They’re Baaack — New ‘Harry and Louise’ Ad Is for Health Care Reform
EmailABC News' Elizabeth Gorman reports:
The first time America saw Harry and Louise together on television, paying bills and discussing health care, Louise told Harry, “Having choices we don't like is no choice at all.” Subsequently, health care didn’t pass, and ‘Harry and Louise’ slipped into popular culture as one factor explaining why it didn’t.
That was 1993. Today, they’re back. And this time, more in sync with the White House, according to its creators.
“Well it looks like we may finally get health care reform,” Harry tells Louise in the new ad, "Get the Job Done." "A little more cooperation, a little less politics, and we can get the job done this time," responds Louise.
The new $4 million ad airing this weekend on the Sunday talk shows comes from the original producer of the first series, and is sponsored by two large insurance companies, Families USA and PhRMA. The ad will run for several weeks on cable and broadcast networks.
“I think it has the potential of having the same societal impact," the ad’s writer and director, Ben Goddard of Goddard Claussen, told ABC News. "Many people find it interesting because the popular perception is that they [Harry and Louise] started out opposed to a health reform plan, and now we’ve come full circle and they’re in favor of a health care reform plan.”
Goddard said that while the original 'Harry and Louise' ad criticized Clinton’s approach to health care, it never rejected the idea of health care reform.
“What really turned it into ‘Harry and Louise’ vs. the Bill and Hillary campaign was the response of the Clinton White House. Hillary in particular responded very personally. And in fact, in sidebar conversations, we made clear that if we could just come to agreement on a few issues, that we would be glad to put ‘Harry and Louise’ on the air in support of the Clinton plan,” Goddard told ABC News.
“While the popular perception has been for some time that it was an anti-health care reform campaign, it would be more accurate to say it questioned the wisdom of the proposal that the Hillary’s health committee cooked up essentially behind closed doors without input from the industry.” Goddard said that this time around, the President wants to include private insurance policies as part of the solution.
Both “Harry and Louise” actors and their director Goddard — who married the actress playing Louise in both the 1993 and 2009 ads — were on the Hill today along with representatives of insurance companies and key leaders in the health care industry, speaking in support of the Affordable Health Choices Act. That act, passed by the Senate’s HELP committee yesterday, includes a public option.
But Goddard said that the new ad doesn’t take a particular stance on which plan is best, but rather supports momentum in Congress for a plan that’s “got to be obtainable, affordable, and portable.”
“They [Harry and Louise] certainly are in favor of the principle of health care reform; I don’t think they’re going to take a position yet to endorse any of the particular plans,” he said.
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First…we need a plan and what does not work can be tweeked after it is passed. I am tired of the insurance companies controlling what they will and will not pay after you pay for it. I watched my daughter fight her illness and the insurance company and this was a disgrace. We need choices and the president is giving us just that. I support President Obama that a health care program is needed and soon.
Posted by: talmag | July 16, 2009, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
This ad will be very successful with that group of folks who get most of their news from television ads and tv shows.
I never understood the purpose of these ads. People who really care about the issue are the ones who will get their facts from reading the bill, scouring news stories and listening to all sources. They’re the ones most likely to call their elected officials and they’re the ones least likely to be swayed by an ad like this.
Posted by: follow the light | July 16, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Happening right now…”CBO director warns House panel that Democrats’ proposal will raise costs, not lower them; Minority Leader Boehner calls on Dems to scrap their plans”
Posted by: Mike | July 16, 2009, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
Anybody who thought the Dems were going to part the clouds and bring down healthcare angles are thinking very foolishly.
Posted by: Mike | July 16, 2009, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
It just goes to show you that harry and louise are just in it for the money. Typical democrats.
Posted by: billy bob | July 16, 2009, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
Harry and Louise must have gotten older. I know I didnt really think about healthcare much when I was young and healthy. I suppose a lot of folks are turning their attention to it now.
Posted by: Mark from atlanta | July 16, 2009, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
I want health care reform — badly — but I found H & L extremely irritating the first time around. Fortunately, I no longer watch much television.
Posted by: Eleonora27 | July 16, 2009, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
An earlier poster wrote, “We need a plan and what does not work can be tweeked after it is passed.” Please consider that if tweeking works so wonderfully, why not just tweek what we currently have instead of a massive overhaul? Or looked at another way, if the plan is akin to driving your car over a cliff, it is no good “tweeking” it while falling. This approach to health care reform will be a disaster of epic proportions.
Posted by: Don | July 17, 2009, 12:56 am 12:56 am
Let’s start off with all the people in Hollywood and the media paying 60% taxes, and put every government worker and politician on Medicare, for 3 years, and if they are all happy at the end of Obama’s first term in office, everyone else can join.
Posted by: Eric Robinson | July 18, 2009, 2:03 am 2:03 am
Sorry, but you will still see certain treatments denied by this bill…just like insurance companies do.
Already they are talking about cuts for certain treatments for Medicare & Medicaid.
Well LaRaza has more input than they want citizens to know about. They want:
Illegal aliens to have this, saying Latino kids need it more than White kids…also that treatments for elderly will be gone, guess our elderly are less important than an illegal alien..
Then they want all Latino’s making $66,000 to not pay a red cent for it..
This is more about getting new voters and campaign monies, than actualy health care for our own citizens!
Posted by: bobc | July 18, 2009, 8:27 am 8:27 am
Well I just wish to thank all the younger “progressives” in this country. Soon I will retire, along with the baby boomers, and its so nice of you to give me total health coverage and Social Security. I sure hope you like that 60%+ of your pay check that goes to support me and the others.Thanks again
Posted by: Alex | July 18, 2009, 10:39 am 10:39 am
If the health care legislation wasn’t more of the same bloated, wasteful, freedom-robbing sort of garbage that has been the mainstay of washington in recent years, they wouldn’t need to spend 4 mil on commercials telling you a load of crap.
Posted by: Blob | July 18, 2009, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
Here’s a plan you can believe in: keep your hands off my health care! It is unAmerican and unConstitutional for the govt to dictate our care in any way. Those who vote for it – and their families – should be held personally responsible for any harm done by this Marxist plan. Perhaps they should be tried for war crimes with Larry and Harry going to the gallows first.
Posted by: DeVan | July 18, 2009, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
This Health Care Reform Bill (such as it is) has little to do with helping the uninsured, and everything to do with subverting our Constitutional Rights. READ THE BILL people. Don’t believe Obama, he is a liar! Read the bill!
Posted by: AZITDad | July 19, 2009, 1:53 am 1:53 am
When will the young working class of America realize they are getting duped
They are expected to pay for seniors health care with a medicare tax, pay into social security for seniors and pay higher taxes to bail out the banks
Posted by: p jack | July 19, 2009, 7:35 pm 7:35 pm
“Limitation on New Enrollment”: “Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does NOT enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of doverage is on or after the first day of the year the legislation becomes law.” Now does that sound like you’re going to have choice?? NOT!!! Do you people understand what health care RATIONING is? Do you people understand that you can’t get an operation now in Detroit because of all the Canadians coming across the border to get theirs and their nationalized health care plan doesn’t provide? Do you people understand that between this and CAP AND TRADE that the US will tank??? Start doing some research. Like you talmag………….READ
Posted by: Annirich | July 20, 2009, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
to p jack: you’re talking about the 20 somethings; the ones raised with ‘everyone gets a trophy-no winners-no losers’ So what we end up with is a generation of socialist lovers because they fully believe in taxing the wealthy to pay for themselves instead of them making their own money. Socialism has NEVER worked; look at France, Cuba, Venezula….good heavens. Look the word up and research it. SOCIALISM.
Posted by: Annirich | July 20, 2009, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
Dear sir:
Are you kidding?
Posted by: Robert Bailey | July 23, 2009, 8:00 pm 8:00 pm
I am totally against government run healthcare. I am a senior and I am against the government telling my doctor what kind of treatment I can and will receive. I’m tired of the liberals trying to take control of our lives, overall.
Posted by: Jan | July 28, 2009, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
How about a real basic question.. Is it just me or does this older ‘Louise’ look like a guy in drag?
I’ve seen thinner necks on pro football players.. and is that an Adam’s Apple I see?
Posted by: Hugh | August 4, 2009, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
Harry and Louise could stand to loose some weight, then maybe we wouldn’t have to buy their healthcare! Stop eating donuts and hoho’s and buy your own health insurance harry and louise. ABC, you need to read the bill (or bills) and stop your love affair with this president. You need to ask tough questions and stop being racially biased. I used to watch abc, I NEVER turn you guys on anymore. It’s FOX or nothing!
Posted by: cathy tashman | August 14, 2009, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm