Will Ferrell's new ACT

July 28, 2004 11:48 AM

Will Ferrell spoofs GWB for ACT ... "you caught me mending my fences, one of the many things i do on my ranch ..." (streaming QuickTime or WMV). i know it's partisan crap, but still pretty funny ... until the end.
posted by mrgrimm (33 comments total)

Talk about one poorly designed webpage. I haven't been able to watch the whole thing yet, but finally figured out that to get the QT stream you need to actually click on the text to the right of the (what looks like but really isn't a...) quicktime window. Clicking on the "QT" window loads the WMV file.
posted by pwb503 at 12:31 PM on July 28, 2004

It is in perpetual "loading . . . " mode for me. I'll just assume it's hilarious and move on.
posted by Outlawyr at 12:38 PM on July 28, 2004

yeah. They seem to be trying to use sessiondata to prevent people from just passing around a direct link to the vids. Video was amusing but not worth hassle. This might be a direct link to the QT HI
posted by shoepal at 12:40 PM on July 28, 2004

I'm George W. Bush and I approved this message...in fact, I think it is awesome.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 12:41 PM on July 28, 2004

pretty funny. try option or right-clicking the links to download directly.
posted by hulette at 12:45 PM on July 28, 2004

I love Will Ferrell -- everything he touches turns to gold -- but this spoof spot is just so-so for me. And I'm kind of surprised at the end the ACT folks ask for money without really saying they're overtly political. It's one thing to pose as a group that wants people to vote, but entirely another thing to only promote progressive candidates with that same money.
posted by mathowie at 12:47 PM on July 28, 2004

I laughed more at this than during the entirety of Anchorman.
posted by Doug at 12:51 PM on July 28, 2004

I laughed more at this than during the entirety of Anchorman.

So, at least twice.
posted by boaz at 1:09 PM on July 28, 2004

yes, exactly twice. that "mending fences" comment, and when he swings around quickly with the scythe to protect himself from the horses.

It's one thing to pose as a group that wants people to vote, but entirely another thing to only promote progressive candidates with that same money.

i definitely agree. i hadn't even heard of ACT until a few days ago, but i almost refrained from posting this b/c of that.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:13 PM on July 28, 2004

It's one thing to pose as a group that wants people to vote, but entirely another thing to only promote progressive candidates with that same money.
posted by mathowie at 12:47 PM PST on July 28

But they do identify themselves as promoting progressive candidates. And any organization that promotes voter registration and voting is by nature"overtly political" and nothing else. No pancakes, no ponies, just politics.
posted by nofundy at 1:14 PM on July 28, 2004

i hadn't even heard of ACT until a few days ago

They have been to my door three times in the last couple months asking me if I want to register to vote "to Beat Bush" this fall.

(This was in Milwaukee, before I moved.)
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 1:24 PM on July 28, 2004

any mirrors? it's sooooo slooooow
posted by mr.marx at 1:29 PM on July 28, 2004

any organization that promotes voter registration and voting is by nature"overtly political" and nothing else

You can promote voting without telling people who they should vote for. ACT obviously isn't going for that. My point was the Ferrell segment is trying to get people to vote, but at the end they tack on the "oh by the way, we only like these candidates" which seems unfair.
posted by mathowie at 1:31 PM on July 28, 2004

And I'm kind of surprised at the end the ACT folks ask for money without really saying they're overtly political.

I'm not sure I understand -- pretty much every page of their site is openly partisan, including their "target" page (ACT is targeting swing voters – such as pre-retirement women or younger voters – who need extra information about issues the persuade them to vote for John Kerry and Democrats in federal, state and local elections.)...

but at the end they tack on the "oh by the way, we only like these candidates" which seems unfair.

At the end? Would anyone be confused about who they are supporting from 5 seconds into that ad?

Anyway, I like Will Ferrel and all, but the video only has a couple moments. They should have edited it down to 20 seconds or so.
posted by malphigian at 1:33 PM on July 28, 2004

Compared to this promotional video from syncitbaby, the ferrell spoof is HI-larious. (via engadget.com)
posted by shoepal at 1:45 PM on July 28, 2004

"Someone call Dick Cheney!"

Classic.
posted by skallas at 1:54 PM on July 28, 2004

The video is kinda crappy and I think that the work that ACT is doing is counterproductive.

(disclosure: I was offered a job with ACT, but turned it down)
posted by crazy finger at 2:01 PM on July 28, 2004

anyone know if anyone else is hosting this? I cannot get it to download w/out continuous timeouts.
posted by dig_duggler at 2:26 PM on July 28, 2004

You can promote voting without telling people who they should vote for. ACT obviously isn't going for that. My point was the Ferrell segment is trying to get people to vote, but at the end they tack on the "oh by the way, we only like these candidates" which seems unfair.

If I was spending a whole bunch of money to get people to vote, you'd be damn sure I wouldn't be spending my money to get them to vote for George Bush.
posted by The God Complex at 2:39 PM on July 28, 2004

hello ACT? i can't offer an opinion on the movie because your website refuses to cough it up. i have gotten bored and decided to skip your message. sucks to be you.
posted by quonsar at 3:03 PM on July 28, 2004

"nothing could be more further from the truth"

Cmon, it's funny!
posted by fillsthepews at 3:21 PM on July 28, 2004

I was wondering how much better the election would be if Ferrell were still spoofing Bush. I liked it. Nice, slow link. Thanks!
posted by Busithoth at 3:41 PM on July 28, 2004

I didn't know about ACT before today. Now I just hate them because their servers suck.
posted by dig_duggler at 3:52 PM on July 28, 2004

I love Will Ferrell -- everything he touches turns to gold

This is...parody...of some kind...right? Please?
posted by rushmc at 4:10 PM on July 28, 2004

Metafilter: I Know it's Partisan Crap
posted by dhoyt at 4:22 PM on July 28, 2004

This is...parody...of some kind...right? Please?

i actually find Will Ferrell incredibly funny as well. i just think of that beer-bong scene from "Old School" ...

It tastes so good when it hits your lips!

maybe not for everyone, but he generally can crack me up.
posted by mrgrimm at 6:51 PM on July 28, 2004

right click the direct link in shoepals comment.

"Good Lord that chilling, those things are about two feet away. Oh my God.."
posted by bob sarabia at 7:27 PM on July 28, 2004

Metafilter: I Know it's Partisan Crap

Then why bother to come here at all?
posted by tcobretti at 9:19 PM on July 28, 2004

You can't be bipartisan here, the far right thinks that sounds gay.
posted by krisjohn at 10:12 PM on July 28, 2004

i actually find Will Ferrell incredibly funny as well.

Um, okay then...to each his own!

:::pops head back down:::
posted by rushmc at 10:28 PM on July 28, 2004

Then why bother to come here at all?

It was a send-up of mrgrimm's original comment in the post, genius.
posted by dhoyt at 11:31 PM on July 28, 2004

Will Ferrell brings out a similar reaction in me to that of Bush himself - I usually can't stand to watch either of them for more than a few seconds. IMO, Ferrell's one gift is playing clueless, arrogant, ungraceful pinheads. That's why the only time I enjoy his comedy is when he's doing Bush, for which he's perfectly matched. I thought this was pretty damn funny.
posted by soyjoy at 8:32 AM on July 29, 2004

Ugh. I blame the appeal of this commercial for helping to suspend my natural anti-Ferrellism and convince me to go along to a screening of Anchorman over the weekend. God, what steaming crap. And what an obnoxious, one-dimensional hack Ferrell is.
posted by soyjoy at 7:50 AM on August 3, 2004