Ditech commercial antisemitic?

[Cocoa]

First of all, I'm not making this assertion, I'm just asking if I'm the only one in the world who has wondered about this. I'm willing to admit that maybe the fact that I've thought about this says more about me than it does about Ditech.

But here it is...

Ditech is some kind of bank, and they have a series of commercials featuring a character representing all bankers competing with them. This character is a banker trying to sell the loan, and each ad ends with the frustrated banker saying "I just lost another loan to Ditech."

Now this character, first of all, he looks pretty funny. But in addition to looking funny, he also looks very Jewish, to me anyway.

So I'm wondering, am I the only one that thinks it's fair to ask, is Ditech's subtext the message "Don't give your business to the Shylock, give it to us."?

[Alex146]

1. I don't think so...

[karlschneider]

2. It hasn't occurred to me. As to whether the fellow is Jewish, I can't say

haven't seen his pecker.
:evilgrin:

[Cocoa]

4. that's another thing I wasn't sure about

I don't know if my Jew-dar is any good. :-)

[madaboutharry]

14. I think you

should not use the term "Jew-dar" anymore. Many people might find that offensive, even if you don't mean anything by it.

[karlschneider]

16. I just called Leon, a Jew who has been one of my 2 or 3 closest friends

since 1949 and asked him about this. He thinks it's hilarious. And doesn't think it's offensive.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

18. I'm Jewish

and I found it pretty funny, as my gay friends have been saying "gaydar" to me for years.

[karlschneider]

19. heehee, exactly! Happy Hannakuh.......(sp?)

:D

[Cocoa]

20. phew!

thanks, both of you. Offending anyone is the last thing I wanted, with that word or with this discussion.

Anyway, it looks like I'm WAY off with this whole thing. :-)

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

22. Thanks!

:toast:

[madaboutharry]

21. I am relieved to know

there are so many people out there with a sense of humor!

[jjmalonejr]

3. Nah.

The character at the bank is just a caricature. I don't see any antisemitism there.

It might be bashing Dean, though. I'm not sure.

(that's a joke, please don't flame me!)

[Eric J in MN]

5. I didn't get the impression it was anti-semitic (nt)

nt

[qanda]

6. The thought never crossed my mind

eom

[GCP]

7. No way

Maybe you're being overly sensitive?

[Jim Sagle]

8. He doesn't look Jewish to me.

[lapislzi]

36. What does a Jewish person look like? n/t

[Devlzown]

9. I don't know if it's antisemitic or not --

I've never known too many Jewish people, so I don't have a basis for comparison. However, that commercial has got to be one of the most annoying on television. Are there that many people shopping for loans? It seems like every other commercial is a freakin Dietech commercial!

[Cocoa]

11. maybe that's it

mabye I just want it to stop so bad, my unconscious has caused me to create this ridiculous thought. :-)

[LeahMira]

10. Never occurred to me...

... I just thought the guy was a schlemozzle. :-)

[Runesong]

12. Perhaps

the commercial is just goofily portraying a conventional lender's dismay at losing business to an internet lender?

I honestly do not know what a Jew looks like. The Jews I know are just everyday people, ordinarily indistinguishable from catholics, atheists, jehova witness, scientologists, methodists, etc.. Why does that guy 'look like a jew' to you?

Weird.

[Cocoa]

15. that's a very good question

and I simply can't answer it. But the fact is that some people look Jewish to me.

The guy's name is Ron Michaelson, by the way, so maybe this commercial is really anti-Swede, or whatever Michaelson is.

Here's an interview with Michaelson, it doesn't get around to his ethnicity.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0206/20/ltm.13.html

[Fescue4u]

13. Some pretty deep thought there

So I guess folks who look Jewish shouldnt be allowed to be actors?

I think you are over interpeting

[Robb]

17. That's something, isn't it?

I was just busy being amazed that this conversation is taking place so thoughtfully (speaking of possibly being a reflection of me :) ).

Never crossed my mind, either. I expect there may be a little of that in the plan (marketers being marketers), but my guess would be he's more an amalgam of "the man", e.g. those guys at the bank who are always tryin' to getcha.

[booley]

23. What makes one look jewish?

I mean I have jewisuh friends and noen fo them look any different then any other white person. One jewish guy I knew was frequently mistaken for italian.

I mean, short of being orthadox, what physical attributes makes one look jewish?

[Cocoa]

24. I actually don't know

probably fits in with some image in my head.

I get mistaken for Jewish pretty often, and I'm not Jewish at all, I'm half Puerto Rican/half Irish. I assume people are going by my hair or by my skin color, I really don't know.

I don't look aything like the Ditech guy, btw. :-)

[spooky3]

38. maybe he reminds you a little of Newman on Jerry Seinfeld reruns?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

25. It seems to me

you are reaching a bit. Having said that however, it would be foolish to think (on my part) that anti-semitism does not exist. Among other things.

[meti57b]

26. that ad could backfire ....

I'm starting to feel sorry for that poor guy and getting to like him. I don't need a loan but every time I see that commercial, it occurs to me that if I did need a loan I might go look him up, instead of doing business with that dastardly ditech.com.

[mouse7]

30. What do you mean "could" backfire?

It's one of the most annoying series of commercials on TV right now. I don't know if it's bigoted, but they are so annoying that I'll go along and claim it is if it will get those commercials off my TV.

[Heddi]

27. I don't think he looks jewish. I think he looks like Jerry Falwell...n/t

:)

[BiggJawn]

28. "Ned" is a Jewish name?

If he looks Jewish, then Jerry Foul-Well (as pointed out already) is Jewish.

[mitchtv]

29. Oh no, if you don't like someone

you're supposed to say they're gay.
(sarcasm off)

[Skittles]

31. What? No.

I never thought about it that way, and I actually LIKE the much-maligned Ditech guy.

[nhtfopo]

32. First off, what is looking Jewish

That is stereotyping right there, and it's a stereotype that doesn't make sense. No one "looks Jewish" unless they're wearing a yamika or something. The guy's not holding a manora in the commercials.

Secondly, is there ANYONE who can be portrayed in that position that you wouldn't think it was some kind of racism? I mean if it was a black guy losing the loans, you'd obviously be screaming racism. Same with Arabs, Indians, anything really. Unless it was a blonde haired blue eyed white guy. then I'm sure you wouldn't be looking for hidden racism in the commercial against white people.

[lapislzi]

37. You are right, but...

Are you suggesting that Jews can't be blonde and blue-eyed? More stereotyping.

[Isere]

40. The Eternal Jew

Stereotyping of Jews is an age-old phenomena, "perfected" by the Nazis. I haven't paid attention to the Ditech commercial because it is so irritating so I don't know if there are stereotypes in play. Here are a few links for the edification of posters who question the concept:


http://www.chgs.umn.edu/Histories__Narratives__Documen/Visualizing_Otherness_Set_1/Visualizing_Otherness_Set_4/visualizing_otherness_set_4.html

http://www.holocaust-history.org/der-ewige-jude/stills.shtml

[davidinalameda]

33. I always thought he was pretty WASPish

never thought about him being Jewish

[Loonman]

34. He looks Jewish? That's the most idiotic thing I've heard today

That's saying a lot.

[DuluthDawg1]

39. Amen...that was just ignorant (nt)

nt

[Skidmore]

35. Those Ditech commercials are

just plain annoying. They remind me of the Enron "why, why, why" commercials. On all the time on all channels.

[Name removed]

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[Moderator]

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