Have you seen that Barack Obama thing, where the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am and others remix the underdog from Illinois's New Hampshire primary speech into a folksy, inspiring tune and a demure, Calvin Klein-esque music video? People really seem to love watching celebs like Scarlett Johansson (who just happens to have an album coming out), Tatyana Ali, and John Legend crooning about some cause or another. Slate loves it. YouTube commenter SAXjewell declares it "SO TRUE!" and adds "GO ObaMA". Blah blah blah. Things like this are so cliche that thinking they're cliche is a cliche. It's pretty, but condescending. Can we make a decision on our own, thanks? Yes, we can. Video after the jump.
Yes We Can. Scarlett Johansson Can't.
4:28 PM on Mon Feb 4 2008
By Richard Lawson
5,295 views
40 comments











Comments
It must be convenient for will.i.am to have a username for name.
Frankly, it's insulting.
Talk about driving a point into the ground (as well as a tired musical lick)-- this thing is about 4 minutes too long.
Also, is it just me or did Kareem Abdul Jamar look like a ghoul? Is he ill?
I like McCain's version better with Bea Arthur and Brian Denehey speak-singing his words of hope.
@IAmSuperTurtle: He always look so bewildered.
Holy Mother of God was that brutal.
I made it to 1:32, when ScarJo's AbdulMontag-grade pipes come into play.
@lolcait: The word is "embarrassed".
wait was that a gap ad?
@ratherbesleeping: foreal.
@Gregoire: Whoa, Bea Arthur's still alive?
I made it until 2:30, about 30 seconds after they stopped flashing some cleavage every 10 seconds or so.
I just realized--I didn't hear/retain a single word other than Yes We Can.
ok, I liked it.
Have I been transported to the future, several years after Barack finished his second term, and money is falling from the sky, STDs have been eradicated, and we are flying around using jet-packs?
@mathnet: yes you did ye sy ou di yes we cna yes ye sI did we yes we can ye swe cna can yes we can...
shoots self
I understand this commercial was conceived and directed by Sammy Davis Jr, Jr.
@psst: A fictional dog directed this? Now I get it!
I actually love it. It's so empowering, fuck it, I'm voting Obama tomorrow! :)
Sorry - I can't.
Guess the ad budget doesn't permit for ProTools.
I must be PMSing; it made me cry.
Still voting for the Hill, though.
@crookedlawyer: Admit it. The video is inspiring, and very cool.
Hillary's never given a speech anywhere as inspirational. Her version of this video would probably be called: "Yes, I intend to!"
It's serious because it's monochrome. Monochrome, people!
lol@MisterHippity: intend to, I literally laughed out loud.
and yeah...I kinda liked it...though Scarlett looked almost unsure of herself...kinda akward.
It gave me a headache. Yes we can. Wait how did that get in there?
I suppose y'all prefer the Hillary Clinton one from Celine Dion.
@MisterHippity: v. true.
"Can't we make a decision on our own, thanks?" What an idiotic take on a piece of media...since the whole point of it ALL is to....nevermind.
Give me a fucking break already. Awful. All involved should be forced to apologize, including Obama.
@MisterHippity: Oh, I agree. I got something in both my eyes watching it.
I just could have done without ScarJo's guttural emission.
Hillary's ad: "You'll do what I fucking say, puppets."
MoveOn.org sent this out to members as a reason to endorse Obama. As if we've become a nation where the candidate with the best youtube video wins!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
...aw, darn - now I'm gonna have Triumph of the Will nightmares...
This is just like that other Black Eyed Peas song, "Where is the Love" from awhile back. Except worse.
Bono is nowhere to seen in this, and yet it STILL makes me want to kick him in the balls.
to BE seen, rather. Sorry.
I thought it was very well-made.
Having said that, I'm biased towards it since I long ago decided to let the brunette one from the Pussy Cat Dolls and the woman who plays a doctor on tv (whom I'm fairly certain was born a man?) tell me what to do.
Wow, ScarJo so can't sing. Yes we can! Wait, what?
Hate to ruin the snark-fest, but I thought it was beautiful. Cheesy, of course, and do I give a fuck who Ashley Banks is voting for? No?
But the she sheer truth and hope of the message, the speech set to such simplicity brought a tear to my eye. And I seriously thought that I'd had my tear ducts seared shut years ago.
So, I dare say it and sound cliché: Yes, we can.
@VagPirate: Why?
This felt more like a weird plea for one's career.. was that Tatiana Ali? from the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire?
They may have been saying "Yes We Can" but the pleading came off more like, "I still have a career.. I promise"
@MisterHippity:
Except he didn't write the speech. None of them do.
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