Wonderful Pistachios has a new video featuring Levi Johnston, the guy famous only for nearly becoming Sarah Palin’s son-in-law when he and Bristol got pregnant. Here’s the video:
Hah! Because teen pregnancy and stuff = hilarious! If you’re the dad, anyway. I’m trying to imagine this video being made with a teen mom instead. Also, the silent Black man as an accessory to the White star is a great touch.
This just seems to be in terribly bad taste to me. Also, it’s an awfully long way to go to get to make a “do it” joke, and I’m not sure most people would get that the “protection” is the pistachio shell. I had to watch it about 3 times before I figured it out.
UPDATE: Apparently I didn’t actually figure it out. Reader DC says,
I think the “protection” they’re talking about is the black guy that’s supposed to be a bodyguard of some kind. The “does it” part is about cracking open the shell.
Duh. That makes sense. I mean, it makes sense that’s the “protection” they’re talking about. The video is still dumb.
And Ella says,
The guy is his real life body guard “Tank”. This may sound entirely unnecessary, but out of perverse curiosity I read the GQ feature about Mr. Johnston and the story is actually quite sad. It does delve into why he has Tank in his life.
The company really likes to say “do it,” apparently, as they do on this page letting you know there’s an app for your iPhone. An app where you crack pistachios.
Comments 22
DC — October 7, 2009
I think the "protection" they're talking about is the black guy that's supposed to be a bodyguard of some kind. The "does it" part is about cracking open the shell.
Ella — October 7, 2009
DC=correct. The guy is his real life body guard "Tank". This may sound entirely unnecessary, but out of perverse curiosity I read the GQ feature about Mr. Johnston and the story is actually quite sad. It does delve into why he has Tank in his life. I recommend the read.
Victoria — October 7, 2009
No, the Silent Black Man is the protection.
pmsrhino — October 7, 2009
What's funny is I saw the commercial on TV and was like "Who's that?" I guess it kinda makes more sense knowing who he is now, but I've kinda forgotten all about him. I wonder how many other people were like "Wha?" I thought the protection joke was about the body guard, but knowing who it is now I see it's supposed to be a joke about him and Bristol. Dunno if that makes it more or less funny. I thought the other Pistachio commercials were better and made more sense.
Andrew — October 7, 2009
I can't be grumpy about this ad because, sociological implications aside, it made me snort coffee out my nose this morning.
Kristi — October 7, 2009
I think this is hilarious. The double meaning is espically funny if the person initally watching even knows who the guy is. I got it, my husband wouldn't have. Regardless, what does that say about the viewer and their percieved knowledge of the subject matter if they only saw the joke about contraception and not the obvious 'security' joke?
dcrunner17 — October 7, 2009
Isn't there some kind of sexual euphemism for "busting a nut"? That might be the intent.....
eric — October 7, 2009
Wait, so this is actually an advertisement for pistachios? I get the "protection" joke. But I don't get why this ad would make me buy pistachios. It could just as easily be an ad for motor oil. Don Draper would never have approved this!
Rosemary — October 7, 2009
So that's who Levi Johnson is! I saw that commercial and assumed he was an athlete or something. He fell of my mental radar after the election, I wonder if this is a stunt to get him in the spotlight again if only for the "who's that?" factor.
The meaning I got from it was that the burly black guy was the "protection" and if I recall this is part of a series of ads with the same premise. Not sure I get it, but now I get the double meaning of the whole thing.
julia — October 8, 2009
Worse than Levi is the "Mobster" Vincent Pastore...he was in court for slamming his girlfriend's head into a car....now its used to sell pistachios, during Domestic Violence Awareness month...media really scares me...
cynthia — October 8, 2009
Levi has been staying in the public eye since he left Miss Palin, apparently (at least somewhat) and according to the Wikipedia entry, will be doing a naked shoot for Playgirl.
Iczer — October 8, 2009
So how do people think this ad compares to his baby's mother taking money to be an abstinence & teen pregnancy spokesperson for a company that uses ridiculously over the top teen sexuality to sell shoes?
A good blog post for various aspects of that story is at http://www.themudflats.net/2009/05/05/celebrating-mixed-messages/
Yappa — October 10, 2009
I think the original sentiment was correct: this joke would not be made about a teen mom... it's a bit of a nudge-nudge ha-ha that when the guy knocked up a girl he ended up a celebrity with a bodyguard.
Ella — October 10, 2009
Well...to be entirely fair, he didn't end up a "celebrity" when he knocked up a girl, he ended up a celebrity when the McCain/Palin campaign decided to exploit him. Two entirely different things.
Baxter — May 27, 2010
oh. my. gawd. what. the. hell.
Baxter — May 27, 2010
no seriously. that is fucking tasteless.
Eve — May 27, 2010
Generally, I don't think it's a very good commercial. All sociological implications aside, it just isn't funny, imho.