Game over: Keke Palmer wins celebrity voting PSA contest with Mike Pence’s fly
Keke Palmer, a self-proclaimed “millennial diva,” knows her audience.
“Everybody’s posting, all political and woke and on your socials, so outspoken,” Palmer raps with conviction in her new “Actually Vote” music video featuring star-studded cameos. “That’s sweet, but that tweet doesn’t do enough for me.”
“Young people like to talk that big talk, young people are the biggest voting bloc,” Palmer continues. “You can only make a change if you check that d— box.”
The music video, featuring the “Hustlers” star in a down-home green flannel and baggy ripped jeans, calls out young voters for their “Slacktivism” — a phenomenon in which social media users like posts or repost to “contribute” to a political cause online.
“We can win by a landslide, we got power in numbers,” Palmer sings. “Just show up and you’re gonna be the GOAT [Greatest of All Time] — if you actually vote.”
“Don’t just stand on the sidelines; shoot your shot and beat the buzzer,” she adds. “Get off your couch, off your a—, off the fence and off your phone, and actually vote.”
“Broad City’s” Ilana Glazer, OnlyFans newbie Bella Thorne, “Veep’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus and “Gloria Bell” star Julianne Moore make quick cameos in the music video, lip-syncing along to the lyrics over FaceTime.
At one point, a fly buzzes briefly into frame above Palmer’s head. Jake Wilson — who directed the “Actually Vote” video — joked “very special cameo by THE MIKE PENCE FLY” on Instagram. “Huge for us that we got the actual fly!” Palmer responded, in a nod to the fly that famously landed on Vice President Mike Pence’s head during the vice presidential debate earlier this month.
Also on Instagram, Palmer posted a still from the set of the music video.
“The reality is, what is difficult for me is ultimately better for the whole,” she wrote in the caption. “It’s interesting how we throw around the word Patriot, but to me a true Patriot is someone that no matter what color or background or bank account, looks out for the whole.”
The actress, who got her start on the Nickelodeon sitcom “True Jackson, VP,” went on to star in “Hustlers” in 2019 and received an Emmy nomination for her work on the ABC talk show “Strahan, Sara and Keke,” which was canceled in March due to COVID concerns.
Palmer has also recently become a celebrity face of the social justice movement through powerful remarks at the Video Music Awards — and by challenging the National Guard to march with L.A. protesters in June.
“We’ve seen our generation step up, take to the streets and make sure our voices will be heard,” Palmer said at the VMAs. “Enough is enough. What we just witnessed in Kenosha, Wis., is yet another devastating reminder that we can’t stop, that we can never tolerate police brutality, or any injustice. We must continue the fight to end systemic racism. The leaders of that movement are you, us, the people watching tonight. It’s our time to be the change we want to see.”
On Friday, Lady Gaga released her own voting PSA. The “Chromatica” superstar donned a series of her most iconic outfits in a Twitter video asking undecided voters to cast a ballot.
“Let’s be real: You know who I voted for,” Gaga said in her infamous meat dress.
“But believe me, and listen to me now: Even if you disagree with me, your vote still matters to the world,” Gaga continued. “You can vote early, but you can’t vote late.”
Salsa artist extraordinaire Marc Anthony also hopped on the Biden bus with a #VoteHimOut PSA video on Twitter, sponsored by the Lincoln Project. Anthony catered specifically to his largely Puerto Rican fan base, including footage of the island flooded by Hurricane Maria.
“Our island and our people have suffered from natural disasters, COVID and a wrecked economy,” Anthony narrated. “We have also suffered from another disaster: A president who treats Puerto Ricans with insults and contempt, who withholds aid and laughs at our suffering.”
The PSA included video of Trump tossing paper towels into a crowd in Guaynabo. “On Nov. 3, Puerto Ricans will send Trump a clear message,” Anthony said. “We remember the lies. We remember the disrespect. We remember you left too many of us to die.”
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