Celebrities to judge videos backing US health care reforms



WASHINGTON - A star-studded panel including Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am will pick the winner of a contest to produce a video backing President Barack Obama's proposed health care reforms, competition officials said Wednesday.
Poring over the 30-second video entries with will.i.am when the competition ends on October 18 will be actress Kate Walsh, medical practitioner in TV series Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice; Seth MacFarlane, the creator of hit animated series Family Guy, and half a dozen other entertainment names.



Celebrities to judge videos backing US health care reforms
From the world of politics, the judging panel will draw on the eye of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, who is also head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC); DNC Executive Director Jen O'Malley Dillon and David Plouffe, Obama's election campaign manager, among others.
"Your video can be serious or funny, simple or sophisticated. Just make sure to focus on why we need to fix today's broken system, or how President Obama's plan will help make sure all Americans have the care they need," said an email sent out by Plouffe announcing the judging panel for the competition.
Video entries can be no more than 30 seconds long and must be submitted by US citizens.
The prize for the winner will be the honor of having their video "used in a television advertisement associated with Sponsor's health reform campaign."
The value of the prize is listed as "zero dollars."
Last year, will.i.am turned the words of a speech by Obama into a song, added a music video that was liberally laced with celebrities and posted the lot on the Internet, where it went viral.
He said he made the song, entitled "Yes We Can," after hearing Obama's speech at the primary in New Hampshire, where he lost to Hillary Clinton, in which he repeatedly intoned those three words, which went on to become one of the catch-phrases of his candidacy.
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Thursday, October 8th 2009
AFP
           


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