Ashton Kutcher in The Presidential Pledge
Remember when we used to pledge allegiance to a flag? Not in Barack Obama's nation. On the eve of his grandly coordinated, $150 million Inauguration, celeb power couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore released a video full of their Hollywood friends and colleagues pledging to Obama to "be the change" that so many want to see with his incoming Administration. Backed by MySpace and Kutcher's production company Katalyst Media and directed by Moore, The Presidential Pledge features a bevy of instantly recognizable faces (Moore, Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, Sean "Diddy" Combs), some you-look-familiar faces (Joel Schumacher, Kenna, Bryce Dallas Howard) and some, well, pretty forgettable faces (Kevin Zegers, Brittany Snow, Matt Dallas). And while we're on the topic of star-studded, Obama-themed viral videos, this latest one sports a serious lack of Jonah Hill.
But let us not bash these folks too hard. Before unveiling the creation, Moore explained her purpose to a crowd of eager do-gooders: "With this ... I think that we try to plant a seed in hopes of sparking a desire for all of you to give your pledge." Not good enough? There's more. The video, complete with a Michael Jackson–style note — "You are not alone!" — at the beginning, will be presented to Obama during the Inaugural festivities. Much like the call-to-action videos of campaign yesteryear, Moore asks others to post their own videos and add to Eva Longoria Parker's vow to "plant 500 trees this year" or Moore's pledge to "free 1 million people from slavery in the next five years." Might be better to keep it simple, though, like Jason Bateman for example: "I pledge to flush only after a deuce. Never a single." Or Diddy: "To turn the lights off." And Schumacher: "To never give anyone the finger when I'm driving." (Obama spent his Martin Luther King Day "being the change" with a paint roller.)
Overall, there's some good stuff in here: smile, mentor someone, drive slower, conserve gas. Steer clear of the last 20 seconds, though. Fifty celebrities pledging in unison to serve our new President from an elaborate Brady Bunch grid is creepy. A little cultish even.