Ellen DeGeneres created and aired a fake commercial for Apple iPhone on Monday.
Yesterday, she aired it again while apologizing on-air:
Direct link to video clip via YouTube here.
MacDailyNews Take: Those calling for Apple to lighten up must not know about or have forgotten the lethal damage that a little comic strip once did to a very-promising Apple product. And, that one had truth on its side. Unfortunately, DeGeneres’ fake commercial simply strays too far from the truth.
Parody is supposed to take something real and exaggerate it, but DeGeneres’ attempt failed because it creates non-existent issues and then treats them as a parody would. DeGeneres’ misuse of parody creates the mistaken impression in the viewer’s mind that the issues depicted actually exist with iPhone, since the audience expects that what’s being exaggerated to be rooted in fact. That could be why she apologized so quickly (and/or she didn’t want to lose potential Apple ad dollars).
This isn’t Apple being humorless and overbearing to poor little Ellen. This is a case of parody being wrongly applied to issues that do not exist, then aired on national TV, potentially damaging the reputation of a product that did nothing to warrant such treatment except carry an Apple logo and be popular. DeGeneres made a mistake and she apologized for it.
Lastly, had Ellen instead parodied iPhone by trying and failing to zoom the camera or tether her MacBook with AT&T, there would be no issue with the parody and no reason for Apple to complain or for Ellen to apologize.
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Seriously the skit wasn’t even funny. If Apple had let it go it would have disappeared into oblivion.
I assume Apple did make a complaint. Hopefully she wasn’t making that up too?
Apple do need to lighten up IMHO.
Sorry, but I thought it was funny. I don’t know how many times my fingers have pressed the wrong letter or number. I still love my iPod touch and if Apple is reading this I apologize in advance.
I did not think Ellen’s commercial was funny (I thought her apology was). You should not have to think satire is funny to have the opinion that what Apple (and MDN) did was incorrect. I do not like bullies.
Ellen was parodying herself as much as she was the iPhone.. Was it exaggerated? Yes, it was supposed to be.. It was funny, if you didn’t think so, BIG DEAL, GET OVER IT…..
There are much bigger issues to be concerned with in the world right now..
MDN’s take is completely wrong. The Doonesbury strip didn’t damage the Newton… the CRAPPY NEWTON damaged the Newton!!
Apple needs to lighten up.
Ellen’s parody was very funny.
I am not quite sure I follow your logic on this one. You state that “parody is supposed to take something real and exaggerate it,” yet the example you offer up is to take an actual issue and just … restate it. Showing that the camera doesn’t zoom or that Steve Jobs doesn’t allow tethering with the iPhone isn’t parody, it’s just restating the facts. Give me a sketch where someone is hitting the wrong keys on the virtual keyboard, accidentally sends a text, or opens the wrong app, and yes I will find that funny because I can sympathize with it. Does it happen all the time? Would it happen the way it did in Ellen’s sketch? No, and therein lies the parody. If one watching that “commercial” could not tell Ellen was exaggerating her actions then they should look into getting a reverse lobotomy. I have had all of those things happen to me at one time or another, just never at that “exaggerated” extent. Sounds to me then she took something real and exaggerated it, all in the name of parody. Too bad Apple couldn’t take the joke. Steve has lived playing the “David,” however he is more accurately Goliath now. If he doesn’t learn to lighten up and “open” up a little he may end up finding his own “David.”
Ellen apologizing has more to do with her trying to be a good corporate citizen, especially with her being on “Idol.” Even though her apoligy was akin to her apoligizing for calling someone stupid by saying, “I am sorry you are so stupid.”
I hate Ellen Degenerate.
She’s soooo not funny
fsck off and die
I think she mostly makes fun of dummy people who don’t know how to use this stuff. I don’t think she makes fun of iPhone per se!
I am totally on Apple’s side by this time it’s the same dummies who rejected apps for the App Store. I am not sure Steve would allow this. This shows, same as so many jokes about Apple during talk shows, how much Apple is now no more a niche market, hype company. Apple now is MASS MARKET, which is the only thing I hate with this thing and of course it is mentioned as a common product.
People you need to get use to it. Fan boys all over the word we are now millions….
I don’t think Apple contacted her. She’s a comedian and making an apology (while joking) in response to her iPhone parody commercial (where she makes fun of herself for being…well…Ellen) is part of the gag.
I bet Apple did NOT contact her.
Lighten up Apple (and MDN). I didn’t find the “commercial” that funny but Apple’s heavy handed tactics are going to do it far more damage than this parody ever would. Corporate bullies, like teenage ones, are not popular.
Give me a break guys, it was all in good entertainment! I am a mac fanboy, but come on tough’in up Apple! I can see how if it was a new product this could be a problem, but with something as successful and known as the iPhone. It was just funny…
Very good, MacBill!
Now read the rest of MacDailyNews’ Take.
Correctly tell me what it means and you’ll get a gold star!
MDN got it right. The element of truth is what’s missing from her parody and…
“…Had Ellen instead parodied iPhone by trying and failing to zoom the camera or tether her MacBook with AT&T, there would be no issue with the parody and no reason for Apple to complain or for Ellen to apologize.”
Agreed Apple and MDN relax it was funny!! No way that would hurt the iPhone sales in anyway!
Everyone seems to conclude that Apple complained to Ellen. I think that may be jumping the gun, as Ellen has many contracts with companies doing business with Apple and Disney. It may well have been one of these who advised or pressured her to apologize. . . . It could have been her agent, for that matter.
The Video wasnt funny, but if Apple contacted her, thats just lame.
Common it’s comedian.
Interesting, but I heard a couple of days ago that the call may not have come from Apple, but from a American Idol producer.
Perhaps it is like the old adage, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
Not that it was a bad idea, but it might have been better for Ellen to have thought it out a bit first. After all, it has happened before by Apple giving everybody in the audience an iPod on special occasions. This Friday would have been a great day to hand out some for Mother’s Day.
do u know how many times I’ve done what she made fun of I’m her video at least a 100! it holds truth and is funny! mdn get off ur high horse u can’t draw comparisons from a promising product with one that sold 50 million, everyone who sees this and has an iPhone will laugh their butts off, anyone with a touch screen phone will also laugh because it does happen frequently why do you think the iPhone has autocorrect?
Ellen The Degenerate at it again!!!
I can’t see anything offensive in that spoof ad.
It’s not particularly funny. The guy who did an imitation of Steve Jobs demoing an ipod that was so small you couldn’t see it was much funnier.
But there’s little to nothing damaging to Apple in that sketch.
Typical MDN obfuscation of news. Please show us where Ellen was forced to make this apology? Ellen didn’t say anything to that effect. Who knows, maybe the apology was part of the parody. Of course, I get humor, you don’t.
@Superior being. I note your arrogant attitude usually manifested from a serious shortcoming in intelligence, success, penis size, and/or height. I’m sure you’re one of the potato-chip-eating, fat, unemployed, mother’s-basement-living, losers who populate this board with uninformed opinions based on no evidence or intelligence. The fact is it was funny. Too freaking bad that it picks on Apple. Idiot.
John Stewart was funny!
Ellen this time was, well . . . lazy!
I like her humor but this time she just didn’t put any effort into being funny. Just bad material.
I like Apple products very much, and I started with the Apple II. But I am concerned that Apple is becoming a bit too uptight. When you lose your sense of humor, you lose your sense of self. You cannot take yourself too seriously.
@Griffin FX. I agree, this is part of the whole shtick, but MDN and some of the typical losers here don’t realize that.
I did a search of google news on this topic. Every single article seem to parrot each other, as is typical for this type of story. We take those number of ghits to imply “truth.” But it’s just the same story being repeated.
If Ellen was really apologizing, she wouldn’t have done it in that way, because it wasn’t a real apology. It’s part of the joke.
If and when the leak comes out that Apple’s lawyers wrote Ellen saying that they are not amused, then this is a fake story at the level of the fake commercial.
And MDN is failing to realize that the Doonesbury cartoons did not destroy Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Yale Football, and the Newton. Newton was ridiculed because though it did some things well, it’s handwriting feature sucked. And if you think that the Newton failed because of Doonesbury, please show me real evidence. You know a real article from a real journalist.
MDN, if you want to pretend to be a journalist, try finding evidence for your opinions, because you have none.
1. There is absolutely no evidence, at this time, that Apple had anything to do with this.
2. Apple is not a supernatural being. It is a corporation that is NOT perfect. The iPhone is far from perfect. The iPad is far from perfect. And they can be ridiculed.
3. Get some real information. Period.
Steve Jobs should have Ellen do the next demonstration showing of a new feature of the iPhone or iPad. He should have some fun in life. He and Apple raised the fun factor in ours.