A Get Crackin’ pistachio commercial, featuring Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin’s son, has gained popularity on the Web.

“”Now Levi Johnston does it with protection,”” the narrator says as Johnston eats a pistachio accompanied by a bodyguard. Wildcat columnists comment on this “”viral”” video.

Baby daddy doesn’t deserve glorification

When did unplanned, teenage pregnancy become funny? Is it only laughable for Johnston, who was awarded a GQ photo shoot and asked to pose for the online publication of Playgirl? Why is he deserving of such positive press?

Meanwhile, Bristol Palin doesn’t get to make light of young parenthood. She’s not a Playboy centerfold, and she’s definitely not doing interviews with GQ equivalents as of late. 

In May, she told People that she “”gets up – usually twice during the night – to feed Tripp, who sleeps in a hand-me-down crib in her bedroom, and she says she has tapped out at least one school paper with her son crying in the background. And she worked two part-time jobs to help pay for the diapers and formula her parents otherwise supply.”” None of this is a laughing matter.

It’s unfair that Johnston can publicly reap the benefits of this situation and be considered cool and attractive. The unmarried, hockey-playing, high school drop-out is not an appropriate role model for young men, and his apparent vanity and disregard for parenting should especially be frowned upon.

What is his son going to think if he ever comes across that horrible commercial or even more traumatic, naked photograph of his own father? I already feel sorry for baby Tripp Palin Johnston.  

— Laura Donovan is the opinions editor. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Eat your heart out, Palin

Since pistachios hopefully have nothing to do with sex, I’m guessing this company just used Johnston for attention. It worked.

Sure, it’s a touchy subject since Miss Palin gets probed by the media, but Johnston has his name tattooed on his arms, just in case he gets so plastered that he forgets it.

He’s clearly a poor mating choice. Bristol’s just going to have to deal with her mistake, and she should do so by self-medicating with some wonderful Pistachios.

— Daniel Greenberg is a Near Eastern studies senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Johnston, Palin and pistachios are all pathetic

This stunt has “”desperate”” written all over it.

Johnston is struggling to stay relevant after his 15 nanoseconds of fame, while the pistachio ad people are trying to be hip and kitschy by tapping this z-list celebrity.

This vapid, meaningless stunt is hardly different than Sarah Palin’s swiftly-released “”hockey-mom-in-lipstick”” memoir. The Palins and company are over, and they know it – they just don’t want anyone else to.

What a misleading sales pitch. After watching Johnston swallow the pistachio, I don’t think I can ever eat one again, not even with the awkwardly punned “”protection”” reference.

Johnston’s other famous action, that of knocking up Bristol Palin, required even more skill and forethought than this pathetic foray into “”acting.”” 

— Anna Swenson is a sophomore majoring in English. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu