"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black
The website Funny or Die, founded by comedians Will Ferrel and Adam McKay, is a viral video website that broadcasts comedic content. The name comes from the fact that as soon as a video is uploaded, users get to vote on whether it is funny or it should go to the 'crypt.' It is also very common for comedic celebrities to make guest appearances and to upload their own videos as exclusives to the site. This particular video got 1.2 hits on its very first day after it was uploaded on December right after California's Proposition 8 was passed, and is one of these exclusives.
Marc Shaiman, famous film, tv, and Broadway composer and lyricist, got together with director Adam Shankman to make the video in only a few days right after he learned that the musical director of the California Musical Theater had donated to a Yes-on-Prop 8 campaign (Itzkoff). The video begins with a group of people reveling on the "brand new, bright Obama day" only to be interrupted by 'Proposition 8'ers' who think it's time to "...spread some hate and put it in the Constitution." The video continues as a musical fight between the 'Proposition 8ers' and their opposers as a way to satirize California's Proposition 8 and those in favor of it, Christians that pick and choose which parts of the Bible to uphold, and people that use religion-based arguments to pass a state law. The video also pokes fun at the stereotyping of homosexuals (the Proposition 8ers sing: "...now make our clothes and fix our hair") and the importance placed on money, exemplified by Neil Patrick Harris singing that "every time a gay or lesbian finds love at the parade, there's money to be made" leading everyone to end the song with "gay marriage will save the economy!"*
*This point was included by Marc Shaiman after he learned of a study by UCLA stating that legalization of gay marriage would really stimulate the California economy (California Proposition 8). The article about the study can be found here: http://articles.latimes.com/p/2008/jun/02/business/fi-wedding2
Just for reference, some of the comedians in the video include:
WORKS CITED
"California Proposition 8," Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, accessed March 31, 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8_(2008)#Proposition_8:_The_Musical>
Itzkof, Dave "Marc Shaiman on ‘Prop 8 — The Musical,’" The New York Times, Dec. 4, 2008, <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/marc-shaiman-on-prop-8-the-musical/?hp>
"Prop 8- The Musical," Funny or Die, online video clip, December 3, 2008, accessed March 30, 2009, <http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones>
The website Funny or Die, founded by comedians Will Ferrel and Adam McKay, is a viral video website that broadcasts comedic content. The name comes from the fact that as soon as a video is uploaded, users get to vote on whether it is funny or it should go to the 'crypt.' It is also very common for comedic celebrities to make guest appearances and to upload their own videos as exclusives to the site. This particular video got 1.2 hits on its very first day after it was uploaded on December right after California's Proposition 8 was passed, and is one of these exclusives.
Marc Shaiman, famous film, tv, and Broadway composer and lyricist, got together with director Adam Shankman to make the video in only a few days right after he learned that the musical director of the California Musical Theater had donated to a Yes-on-Prop 8 campaign (Itzkoff). The video begins with a group of people reveling on the "brand new, bright Obama day" only to be interrupted by 'Proposition 8'ers' who think it's time to "...spread some hate and put it in the Constitution." The video continues as a musical fight between the 'Proposition 8ers' and their opposers as a way to satirize California's Proposition 8 and those in favor of it, Christians that pick and choose which parts of the Bible to uphold, and people that use religion-based arguments to pass a state law. The video also pokes fun at the stereotyping of homosexuals (the Proposition 8ers sing: "...now make our clothes and fix our hair") and the importance placed on money, exemplified by Neil Patrick Harris singing that "every time a gay or lesbian finds love at the parade, there's money to be made" leading everyone to end the song with "gay marriage will save the economy!"*
*This point was included by Marc Shaiman after he learned of a study by UCLA stating that legalization of gay marriage would really stimulate the California economy (California Proposition 8). The article about the study can be found here: http://articles.latimes.com/p/2008/jun/02/business/fi-wedding2
Just for reference, some of the comedians in the video include:
- Margaret Cho, stand-up comedian (for more information go to http://humor-database.blogspot.com/2009/03/margaret-cho-christians-have-lost-their.html and http://humor-database.blogspot.com/2009/03/margaret-cho-asian-americans-and-racial.html)
- Maya Rudolph from SNL (http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/bios/Maya_Rudolph.shtml)
- John C. Reilly (Step Brothers, Walk Hard, Chicago, The Aviator, etc. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_c_reilly])
- Neil Patrick Harris, from Doogie Howser, Harold & Kumar (http://humor-database.blogspot.com/2009/02/harold-kumar-go-to-white-castle.html), and How I Met Your Mother
- Jack Black as Jesus (Tenacious D, High Fidelity, School of Rock, Nacho Libre, etc.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_black])
- Rashida Jones from The Office (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashida_Jones)
- Sarah Chalke from Scrubs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Chalke)
WORKS CITED
"California Proposition 8," Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, accessed March 31, 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8_(2008)#Proposition_8:_The_Musical>
Itzkof, Dave "Marc Shaiman on ‘Prop 8 — The Musical,’" The New York Times, Dec. 4, 2008, <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/marc-shaiman-on-prop-8-the-musical/?hp>
"Prop 8- The Musical," Funny or Die, online video clip, December 3, 2008, accessed March 30, 2009, <http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones>
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