Celebrities urge young Americans to vote

LOS ANGELES, July 18 (UPI) -- A national initiative by the U.S. nonprofit group Declare Yourself has been started in a media campaign to urge young Americans to vote.

The "Only You Can Silence Yourself," campaign features a mix of "real people" and young celebrities, including Andre 3000, Christina Aguilera, Amber Tamblyn of "Joan of Arcadia" on CBS, Jonathan Bennett of "Mean Girls," and La Toya London of Fox's "American Idol 3," among others.

The public service announcements feature graphic depictions of young Americans literally silencing themselves by sealing their mouths through a variety of methods. For example, Aguilera's print ad shows her mouth stitched shut in a style resembling a corset, while Andre 3000 has his signature bow tie stuffed into his mouth.

"Before you can get young people to act, you have to get them to react, and that's what we believe our PSAs do," said Norman Lear, founder of Declare Yourself. "We want those who see the spots to stop, look, discuss, and, ultimately, become inspired to take action."