#LipSyncChallenge Has BU, BC Police Departments Dreaming about Hollywood
Video battle comes to CBS, with viewers choosing the winners
The #LipSyncChallenge was a viral sensation of 2018. And it’s not over yet.
It started when a police officer in Bexar County, Tex., posted a video of himself lip syncing “Fuiste Mala” by the Kumbia Kings. In short order, it became a fun way for first responders to engage with their communities, and soon dozens of videos by police and fire departments and EMT professionals emerged online from all 50 states.
Last August, members of the Boston University Police Department and their Comm Ave rivals at the Boston College Police Department created a lip sync video of their own. BCPD Lieutenant Jeff Postell wrote the script. Some 30 officers, as well as students, from both schools play up the friendly rivalry in a four-minute video by lip syncing to Boston hits like the Dropkick Murphys’ “Shipping Up to Boston,” The Standells’ “Dirty Water,” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
The video, which has had more than 35,000 views on YouTube, could take the BUPD and BCPD to Hollywood. In the spirit of the #LipSyncChallenge, CBS is producing a one-hour entertainment special, Lip Sync to the Rescue, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.
Fans can vote for their favorite videos—as many times as they want. The top-10 videos will be announced during the show, which will be filmed in front of an audience of first responders, family, and friends. Two videos will advance to a live vote during the broadcast, where the winner will be crowned. The deadline for voting and the broadcast date have not yet been announced.
“BUPD had a great time being part of the BU vs. BC lip sync challenge,” says Kelly Nee, BUPD chief of police. “These videos clearly show that police officers have a sense of humor and we don’t mind poking fun at ourselves. It was a fun way to reach out to both of our communities and highlight the good-natured rivalry between the two schools.”
Graduate student Madeleine O’Keefe (CAS’18, COM) can be reached at mokeefe@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter @OKeefeMadeleine.
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