Sgt. Scott Moore talks about Marine ball date with Mila Kunis
November 21st, 2011 | Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Marine Sgt. Scott Moore is making the rounds on TV this morning following his date to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on Saturday night with actress Mila Kunis. Check out his appearance on Good Morning America today:
Well done, sergeant.
Marine Corps Times credited as wingman in Mila Kunis date
November 16th, 2011 | Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Sgt. Scott Moore was photographed by the Associated Press in July in Musa Qala, Afghanistan. (Associated Press photo)
Marine Corps Times can be many things to many people.
News source? I hope so. Advocate? Sure, sometimes. Antagonist? At times, guilty as charged.
I don’t think we’ve ever been credited with being a matchmaker before — until now.
Sgt. Scott Moore, the Marine who will be taking actress Mila Kunis to his unit’s Marine Corps Birthday Ball, just launched a Twitter account. Not long after I found it today, he posted this message:
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/#!/theScottMoore/status/136892377116839936"]
I won’t lie, that seriously made my day. Perhaps I should explain the back story.
Moore posted his now infamous video asking Kunis for a date to his unit’s ball on YouTube on June 7. The following month, I found it while searching the site for bootleg clips of Marines in Afghanistan, and cracked up. I introduced it here on Battle Rattle late on July 7, figuring readers would get a kick out of it.
The following day, it went viral. It appeared on sites ranging from Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks to Tosh.O’s blog on Comedy Central’s website, prompting a Fox entertainment reporter to ask about it during an interview that weekend. With coaxing from Justin Timberlake, her “Friends with Benefits” co-star, she accepted on the spot.
Moore’s video has now been viewed more than 3.9 million times, and inspired several other Marines to successfully invite other celebrities to their birthday balls. Kunis is expected to attend his ball for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, on Friday night in Greenville, N.C.
Hey, we do what we can to help.
Marine ball invitations for celebrities: The good, bad and ugly
July 19th, 2011 | Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Last week, it became entirely predictable that scores of Marines would take to the Internet this year to ask their favorite celebrity the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
After all, it famously worked for Sgt. Scott Moore, who will be taking one Mila Kunis to the ball for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. It later worked for Cpl. Kelsey De Santis, who leveraged Kunis’ invitation to convince her “Friend with Benefits” co-star, Justin Timberlake, to attend her ball this fall in Washington, D.C.
The successful invites first gave rise to Sgt. Ray Lewis — perhaps jokingly — inviting former Golden Girl Betty White. As you might expect, however, there is now a growing list of other celebrities who have received YouTube invites from Marines, with varying degrees of class, originality and humor.
What follows is the good, the bad and the ugly for Marine Corps ball invitations, with thanks to the Twitter account of Mike Dowling, a Marine veteran.
First, Cpl. Michael Sullivan decided to ask Emma Stone, who appeared in “Superbad,” “Zombieland” and other movies:
Cpl. Brenton Gunning went with Hayden Panettierre of “Heroes” fame for his invitation:
This Marine decided to invite Lindsay Lohan… although he may have confused her with Miley Cyrus:
And these Marine chefs decided to invite Nicky Minaj. No word on whether they’ll cook for her.
This female Marine asked rapper Drake to go with her. Her husband must be thrilled.
Another female Marine, another invitation for Drake:
Cpl. Bates asks Hugh Hefner to get him a ball date with all of his Playboy Bunnies. Shockingly, his jaw appears to be wired shut due to some unfortunate party accident:
Finally, this Marine takes a minute of his “not very busy day” to ask Scarlett Johansson.
Several other Marines had invitations posted, but their videos were subsequently removed. I assume a gunnery sergeant somewhere may be involved.
Surely, we’ve exhausted all possibility of originality with this phenomenon… right?
Betty White, 89, gets her own Marine Corps ball invite
July 18th, 2011 | Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
In the never-ending saga of Marines inviting celebrities to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, a new one has emerged: Sgt. Ray Lewis has asked former Golden Girl Betty White, 89, to attend with him.
At least I think he’s serious. It’s hard to tell in this two-minute video:
In other news, not only has Justin Timberlake accepted Cpl. Kelsey De Santis’ invitation to another ball, he quipped this morning on the “Today Show” that he and “Friends with Benefits” co-star Mila Kunis “want to pay honor to our country and embrace their balls.”
While it lasts, here’s a clip of their interview on “Today” this morning:
Mila Kunis confirms: Marine ball date with Sgt. Scott Moore still on
July 15th, 2011 | Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
If you’re exhausted with all the coverage raising questions about whether actress Mila Kunis will attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, you’re not the only one.
As the LA Times reports, a reporter brought it up during a promotional event for her new movie, in light of the media sensation caused by Sgt. Scott Moore’s invitation and her subsequent acceptance. She looked irked to be hearing about it yet again, and quickly squashed the rumors.
“Never did I say that I was not going,” she said.
She continued: “I accepted an invitation and I’m staying true to my word… I got permission to be released from work for the day, so I’m flying in and flying out.”
The video:
So, there you have it. Mila Kunis. At the Marine Corps Birthday Ball for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, on Nov. 18 in Greenville, N.C.
God bless America.
Marine Corps releases profile on Sgt. Scott Moore, Mila Kunis’ potential date
July 14th, 2011 | Afghanistan Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Another blog entry on Sgt. Scott Moore and Mila Kunis? Oh, why not. I give in.
The Marine Corps just released a profile on the Marine who caused an online sensation by asking Kunis, the 27-year-old star of “Black Swan” and other movies, to attend his unit’s Marine Corps Birthday Ball with him. Without a doubt, it’s an effort by the service’s public affairs arm to show some of the work its Marines do in Afghanistan.
Of course, we’ve now entered the will-she-or-won’t-she stage, but that’s another story entirely.
The Corps release profiles like this all the time on the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System. Moore’s doesn’t appear to be live on the site yet, but it likely will be soon.
In the meantime, here’s the Corps’ release. We wouldn’t typically post these in their entirety, but given the widespread interest… well… you know.
————————————
EXTERNAL RELEASE
JULY 14, 2011
Pennsylvania native makes connections in Helmand
MUSA QALA, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Showers and cold drinks in the 120-degree heat of the Afghan summer exist only in a Marine’s memory at some of the smaller patrol bases in the area, but one Grove City, Pa., Marine is determined to keep the unforgiving temperatures and desert sand storms from degrading a vital asset Marines and sailors use daily.
Sergeant Scott Moore said he takes pride in the contribution the Communications Platoon provides to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8. The data chief for the platoon is responsible for implementing and monitoring security measures for Marine Corps communication information systems networks and ensuring systems and personnel adhere to established security standards. He also leads a section of 11 Marines who work out of seven different locations throughout the unit’s area of operations.
“Speed and proficiency are extremely important to my work,” said Moore, a 2007 graduate of Grove City Area High School. “The communication (capability) we provide is used to securely relay important orders, messages, images and intelligence from the squad level to regimental headquarters in a very quick and efficient manner.”
The harsh environmental conditions here can take their toll on the electronic systems Moore is responsible for, but he and his Marines said they know their work is essential to support the infantry Marines patrolling the countryside. In the counterinsurgency fight, good communication keeps Marines both efficient and effective.
“With a little bias, I would say communication is the most important thing on the battlefield next to a Marine’s rifle,” said Moore. “The ability to communicate effectively gives us an overwhelming advantage over the enemy and has, without a doubt, saved lives.”
Moore’s platoon commander takes a slightly different take on the role communications plays on the battlefield.
“Everyone will claim their role in the war is the most important; I will not do the same,” said Rochester, N.Y., native 1st Lt. Nick Russo, the communications officer for 3/2 and Moore’s platoon commander. “However, becoming a professional communicator is not something you learn from a manual or online class. It requires a tremendous amount of effort, concentration, critical thinking and hands-on experience at the lowest levels.”
Moore displays a fierce pride that borders on cocky when it comes to the level of dedication and performance the Communications Platoon has demonstrated, even prior to the deployment, but humility is always present when he speaks of the infantry Marines they work to support. He explained the pre-deployment training the unit underwent was long and required a lot of hard work on little sleep for his Marines, but admitted it was not nearly as physically rigorous as it was for the infantry Marines preparing to fight insurgents.
“Sleeping, eating, showering, and working right next to all your fellow Marines for weeks on end is a bonding experience that definitely prepared us for the deployment,” said the 22-year-old Moore.
His work ethic and achievements during the training did not go unnoticed, and Moore earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his actions during pre-deployment training at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
“Sergeant Moore and his data section worked approximately 16 hours a day (in preparation for the pre-deployment training) — they didn’t even leave to sleep — to build servers for the upcoming training event,” Russo explained. “It was a grueling and time-consuming process, which ultimately set us up for success for deployment to Afghanistan.”
“Sergeant Moore is a professional at his job,” added Gainesville, Texas, native Staff Sgt. Christopher Westbrook, the radio chief for the platoon. “He is definitely the force driver behind the Data Communications section. When it is work time, he is all about business and won’t stop until the task is completed.”
Moore said he has gained the life experience he sought by enlisting in the Marine Corps just months after graduating from high school and, with it, an everlasting brotherhood in the Marines he serves with.
“I joined the Marine Corps because I thought it was going to be the hardest thing I could do and was kind of rebelling against the expectation to go to college,” he explained. “I thought the Marine Corps could teach me a lot more about life and myself and would force me to grow up a little bit.”
Mila Kunis might not be going to the Marine Corps ball, after all
July 14th, 2011 | Afghanistan Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
My head is beginning to hurt.
Multiple reports now suggest that Mila Kunis, star of “Black Swan” and other films, may not be going to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball with deployed Sgt. Scott Moore, after all.
As I assume even the Taliban knows at this point, he asked her to the Nov. 18 ball for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, in a YouTube video made in Afghanistan. It went nuclear Friday, and Kunis, 27, accepted after being put on the spot in an interview over the weekend, melting hearts everywhere.
E! Entertainment suggests the reports of her backing out aren’t necessarily true. She is busy, E! says, but her representatives are working to rearrange the production schedule. Barring that, she may meet with him privately. I assume he’ll want to know about the finer points of “That 70′s Show.”
On behalf of Marine Corps Times, I am now backing away from this story slowly, at least for now. We can play the will-she-or-won’t-she game from now until November, and I’m sure many people will.
We may have posted Moore’s video on Battle Rattle before it went viral, but things officially started getting weird for me when I realized I was competing with Access Hollywood on this story. It’s all going to be a waiting game for a long while.
Cpl. Kelsey De Santis, meanwhile, continues to make the rounds on CNN and other national news outlets after posting her own video asking Justin Timberlake, Kunis’ star in the new movie, “Friends with Benefits,” to her unit’s Nov. 12 birthday ball in Washington, D.C. Her promotional Facebook page has swelled to nearly 2,000 fans.
Marine Sgt. Scott Moore responds to Mila Kunis viral video sensation
July 12th, 2011 | Afghanistan Infantry Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
It was a matter of time: Sgt. Scott Moore is responding to the online sensation created by actress Mila Kunis accepting his YouTube invitation from Afghanistan to attend his unit’s Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
Marine officials said Moore, of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, was unavailable due to operational commitments. However, the public affairs staff at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, released a statement and lengthy question-and-answer session apparently adopted from questions he received from stateside reporters, including me.
On Saturday, Kunis, 27, the star of “Black Swan” and other films, accepted Moore’s invitation after she was questioned by a Fox reporter. His video went viral online Friday, one day after it was posted to this blog.
Moore said in the statement that he posted the video as part of a bet with other Marines in his unit. He sounds more than excited that the gamble paid off.
“I wanted to take Mila Kunis to the Marine Corps ball,” he said. “We all talk about what we are going to do when we get back, and this was my dream. I do feel bad for putting her on the spot, but it’s not like I was going to bump into her on the streets of Musa Qal’eh between now and the ball.”
Due to widespread interest, I thought it best to post the Marine Corps’ news release in its entirety:
EXTERNAL RELEASE
JULY 12, 2011
Due to the immense media attention Sgt. Scott Moore has received for his YouTube Marine Corps Ball invitation to Mila Kunis and the operational tempo of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, he has elected to make a written statement and answer the most commonly asked questions.
STATEMENT
“The idea behind my YouTube invitation to Mila Kunis came about after some Marines from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, and I were hanging out talking. One of the Marines bet that I wouldn’t make the video and post it. Of course, a bet between Marines must be honored, so I took the chance. You can’t make shots that you don’t take, so I took the best shot I could. The Marines of 3/2, my family and friends back home in Grove City, Pa. have been so supportive, and did a great job of getting the video a lot of attention. I’m very excited about the opportunity to share the experience with Ms. Kunis and would like thank her for accepting my offer.”
Questions and Answers
Q.1 Where are you and what do you do?
A.1 I currently serve as the data chief for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. My military occupational specialty is Data Systems Technician, which is responsible for implementing and monitoring security measures for Marine Corps communication information systems networks, and ensuring that systems and personnel adhere to established security standards. My unit is located within the district of Musa Qal’eh in the Northern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
Q.2 How did you come up with the idea for the video?
A.2 It was kind of a bet between me and Marines in my platoon. I told everyone I was going to do it, but they didn’t think I would go through with it. One day we had a couple minutes, and I took another Marine out with me and we shot two takes. The first one was without sunglasses but I was squinting too much because it was so bright, so we shot the one I uploaded to YouTube. The rest of the Marines liked it, so I posted it that day.
Q.3 When you posted the video, did you ever think you’d really get a date with Mila?
A.3 I always thought I had a chance, and sometimes that’s all you need. The Marines I work with did their best to spread it around.
Q.4 Why did you post the video?
A.4 I wanted to take Mila Kunis to the Marine Corps ball. We all talk about what we are going to do when we get back, and this was my dream. I do feel bad for putting her on the spot, but it’s not like I was going to bump into her on the streets of Musa Qal’eh between now and the ball.
Q.5 How do you feel now that you’ve made it happen?
A.5 My initial reaction was disbelief. It’s going to be a great experience to meet her, and it’s going to make the ball more special for everyone.
Q.6 Has Mila contacted you yet to make plans for the big day?
A.6 She has not personally contacted me, but I have heard back from her people.
Q.7 I understand Justin Timberlake played wingman for you. What do you think of him?
A.7 JT and I had this all planned from the start. He’s been a great wingman; it’s nice to know he can get over the jealously to help a brother out (just kidding). Justin Timberlake’s encouragement definitely helped; I owe him one.
Q.8 What do your fellow Marines think of all of this?
A.8 High fives and positive encouragement. They’re all really excited for me.
Q.9 How did you find out that she said yes?
A.9 From one of my friends from back home who has been supporting me with this. He sent the e-mail to me from Fox News 411. Obviously, I shared it with everyone and we all are pretty excited for November 18th. It can’t get here soon enough.
Q.10 What is the Marine Corps Ball?
A.10 The Marine Corps ball is a tradition that celebrates the founding of our service in 1775. It is something that we, as Marines, look forward to every year and is a great source of pride. We celebrate this occasion with a birthday cake, a message from the commandant of the Marine Corps and other traditions. This ball will be special not only because of Mila, but also because we will have recently returned from our deployment to Afghanistan.
Q.11 Has your family heard, what do they think?
A.11 My family heard and have received a lot of attention back home. They’re really excited for me, and my dad said he can’t wipe the smile off his face.
Q.12 Is there any type of statement or other reactions you’d like to note?
A.12 I would like to thank all my friends and family back home in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and all my Marine brothers in 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, for helping spread this around. It’s a great opportunity and I cannot thank everyone enough.
Q.13 Do you have any special plans for the ball or does this change what you normally would do for a Marine Corps ball?
A.13 I think I’ll keep that a secret for now; we have to iron out the details. For the most part it will be a normal experience for those who have attended Marine Corps Balls in the past.
Q.14 What can Mila expect to see at the ball?
A.14 A lot of Marines who are very happy to be home from Afghanistan, celebrating a successful deployment and the 236th birthday of our Marine Corps. I would like to refer to Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote about Marines for this one. “The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”
Biography
This is Sgt. Scott Moore’s second combat deployment. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he served from April to October 2009.
Moore is a native of Grove City, Penn.
His personal awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps July 10, 2007.
‘I’ll do it’ — Flattered Mila Kunis responds to Marine Corps ball invitation
July 11th, 2011 | Afghanistan Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
God bless the Internet.
As you may recall, last week Battle Rattle featured a video in which Sgt. Scott Moore asked actress Mila Kunis to his unit’s Marine Corps ball. Deployed to Musa Qala, Afghanistan, with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, he’d set up a page on YouTube a few weeks before, but it hadn’t blown up online the way he probably was hoping.
The blog entry was an immediate hit, and the video exploded online afterward. It had just 1,000 views when I posted it here Thursday night, but as I write this, it now has more than 188,000. Moreover, the video was posted repeatedly to other sites Friday, including Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks and Tosh.O’s blog on Comedy Central’s website.
It gets better. As Fox News reports this morning, Kunis said during an interview this weekend that’d she’d do it. Justin Timberlake, her co-star on the forthcoming movie “Friends with Benefits,” urged her on the spot to do it, and she agreed.
“Have you seen this? Have you heard about this? You need to do it for your country,” Timberlake asked Kunis excitedly, before sending out a direct message to Moore. “I’m going to work on this, man. This needs to go down.”
After questioning her publicist if she knew about the invitation, the clearly flattered 27-year-old actress agreed.
“I’ll go, I’ll do it for you,” she said, turning to Timberlake. “Are you going to come?”
“They don’t want me! They want you,” Timberlake responded. “You need to do it for your country.”
Kunis nodded.
“I’ll do it,” she confirmed.
Good for you, Sgt. Moore. Enjoy the ball.
Deployed 3/2 Marine asks: Mila Kunis, will you go the Marine Corps ball with me?
July 7th, 2011 | Afghanistan Bored Marine Video Infantry Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Well, you can’t blame a brother for trying.
A video has been circulating on the web in which Sgt. Scott Moore, a member of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., asks actress Mila Kunis to attend his unit’s Nov. 18 Marine Corps birthday ball in Greenville, N.C. He’s at a combat outpost in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, when he makes his plea.
“Hey Mila,” he says. “It’s Sergeant Moore, but you can call me Scott. I just wanted to take a moment out of my day to invite you to the Marine Corps Ball on November 18th in Greenville, North Carolina with yours truly. So take a second, think about it and get back to me. OK. Goodbye now.”
The video is here:
Obviously, there’s a growing culture in which U.S. service members post videos online with pop culture ties, then find themselves in the national spotlight. Most recently, it worked for the Marines who produced a video of themselves lip-syncing Britney Spears’ “Hold it Against Me.” She posted the video on her Twitter page, and eventually met the Marines at a concert after their deployment in Afghanistan ended.
Moore hasn’t attained that kind of fame, but you still have to take your hat off to him. Not only is he clearly having fun, he’s cutting right to the chase. He wants Kunis, 27, a star in everything from “That 70′s Show” to “Black Swan,” at his ball. No lip-syncing. No dancing. Just a simple request.
Mila: If you’re reading this, Moore wants you to drop him a line at gowithmemila (at) gmail.com. What do you have to lose, really?