Oy, vey.
An ad for a cable company featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus was abruptly pulled from Israeli television after angering a feminist group over the comic actress’ “shameful” insult to heavy women.
The controversial commercial for YES satellite television features Dreyfus approaching an overweight female co-worker in the elevator and congratulating her on her pregnancy.
Only, it turns out the woman is not with child, which leads to the star of HBO’s “Veep” quipping, “because obviously she hasn’t dated anyone in forever.”
“Made a mistake? Just fix it!” and viewers then are told how to fix their ‘mistake’ of signing up for cable and how to switch to YES satellite.
But critics from Na’amat Israel, a women’s organization, and the Yedid Association for Community Empowerment, launched a campaign to censor the ad.
In a formal complaint to the satellite provider, according to the Hollywood Reporter, a representative for Yedid wrote, “There are a lot of weight-challenged individuals in Israel who are treated in an irreverent and hurtful manner.”
"It's shocking to think that a company, which is dependent on its customers, behaves in such a cheap and shameful way,” Labor Party minister of parliament Nachman Shai said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post. “I demand that the advert is removed from the air immediately."
YES complied, and released an official apology.
“This is a humorous advert based on the style for which the actress Julia Louis Dreyfus is known,” the company said in a statement. “ There was never any intention to upset the public in any way, and if someone feels personally offended, we apologize for that."
By Ethan Sacks / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
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