The White House is calling foul on Red Sox slugger David Ortiz taking a shameless selfie with President Obama — which is turning out to be a opportunistic promotional plug for corporate sponsor Samsung.
The situation created after “Big Papi” took the cell phone photo in the middle of a televised event with the president for a paycheck has become hairier than Madonna's armpits and almost as gross.
The Boston DH took the self-serving selfie just one day after he inked a sponsorship deal with
Samsung, according to The New York Post.
After Ortiz tweeted out the photo on his account, Samsung blasted it to its more than 5 million followers.
“As the rule the White House objects to attempts to use the president’s likeness
for commercial purposes,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney – who is
such a devoted Red Sox fan that he sported a team cap at the event this week.
for commercial purposes,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney – who is
such a devoted Red Sox fan that he sported a team cap at the event this week.
“We object in this case,” Carney told reporters Thursday.
Carney dodged questions about whether the White House counsel’s office would put
forward an official objection to the team or the company.
forward an official objection to the team or the company.
According to The Post, after Ortiz handed Obama a Red Sox jersey emblazoned with the number 44, Obama smiled for the camera and asked an array of photographers to make sure they got a good picture.
“Do you mind if I take another one, with my own?” Ortiz asked the president. “He
wants to do a selfie. It’s the Big Papi selfie,” Obama agreed.
Immediately after he took the picture, someone — later believed to be Ortiz —
yelled out “cha-ching,” in the universal synonym for cash.
yelled out “cha-ching,” in the universal synonym for cash.
What an honor! Thanks for the #selfie, @BarackObama pic.twitter.com/y5Ww74sEID
— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) April 1, 2014
Even team manager John Farrell didn't have a clue about the commercial snapshot.
“At the time I didn’t know it,” he told Boston radio station WEEI Wednesday. “I read about it this morning that this was maybe a little brought along by Samsung … That didn’t take away from a pretty special day.”
Ortiz told the Boston Globe he decided to take the picture on a whim at the last second and it had “nothing to do with deals.”
Samsung confirmed it had a “relationship with David and the Red Sox,” but dodged
direct questions from The Post about whether the company put him up to the
stunt. The company later told the Globe it didn’t know what images Ortiz would
capture.
stunt. The company later told the Globe it didn’t know what images Ortiz would
capture.
People have entirely too much time on their hands to make this an issue...who gives a damn. It'll be forgotten in a week. The White House is a PUBLIC establishment, and Obama was VOTED in...chill the heck out everybody.
ReplyDeleteI think that the White House has far more important issues on their plate than a David Ortiz selfie which actually shows the President enjoying himsellf as one of the boys. White House should shift gears David is far more popoular in the Bay State than the President.
DeleteOrtiz is an embarrassment to baseball mostly for roids but this shows he really is trailer trash or in the Dominican hut trash
ReplyDeleteSomeone is just jealous that their team didnt do to good. Must be a Yankees fan.
Delete“As the rule the White House objects to attempts to use the president’s likeness for commercial purposes,” How many talk shows has Obama been on? While his thoughts were on self promotion, the networks thoughts were on their own commercial benefits. And Oswald is confusing Ortiz for a Yankee.
ReplyDelete