Is nothing sacred anymore?
With the exception of one Super Bowl in the 80s, I’ve generally looked at Super Bowl Sunday as an excuse to eat chips and watch the commercials. During the regular season, football commercials tend to bore me. I am not interested in drugs to treat ED, and nothing, not even watching boobs (the fake version on women as well as the foolish male version) will convince me that one beer is better than the other. Super Bowl Sunday ups the ante on the commercials by charging tons more for airtime. Over the years there have been some great commercials that often entertained more than the action on the field.
So imagine my surprise over the stink brewing over a commercial set to run featuring football darling Tim Tebow and his mother Pam Tebow. The link is thanks to a colleague, and I have to agree with him and the writer of the Washington Post column, Sally Jenkins. You may fiercely disagree with the message of and the values (and pocketbook) behind the commercial, but as a woman I am a bit frustrated and disappointed.
Critics point to the pro-life message as being inappropriate. Really? You may disagree with it, but how is it inappropriate? The commercial is running during a game in which very strong, grown men tackle each other, sometimes to the point of injury, while boisterous fans, some in various stages of inebriated behavior, scream encouraging words using colorful language while grown women wear clothing small enough for small girls shake their pom poms in order to create team spirit. Yes, let’s talk about what is inappropriate and question where our values are.
And apparently there is a flurry of investigative reporting happening as well because questions are being raised about whether or not Pam Tebow’s story is true. (She got pregnant in 1987 while on a Christian mission in the Philippines and got sick. Doctors told her that the pregnancy was risky, but she chose to go through with the pregnancy.) Some headlines are declaring Tebow’s story a “falsehood”. Have those writers and critics taken a look at some of the boobs (male and female) out there? There is plenty of falsehood to go around. Buying expensive but really cool shoes won’t make you cool, but that falsehood is what sells those shoes. My goodness, advertising wants you to buy into a falsehood – if you buy this product you will be happier, more attractive, more successful, more this and that.
Apparently a few of the organizations taking issue with the Tebows and their commercial are launching their own response because the best response to an inappropriate commercial is to create another one? I never imagined Super Bowl Sunday would become part of the pro-life/pro-abortion conversation because when I was a little girl football was about the game, the beer and the boobs.
Solution? Suggestions? Should CBS pull the ad? Do you find the idea behind the commercial offensive and inappropriate? And do you really think the Saints will reign victorious?
Interesting topic!
I had not yet heard about this controversy until reading this post. I am right there with you on the whole, “I’ve generally looked at Super Bowl Sunday as an excuse to eat chips and watch the commercials.” point of view. Pass the salsa, sister. That’s usually the most interesting thing being passed during an NFL game, in my humble opinion. I just don’t get it. I’ve tried, but it’s just my makeup.
Back to the topic of the post. I am now really interested in seeing this commercial. At first I thought, “A pro-life message during a game? How inappropriate!” But, the more I think about it, why not? If personal lubricant, beer and ED drugs are fair game, then who am I to judge. I suppose the money is the bottom line. If you can pay for a spot, then it’s yours. Period.
To me, the Pro-life/Pro-choice debate is complicated. I am not clearly on one side of this jagged fence or the other. It’s personal, in many ways for me. But I will say that I am now interested in seeing this particular ad, and perhaps, that was the goal in the first place.
Thanks for sharing.
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I thought Sally Jenkins’ article was excellent, but was disappointed by the suggestion that what makes Pam Tebow’s story worth an audience is her son’s success. Not all pro-life choices will result in fame or a Heisman Trophy, and yet they are still worth hearing about.
You should definitely read this article in the Nation.
Sorry, here is the link: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100215/friedman
I have the same story, same year, and my Benjamin was born in 1988. It was my choice to go to full term. THANKFULLY. I am glad I had the choice. Some choices are not so clear or black and white as others. I agree with the article, if the current version of pro-choicers get away with it, they will take all choice away…even Life as a choice.
Read your post in Sojourners. What I think is funny is during political races we listen to falsehoods all the time. The problem these organizations are having with the ad is people choose life all the time and with extremely positive stories to go with it. What the abortion providers and supporters don’t want is that message getting out. In the last 20 years I don’t know how many times I have heard cases were someone is told their baby will be abnormal when born and it turns out ok or there is a miscarriage. However, I also have known children who are born with issues that have made significant contributions to the community they were in by their unconditional love. The rage is this a positive story of a woman who chose life and the story of the child she bore. How twisted is it that people would get so upset over a positive message in the midst of all the negative messages (as you pointed out) that go on during a football game. I, for one, can’t wait to see the ad! Life is precious!