Did Conan O’Brien Go Too Far With This iShiv Commercial? [Video]

Given the recent tragedies that have gripped Apple’s manufacturing arm with the Foxconn riots that have left at least ten individuals dead the week after the iPhone 5 launch, this parody commercial for an “18% rustier, 20% thinner” iShiv designed to “revolutuonize factory riots” by Conan O’Brien is undeniably in bad taste. Whether it’s offensively bad taste or hilariously bad taste is ultimately a matter of opinion.

Personally, I hate to admit it, but I laughed, then felt really terrible about having laughed. What’s happening at Foxconn is no joke, but at the same time, it’s the job of a comedian to push the standards of taste and to riff upon tragedy for a laugh, thus putting that tragedy into deeper relief. What do you think?

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About the author

John BrownleeJohn Brownlee is Cult of Mac's Deputy Editor. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his girlfriend and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.

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