Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Doesn't Want to Be Called Shirley in 'Airplane!' Ad

Ted Striker and Murdock have this all under control.

The Big Lead's Ryan Glasspiegel spotted this video featuring NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Hays, who both reprise their roles made famous in the movie Airplane!—a film whose mention yields a flood of memorable quotes.  

Thankfully, this also means we have our sequel, because it's best to just ignore 1982's Airplane II: The Sequel. Let's just consider this brief commercial boasting Wisconsin tourism as canon.  

According to the YouTube description, David and Jerry Zucker, who along with Jim Abrahams directed the 1980 comedy, may have also directed this ad for Travel Wisconsin.

In a perfect world, Leslie Nielsen would be around to pop his head in to wish these two luck, because we are all counting on them. Of course, with the blow-up pilot making a cameo, we have to assume Julie Hagerty's character Elaine can't be far off. 

But we will take whatever Airplane! hilarity that we can get. And we certainly get some comedic fan service as Roger Murdock proclaims, "My name is Kareem." 

It looks like the former basketball star has finally come around and admits that he is the same guy that dragged "Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

Surely, he can't be serious. Well, as Abdul-Jabbar proclaims, "I am serious and don't call me Shirley."

As for the commercial's bombastic claims, Glasspiegel states that this isn't too far from the truth. "The ad is not inaccurate in its implication that Wisconsin summers are the greatest thing on Earth."

Well, we will have to set aside some time for a visit, perhaps spotting a dangerously low-flying plane featuring familiar faces overhead. 

Now we have to assume Travel Wisconsin has a backlog of ideas that could be of use. Perhaps we get to see Striker with a drinking problem or some final closure on the classic debate between white zone and red zone. 

Now quick, get some pictures. 

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