For seven years Scarlett Johansson has been a global ambassador for Oxfam. She has raised funds and traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kenya to talk about global poverty. Her new multi-million dollar role as spokesperson for SodaStream though conflicts with Oxfam's position that SodaStream is anti-Palestinian because it has a factory in the West Bank which was captured by Israel in 1967 but claimed by Palestine. So, Scarlett had a decision to make and she chose SodaStream over Oxfam. Scarlett says she supports "economic cooperation between a democratic Israel and Palestine." Oxfam took issue with that statement and said they were going to review Scarlett as an ambassador. She took care of that issue for them by stepping down.
Scarlett's debut as spokesperson for the company will be seen in an ad during the Super Bowl.
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ReplyDeleteActually, it won't - the ad's been banned, which I think is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteThere are multiple ads. The only one that was banned was the one that directly hated on Pepsi and Coke, because they are two of the NFL's biggest advertisers and the NFL doesn't want to tick them off.
DeleteI shall dub thee early morning Enty JudgyWudgyBaity Enty.
ReplyDeleteIs the supposition that she didn't get paid for fundraising for OxFam? Because charities typically do, from what I understand.
Surfer, I thought the same, but apparently the company has agreed to revise the commercial, so it may run anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a very good ad, and Scarlett has all the charisma of an unpainted picket fence in it. Check it out..
It was banned because at the end of the commercial she says something about bigger advertisers Coke and Pepsi, talking 'bout money talks after all.
ReplyDeleteThe ad hasn't been banned.
DeleteFox surrendered to Pepsi, which is the sponsor of the haftime show & the last line knocking Coke & Pepsi has been removed from the ad.
That version will be seen!
Riiight, Scarlett is going to convince me to buy a SodaStream.
ReplyDeleteSoda stream is pretty bad a$$ actually and it's way les packaging waste
DeleteMaybe Scarlett just doesn't agree with Oxfam's viewpoint on this.
ReplyDeleteSounds like ScarJo needs a paycheck more.
ReplyDeleteJuicers, now soda makers. Where do people store all of this trendy cooking gadgetry?
ReplyDeleteNext to their Magic Bullets and fondue pots, Susan! Does anyone still use those?
DeleteI still use my magic bullet! I Store that and my juicer in an out of the way cabinet
DeleteThanks Nutty. I thought it had been cancelled due to politics—that she was promoting an Israeli-owned company, whose work was being done in the Occupied Territories (at least that's what I had read). I hope that wouldn't be true.
ReplyDeleteI would disagree with Oxfam's position here, so maybe Scarlett does too.
ReplyDelete@Surfer, my guess is that it probably was politics-related.
ReplyDeleteThe Super Bowl is big money because it supposedly has something for everyone; the last thing they want is to insert themselves in the middle of a seemingly unsolvable conflict.
The Soda Stream people were smart to insert the little insult to Coke and Pepsi at the end of the ad.
End result: Fox can say it declined the ad for those reasons, and everyone is talking about Soda Stream.
They've already gotten plenty of publicity out of this, without having to compete with all the other advertisers at the Super Bowl for attention. All for an ad that looks pretty cheap, except for Scarlett's fee.
Usually this would not be relevant, but in this case I believe it is - Scarlett Johannsson is proudly Jewish; her mother is Jewish. This may affect her position on Israel, the West Bank, and other matters relevant to Soda Stream.
Magic Bullet. OMG. Was that an As Seen on TV item?
ReplyDeleteI will admit it: I have a fondue pot. I also have a culinary blow torch. Fuck yeah! I am a kitchen gadget whore. But I know me and I would NEVER make soda water.
Why was this ad banned?
Scarlet seems to be up on politics, and most likely put a lot of thought into it.
ReplyDelete@Nutty - Thanks for explanation on ad ban.
ReplyDeleteIf the ad mentions coke and pepsi in a negative way, then Fox banning it would have zero to do with politics. There are plenty of controversial companies that advertise on Fox without it being an issue. But Idol, Fox's biggest show, is still sponsored by Coke, and Coke and Pepsi still have a lot of power.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nutty!
ReplyDeleteTTM - I have a fondue pot! And let me tell you, it sure comes in handy when the power is out. You can boil water for your coffee! Priorities people!
That is a great idea! All about the multi-use stuff, surfer.
DeleteThere are so many things that need to be banned on Fox that this commercial is nothing.
ReplyDeleteI have a SodaStream and I love it. Now that I can't buy my beloved Diet Coke...
ReplyDeleteAds banned from the Super Bowl - was it last year or the year before they banned an ad for a porn website but then showed the GoDaddy ad that was practically porn itself? Whatever, basic b*s.
How Jewish people can support the Israeli gov is beyond me....I get that you guys want the space back but the way you're going about it is not gonna make anyone sympathize with you. I stuided Jewish Secular Studies and even the secular ones think Israel is the bees knees. I feel sorry for their future if they keep this up. You can support Zionism without supporting a destructive and oppressive government! You can live in peace, just give the Palestians their homes back!
ReplyDeleteSorry for my spelling!
DeleteYeah because those awesome Palistians are doing such great things like blowing up school busses and cafe's & everyone should support that right? You're a foolish moron.
DeleteThey wouldn't be doing that if the Israeli government hadn't come in and declared that the land their homes were built on belongs to Israel and the gov pushed them out. You cannot push people off their land, not reimburse them, and then expect them to just let you live on the land they've had for centuries in peace. You cannot go around taking what you consider to be yours and then expect no conflict.
DeleteLets say we are sisters. I'm 2 years old and you're 5. You take my sippy cup cause it's a handmedown but you want it back- it was your favorite and got you through some rough times. But of course the sippy cup is mine now but you want it back cause all the other cups in the house are off limits. So now we fight. Israel needs to be the bigger person and give the sippy cup back. It's that simple.
No you are a moron. You sound like the fundamentalists who say America went into The Middle East and killed people so 9/11 is only because of that.
DeleteActs of terrorism, violence, death ( of children) are never justifiable or ok. It's as simple as that
@Kels, +1000000
DeleteScarlett signed an endorsement contract without doing enough research on the company. But those contracts would be hella-hard to get out of at this point.
ReplyDeleteOxfam won't sue her, SodaStream will.
She will live & learn & do her homework from now on.
Who's to say that Scarlett didn't go into this with her eyes wide open? To assume otherwise, IMO, would be presumptuous. Maybe she just likes the product. Or maybe it was for the paycheque. Really, it's no different than anyone else endorsing another product.
ReplyDeleteKiels, you've been hanging around the wrong secular Jews. Many are like me, and disgusted with the Israeli govt.
ReplyDeleteI had a professor who was jewish and she is actually the one that exposed what was happening over there. I was pro-Israel...like extremely lol...until she taught me truth. Changed my life.
Deletewww.JewishVoiceForPeace.org
ReplyDeleteLove these people, small staff makes smart use of donations...
I just read that Soda Stream employs both Israeli and Palestians and they are treated exactly the same, Which I can get behind.
ReplyDelete@msgirl.. no Palestinian in apartheid Israel is treated exactly the same as an Israeli.
ReplyDeleteaemish - I should have specified that they are paid the same and have the same benefits. I agree with you, the Palestinians have to jump through hoops just to get to work.
ReplyDeleteStop...just stop! Regardless of your feelings about Israel, it is not an apartheid state, and to state that, is wrong on so many levels. It is a democratic country, and the only one in that region.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy my ass. Ethnocracy is more like it, if you wanna think of Jews as an ethnic group. there are literally separate buses for Israelis and Palestinians. There are literal laws that say certain groups are more favored than others. Theocracy if you wanna get down with how the laws of Israel favor Orthodox Jews over secular jews.
DeleteDemocracy it is not. We aren't even a democracy really, we're a republic. But whatevs.
I have a friend who works on the Soda Stream account. I think they have a backup version of the ad that doesn't contain a reference to either Coke or Pepsi. Thinking there will still be a version that runs...we'll see! They sure got a lot of mileage out of the free PR/coverage from the spot with competitive mentions.
ReplyDeleteNah, they are an apartheid state. My family is from there. Also why they didn't attend Mandela's funeral.
ReplyDeleteYou can't bitch about People doing a shitty job of reporting on Ramona Singer's divorce alongside a half-baked post like this.
ReplyDeleteThe ad mentions Coke and Pepsi, so it got nixed from the Superbowl lineup. That decision was made two days ago.
As for the endorsement: I don't know how much SJ knew or even cared going into the partnership, but once that contract was signed, no way did *she* have a right to terminate based on her own lack of research. Unless they obscured the location of the factory. Once OxFam said, "this is a conflict of interest for us", she had no choice. Depicting her as throwing Oxfam overboard in favor of a lucrative endorsement (which I'm sure it is) is just petty and short-sighted. If that were the case, she could have done it a hundred times over in the last seven years.
But it's not like I would expect a LAWYER to understand how legally binding contracts work or anything.
Put another hash mark in the "Enty is full of it" column.
Based on the statement that was released by Sodastream/ScarJo, they make the case that the factory in question is great and everyone works together peacefully and kumbaya. Maybe that's true, I don't know. But, I can see how *if* this came up during negotiations, ScarJo would think, "I'm okay with this, it's a positive!"
In other words: I don't think there is a bad guy in this situation. Except for Fox, which totally bent over for Coke and Pepsi.
What a stupid political reason to get in the way of helping world poverty. Some political concession to a group that probably doesn't contribute that much to their cause anyway (I'm sure most of their donations$$$ come from west and not Palestinians or arabs). Probably have to do stuff like this to protect their people on the ground when distributing food from radicals. Pathetic!!!
ReplyDeleteOxfam made a foolish decision. Surely an ambassador can have a difference of opinion on one matter, yet still support the overall purpose of Oxfam. Oxfam drew a line where it shouldn't have been drawn.
ReplyDeleteKels = re: the Orthodox - I know! It's deplorable that they get out of serving in the army, etc cause they are too busy praying and having kids, there's a big concern that just because of all their reproduction they will soon be the majority.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fucking mess.
I did a high school exchange to Germany one year and every single home had one of those carbonation machines---they would even carbonate MILK! yuck
ReplyDeleteSo kels, are you an up and coming suicide bomber? Do you lob missiles into homes? Do you shoot children from hospital rooms? If so, you may be a Palestinian or supported upset they could not help with the holocaust. You know-it-all liberals are such rubes.
ReplyDeleteNot a liberal. Actually have always wanted John McCain to be prez but I couldn't be down with Palin. McCain's pro-Israel actually, but he's been through enough to know what they are all doing is wrong. Palestinians and Israelis. But Israel is the one with more power and so they need to step up and admit they haven't been the most friendly people in order for peace talks to begin. I''m moderate and I see facts for facts. Don't you ever try and put me in a box.
DeleteUnless it's a box marked obnoxious opinionated prick
Delete@Derek.. carbonated milk!!? Nasty!! :p
ReplyDeleteYouths in Jerusalem react to Obama using language that would make Mel Gibson blush:
ReplyDeletemaxblumenthal.com/feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem/
Scarlett is making a living. Oxfarm can do as they please. I wkdnt hv, but its their business. I dont agree with what Israel does to Palestine peeps, but ya gotta admit, they have good reason, based on history. Do you realize the whole world hinges on what the jews and arabs do?! Its so infuriating! I think they shld slug it out -no nukes-and let us know when they are done, and we'll pick up from there.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to all the very sensible pleas of 'no politics' recently? Not that y'all aren't being nice, just...no. Please, no. Let's save saving the Gaza Strip for another forum?
ReplyDeleteIn the news today...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/01/30-2
Sodastream makes a great product, employs Palestinians and Israelis. But still it's controversial and now all Good People must hate on Scarlett Johanssen. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteSo, Israel haters? Do you also hate Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for displacing "Palestinians?" First you've heard of that?
All I can say to those of you who have been "taught" by relentless Israel haters: QUESTION AUTHORITY.
And if you like soda, buy a Sodastream. It's well worth it. No aluminum cans and bottles, less expensive, tastes about the same.
Off topic but it's a Super Bowl ad. I know some aren't a fan of her but I like her. http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/anna-kendricks-new-superbowl-commercial-is-freaking-hilariou?s=mobile
ReplyDeleteAmartel good luck trying to reach the brainwashed. It won't work. They'll relentlessly attack Israel while ignoring the atrocities done by their surrounding nations, and the atrocities done to Israelis by Palestinians. Just repulsive to see such one-sidedness become so mainstream.
ReplyDeleteAgree Amartel and Jessie. Look at the way those other countries treat their citizens, especially women.
ReplyDeleteIt has become one-sided, totally agree, and that bothers me, it's become so black and white and and atrocities are committed by both sides. A plague on both their houses!
ReplyDeleteI too have a fondue set. Rocked it New Years Eve of 2012 (with chocolate).
ReplyDeleteI would also like to commend everyone for having a mostly thoughtful, intelligent debate on the political aspects. I tend to be in favour of everyone stay out of it & let them sort it out on their own.
i can't stand her
ReplyDeleteJust get the Nutribullet. It's the absolute best. I can't live without it now.
ReplyDeleteKels, stay in the box. Notice you did not deny missing the holocaust. I have been around pseudo-intellectuals like yourself all my life. Go pull a Rachel Corrie.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that they are trying to make it sound like Scarlett understands ANYTHING about foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteWho's brainwashed? I've been there. My husband is an Israeli citizen and we have a house there. Haifa is STUNNING and of course Jerusalem is an experience one shouldn't miss -- just don't make the mistake of praying at the Western Wall if you are a woman; you will be arrested. My thing is that if they haven't achieved this two-state solution in going on seven decades it clearly needs to be abandoned as a red herring. I've coined my one-state solution Israelestine. Now all I need is a whole bunch of t-shirts :o)
ReplyDeleteI don't drink soda, I just carry my water around in these things:
ReplyDeletewww.coolgearinc.com/products/chiller_1209Blue.jpg
They make a good cocktail shaker too and are very discreet :p
You rule Kels!
ReplyDelete