans will accept this POS just as we accept unfair taxation, Congressional pork and various political crookedness, etc. We'll just shrug and say, "That's the way it is."
Any inconveniences or downright disasters that follow will be conveniently blamed on George Bush and Rush Limbaugh.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
This ad lies
October 30, 2009 - 05:38 ET by Jeff in Miami BeachThe fact is this is a very effective advertisement. The other fact is that I would like to know 10 people that died from these uninsured issues? I do not believe that anyone can state with actual fact 10 cases of the little girl with Cancer ever being denied life saving treatments. I will not say one case because stupidity does happen even with insurance companies.
The real problem with the advertisement is that it is a total lie. Yes you may owe $50k to a hospital at the end of a treatment but with a good lawyer or even aggressive negotiating $10k later they are discharged. Then if the hospital does not play ball, you simply bankrupt and go about your life. Chalking it up to experience of not paying for insurance.
I have over 35 employees. I pay 100% of insurance for all of my employees and families. All of my employees earn over $50k. This year I asked all my employees to contribute $20 per month and $40 per month for family coverage. Keep in mind I am still paying over $260 per month per person and over $400 per family. Of my 35 employees, 17 dropped their coverage. This was my single smartest move ever!
If you think medical care is expensive now wait until it is free!
Sounds to me like half your
October 30, 2009 - 06:39 ET by HockeyKidSounds to me like half your staff is mind-numbingly stupid (and completely indoctrinated by the "everybody owes me" mentality of the left).
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Mandatory "redistribution" is theft.
October 30, 2009 - 06:25 ET by ekslibNo matter how the Liberals try to change our perception of that fact.
Yeah, that's the ticket!
October 30, 2009 - 06:47 ET by RukusLet's pimp out the kids for political purposes! Libs are a sick bunch of pr!cks. Sorry for that term but it's the truth. Disgusting! : (
Gary
POLITICS: poly (many) + ticks (blood sucking parasites)
Aren't children and young
October 30, 2009 - 07:55 ET by T-Bone MassAren't children and young adults (to age 25) covered by SCHIP?
More likely...
October 30, 2009 - 09:15 ET by Free ThinkerBOY: 10 years from now, I’ll break my leg and I will have to wait three days to see a government doctor. My parents will have to sell our house because they are unemployed.
GIRL: 5 Years from now, I’ll need surgery, but there will not be doctors available because Obamacare destroyed our healthcare system.
GIRL #2: 10 Years from now, I’ll be diagnosed with leukemia, and I’ll die. Because a government bureaucrat decided my treatment would be too expensive.
Si
October 30, 2009 - 09:33 ET by jessieHSince hollywood can't rape & abuse children, like they used to, they are going to use them in another way. Who gives a rat's a** what hollywood thinks. They are just actors. I wonder if the children know that their grand parents won't have the health coverage to keep them alive, anymore. Propaganda from hollywood.
More Like...
October 30, 2009 - 10:12 ET by slickwillie2001More like the truth:
I'll get sick and die because my parents will no longer be able to afford health insurance because the cost of it has tripled since Obamacare was introduced.
I'll get sick and die because our government healthcare plan doesn't allow the latest drugs to be prescribed, in order to keep costs down.
I'll get sick and die because the only hospital in our town went out of business rather than be forced to provide abortions.
Didn't the democraps just
October 30, 2009 - 12:46 ET by eaglewingz08Didn't the democraps just pass a year or so ago the SCHIP program expansion to protect all those fourth graders? Does this mean that SCHIP is a fantastic boondoggle failure? Inquiring libs should want to know that before plunging into more socialized medicine.
Let's remember...
October 30, 2009 - 16:07 ET by needle… Socialized medicine is all about seizing control over a major portion of the country’s economy and people’s lives. Please, do not kid yourself that it has anything to do with concerns about actual health care.
- Relying upon the LIberal Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler for your portfolio management.
- I didn't leave the Republican Party; the Republican Party left me.