By COLlive reporter
A new commercial for the New York Lottery, using humor and exaggeration to portray what money can buy a lucky Powerball winner, might have pushed the line.
The TV spot, created by DDB New York ad agency, shows a man who has the perfect punch lines for any scenario, leaving people laughing hysterically wherever he goes.
In truth, the millionaire has employed a full-time team of comedy writers who feed him the jokes through an earpiece. He is “that kind of rich,” the ad suggests.
One of the millionaire’s punchlines is told to a group of Chassidic looking Jews seated in a deli.
“You’re the herpetologist,” the man tells them from a nearby eating booth, leading them to burst out in laughter.
A COLlive reader said it seemed like they were referring to the ongoing battle between the City of New York and the frum community over a custom of the bris milah (circumcision ceremony).
The City’s Board of Health says metzitzah b’peh (oral suction during the bris) can lead to fatal herpes infection. Rabbis and mohelim say there is no evidence to support that claim.
“This is no laughing matter and it’s even frightening that the government is trying to regulate religious practice,” Rabbi Levi Heber, the director of the International Bris Association, said in response to the Lottery commercial.
Speaking to COLlive, Heber said: “It’s very unfortunate that people are not taking this matter seriously. The City’s meddling in our rituals reminds many of Communist Russia. What’s most ironic is that in Russia today Jews are more free to practice this mitzvah than in Brooklyn.”
But what might be even more ironic is that the ad agency has mistakenly used the term ‘herpetologist’ which is the occupation of a zoologist that specializes in reptiles, amphibians, crocodiles and turtles, with no connection to the herpes disease.
When asked for a comment on Thursday morning, a representative of DDB New York told COLlive.com they will be responding by email. None has been received.
Herpetologist refers to one who studies amphibians and exposes how offensive this ad actually is in that it promotes anti-semitic conspiracy theories that Jews are actually “demonic reptilian lizards who rule the world”, suggesting that therefore their Rabbis or Chassidim are experts on amphibians.
What is most shocking is that this is a government sponsored ad.
nice commercial not discriminatory at all
Wake up – it is so obvious – as is the hate behind this video.
to 42: If they had picked Islam, they would be facing death threats!
Thanks for bringing that inner joke to a wider audience than yourself.
And parents signing a consent form does NOTHING to protect the health or welfare of children.
What bothers me most about the offensive joke in the ad is that they only chose the Jewish religion to pick on. That’s not good. If they had made fun of other religious practices from a different religion, it would be a much different scenario. It’s still just a joke, but jokes can lead to bad places.
The NY lottery has costumers as far as Alaska. Don’t tell me it not a national ad
right on.
“As Ed Koch now knows, one day the mayor will have to a answer for his actions.”
What “actions” – asking people to sign a consent form? Oh, the horror!
“This is no laughing matter and it’s even frightening that the government is trying to regulate religious practice,”
The government isn’t trying to regulate religious practice. It has an obligation to protect public health and the welfare of children. Get over yourselves.
The commercial is not meant for the average american, its for the New York Area, since it is for the NY Powerball Lottery. The bris issue is pretty much known in New York, since it is one of Mayor Bloomberg’s campaigns.
don’t be so sensitive already
It is a very insulting double entendre. One of the animals a herpetologist studies is a snake. What is snake in Yiddish, and what else does it mean? Hint – yes, this does have to do with bris milah, and whoever thought up this double play on words is very clever – and very anti-frum (I assume it is a Jew who came up with this as it would take one to know what I am talking about).
herpetologist was an obvious PUN on herpes. It is not a “mistake.” In fact the joke is on you for so straight-facedly pointing out the ad’s “error.” it’s like pointing out the knock-knock joke is in error because ketchup doesn’t REALLY mean catch up at the corner.
by reading all these comments, wtvr i say will be told that im wrong. So whats the point of writing any thing?
in other words:
if u dont agree with some one u dont have 2 make them sound as if their the worst person in the world
Agree with u full on!!
Tell that to some of the people who buy scratch -offs on Kingston ave.
“But what might be even more IRONIC is that the ad agency has mistakenly used the term ‘herpetologist’ which is the occupation of a zoologist that specializes in reptiles, amphibians, crocodiles and turtles, with no connection to the herpes disease.”
it’s not irony that he used the wrong word, because it ISN’T the wrong word. herpetologist happens to be a punchline to a joke, this is in absolutely no way connected to a bris. it amazes me how people can’t see that, or choose not to.
simply because the average new yorker/american knows nothing of this bris/herpes “controversy” at all, trust me. a commercial is intended to reach a very wide audience and a joke wouldn’t be put in that only .01 of the population understands. herpetologist just happens to be the punchline to joke he happened to tell these “rabbis”. this is in no way offensive. don’t go out of your way looking for ways to be offended.
In holiness nothing comes without effort. So don’t waste your money on lottery. Lo yagati umotzosi AL taamin!
if not for the mohel guys making noise we would never know about
I agree. They could have said something else. Poor usage of jokes!
amish anyway
The joke is that the rabbis thought that ‘herpetologist ‘ has something to do with herpes – it’s a shtech on their lack of education.
grow up its just a add….
Its very funny clip the subject of oral suction is very funny. vidal… this looks like a jimmy kimmel shlita clip
I liked it.
As Ed Koch now knows, one day the mayor will have to a answer for his actions.
chassidishers with Lubavitch hats!
they look more amish gone wrong than chassidish
gross yuck but unfortunately funny
Yeh well they have a point why do mohels do these things?!
It was said so fast I didn’t get it anyway. It’s what, a couple of seconds long? More to the point, is the deli KOSHER???
It’s really stupid, but I see why people are upset. Just because of the perceptions over the Bris controversy, it should be withdrawn.
I look at it different, I see it as mainstreaming, Chassidic Jews. I like the fact that we won’t be looked at strange or funny to the “outside” world. It could have been a better joke, but they are not looking at it the way we would. their sense of humer is a little more raunchy than ours is. this politically correctness is really out of hand. wether it was funny or not, not everything is “offensive” or meant to be so.
Is this supposed to be funny?
At least dress them up like real chassidim!!
Ya, definitely racists. If you think not just imagine it with another race and some other negative – not even stereotype but – negative quip.
he’s not directing the herpetologist comment at the “rabbis” in any way, he’s telling jokes and the herpetologist remark happens to be the punchline. i thought that was obvious. #4 said it the best, please don’t go looking for anti-semetism everywhere. there is absolutely nothing wrong with this ad, in fact its hilarious. everyone needs to relax.
A herpetologist is a person who studies amphibians, it has nothing to do with milah or herpes. As Jews, we have plenty to get offended over. This isn’t one of those things.
Not offensive, this ad is “mildly” funny….
We laugh at other people all the time, we laugh at “average” americans feeling offended for this that, for the this or that word.
So now they are laughing at us a little… It’s cool.
Great commercial.
funny
I have a very high tolerance for jokes… but I’m a little ruffled by this one. “Somewhat Offensive” is my rating.
It is funny. Please do not look for anti-semetisim everywhere.
Why would a rabbi be a ‘herpetologist’? Why would he know anything about herpes? Unless they are saying that in fact our mohels do give babies herpes ch”v, which is awful!
Is it supposed to make any sense
Seriously stop jumping on the bandwagon just because it show’s ”Charedi Jews” doesnt mean it’s offensive give it a rest for once and just have a laugh.