Apple Makes Ellen DeGeneres Apologize Over iPhone Commercial Parody [When Did Apple Start Losing Its Humor?]

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Comedian Ellen DeGeneres created a parody to Apple’s iPhone commercial where she makes using the iPhone 3GS look quite difficult. Everyone saw the humor in the skit, everyone except Apple who made Ellen apologize today for making her parody.

Ellen DeGeneres stated on her show today that representatives from Apple contacted her regarding the parody commercial to express that they won’t impressed.

I thought it was funny, a bunch of people thought it was funny. You know who didn’t think it was funny? Yeah, the people at Apple didn’t think it was so funny.

I watched Ellen’s parody iPhone commercial and thought it was rather tame and wasn’t even that extreme. In the skit, Ellen fiddles on the iPhone, trying to send a text. She enters the wrong app or presses the wrong key or button due to the “chubby finger syndrome.”

The parody had an element of truth in it where all iPhone users can relate. Who can honestly say that they can type out a message correctly on the iPhone the first time around, all the time?

Today Ellen DeGeneres followed up her apology with praises for a range of Apple products, including the iPhone, iPod and iPad.

They thought I made it look like it’s hard to use, and I just want to say that I’m sorry if I made it like the iPhone is hard to use. It’s not hard to use. I have an iPhone. I just learned how to text on an iPhone, it’s the only phone that I can text on, and I love it. I love my iPad, I love my iPod. I love IHOP, if you have anything to do with that.

When did Apple get so serious over harmless, tongue-in-cheek humor? This is the same brand that rolled out a series of commercials making the PC look inferior compared to a Mac. The commercials themselves were simply called “Get a Mac” and were being aired on TV throughout 2006 to 2009.

Watch Ellen’s apology, which includes the controversial commercial itself. You can be the judge on whether or not she crossed the line or if Apple just needs to be more lighthearted.