Obama not happy with Big Papi’s Samsung selfie stunt

“The White House said President Obama had no idea his now famous ‘selfie’ with David Ortiz was an orchestrated marketing stunt,” CBS Boston reports.

“Ortiz snapped the selfie with the president at a White House event using a Samsung phone and tweeted it to his followers Tuesday,” CBS Boston reports. “It was resent by tens of thousands of Twitter users, and Samsung retweeted the photo as an ad. The company also said in a tweet that the photo was taken with a Samsung phone.”

CBS Boston reports, “It appeared as if everyone at the event was in on the promotion, except for the president. At least one Red Sox player shouted ‘cha-ching,’ mimicking a cash register as Ortiz took the photo.”

“According to CBS News, Samsung named Ortiz a social media insider and coached him prior to his White House visit,” CBS Boston reports. “Ortiz admitted Wednesday that he has a deal with the tech giant, but insisted the photo with the president was spontaneous. ‘It wasn’t anything promotional or anything like that,’ he told reporters.”

Read more in the full article here.

44 Comments

  1. “Samsung named Ortiz a social media insider and coached him prior to his White House visit”, but Ortiz insisted the photo with the president was spontaneous. “It wasn’t anything promotional or anything like that”.

    Well he’s flat out lying, which is exactly what you would expect from one so close to Samsung. He took advantage of his meeting with Obama and used the picture for commercial gain.

    Samsung have become so obsessed with paid-for celebrity selfies that they have now killed the whole concept stone dead.

    1. Seems that Samsung are rapidly taking over the role of corporate anachist. They are rapidly becoming that megalomaniacal super conglomerate more powerful than governments, corrupting all those of use to them and totally free of any moral responsibility that we see in numourous Sci Fi films over the years starting with Metropolis. Not a pretty future.

  2. Scamsung lives up to its pseudonym. Penalty should be disqualifying them from any guvment contracts. Future meet and greets should require that cell phones be left at the hotel. I’m sure white house photographer photos these events and the Pres sends out an autosigned copy.

  3. I clicked for more insane botvinnik bloviating and was not disappointed. Pavlov, meet botvinnik, botvinnik, meet Pavlov. Oh, and here’s a hanky to wipe that foam off your mouth.

      1. MDN post mentions Obama – botvinnick posts stupid and predictable anti-Obama remark … Day after day after day.

        Botvinnick – tiresome, predictable, boring, insightless, mundane. I guess that sums up botvinnick’s role on MDN. Congratulations botvinnick, your place in MDN history is now secure…. Zzzzzzzzz

    1. That would depend on whether the activity generated income that is taxable under statute or fundamental law. Contrary to what the IRS may claim, not all income is taxable.

  4. It’s a long and noble tradition for presidents to pose for photographs alongside ‘worthy’ individuals. It shows as a mark of disrespect to ‘steal’ such a picture. It is possible that Mr. Obama would have acquiesced if requested. It’s pretty evident that he was not asked. And the fact that Samsung orchestrated and are using it as advertising is reprehensible.

    1. Is that a reference to healthcare.gov – the website that signed up over 7 million people for health insurance after experiencing numerous glitches during the early part of its 5 month existence?

      Please illuminate for me – out of all the software applications you have managed with millions of online users: how many of them were glitch free since day one?

    2. No one, in the history of mankind has spent more money on useless causes, than Reagan and the two Bushes! Obama has spent money only to clear the mess these losers created. Don’t let your hatred for the President blind your vision.

  5. Deceiving the President of the United States is not exactly the smartest way to make a buck. Especially, when it’s the President who decided he needed he needed more double the number of flying assassin robots than his predecessor, to go with his army and nuclear arsenal. This Ortiz fella must want want some “freedom” badly – he’s just begging for it.

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