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A 30-second TV spot during this weekend’s Super Bowl is going for $4 million. I say this to remind everyone that advertising is a big business, and we all expect an advertiser to put a lot of time and effort into an ad that makes its way on screen.
And then there’s this guy.
We’ve covered a lot of ads over the years, ranging from the intentionallyhokey to the downright awful (and possibly unauthorized). But this one really shocked me. I just can’t believe it made it on the air…
It’s not that it has a goofy or awful premise. It’s your run-of-the-mill “I wear suits and fight for YOU!” style ad. Where it falls apart is in the execution. The painful, painful execution:
Seriously, there were no other tries? Who are you, Clint Eastwood or Calculon and refuse to do more than one take? You’re the Orlando firm, pal, not The Law Offices Of Goldstein, Levitz and Portnoy. Pony up to the extra bucks to the videographer to keep the camera rolling for a few more attempts.
Over the holiday weekend, there’s been a lot of activity surrounding the racist law firm advertisement we wrote about on Wednesday. First, the firm’s Facebook page declared that the firm was the victim of hacking and that they absolutely did not sanction the ad for their firm posted on YouTube.
Then the head of the production company who posted the ad — and who employs the stereotypical character in multiple ads — wrote a missive swearing that it was hired by the firm and that they provided the script. The production company is also butthurt that Above the Law labeled the ad racist, even though the YouTube post openly trolls viewers to lighten up about its content. I wonder why they’d expect people to be up in arms over their content. Certainly not because they expect people to think it’s racist.
Now the law firm has sent us a direct statement, and this whole tale is super crazy…
When we first saw this story, covered by Angry Asian Man and FindLaw, we had no reason not to take the disclaimer on the Definitive Television YouTube channel at anything but face value. They’d had the video up for almost a month and swore that the firm commissioned them to make the ad. While the character was not the firm’s, the production company said the firm signed off on the script.
Now we have reason to doubt this tale. In response to a query from Above the Law, McCutcheon & Hamner issued this statement:
For the past two weeks, we have worked diligently to determine the source of this video. Within hours of first being notified of the commercials existence, we traced the producer to Definitive Television and its owner Jim DeBerry. We insisted that the video be removed and that he disclose the party that allowed my partner and I to be portrayed in such a negative and misleading light. After a personal review of our financial records which conclusively established that this video was not paid for or authorized by any party associated with our law firm, McCutcheon & Hamner, P.C. posted our response specifically disavowing the video as well as issuing a cease and desist letter to Mr. DeBerry and Definitive Television. Of course, Mr. DeBerry has refused and we are currently investigating our legal options. At this time, we have been instructed by our legal counsel to refrain from comment.
Due to your stereotypical response concerning the State of Alabama, however, I felt compelled to respond. It is obvious that no matter my firms lack of involvement and repeated denials relating to this video, that people are quick to judge based upon their initial observations regardless of whether they know Tom and I personally. You don’t know me. You don’t know my family or my friends. You have never contacted me or spoken with me. You know nothing of my life and yet you stereotype me as promoting racism based upon this video. The State of Alabama has had it’s share of race problems, that cannot be denied. This State has addressed those problems and continues to do so. Quite frankly, if the video had portrayed a “southern redneck” I doubt you or anyone else would have even cared. But racism for people like you is ok, as long it is not directed at you. Quite frankly, maybe you should look in the mirror and not be so quick to judge those you don’t know.
Sincerely,
Joel R. Hamner, Esquire McCutcheon & Hamner, PC
This is all still being sorted out, but if this is true, I feel sincerely bad for the firm. Getting tagged with this kind of negative imagery through no fault of their own would be horrible. If the firm’s story is true, at least this whole affair brought the offending video to light instead of letting it fester for weeks or months longer. Both through updates to the original post and this follow-up, we’ve been quick to bring to the public the denials of McCutcheon & Hamner and to give a complete view of the unfolding story.
And while I personally feel for the firm if this is true, a couple lines deserve note. First, regarding the statement that “racism for people like you is ok, as long [as] it is not directed at you” — in fairness, I don’t think the “southern redneck” stereotype is actually “racist.” It may be prejudicial, but it doesn’t carry with it the same debilitating consequences as race-based stereotypes. But for the record, no, racism is not OK when not directed at me. (Actually, as a white heterosexual male, discrimination is pretty much never directed at me, but I still think it’s bad.)
Second, it’s good to hear that Alabama is taking steps to address its historical and persistent race relations problems. It’s not too long ago we were reading about voter suppression laws there, so something still needs to be done, no matter what Chief Justice Roberts says.
Hopefully the state will continue to address it as vigilantly as it addresses holes in FG return coverage.
“I’m leaving the legal profession.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Disney World!”
This is, in a nutshell, the story of the latest lawyer featured in our series on career alternatives for attorneys. But there is a lesson here of broader applicability.
Are you looking to leave the law? Your treasure trove of “useless” knowledge could be a valuable asset….
After graduating from Seton Hall Law School, clerking, and practicing with his father for almost a decade, Lou Mongello turned a longtime obsession into a full-time occupation. He explains how he transformed his lifelong interest in the world of Disney into a successful business, in this interview with Spencer Mazyck of Bloomberg Law:
It’s an inspiring story, isn’t it? Mongello took his incredible knowledge of all things Disney and parlayed it into a thriving multimedia enterprise, featuring radio and video shows, books, and websites. And as he explains in the video, he gives back to the community of Disney lovers through the Dream Team Project.
If you might want to follow in Mongello’s footsteps, try your best to maintain hobbies or interests outside practicing law. You never know how or when an interest in a seemingly obscure topic could evolve into something that allows you to enter the Magic Kingdom — of life beyond the law. Stealth Lawyer: Lou Mongello, Disney Expert & Historian [Bloomberg Law via YouTube] Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of career alternatives for attorneys
Entertainment Law, Jews, Romance and Dating, Technology, Videos
Mr. Legal Entertainment: Find Yourself A Nice Jewish Girl!
By Sam E. Goldberg
Ed. note: This column will be about entertainment, the law, and the intersection of those two things. If you know of a law-related personality you’d like to see interviewed here, please contact us.
Danzig here. So, we know a lot of lawyers are somewhat lovelorn and maybe even lonely — due to all those nights burning the midnight billable hour oil. And since apparently most attorneys are Jewish (this was news to me, but you learn something every day), what better way to combine those two factors into a new location-based mobile app for Jews looking for love?
That’s why this week Sam interviewed Luba Tolkachyov, the founder of Yenta, which so happens to fill that niche. Tolkachyov has recently been featured in the New York Post and Huffington Post.
Mr. Legal Entertainment is Sam E. Goldberg. He’s worked for the Howard Stern Show, where he appeared on the weekly intern show and spoke about gossip, and Maxim Radio, where he did man-on-the-street interviews and spoke regularly with the hosts of the show. Sam previously launched the S&M radio show (S&M stood for Sam and Michelle), and spoke about pop culture, with celebrity appearances such as Kim Kardashian. When he got kicked off the air on college radio, the show was picked up by Idobi radio, an iTunes radio show. Sam is a recent law school graduate. His full biography is available at Mr. Law School.
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Tags: Entertainment Law, iPhone Apps, Jews, Luba Tolkachyov, Mr. Legal Entertainment, Romance and Dating, Sam E. Goldberg, Sam Goldberg, Technology, Videos, Yenta, YouTube
A 30-second TV spot during this weekend’s Super Bowl is going for $4 million. I say this to remind everyone that advertising is a big business, and we all expect an advertiser to put a lot of time and effort into an ad that makes its way on screen.
Over the holiday weekend, there’s been a lot of activity surrounding the 