The dancers, according to the campaign’s website, are named Coy, Bunni, Imani, Jordan, Jenny, Nikki and Zippora. The minute-long video shows the women trading off between performance and speaking roles as they entertain the viewer and educate them on why they should vote in the upcoming election.
Be advised, the footage below contains scenes some audiences may find offensive.
Let’s make voting sexy 🔥#getyourbootytothepoll #gypttp #NationalVoterRegistrationDay #Vote #VoteReady #Election2020 #election pic.twitter.com/TgE2epFl62
— GetYourBootyToThePoll (@bootytothepoll) September 22, 2020
Lisa France, senior writer for CNN’s entertainment team, applauded the campaign on Wednesday, tweeting, “Atlanta strippers have pulled off the best voting ad campaign I have seen yet.”
“Matter of Fact” host Soledad O’Brien, along with a slew of other netizens, also noted the effectiveness of the campaign.
This is effective! https://t.co/Kgg5nTl1uR
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) September 23, 2020
Yep, this is eye catching, eye candy, with a real message. #GetYaBootyToThePolls AMEN, girls...
— icey 💯🇺🇸 ✊🏾 (@icebergslim1047) September 23, 2020
This has made my entire day! Because you can’t make it rain if you locked up on some bullshit! #GetYourBootyToThePolls
— Karen is social distancing... you should too! (@kwm537) September 23, 2020
I never wanted to vote so bad in my LIFE pic.twitter.com/c6mjxHxVIN
— Logo Lil 👀 (@KRogers_25) September 23, 2020
However, a number of Black individuals expressed disappointment with the video, such as Tariq Nasheed, who claimed that the video was a product of “white Democrats.” His mention of the Democratic Party made others express their own frustrations with the current two-party system and how it chooses to reach out to the Black community.
— UnImportant (@TheRealMonger5) September 22, 2020
Extremely disrespectful. They created this add to appeal to black men. This is what they think of black people. This is what they think they have to do to get our attention. Instead of talking about tangibles
— Robby (@Czar_Robby) September 22, 2020
What happens after “you get your booty to the polls.” pic.twitter.com/dbk6Nn5yLS
— LW (@SWNY315) September 23, 2020
You can’t call for justice for #BreonnaTaylor but defend this GOTV #getyourbootytothepolls PSA...and if you don’t understand that, you don’t understand 400 years plus of generational plunder. pic.twitter.com/FlUphz9C0N
— Maxwell Little 🇺🇸 (@MaxHPF) September 23, 2020
However, Angela Barnes, the writer and director of the campaign video, set the record straight via Twitter.
“I am the writer/director & I am a BLACK WOMAN. I was NOT paid for this & used MY OWN MONEY & money raised from a GoFundMe to pay for it,” she said on social media. “Black people, especially Black men are ignored by our govt & I want them to know they need to start paying attention.”
I am the writer/director & I am a BLACK WOMAN. I was NOT paid for this & used MY OWN MONEY & money raised from a GoFundMe to pay for it. Black people, especially Black men are ignored by our govt & I want them to know they need to start paying attention. #getyourbootytothepoll
— Angela Barnes (@AngelaBDirector) September 22, 2020
The GoFundMe campaign that financed the video, entitled “Angela and Paul want Black people to vote,” was created on July 13 by Angela Gomes and Paul Fox. “Angela Barnes” and “Angela Gomes” are the same individual.
The voter turnout campaign also cleared up some misinformation about Democrats’ affiliation with “Get Your Booty to the Poll.”
Surprise, we’re non-partisan!!! https://t.co/oLynB2COG0
— GetYourBootyToThePoll (@bootytothepoll) September 22, 2020
Gomes also clarified that Paul Fox is Black, not white, as one netizen alleged.
