Variety Video: Cruz & Hawley (Love And Marriage Parody) – Bette Midler By Jem Aswad Feb 3, 2021
Bette Midler: BootlegBetty.com
Following up their “Goodbye Donnie” political parody video of late month, Bette Midler, who is clearly no fan of former President Trump and the Republican party, has again joined forces with Meidas Touch, this time focusing their sights on insurrection-enabling Republican senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. The withering video is soundtracked by Midler singing “Cruz and Hawley” to the tune of “Love and Marriage,” the 1955 song written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen and made popular by Frank Sinatra.
As Midler sings the lyrics below, the video shows footage of the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol building by Trump supporters along with photos of the former president and his allies, like Senators Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, and Kevin McCarthy, attorney Rudolph Giuliani and others.
Video: Cruz & Hawley (Love And Marriage Parody) Vocals: Bette Midler Piano: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Eric Kornfeld
Original Song: Love And Marriage Written By: Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen Made Popular By Frank Sinatra.
“Cruz and Hawley, Cruz and Hawley Are conductors on the treason trolley Starting insurrections [is] the only way they get erections
“Add sad Rudy Dim Jim Jordan McCarthy All we need’s a [prison] warden Catering to haters And “patriots” who vote for traitors
They don’t care if they’re repulsive and disrespected All they want is to get their lying asses reelected
Please expel ‘em Or we’re screwed, by golly Here’s our chance to route ‘em End their squeal To “stop the steal” And we’ll be great again without them.”
Midler is accompanied on piano by veteran film and musical composer Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “South Park”), with satirical lyrics by Eric Kornfeld.
MeidasTouch is a political action committee formed earlier this year by brothers Ben, Brett and Jordan Meiselas, who have deep connections to the entertainment industry. Their father is top music attorney Kenny Meiselas, who reps Sean “Diddy” Combs, Lady Gaga, the Weeknd, Lizzo and others. Ben, 35, is a litigator and civil rights attorney who represents exiled NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and led a class-action suit over the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival; Brett, 30, is a video editor and former head of post-production and social media for “Ellen”; and Jordan, 27, is an executive at Steve Stoute’s branding and marketing firm Translation.
While they have done song-oriented videos in the past, their work generally follows a “Daily Show”-style approach, juxtaposing quotes from the president and his associates with footage that starkly contradicts them. “It’s exactly what I would do in a trial,” Ben told Variety last year. “‘Here’s what Trump or his family or staff are saying. Here are the facts and the data. Decide for yourself’ — although I have between two minutes and 30 seconds to convince my jury, which is the American people.”
