'Livni Boy' aims to repeat the success of 'Obama Girl'

Actor Liran Avisar sings of his love for Kadima leader in internet video clip.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
livni boy 248 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
livni boy 248 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Shas adopted US President-elect Barack Obama's slogan "Yes we can." Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu copied Obama's Web site. And now a young Israeli admirer of Kadima leader Tzipi Livni who calls himself "Livni Boy" is trying to follow up on the success of "Obama Girl's" popular June 2007 Internet video "I Got A Crush On Obama." That video, starring scantily clad model Amber Lee Ettinger seductively singing to pictures of Obama, spread like wildfire on the Internet and was credited with helping him win the Democratic presidential nomination. In the Livni Boy video, actor Liran Avisar is seen waking up under a picture of Livni, putting on a Livni Boy shirt and singing of his love for Livni while dancing on the streets of Tel Aviv. "Oh Tzipi, you're what I wanted, all that I expected from a political leader," the chorus goes in a mixture of Hebrew and English. "I don't want Ehud. I don't trust Bibi. Tzipi if you let me, I will be your man. Just tell me yes." In another line, he sings "Not Golda, not Condoleezza, not Palin, not Michelle Obama, because no one can beat you, Momma." The song was the initiative of two young Livni supporters, one of whom is a musician, who said they did it for both ideology and fun. They said they did it on their own initiative, but a Kadima official said the public was invited by the party's Web site to send in innovative clips. "People think the video is a clever idea of [Livni strategist] Reuven Adler, but the truth is we did it at our initiative," one of the duo said. "Obama Girl inspired us to try to get young people here excited about Tzipi. Young people only connect to things that are really cool." The songwriters are trying to keep a low profile for now and are not allowing their names to be published, because they wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song has been already been viewed on Youtube, Myspace and Facebook by people all over the world since it was first published Saturday. Young people have even been asking to download the song as a ringtone for their mobile phones. Livni called her young admirers on Monday and thanked them for the song. They admitted that they were surprised that she had heard it. "We never expected her to call us," they said. "We never thought it would have this kind of impact."