The star stands by her carbonated endorsement following backlash
By Stephanie Butnick for Tablet Magazine
ScarJo
doesn’t mess around. Two weeks after signing on to be SodaStream’s
global representative and announcing she will appear in the company’s
Super Bowl ad, Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson has stepped down from
her post as OxFam ambassador, which she’s held since 2007, citing the
humanitarian organization’s stance on the BDS movement. Johansson came
under fire from critics, OxFam among them, for endorsing the carbonated
beverage company, which operates a factory in the West Bank settlement
of Ma’ale Adumim, the AP reports.A statement released by Johansson’s spokesman Wednesday said the 29-year-old actress has “a fundamental difference of opinion” with Oxfam International because the humanitarian group opposes all trade from Israeli settlements, saying they are illegal and deny Palestinian rights.
“Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years,” the statement said. “She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam.”
While Johansson may have been unwittingly thrust into the role of conflict negotiator in the minefield that is the public debate over the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, she’s proven herself to be more than just a glamorous face attached to a product, responding to the backlash with a statement saying she’s a “supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.” She’s turned what could have been yet another celebrity endorsement—or quickly dropped celebrity endorsement—into an actual stance on an actual issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment