Biden and Devine go funny to talk about serious topic on college campuses
Abbot and Costello. Martin and Lewis. Farley and Spade. Key and Peele. The comedy world has seen several great comedy duos over the years. Biden and Devine might not be one of those, but they do have a message to convey through comedy.
Vice President Joe Biden has teamed up with comedian and actor Adam Devine for a video short on Funny or Die to bring attention to the “It’s On Us” campaign from the White House. Independent agency Mekanism has handled creative duties on the overall campaign, which include a video from President Obama, launched late last year to bring awareness and eradicate sexual violence on college campuses.
The video, “Going Undercover,” shows Devine getting a briefing on his mission – to go undercover at a college party with another person posing as a college student to get the word out on the “It’s On Us” campaign. That person ends up being Biden. The two go to a college party, looking nothing like college students. They try, painfully, to fit in with the rest of the students, but they give themselves up at the DJ stand to say why they’re really there.
“One in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted by the time they leave college,” says Biden. “We can all work together to change that.”
He then tells the party crowd to go to www.itsonus.org and take the pledge to commit to helping stop sexual assault.
“Because college should be a safe place for everybody,” adds Devine.
While it may be awkward in its delivery, the message is powerful. Since the campaign started in 2014, over 360,000 have joined the cause and taken the It’s On Us Pledge. Over 1,400 events have taken place on over 530 college campuses across the country. Biden has visited colleges across the country and talked to thousands of college students about how they can change the culture. He introduced Lady Gaga at the Oscars, went to the Final Four, and just talked to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, urging people to take the "It’s on Us" Pledge.