Amber Lee Ettinger (born October 2, 1982) is an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, Internet celebrity,

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

, and

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

. Ettinger became notable after being hired to portray Obama Girl in Barely Political's June 2007 Internet video " Crush on Obama", in which she lip-synced the lyrics to the song expressing admiration of then- U.S. Senator

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

. The video led to numerous sketch comedy appearances and interviews, including ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'', ''

Geraldo at Large ''Geraldo Rivera Reports'', also known as ''Geraldo at Large'', is an American television newsmagazine hosted by Fox News correspondent-at-large and former talk show host Geraldo Rivera. History Debuting in national syndication on October 31, 2 ...

'', ''

The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...

'', and ''

Hannity ''Hannity'' is an American conservative television political talk program on Fox News hosted by Sean Hannity. Episodes air live at 9:00 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, while episodes that air on Fridays are pre-recorded, with a repeat ...

''.

Early career

Ettinger is a native of

Hazleton, Pennsylvania Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,963 at the 2020 census. Hazleton is the second largest city in Luzerne County. It was incorporated as a borough on January 5, 1857, and as a city on Decembe ...

. Her interest in entertainment began at an early age. She participated in beauty pageants, dance recitals, theater, cheerleading competitions, and more. Ettinger moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to attend the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. ...

to study fashion and clothing design, having expressed hopes to create her own clothing line and other business ventures.Tribune, Cosmi

November 16, 2006 a
The Cosmic Tribune
/ref> She is currently a designer alongside her mother Roseann Ettinger, together they have created the "Inspired by Amber" jewelry line. Ettinger was crowned Miss NYC and Miss Alpine New Jersey in the 2003-2004 Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Hawaiian Tropic pageant, later augmenting that title with a nod as

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...

's Miss Howard TV in June 2007. Ettinger was

Hooters Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...

Miss Manhattan, representing them in the 2003 International Swimsuit Pageant. Ettinger appeared in commercials for VH1's Pepsi Smash, Bikini Zone, and Certain Dri. She has also appeared in a video for ''

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satire, satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on ...

''.

News Networ
Use of 'N-Word' May End Porn Star's Career
She was featured in music videos for

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...

, The John Popper Project," and

Styles P David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss ...

. Ettinger has traveled around the world modeling for swimsuit, lingerie and fashion companies such as Ujena, Born, Baby Phat, Ralph Lauren, and

Tommy Hilfiger Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...

. Ettinger has been featured in many publications such as ''Maxim'', ''

FHM ''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...

'', and ''Elle''. She has appeared on the cover of ''Wired'' and ''Steppin Out'' magazine.

Viral videos, and response

Ettinger was hired by Barely Political founder Ben Relles to appear in the " Crush on Obama"

viral video A viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhong Lan, Alexander Haupt ...

, which was posted to the Barely Political channel on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

in June 2007. She appeared in a later 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 Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties Lists of political part ...

presidential candidate

Mike Gravel Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel ( ; May 13, 1930 – June 26, 2021) was an American politician and writer who served as a United States Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 as a member of the Democratic Party, and who later in life twice ran for ...

, 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. She and Relles guest-lectured in

Paul Levinson Paul Levinson (born March 25, 1947) is an American author, singer-songwriter, and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. His novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into ...

's class at Fordham University on September 21, 2007. In late September 2008 Ettinger made a YouTube video with Independent candidate

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

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 The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2 ...

, 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. Since then she has been featured in multiple videos by Barely Political, including parodies of Jennifer Lopez, Fergie and

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...

. In February of the election year 2012, Ettinger collaborated with Obama impressionist

Iman Crosson Iman Crosson (born March 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Alphacat, is an American actor, impressionist, and YouTube personality known for his impersonations of former U.S. President Barack Obama and his starring role in independent fil ...

(Alphacat) in the PoliPop video "Glease" which was a spoof of the song "

You're the One That I Want "You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by American actor and singer John Travolta and Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical '' Grease''. It was written and produc ...

" from the film '' Grease'' and television series '' Glee,''"Obama Girl Is Back! (VIDEO)"WebCite archive
, The Global Grind, February 15, 2012.Hannity, Sean (interviewer)
"Ex-Obama Girl?"
Fox News Channel video, June 13, 2012. Related intro a
Obama Girl's Crush Fading and So Is America's
(same day). Interview includes clip from and discussion of Ettinger's 2012 "Glease" video. in which "a smitten Obama seeks the affection (read: vote) of the Obama Girl."Gavin, Patrick

,

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

, February 14, 2012. A related music single was also released."Glease - Single by Polipop"
, AllSongsBy.com music search website, viewed 2012-06-26. In April 2012, "Glease" was included as part of the in-flight entertainment line-up for

Virgin America Virgin America Inc. was a low-cost U.S. airline that operated from 2007 until 2018, when it was acquired by Alaska Airlines. The airline primarily focused on operating low-fare service between cities on the West Coast and other major metropol ...

airline."What's Onboard — Channel 11"WebCite archive of 2012-04-10
, "Life" section of

Channel 11 content listing. As the 2012 election approached, news organizations mentioned and interviewed Ettinger as a barometer of whether Obama would be re-elected. More than a year before the 2012 election, ''

CNN Newsroom ''CNN Newsroom'' (also simply known as ''Newsroom'') is an American news programming block that airs on CNN. Broadcasting for 43 hours each week, ''Newsroom'' features live and taped news reports, in addition to analysis from experts on the iss ...

's''

Brooke Baldwin Brooke Baldwin (born July 12, 1979) is an American journalist, television host and author who was at CNN from 2008 until 2021. Baldwin hosted ''CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin'', which aired from 3pm to 4pm ET on weekdays. Early life and educ ...

had remarked, jokingly, that "obviously, the Obama girl is the litmus test for who will win in 2012.""CNN Newsroom / "Obama Girl" from 2008 may now have Doubts about President"
, transcript in CNN archives for ''

,'' October 10, 2011. In 2012, Ettinger declined to state who she was supporting for President.

Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American talk show host, conservative political commentator, and author. He is the host of '' The Sean Hannity Show'', a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commen ...

interviewed Ettinger on Fox News Channel's ''

'' about her level of support for Obama; Ettinger explained that her 2007 ''Crush on Obama'' video "encompassed what a lot of Americans were feeling the excitement for hope and change" and that now (June 2012) she hadn't given up on Obama, but added that her options (for voting in November 2012) were open. In a Fox News Channel opinion piece, J.D. Gordon used Ettinger's indecision in 2012 as a specific example of Obama's waning support.Gordon, J.D.
"Top 5 changes at the Pentagon under Obama"
, Fox News Channel Opinion, June 23, 2012.

Music

Ettinger was a singer with Obama impersonator

in the music single "Glease" (February 14, 2012; PoliPop, and Maker Studios). Ettinger released her own music EP titled ''Queen of the Web'' (October 29, 2008; Silver Curve Records), the EP including three tracks:"All songs by Amber Lee Ettinger"
, AllSongsBy.com music search website. Music label and date are specified o
iTunes website
Both viewed 2012-06-26. #"Second Time" #"Second Time Remix" #"Surrender" In an August 2008 interview, ''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...

'' magazine asked Ettinger about "her double life as an online sensation and actual person," with Ettinger describing her background in fashion design, modeling and acting.Buskirk, Eliot Van (interviewer)
"Q&A: Amber Lee Ettinger (a.k.a. Obama Girl)"
''

,'' August 22, 2008. Ettinger said that she was not singing about Obama in the EP's songs, and staking out her own musical identity after lip-synching the 2007 "I've Got a Crush" video, Ettinger explained that "Obama Girl's going to sing about Obama, but Amber Lee Ettinger's going to sing about other things that are going on in her life."

Other projects

On March 10, 2010, she appeared on ''

Shear Genius ''Shear Genius'' is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show ran for three seasons, from April 2007 to April 2010. It was hosted by actress Jaclyn Smith in seasons one and two and by Brazili ...

'' 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. On December 17, 2012, she appeared on the game show Take It All hosted by Howie Mandel making it to the final round. She chose "Keep Mine" while her opponent chose "Take It All" and took everything winning in excess of $500k. In 2013, Ettinger appeared in a commercial for

Natural Light Natural Light, sometimes Natty Light, is an American reduced-calorie light lager brewed by Anheuser-Busch since its introduction on July 31, 1977. Its ingredients are listed as water, barley malt, cereal grains, yeast, and hops. One serving c ...

as a lifeguard. A banned version of the same commercial also appeared online.

Personal life

Ettinger has said that she did not vote in the primary for the 2008 presidential election but that she did vote in the 2008 general election. She is of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

and

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry.Tapper, Jake.
of Clint Lexi and Sabrina Ettinger "Obamagirl Says 'We'll See' to Voting for Obama"
ABC News. July 14, 2007 She has an older brother and two younger sisters.

References

External links

*
AmberLeeOnline channel
on

Obama Girl Photo Gallery
on ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...

''
"Booty-shaking for democracy"
opinion piece in ''

The Daily Pennsylvanian ''The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc.'' is the independent student media organization of the University of Pennsylvania. The DP, Inc. publishes The Daily Pennsylvanian newspaper, 34th Street Magazine, and Under the Button, as well as five newslette ...

'' about "getting politically apathetic people interested in the election"
Tropicbeauty.com profileVergani, M. (2009), YouTube e civic commercial engagement. Il caso Obama Girl e Barely Political, in «Sociologia della Comunicazione», 40/2009, pp. 131-144amberleeonline.com about "Obama Girl"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ettinger, Amber Lee 1982 births Living people Actresses from Pennsylvania Female models from Pennsylvania American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American people of Swedish descent Fashion Institute of Technology alumni Pennsylvania Democrats People from Hazleton, Pennsylvania People from West New York, New Jersey People associated with the 2008 United States presidential election American YouTubers Comedy YouTubers 21st-century American actresses