The Best of the Entertainment Industry’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Videos

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Updated August 23, 2013

Many celebrities are taking on ALS’ ice bucket challenge to bring awareness to the world to what Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is about. This neurodegenerative disease affects the brain and spinal cord, where it causes muscles to atrophy. Victims in the late stage can lose the ability to speak and swallow food. Fortunately, there is treatment to this muscle numbing disease. But in what can be done so far, all current medications can offer is to “relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.”

Research is ongoing for better ways to tackle this disease. To help raise funds, many celebrities from various aspects of the world of sports and entertainment have stepped forward to allow themselves to get drenched in ice cold water in a symbolic statement of what the feeling must be like to suffer from ALS. The numbing sensation is not pleasurable. But to their reaction is entertainment enough.

This viral video campaign is certainly doing its job at getting lots of attention! Both men and women can find videos featuring Lady Gaga, Chris Pratt, Selena Gomez and John Barrowman get drenched. In Barrowman’s video, David Tennant has been challenged. If that is not enough to draw attention, just who else can be dared?

To make a donation and learn more about this disease, readers can visit ALS.org or Canada’s chapter. The following are a collection of just some of the best or humourous celebrity videos who have taken on the challenge:

Kermit the Frog:

Chris Pratt:

John Barrowman:

The Soska Twins:

Tom Hiddleston:

Taylor Swift:

Benedict Cumberbatch:

Conan O’Brien:

Selena Gomez:

Daniel Radcliffe:

Bill Gates:

George Takei: