Tehran: HOT under the collar

I confess that the first time I’ve seen this ad, it made me laugh.

Since the clip is not translated, here is its synopsis from Israelity:

That’s the case anyway with the current TV ad campaign by cable provider HOT, which is promoting its ‘on-demand’ episodes of the popular spy-comedy show ‘Asfur’ by offering a free Samsung Galaxy tablet as enticement for prospective customers to sign up for the on-demand package.

In the ad, a bored Mossad agent stationed in Iran, apparently to monitor Iran’s nuclear development, meets up with three characters from the show who are also clandestinely in the country dressed as women. Sitting in a café, the agent shows off the Samsung Galaxy, explaining that he used his downtime to use the on-demand option to watch episodes of ‘Asfur’.

At the end of the clip, one of the three Asfur accidentally pushes an application on the tablet over the frantic efforts of the agent, and a nuclear reactor is detonated in the background.

Well, as David from Israelity says, “Typical Israeli sophomoric, whistling in the dark, hilarious humor.”

However, some moron (or several morons) in the Iranian Majlis (parliament) decided not only to take offense, but to (mis)direct his displeasure at Samsung, whose tablet is used as enticement in that ad.

The sheer stupidity of that Iranian act of indignation is mirrored by Tehran’s overseas branch Press TV article:

Meanwhile, Samsung’s Dubai office has issued a statement condemning the production of the teaser by the company’s Israel office.

Of course, poor Samsung and its Israeli office have nothing to do with that ad, the fact that escapes understanding of Tehran lawmakers and Press TV, although Samsung has stressed that point – if you care to read the next paragraph in the linked piece:

Samsung’s public relations official in Tehran, Elaheh Taheri, told reporters on Thursday the clip had nothing to do with the South Korean company and that it had been produced by an Israeli cable TV station, Hot.

However, the iron will of Ayatollahs will not be distracted by minor details, and Samsung was chosen to bear the wrath. Perhaps as a lesson to others:

Fat’hipour said Samsung’s apology to the Iranian nation, though necessary, would not be enough and that the company must be held accountable for producing the teaser.

Of course, I understand that by boycotting the Israeli cable provider HOT Majlis is not going to achieve much in the way of retaliation, but choosing Samsung?

I have almost made my mind to compensate Samsung for the unpleasant incident in my own small way, fixing to purchase one of their new products. You should too.

Next: President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud (the Mad) Ahmadinejad decides to boycott the Swiss shoes manufacturer Bally, since a person unknown pissed in his shoes while he was praying in his favorite mosque.

Update: thanks to Sabba Hillel, here is a link to a version of the same clip with English subtitles and some preliminary info. With one mistake, however: the bug that is swatted at the end of the clip is called “khumeni” in Hebrew slang, however the name stems from its color (“khum” means brown) and not from a similarly sounding name of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Cross-posted on SimplyJews