OAKLAND, CA — Hold on to your wallets, break out the popcorn, and prepare to laugh and sigh with an engaging new video series about government paternalism run amuck! The Independent Institute, a nonprofit think tank bringing its message of civil liberties and free-market opportunities to millennial audiences, has just released Season 2 of its satirical video franchise, Love Gov.
Like its smash-hit First Season—which has racked up over 7.4 million YouTube combined views plus 10 film-festival awards and 18 laurels since its 2015 release—Love Gov2: A Crisis Not to Waste revolves around the overbearing antics of Scott “Gov” Govinsky (Jonathan Flanders) and the harmful consequences his unsolicited “assistance” has for the people around him.
In five short (under 10 minutes) episodes, Love Gov2: A Crisis Not to Waste tells the saga of three young adults, Rebekah (Mai Le), Sam (William Kevin Olliff), and Katie (Katie Janner), who rent rooms in Gov’s house as they struggle with jobs, pursue grad school, or launch a start-up business, not knowing their landlord is spying on them and has surprises in store (Don Stewart).
Indeed, Gov at first only seems eager to “help” them do anything . . . except let them chart their own destinies (or even choose their own pizza toppings). But as Gov’s misplaced priorities cause worsening problems, the roomies plot to break free of his grip—but how? And will they succeed?
If Gov seems like a caricature of a big-government do-gooder, the resemblance is purely intentional. After all, the series has a message to convey: Look closely and you’ll find that rising housing costs, pricey and inadequate health insurance, joblessness, and privacy violations result from government promises to give voters “something for nothing” while restricting the freedom of ordinary, law-abiding people. But don’t despair—take action. Find allies, pool your resources, think creatively, and you too might conquer oppression and enjoy your natural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It’s a message that fueled the success of Season 1, Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate, which along with massive viewership and critical acclaim garnered over 53 million media impressions on Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, CNS News, and MRC TV, and press coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post- Intelligencer, Daily Caller, Real Clear Policy, American Thinker, The Federalist, National Review, and elsewhere.
Will Love Gov2: A Crisis Not to Waste match the success of its predecessor? If so, credit will be due in no small measure to the partnership between the Oakland-based Independent Institute, which is the sponsor of both seasons and has provided guidance on the story, scripts, casting, and more, along with Emergent Order, an Austin-based full-service creative agency that has provided far more than just Love Gov’s lights, camera, and action. Also, as storytellers since the time of Jonathan Swift have known, government folly is the gift to satirists that just keeps on giving!
The Independent Institute is a non-profit research and educational organization that promotes the power of independent thinking to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity. For more information, visit www.independent.org. For media inquiries, contact Communications Manager Rob Ade: [email protected]; (510) 632-1366, ext. 114.
High resolution images from Love Gov2 are available at this link.
