Joss Whedon Launches Super PAC to Stop ‘Orange Muppet Hitler’ Trump
HOLLYWEIRD
Danny Moloshok/Reuters
On Wednesday, filmmaker and Avengers director Joss Whedon announced the launch of his progressive, anti-Trump super PAC Save the Day with a video—starring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Neil Patrick Harris, among Hollywood celebrities—urging young people to register and vote.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Whedon, who donated to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign this year, began convening small gatherings of Hollywood writers and talent before the 2016 Democratic National Convention to discuss what they could do to support Team Hillary. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Whedon said his pitch to his famous friends was to create “a voting PSA to help get out the vote and stop orange Muppet Hitler.”
Whedon’s team includes executive director Ben Sheehan (who left his position at comedy and political satire website Funny or Die to join the super PAC) and head of media partnerships Carri Twigg, an alumna of the office of public engagement for Joe Biden. Save the Day is planning on only operating between now and Election Day.
“I’ve known Joss for about 10 months or so, through a mutual friend... he had this idea to put this organization together and he approached me to head up the day-to-day operations [to] make videos to urge people to vote, to register to vote… and to vote up and down the ticket for Democrats,” Sheehan told The Daily Beast. “[It’s about] what’s at stake in this particular election… [Joss] is talking about a referendum on decency. He’s talking about inclusion versus exclusion, and saying no to someone who promotes hate and fear and otherness among people who live in this country.”
Sheehan says the super PAC expects to produce anywhere between nine and 25 videos before Nov. 8, not only to boost Clinton or ding Trump, but to promote action on “climate change, common-sense gun laws, and women’s health.” The team has also explored the possibility of additionally organizing GOTV events or concerts. Sheehan said that they have another GOTV, pro-Democrat video dropping next week starring Jesse Williams, a star of Grey's Anatomy.
—Asawin Suebsaeng