Clinton spoofs 'The Sopranos' to unveil campaign theme song / LJWorld.com

Archive for Wednesday, June 20, 2007

By Jim Kuhnhenn - Associated Press Writer

June 20, 2007

AP Photo

This image from video released by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign shows Clinton selecting a Juke box song on a Web video that spoofs the final scene of the popular HBO mobster series "The Sopranos." The scene: a diner with husband Bill (not shown), a jukebox, a nostalgic song, a cut to black. The video and the announcement of Celine Dion's "You and I" as the official Clinton tune cap a monthlong, interactive Internet campaign that drew more than a million viewers to the Clinton campaign Web site and to YouTube, the popular online video display room.

Washington — The scene: A diner and a jukebox. A nostalgic song. A cut to black. It worked as a finale for "The Sopranos." It now marks a new beginning for "The Clintons."

Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign on Tuesday unveiled its new campaign song with a Web video that spoofs the final scene of the popular HBO mobster series.

The video and the announcement of Celine Dion's "You and I" as the official Clinton tune cap a monthlong, interactive Internet campaign that drew more than a million viewers to the Clinton campaign Web site and to YouTube, the popular online video display room.

The selection of Dion, who was born in Canada, resulted in some smirking accusations from Republicans that Clinton had "outsourced" her music. In fact, Dion's "You and I" has done a turn as a theme song already - for Air Canada in 2004.

But the song campaign and the video also illustrates the growing effort by some of the more technologically savvy campaigns to connect with voters and potential donors in clever, relatively inexpensive formats that are infused with pop culture references, contemporary themes or intimate moments.

In the new Clinton clip, Hillary Clinton, like Tony Soprano, spins through the musical selections in a diner in Mount Kisco, N.Y., near her home in Chappaqua, as her husband, former President Clinton, quizzes her about the campaign and the song contest winner.

The Soprano touches are subtle but perfectly obvious to any fan of the series.

The music that plays through the video is not Dion's but Journey's "Don't Stop Believin,"' the same song that Tony Soprano chooses from the jukebox in the show's final scene. At one point, actor Vince Curatola, who played New York mob boss Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni in the series, walks menacingly by the Clintons' table.

Tony Soprano ordered onion rings. Hillary orders carrots for Bill. "No onion rings?" the former president asks forlornly.

"Where's Chelsea?" Sen. Clinton asks. Outside a car tire hits the curb. "Parallel parking," President Clinton replies.

"How's the campaign going?" he asks.

"Well, like you always say, focus on the good times."

"So what's the winning song," he presses.

"You'll see."

"My money is on Smash Mouth," he says. "Everybody in America wants to know how it's going to end."

"Ready?" Hillary asks.

The scene cuts to black.

But, no, unlike the Sopranos, it's not over. You can click to hear Dion's song. A new page pops up. The most prominent word stands out against a red background:

"Contribute."