Tragedy + Comedy = Spoof Health Care PSAs

Move over, Harry & Louise, there's a new health care debate going on, and this one's takin' it to YouTube. Oh, wait, Harry & Louise switched sides, but the point is, online video has made it really, really easy to take to the Internets to try and move the debate — and activist humor is really having a moment right now. That moment actually started with the Writer's Strike, with legions of comedy writers suddenly having nothing to do but grow strike beards (especially the ladies) and crack jokes on the picket line. Pretty soon that translated into some killer material. The momentum continued during the election (Paris Hilton attack ad; Prop 8: The Musical) and has continued through the various tribulations of the mortgage meltdown/Wall Street collapse/total financial system implosion. Good times. Anyhow! The latest video is from husband-and wife team Rob Kutner and Sheryl Zohn (of The Tonight Show w/ Conan and Penn & Teller: Bullshit respectively). Best line: "I didn't live through World War Two, and the New Deal, and the Civil Rights movement, just to see America start changing all of the sudden!" Word. Below that is the "Protect Insurance Companies!" PSA featuring Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde et al: "If you spell something wrong, do you really deserve surgery? I don't think so." A little long as Business Insider points out, but still. See below: Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell >>>NEXT: The Real Death Panels These videos feature lesser-known actors in the mainstream, but UCBers will recognize Jon Daly and Seth Morris even in facepaint. (Plenty of them both featured here.) For our part, we were going to do some sort of "Death Panel Nerds" spoof but never quite got there. Overall, I am surprised more Death Panel spoof art was not created. Blame August. Death Panel Advisors - watch more funny videos Death Panels Are Real (Part 2) from Jon Daly >>>NEXT: Jon Hamm as Lex Luthor and Alyssa Milano stripping for Uncle Sam Financial Crisis Humor! So sad, these videos are all over six months old and yet they feel depressingly current. A bald Jon Hamm is still plenty hot enough to make this worthwhile, though I suspect it resonates more for Superman fans. (Sorry. I like my men Spidery, like the Pope.) The second video is a damned good parody of The Wrestler featuring Seth Morris as a ridiculous Uncle Sam character and Alyssa Milano as his stripper Lady Liberty. Funny or Die is such a great vehicle for people. "The Uncler" doesn't quite nail the mash-up of parody and earnestness of subject but given the choice of one or the other, they picked right. The final video, "Wall Street Beggar," is a pretty funny concept, with a chaser PSA to boot. Michael Moore would be proud. "Lex Luthor Bailout" with Jon Hamm from Jon Hamm The Uncler w/ Uncle Sam and Alyssa Milano from Alyssa Milano Wall Street Beggar - watch more funny videos >>>NEXT: Prop 8: The Musical & Paris Hilton-John McCain Attack Ad, Just For Old Time's Sake. Plus, Credits! Prop 8: The Musical "Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad from Paris Hilton >>>NEXT: Credits! CREDITS: Credits are important! Especially to the people who make this stuff. So all the video credits are here, in small overlooked writing at the very end just like usual. But also, it should be noted that the creation of Funny or Die, apart from YouTube, has been a major catalyst for all this. YouTube lowered the barriers to entry for everyone, but Funny or Die created a gathering place, and a community, and Will Ferrell made it a cool place to give up a few hours of your unpaid creative time to cameo across it. Ergo, Hamm, Milano, Mandy Moore, Natalie Portman, Lindsay Lohan). In the credits for the Prop 8 vid below, you'll note a "thank you to Adam McKay for the nudge" — McKay's politics are no secret, and his role as a catalyst for this kind of humor-as-activism should not be understated. Funny or Die has also helped to mint new behind-the-scenes stars — again on the credits page you'll notice a few repeat names (Jake Szymanski, Drew Antzis, Eric Appel, who did the Lohan video) — Funny or Die is a whole new space in which to prove yourself. And change the world. Pretty good deal. Credits below. "Don't Ruin American Healthcare!" Written by: Rob Kutner & Sheryl Zohn Directed by: David Brundige Edited by: Micah Baskir Cinematography: Chris Freilich Artwork: Annette Price Special Thanks to: Alissa Ford, Ted Lyde, Googy Gress, Amir Talai, Ruth Silveira, Tim Carvell, and Eric Drysdale "Death Panels Are Real" Credits: Starring Seth Morris, Jon Daly, and June Raphael. Written by Seth Morris. Directed by Brad Schulz. Makeup by Kat Bardot. Wardrobe by Leslie Schilling. "Death Panel Advisors" Credits: Starring: Brandon Johnson, June Raphael, Peggy Chilton, Donald Monroe, and Seth Morris. Written by: Seth Morris Directed by: Ryan Perez Director of Photography: Antonio Scarlata Visual Effects: Dustin Bowser Makeup by: Kat Bardot Produced by: Sean Boyle "Protect Insurance Companies" Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Masi Oka, Jordana Spiro, Linda Cardellini, Donald Faison Written by Lauren Palmigiano, Chad Carter & Peter Koechley Directed by Drew Antzis Produced by Chris Bruss, Lauren Palmigiano, Laura Dawn of MoveOn.org & Peter Salett Edited by Drew Antzis & Laura Dawn "Lex Luthor Bailout" Credits: Starring: Jon Hamm Featuring: Johanna Parker DP: Christian Sprenger Written and Directed by: Eric Appel "The Uncler" Starring Seth Morris, Alyssa Milano, Zoe Jarman, Josh Simpson, Ryan Perez and the California Grocery Mart guy. Shot by Christian Sprenger. Written and Directed by Jake Szymanski. Produced by Mike Farah, Lauren Palmigiano, and Josh Simpson. Special Thanks to Maeve's Residuals 11042 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604 "Wall Street Beggar" Written, directed and produced by: Andrew Pifko Cast : Andrew PIfko Lazarus Powell "Prop 8: The Musical" Conceived and Written (six weeks later than he shoulda) by-Marc Shaiman Directed and Staged by: Adam Shankman Produced by Adam Shankman, Marc Shaiman and Mike Farah Associate Producer: Lauren Palmigiano Edited by Bradly Schulz and Drew Antzis Cast (in order of appearance) California Gays and The People That Love Them Jordan Ballard, Margaret Cho, Barrett Foa, J.B. Ghuman, John Hill, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Rashad Naylor, Nicole Parker Proposition 8'ers and The People That Follow Them Prop 8 Leader- John C. Reilly Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife- Allison Janney Prop 8 Leader's #2 Wife- Kathy Najimy Riffing Prop 8'er-Jenifer Lewis A Preacher- Craig Robinson Scary Catholic School Girls From Hell-Rashida Jones, Lake Bell, Sarah Chalke The Frightened Villagers Katharine "Kooks" Leonard, Seth Morris, Denise "Esi!" Piane, Lucian Piane, Richard Read, Seth Redford, Quinton Strack, Tate Taylor, Brunson Green Jesus Christ Jack Black A Very Smart Fellow Neil Patrick Harris Piano Player Marc "Marc" Shaiman ---- Co-Choreographer: Anne "Mama" Fletcher Recorded and Mixed by Frank Wolf & Greg Hayes Director of Photography: Michael Barrett Camera Operators: Jake Szymanski, Bradly Schulz and Drew Antzis Production designer: Nelson Coates Costume designer: Shanna Knecht Costume assistants: Leslie Schilling, Annalisa Adams, Elizabeth Abate Hair: Laura Sanchez Make-up: Shauna O'Toole, Atticuss Sharp Production sound: Bradford Craig Music editor: Lisa Jaime Music assistant: Brian Naguit Snacky: "Snacky" Special Thanks to Adam McKay for the nudge

Tragedy + Comedy = Spoof Health Care PSAs

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Tragedy + Comedy = Spoof Health Care PSAs

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