PSAs: Public Service Announcement Campaigns

This Gun Violence PSA Sneaks School Shooter Lines Into Stand-up Sets

Celebrity comedians present violence as a joke to prove that it's not one

Sandy-Hook-Campaign — Comedians including Wanda Sykes and Billy Eichner test these lines on an unknowing audience. Sandy Hook Promise / BBDO NY

By Emmy Liederman

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[Sensitive content: This article discusses gun violence.]

When Wanda Sykes told her audience that “Some shit’s gonna go down, and I don’t think you’re going to like it,” she wasn’t teeing up a heartless comedy set. Instead, Sykes was resurfacing the language of a South Carolina school shooter—whose words were deemed hollow until he opened fire in an elementary school playground.

Sandy Hook Promise is taking a new approach to gun violence prevention by spotlighting the deadly association between violence and humor.

Emmy Liederman

Emmy is an Adweek staff writer covering agencies, influencers and the creator economy.

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