Pathetic
Make sure to check out the whole website. It’s my Zionist nightmare.
Filed under
36 Responses to “Pathetic”
Leave a Reply
If your comment does not immediately appear, do not freak out and repost your message a dozen times. Please note that all new visitors must have their first comment approved by the editor, and you must provide a legitimate e-mail address and use the same username for the system to "remember" you. The editor maintains the right to refuse comments deemed inappropriate or unhelpful. Users who repeatedly delve into ad hominem attacks or other troll-like behavior will be banned.
Trackback (Right-click & 'Copy Link...') | Comments RSS
follow us on Twitter
follow us on Facebook
subscribe to our email
Stunning. Really. I can foresee a whole series of these. Maybe we should start a JS series of parody PR announcements….
—KRG · February 22nd, 2010 at 9:12 am
I. I. I don’t even have words.
—David A.M. Wilensky · February 22nd, 2010 at 11:43 am
My favorite part of the website: much like many Jewschool posters – and most of the int’l community – the website doesn’t recognize the end of the Israeli occupation in Gaza.
—Arie · February 22nd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
I admit, I was a “fan” of the site on facebook, but then I watched this video. Ewwww. Cheesy beyond belief. I should have done my research. Blecchhh.
—Ilana · February 22nd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
I was going to write a post about this today. It’s so… wrong.
Check out the always articulate Tikun Olam for more details about this ad campaign by the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy.
—TheWanderingJew · February 22nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Why would this commercial offend anybody?
—Jonathan1 · February 22nd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I felt that this was a funny and clever ad. What problem did you see with it?
—chakira · February 22nd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Arie writes:
the website doesn’t recognize the end of the Israeli occupation in Gaza.
How do you mean? The map of Israel that forms part of the logo doesn’t include the Gaza Strip. (It might or might not include the West Bank — the “S” is strategically placed so we can’t tell.)
—BZ · February 22nd, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Jewschool-finally I find a website featuring Jews with no sense of humor. Keep it up! (But I don’t think you can)
—Dave · February 22nd, 2010 at 9:22 pm
@J1-who’s offended here? although I can give you about a billion reasons academic media critics may give you…
@chakira-it doesn’t feel even a little desperate to you? it’s more like a beer commercial then for a country. when you see ads for Australia, you see kangaroos and surfers and the sydney opera house, for France, you see Paris and the Riviera, for Dubai you see spice markets and water taxis. For Israel, shouldn’t you see Jerusalem, oily bronze dudes in speedos hitting a plastic ball back and forth, some old guys eating sunflower seeds, Nachalat Binyamin artist market, windsurfing, snorkeling, Masada, you know, get people to want to go there because of all the cool things you can do and see, not because of sexual enticement (and if you want to use sexual enticement, I’m sure they could have found some sexy Israelis). But what exactly about this ad makes one want to visit Israel?
@Dave-
Or is this just not funny…
—Justin · February 22nd, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Justin asks:
who’s offended here?
KRG wrote: Stunning. Really
DAMW wrote: I. I. I don’t even have words
Ilana wrote: Ewwww. Cheesy beyond belief. I should have done my research. Blecchhh.
TWJ wrote: It’s so… wrong
I know a lot of Jewschoolers love Sasha Baron Cohen’s brilliant work, so maybe the problem is that this video was made with paid actors, instead of filming– and humiliating– innocent people.
—Jonathan1 · February 22nd, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I think there’s a difference between tasteless humor coming from a private entertainer and tasteless humor coming from a state-sponsored propaganda piece.
—dlevy · February 22nd, 2010 at 11:28 pm
There is also a difference between filming paid actors and filming– and humiliating– naive and innocent people.
—Jonathan1 · February 22nd, 2010 at 11:34 pm
It reminds me of the Super Bowl commercial for the Catholic Church from The Simpsons (sorry, can’t find a video to link to).
—BZ · February 22nd, 2010 at 11:46 pm
totally BZ, great reference. and J1, none of those statements seem to be offended. they just don’t like it. i don’t think people don’t like it because it’s hurtful or offensive, i think it’s because people are surprised someone even came up with the ad.
—Justin · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Ok, so they aren’t offended.
—Jonathan1 · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:14 am
apparently all of the pr mechanisms I mentioned in the post above can be found on the website of this group. does anyone know who these people are? other than canadian?
—Justin · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:19 am
@BZ- my bad. I guess seeing any map of Israel with no indication of a Green Line makes me see Gaza, whether or not it’s there.
—Arie · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:50 am
When it comes to Jewish themed promotional videos of questionable taste, NOTHING compares to Heeb Magazine’s masterpiece.
—themicah · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:56 am
Folks, this is just the FIRST VIDEO IN A SERIES! I kid you not. There’s more of this crap to come. I for one can’t wait. I hope they keep it coming. At this rate, the world will be laughing hysterically at the foreign ministry, the Canadian UJA, the Canadian Jewish fatcats & everyone else who funded & thought this campaign was a boffo idea.
—Richard Silverstein · February 23rd, 2010 at 2:48 am
@Richard, Yes! I’ve never felt my country’s Israel organisations have represented my voice, and this is just further proof. I’m not looking forward to the other ads in the series….
—TheWanderingJew · February 23rd, 2010 at 8:15 am
I’ll clarify my comment of speechlessness. I do think it’s funny. But it’s also a little shocking and horrifying. And funny.
—David A.M. Wilensky · February 23rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I guess it’s worth thinking about what the likely aims and outcomes of the ad are.
Did it encourage you to visit Israel? (Didn’t change my opinion on this.)
Did it encourage you to visit their website? (Sure did, although I didn’t spend very much time there.)
Did it change your opinions of Israel? (Me? Not so much. But others? Possibly. For good or for ill? That’s a bigger question.)
(Bonus question: did it change your opinion of Canadian Jewry?)
—dlevy · February 23rd, 2010 at 1:11 pm
And I’m done.
When did Jewschool slide from a place where one could be a progressive Zionist to one that only and constantly mentions Israel in a negative light.
So long Jewschool. Me and my progressive Zionist friends will look for somewhere else. Let me know when putting something pro-Israel out (that doesn’t get into the conflict) will be OK for you.
—TomC · February 23rd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
TomC = concern troll with no record on site.
It’s official: Israel = zayin katan. Canada called it.
It’s offensive to those who hold “teh funnay” in high esteem.
—B.BarNavi · February 23rd, 2010 at 2:30 pm
And let’s face it – this preys on the insecurities and stereotypes of Jewish males.
—B.BarNavi · February 23rd, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I don’t know what a concern troll is, but I empathize with TomC’s comments. Of course since I know many of the posters from time they’ve spent in Israel, I don’t take their non-taking to the ad as a sign of anti-Zionism. But I certainly see where TomC is coming from, that Jewschool is becoming more and more alienating to those of us who consider ourselves progressive Zionists.
—Arie · February 23rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
It’s alienating to have multiple sides of the discussion on the same site? Sorry. Remember those mountains of rah rah posts about J Street?
Incidentally, I don’t see this discussion having much to do with Zionism at all. Unless the proper Zionist answer is to heap praise on Israel (and/or her supporters) for pandering to the lowest (sexiest?) common denominator and cheapening the message of what Israel’s about and why it’s important.
—dlevy · February 23rd, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Denmark did something similar.
Kind of amazing and fun…
news.ninemsn.com.au/world/862711/danish-womans-one-night-stand-a-hoax
—Jew Guevara · February 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 pm
It’s not bashing Israel, it’s bashing a Canadian marketing campaign promoting Israel. There’s no need to split hairs about this… unless you’re a concern troll.
—B.BarNavi · February 23rd, 2010 at 11:26 pm
@B.BarNavi
I was curious if a real answer would be provided to the issue I raised – so I thought I’d check this thread one last time (a glimmer of hope remained in me). Instead I was attacked as someone with no record on this site.
First of all, I’ve been on this site for years. If you want my record you can check here:
www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1_____enES355ES355&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=TomC+site:jewschool.com/
Second of all – you did not address what I’m worried about. Please try to avoid attacking me instead of my opinion. I certainly didn’t attack you. Even if I hadn’t posted before, my concern would be valid.
—TomC · February 24th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
TomC, you don’t exactly make a compelling argument that our dislike of this ad is somehow an abrogation of Progressive Zionism. If you rephrase your question/complaint in a way that invites discussion, perhaps then we’ll discuss it.
—dlevy · February 24th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Offended? Not at all! I definitely think we should continue to advertise Israel’s fine points by comparing it to a tiny penis. Please, continue!
—KRG · February 24th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
The ad also seems to encourage (or at least countenance) interfaith dating right? Just saying.
—rootlesscosmo · February 25th, 2010 at 4:57 am
[...] in the Jerusalem Post about the Size Doesn’t Matter campaign (video and intense discussion on Jewschool here) and Israel advocacy/hasbara on college campus in general. Love to hear Jewschooler’s [...]
—Israel Advocacy on campus continued… | Jewschool · March 1st, 2010 at 3:52 pm
[...] said before, if we pulled every cent we spend on holocaust museums, pro-Israel settler PR flacking, ridiculous ad campaigns that compare Israel to a small penis, organizations who exist just to exist and do so by scare tactics, well, hell we could probably [...]
—Does Jack know Jack? | Jewschool · March 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm