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Ellen DeGeneres’ good-natured ribbing at Apple wasn’t met with laughs in Cupertino. Obviously, Steve Jobs’ team lodged a complaint with Warner Bros. or whoever, and helped turn the story into an even bigger one, by having Ellen apologize on her show!
(Above: The spoof ad that ran; Below: Ellen’s apology)
A friend to corporations looking to reach her legions of fans (see: CoverGirl, American Express), Ellen is no dummy to keeping relationships greased with the powers that be. That, or she didn’t realize that the free iPads sent her and Portia’s way actually do come with strings attached.
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As if I couldn’t stand Apple’s corporate politics already.
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SteamPunk
Wow, Apple! Just wow!
Al
Given that Ellen showed the spoof twice and that she showed in on Monday and Tuesday make me believe that it may be some sort of campaign between Ellen’s show and Apple. If they really complained about the clip, she wouldn’t have aired it again because that would open herself (and her show) to lawsuits.
Tessie Tura
Knowing Ellen’s self-deprecating and the way she “bumbles” through things, I took it as a humorous depiction of her shortcomings rather than the iPhone’s. What would have really made it sting is if she somehow threw in just how $hi++y the AT&T service is, which really renders the iPhone useless in many areas of this great nation of ours.
And when the Verizon version is finally released, I just might buy one.
Fitz
Apple sucks so hard. I can not believe how many gay people have become sheep.
Baxter
@Al: Lawsuits? On what grounds?
Matthew, GMen Brighton
Hahaha, I love that by apologising she gets to show the advert again… before saying sorry for showing it the first time. Ok she heaps on the praise later but they are great products… just wish given their design brilliance/market dominance Apple could have a sense of humour about parodies of what are waaaaaaay too slick (and therefore somewhat misleading) adverts. Come on Apple… there must be a reason you stick on the little disclaimer at the end of each ad saying something like “Sequence shortened” and who are you kidding that the ad didn’t take $sss and hrsss to make?! 🙂
Joe K
Paradoy has been upheld by the Supreme court as free speach. I think Apple is turning into the new Terrorist Orginization. I am shocked that Warner Brothers buckled under this unenforcable threat.
I say it is about time the Federal Goverment went after Apple for being a bully, and doing things that it complained about Microsoft doing.
Yuki
Seriously, Apple? It’s making fun of both Ellen herself AND the iPhone! She’s a bit of a ditz (she admits it herself), but I know from experience that the iPhone can give that sort of experience.
Get over yourselves, Apple.
Sammy
Where is the evidence there was a formal complaint lodged? Ellen didn’t say anything about a formal complaint. Am I missing that part?
Parody is in fact protected, but I’m also fairly certain that there are intellectual property rights involved in using the actual device in that way. Then again, no one is saying at all here that Apple threatened a lawsuit.
And if they sent her a free iPad, maybe she shouldn’t be too quick to criticize them if she kept it. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
If anyone thinks Microsoft is a less offensive alternative, they are lunatics.
Gay men like Apple because Apple products are superior to others. Period. I’ve had other “smartphones” and nothing to date compares to the iPhone. No one has competed with the iPod.