Councilmember Nithya Raman released a Friday campaign ad that parodies MTV’s “The Hills,” positions her in the streets of Los Angeles in front of the Hollywood sign, attacks incumbent Mayor Karen Bass as failing to lead, and targets Spencer Pratt with a “right
Councilmember Nithya Raman stepped onto what looked like a polished campaign podium in front of the Hollywood sign in a new ad released Friday — but the details gave her away. Cars drive by, revealing she isn’t simply staging the message at a set. She’s positioned on the streets of Los Angeles. selling the idea that the city can be pulled back from its current state.
The ad’s tone is unmistakably playful, too. It borrows from MTV’s “The Hills. ” including a montage of Los Angeles in disarray while Raman tells viewers the city has a mayor — incumbent Karen Bass — who “failed to lead the city.” She also brings Spencer Pratt into the frame. nodding to him with a description that calls him “a right-wing extremist powered by MAGA. channeling people’s frustrations about the city into fear. anger. and hatred.”.
Then comes the most striking visual move: a later shot in the ad mirrors the final scene from the 2000s reality series. where Brody Jenner’s emotional goodbye was revealed to have taken place on a fake Hollywood soundstage. In Raman’s ad. the backdrop tears away to reveal a crowd of Angelenos holding “Nithya Raman for Mayor” signs. cheering for the councilmember.
Raman punctuates the closing message with a direct pitch to voters. “We can bring L.A. back to what it really is, one of the most creative, most beautiful, most hopeful places in the world. But only if we come together and fight for it. Every single vote matters,” she said, as Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” — the theme song from “The Hills” — plays.
The timing couldn’t be more immediate. The primary election for the next mayor of L.A. will take place Tuesday, June 2. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will move on to a runoff in November.
Bass. Pratt and Raman are currently leading the polls. with Bass consistently polling on top but not with enough margin to win outright. A UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll of likely voters from earlier this week predicted a tight race. with Bass at 26%. Raman at 25% and Pratt at 22%. An informal poll of TheWrap’s readership found the mayor leading at 39%. with Pratt in second at 24% and Raman behind him at 21%.
Raman is set to outline her plans to keep film and television production in L.A. Friday afternoon, appearing with Mike Schur, Rachel Bloom and Harper Steele, among others.
Brody Jenner in the final scene from “The Hills” (Credit: MTV/YouTube)
Nithya Raman The Hills spoof Spencer Pratt Karen Bass Los Angeles mayoral primary June 2 Natasha Bedingfield Unwritten Brody Jenner MTV Mike Schur Rachel Bloom Harper Steele campaign ad