Some of the most political Internet videos are not on YouTube but a comedy site.

Funny or Die , the brainchild of comedians Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, hosts user-submitted content alongside content produced from famous Hollywood types like James Franco and Ron Howard.

It's also where Heidi Montag , the MTV starlet known for her affinity for plastic surgery, makes fun of herself to push for, of all things, an independent consumer finance protection agency .

"With hidden fees and standard interest rate increases, that $11,000 jaw line can end up costing you an upwards of $50,000," she says in the video produced by Howard.

Later, images of Sens. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Alab.) pop up in a bathtub as Montag tells viewers to call the lawmakers.

"You'll listen to this part because I'm in a tub," she adds.

The video was backed by the Main Street Brigade , a self-described rapid response group set up to push for a consumer agency. The group created another video where past presidents back the cause.

The site's creators have even used it for political purposes. Funny or Die paid to produce a Paris Hilton video against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the presidential campaign.

The producers of these videos appear to be capitalizing on the rising popularity of video activism   and the use of humor   to make a policy point.

The shorts reach a wide audience that may not be otherwise politically involved. The Montag video has been viewed more than 865,000 times, and the site's first sketch ever , which is not political, has had more than 70 million views.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org