As a Jew with a pretty solid claim on owning a functional sense of humor, I have to say that Hadar Goldman, co-owner of the Zarmon Goldman advertising agency in Tel Aviv, is being disingenuous. His company's ad, depicting a wild-eyed Arab sheik wailing on a Nissan Tilda for its [theoretical] effect on his bank balance, is over-the-top, over-the-line and not-so-funny. What if an Arabian agency created an ad that portrayed Jews as money-grubbing shysters? "It's a humorous campaign that was loved by both the Jewish and Arab worlds," Nissan spinmeister Daniella Ribenbach told The Jerusalem Post. Uh, we'd like to see some data on that Danny. Meanwhile, "It's my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts," official Hani al-Wafa told Saudi Arabian TV. "In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize." And so it will.
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As an adman myself, this commercial seems pretty mild compared to others I’ve seen over the years. The ad clearly shows not just any Arab but a very rich, stretch-limo-riding, entourage leading bigwig that looks the very picture of someone who has derived their wealth from oil. So the point that a fuel-sipping car would cut into his income and that he would be angry about it is funny. Of course it is stereotypical, but in an over-the-top light-hearted way. How is that different from numerous american commercials and movies that portray other nationalities/regionals in stereotype for comedic effect: Frenchmen portrayed as sensitive beret-wearing, cheese-nibbling artists; stuffy formal Englishmen exchanging Grey Poupon; Meditating Indian spiritualists; Shallow, spay-on tan Southern Californians; Slow-witted, massively overweight MId-westerners… the list goes on and on. I don’t understand some of these hair-trigger reactions certain members of the public make to clearly humorous generalizations in commercials and movies.
Freedom of speech, thought and life in general is being emasculated and whisked away each day. Where does humanity draw the line with what is/is not acceptable. It seems everyone draws that line in a different place and no one wants to stop and say enough is enough. In ancient Israel, the people each went their own way-in essence became their own arbiter of law and ultimately a god unto themselves-this lead to quick ruination. hmmm…seems humanity does not want to learn from its past or mistakes.
Kind of a stretch to call this racist. And it is decently amusing, so it gets a free pass from me.
Also, Nissan Tiida, not Tilda.
I use to work in corporate marketing and I got tired of trying to always be politically correct about everyone but rednecks and Christians. It’s just a funny and clever ad so move on. Try watching Blazing Saddles sometime if your sense of humor can handle it.
It sounds OK to me.
when it comes to these sort of things i try to put the shoe on the other foot and, when i do, if i find it marginally offensive, then that group is going to find it offensive.
sometimes its just not worth bothering. it might have been bland the better part of valor to use oil executives instead of sheiks.
Not for one flaming second would I apologize for this relatively innocuous ad. People need to get a life.
Since the ad and subs are in Russian, I assume you didn’t get a proper translation before writing this blog. The sheik is yelling and kicking the car, because it’s very fuel-efficient and it would lead to lower profits for him as oil-rich producer. There is not a single word about his nationality or faith. What’s so racial about it and why Nissan should apollogies? Would you still call it racial if instead of sheik they used a Texan or Columbian or Russian rich man? Give me a break…
Harmless fun.
We could (and have) all question(ed) the judgment that led to this advertisement, and most of us would reach (and have reached) the conclusion that it’s probably in poor taste. But the real issue is Saudi Arabia, the source of the official complaints — a place where they routinely sanction demeaning, racist humor (and more) about the Jewish people.
And that is what makes me not even care about an advertisement that goes over the line in the other direction. What’s good for the goose ought to be good for the gander, after all. This may be childish of me, but at least I can honestly say I’ve never encouraged this kind of behavior from either side. And furthermore, a thin skin is often a sign of immaturity.
Harmless fun?
Until the next one pokes fun at your oxen…
I agree that people in general need to lighten up.
South Park is cool.
“Until the next one pokes fun at your oxen…”
There’s a joke about the former Vice President in here somewhere…
This is yet one more example of Jews being held “under the microscope”.
Like one of the other comments said, this is simply a commercial about an extremely wealthy man who makes his money from oil being upset that a car with excellent gas mileage will be cutting into his profits.
Nothing more, nothing less, in my opinion.
I don’t see the big deal either, the world is becoming too stuffy a place with this out of control political correctness.
Why on Earth would the oil sheik be getting into a stretch limo TOWNCAR, shouldn’t it be a Benz, Rolls or Bentley. Must really be cutting into his oil profits if he has to buy a Lincoln.
So Arab sheiks are the new Barack Obama?
What exactly do you find offensive about this ad or the other Nissan one yesterday? Neither feature offensive stereotypes, neither is racist.
Most Arabs are not vastly wealthy members of a royal family living a lavish lifestyle funded by their nation’s oil wealth. Do you imagine English people get offended everytime a member of the royal family is portrayed as an upper class twit?
As an effete, latte-sipping member of the east coast liberal elite, I take offense to this kind of blatant stereotyping.
If the commercial showed a WASPy-white 50-something oil exec in a fine Armani suit bemoaning a fuel-efficient vehicle, and maybe firing a peon or two that happened to be standing in way, would this play into negative stereotypes of white Anglo-Saxons? Probably not. Same deal with this ad, IMHO.
(I’m another proud Jew, and I’d like to think I have a sense of humor.)
As a Jew with a pretty solid claim on owning a functional sense of humor, I have to say that Hadar Goldman, co-owner of the Zarmon Goldman advertising agency in Tel Aviv, is being disingenuous.
Disingenuous indeed. Just because Jews make fun of themselves early and often doesn’t mean they take kindly to being made fun of by others. An Arab ad agency is privileged to produce an ad like that and it’s no big deal. Zarmon Goldman is not.
Disingenuous indeed. Just because Jews make fun of themselves early and often doesn’t mean they take kindly to being made fun of by others. An Arab ad agency is privileged to produce an ad like that and it’s no big deal. Zarmon Goldman is not.
No one has to take kindly to being made fun of; the offended party can boycott, whine, or express themselves as they please, within the confines of the law. But last time I checked, Strippo was not the U.N. Minister of Privileges, deciding who gets to express themselves & how; I guess, not being Jewish or Arab, I shouldn’t even be commenting on this issue.
What if an Arabian agency created an ad that portrayed Jews as money-grubbing shysters?
Arab entities of far more import routinely portray Jews as that and much worse; if this ad is disingenuous, how much more so are those “offended” by it.
Freedom of speech, thought and life in general is being emasculated and whisked away each day.
The last time I checked these don’t exist in Saudi Arabia. Or anywhere else in the world outside the U.S. Or for that matter in the U.S. either any more.
No one has to take kindly to being made fun of; the offended party can boycott, whine, or express themselves as they please, within the confines of the law. But last time I checked, Strippo was not the U.N. Minister of Privileges, deciding who gets to express themselves & how; I guess, not being Jewish or Arab, I shouldn’t even be commenting on this issue.
You seem to have lost sight of the fact that we’re talking about a car ad here, the purpose of which is to sell cars, not alienate people in a racially charged part of the world. Freedom of speech has nothing to do with it. Context is everything.
Arab entities of far more import routinely portray Jews as that and much worse
But (thankfully) “tit for tat” wasn’t the explanation given by the ad firm. And it’s all the more reason Nissan should have had sense enough not to run the ad in the first place.
if this ad is disingenuous, how much more so are those “offended” by it.
The ad isn’t “disingenuous”. It is the notion that Hadar Goldman would readily laugh off an ad from an Arab firm that pokes fun at Jews, as he implies in the quote that gives this post its name, that appears disingenuous.
And for the record, I think I would make a damn good UN Minister of Privileges.
What is offensive about the commercial?
He threw his shoe?
Im not arab or Jewish, I kind of find stereo types funny… ok, they are really funny! but this was over the line and just not funny at all, at least the VW add with the terrorist car bomb made me laugh!!
This was over the top, offensive and downright stupid!
Im with you Robert, these guys went too far.