Amber Lee Ettinger
Encyclopedia
Amber Lee Ettinger is an American
actress, internet celebrity, and model
. She first rose to fame as Obama Girl in her Internet video "I Got a Crush... on Obama
", in which she expressed her admiration of then-U.S. Senator
Barack Obama
. The video led to numerous sketch comedy
appearances and interviews on Saturday Night Live
, Geraldo at Large
, The O'Reilly Factor
, and Hannity
.
, of German, Italian
, Swedish and Irish
ancestry, Ettinger moved to New York City
to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology
to study fashion and clothing design, having expressed hopes to create her own clothing line and other business ventures. Early in her career, Ettinger was crowned Miss NYC in the 2003 Miss Hawaiian Tropic
pageant, later augmenting that title with a nod as Howard Stern
's Miss Howard TV in June 2007. She has also appeared in a video for The Onion
News Network, as well as the music video for the John Popper Project song "Lapdance." She was also Hooters
Miss Manhattan, representing them in the 2003 International Swimsuit Pageant.
" viral video
, which was posted by Barely Political to YouTube
in June 2007. Later, she appeared in a new video called "Hillary! Stop the attacks! Love, Obama Girl" released on March 25, 2008. On May 7, 2008, Barely Political posted a YouTube video with Ettinger and former Democratic
and Libertarian Party
presidential candidate Mike Gravel
, entitled "Mike Gravel Lobbies for the Obama Girl Vote." In the video, Gravel tries to persuade her to switch her support from Obama to him.
In late September 2008 Ettinger made a YouTube video with Independent candidate Ralph Nader
in which he argues that he should be included in the debates. The video was a spoof of conventional sitcoms and was called "The Obama Girl and Ralph Nader Show." Also featuring former Governor of Minnesota
Jesse Ventura
, the video followed what would happen if Obama Girl and Ralph Nader shared an office.
In the Fall of 2008, Ettinger starred in a parody of "I Got a Crush on Obama" with a promotional video for EA's Red Alert 3. In it, she professes her allegiance to Howard Ackerman, a fictional presidential candidate played by actor J.K. Simmons.Pl
Since then she had been featured in multiple videos by Barely Political, including parodies of Jennifer Lopez
, Fergie and Catwoman.
On March 10, 2010, she appeared on Shear Genius
as one of the models to be styled for headshots. In mid 2010, Ettinger became a correspondent on fashion for the network WPIX in NYC.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, internet celebrity, and model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. She first rose to fame as Obama Girl in her Internet video "I Got a Crush... on Obama
I Got a Crush... on Obama
"I Got a Crush... on Obama" is an internet viral video, first posted on YouTube in June 2007 featuring a young woman seductively singing of her love for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama...
", in which she expressed her admiration of then-U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. The video led to numerous sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
appearances and interviews on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Geraldo at Large
Geraldo at Large
Geraldo at Large is a United States television newsmagazine, hosted by Fox News correspondent-at-large and former talk show host Geraldo Rivera.-History:...
, The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
, and Hannity
Hannity
Hannity is a television show on the Fox News network, a replacement to the long-running show Hannity & Colmes. It is hosted by conservative political pundit Sean Hannity....
.
Early career
A native of Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
, of German, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Swedish and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry, Ettinger moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
to study fashion and clothing design, having expressed hopes to create her own clothing line and other business ventures. Early in her career, Ettinger was crowned Miss NYC in the 2003 Miss Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic is a brand of suntan lotion sold around the world, but more widely available in the United States.The Company was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. It was the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States until being acquired in May 2007 by Playtex Products, Inc...
pageant, later augmenting that title with a nod as Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's Miss Howard TV in June 2007. She has also appeared in a video for The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
News Network, as well as the music video for the John Popper Project song "Lapdance." She was also Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
Miss Manhattan, representing them in the 2003 International Swimsuit Pageant.
Viral videos
Ettinger appeared in the "I Got a Crush... on ObamaI Got a Crush... on Obama
"I Got a Crush... on Obama" is an internet viral video, first posted on YouTube in June 2007 featuring a young woman seductively singing of her love for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama...
" viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
, which was posted by Barely Political to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in June 2007. Later, she appeared in a new video called "Hillary! Stop the attacks! Love, Obama Girl" released on March 25, 2008. On May 7, 2008, Barely Political posted a YouTube video with Ettinger and former Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
presidential candidate Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
, entitled "Mike Gravel Lobbies for the Obama Girl Vote." In the video, Gravel tries to persuade her to switch her support from Obama to him.
In late September 2008 Ettinger made a YouTube video with Independent candidate Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
in which he argues that he should be included in the debates. The video was a spoof of conventional sitcoms and was called "The Obama Girl and Ralph Nader Show." Also featuring former Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, the video followed what would happen if Obama Girl and Ralph Nader shared an office.
In the Fall of 2008, Ettinger starred in a parody of "I Got a Crush on Obama" with a promotional video for EA's Red Alert 3. In it, she professes her allegiance to Howard Ackerman, a fictional presidential candidate played by actor J.K. Simmons.Pl
Since then she had been featured in multiple videos by Barely Political, including parodies of Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Fergie and Catwoman.
Other projects
Beyond her Barely Political and modeling career, in late 2008, Ettinger launched a music career. Staying true to her online roots, her first album, Queen of the Web, was made available only online. The first single, "Second Time," was released in August 2008.On March 10, 2010, she appeared on Shear Genius
Shear Genius
Shear Genius is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show first premiered on April 11, 2007....
as one of the models to be styled for headshots. In mid 2010, Ettinger became a correspondent on fashion for the network WPIX in NYC.
External links
- AmberLeeOnline channel on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Obama Girl Photo Gallery on MaximMaxim (magazine)Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
- Exposé on Amber Lee Ettinger in The Daily PennsylvanianThe Daily PennsylvanianThe Daily Pennsylvanian is the independent daily student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania.It is published every weekday when the university is in session by a staff of more than 250 students. During the summer months, a smaller staff produces a weekly version called The Summer...
- Tropicbeauty.com profile
- Vergani, M. (2009), YouTube e civic commercial engagement. Il caso Obama Girl e Barely Political, in «Sociologia della Comunicazione», 40/2009, pp. 131-144