Monday, February 1, 2010
The infamous anti-choice Superbowl ad, and why it's so dangerous
12 comments
In case anyone hasn't heard, when you sit down to watch the Superbowl on February 7th, you might have to prepare yourself to watch an anti-choice commercial. Though CBS has never allowed "issue ads" to air in the past, somehow Focus on the Family was able to get through. The ad will feature University of Florida football star Tim Tebow.
I'm betting the ad won't blatantly say "pro-life," and that's partly why it was accepted. Anti-choice activists like to use deceitful tactics to trick people into visiting their websites and their fake clinics. I predict the ad will be a hokey message of "let's celebrate family and babies because WHO DOESN'T LOVE BABIES?!" type of deal. Fast-forward to clueless Superbowl viewers saying, "Well, uh, I think family's important... and I like babies... hot damn, I'm gonna visit FocusOnTheFamily.com right now!"
And FocusOnTheFamily.com is no site to be taken lightly. Enjoy some excerpts from the stuff they're preaching:
[From the section on sexuality]
Boys and Girls Are Different:
God made boys and girls different in order for both to become lifegivers. When you are older and married, you may someday have children. Girls have babies — boys don't. Girls have the ability as they get older to birth babies. A baby is a gift from God and grows in the womb in Mom's tummy.
Affirm Your Child's Gender:
"Isn't it great to be a girl!" "What a strong boy you are." These messages affirm your child's gender identity. Do not (even jokingly ) put down or make fun of your child's gender. "What a baby" or "What a sissy" does not help your young son. Affirm your daughter's unique beauty. Let her know how special she is, particularly in Daddy's eyes.
Babies Come from God — They Should Be the Result Only of Marital Love:
Babies are all made by God. This is why we protect their life right from the beginning. How do babies come into the world? The best way for a baby to come in to the world is through the love of a married man and woman. Sadly, this doesn't happen all the time. However, God's best plan is for a baby to be born with a mother and father that are married.
[From the section on "How We Dishonor God in Our Sex Lives"]
The Challenge of Homosexuality
Male and female are not cultural constructs but God-created parts of humanity made for each other to show forth the image of God in the world. Remember Genesis 1:27: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Male and female, together, are the fullest picture of the image of God in creation. That's why they need each other. Adam wasn't complete without Eve.
Homosexuality denies this and falsely states that differences in male and female don't really matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Homosexuality violates the Trinitarian image of complementarity in a profound way.
[From the section on Transgenderism]
We call upon all parents to take a proactive role in their children's development by providing them with a strong, Christian example of what it means to be male and female. Many of the problems associated with transgenderism, like confusion and pain, stem from a lack of parental involvement and guidance.
These people not only preach an anti-choice agenda, but also promote anti-feminist values that include reinforcing gender roles and justifying hatred against queer people. They call premarital sex a "monstrosity" and fully support the harmful practice of putting those with same-sex attractions in counseling to "fix" them. This is a dangerous site, and I worry about the consequences of exposing nearly 100 million people to it.
But of course, reproductive rights activists and feminists are not letting this slide. There are a number of online petitions you can sign and forms you can fill out to contact CBS, including one on the Feminist Majority Foundation site. I'm not sure if CBS will end up pulling the ad (I mean, $2.8 million is a lot of moo-lah), but it couldn't hurt to tell them that we're pissed off that they're allowing this. In your message, try to include some of Focus on the Family's other harmful ideals, such as their stance against LGBTQ people, and Tweet/Facebook/blog about it. We'll see what happens come February 7th.
Posts
February 2, 2010 at 12:48 AM
I understand why some would upseet or offended that an ad like this was airing during the superbowl. However do you really feel that Americans are so ignorant that they can not decide for themselves if they agree/disagree with the ad, and what it is truly saying? I mean you cant honestly expect them to jump up from their seats and go to their computer to look up the website and be manipulated into changing their beliefs. Most who watch the superbowl are there to see the game. Not the commercials!
February 2, 2010 at 4:17 AM
Meagan, that's not the problem. The problem's that and ad is a promotion, they're promoting their organization, such an awful organization. This people shouldn't have any promotion at all.
February 2, 2010 at 4:21 AM
The ad isn't offensive - it's the organization tied to the ad.
Do you think if a KKK group wanted to advertise their cookie sale that CBS would air that ad, merely because it was inoffensive?
February 2, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Im not sure I agree with the idea. I do not think the anti-choice organization will recieve the response they hope to during the superbowl. Im not sure the ad will speak to many people any more than the issue already has. To be honest I do not thinkk it is an appropriate place to advertise such and organization and I do not see it getting a great response. Most of the men and women watching the game will probably be so entralled with the event that they will not pay too much attention to it. I understant that the organization sees it as an opportunity to speak to so many people however i can see this ad causing more contraversy than awarness.
February 2, 2010 at 10:21 AM
I do not believe it is right to air this type of commercial at all. Especially during the superbowl. Women have the right to their own opinion and if advertisements about 'pro-life' come about it is basically spreading propaganda. If the world allows 'anti-choice' commercials then they are making those who believe in 'pro-choice' feel as though their opinions are wrong and worth no value. It is fine to have disagreements on the issue, but as soon as 'anti-whatever' campaigns come out, than the opinions of others will become hindered and judged.
February 3, 2010 at 2:21 AM
I'm confused, I thought pro choice meant allowing free speech and being feminist meant supporting a mother's decision to have her baby if that's what she cooses.
A woman who chooses life when it's risky or difficult and that child goes on to be a positive role model and all around success is a story all ameircans should be proud of. Why does it scare you?
Sure you can mince words call it anti choice etc Huh? If it's not a baby you're not pregnant. Yes that was "horrific lanaguage" on Focus on Family's site (aka KKK as someone put it getting desperate), like children are a gift of God. Sorry there is no other explanation of the miracle of life.
I wonder how "pro choice" we'd all be at the hour your own mother was going to make a life ending choice.
February 3, 2010 at 3:18 AM
Robert, did you read any of the other issues promoted by the website? The point of this post was to inform readers that not only does the organization promote anti-choice values, but also overall anti-feminist values as well. Try to justify an organization that argues that queer people go against God and can be "reformed" through therapy. This organization promotes so many harmful ideas... not just anti-choice ones.
Even if the organization was simply anti-choice, I still don't condone them being allowed to advertise during the Superbowl. Yes, feminism is about choice... but how can we be presented with the proper choices when a very important and LEGAL choice is being left out?
And just to let you know... the old "what if your mother decided to abortion you?!?!" argument doesn't really work on us.
February 3, 2010 at 7:19 PM
i dont have a problem with them paying for a commercial. not in the least. its their right.
i support free speech, even when i dont agree with it.
my problem here is the blatant greed and hypocrisy from CBS. never before have they ever allowed this type of ad. they had a long standing policy for no controversial ads and have repeatedly denied ads by other agencies.
supposedly they reversed policy, yet they just denied a gay dating website. why? because its "not suitable for children"....but abortion is? then it must be "controversial"...hhm....
we just learned today that cbs has been cohorting with focus on the family this entire time, assisting them with re-wording.
i suspect cbs will announce after the super bowl that they have decided to revert back to their old policy....just to decide again at the last minute for millions of dollars that another agenda-pushing ad is acceptable.
evs.
February 9, 2010 at 2:11 AM
Even though this commercial is misleading and the organization behind it is questionable, they should still be allowed to run the ad if they want to put money toward it. However, I still do not understand why organizations are spending money on superbowl commercials when they should be spending there money on other things Jesus talked about like feeding the poor, since there is going to be a lot more poor if their superbowl commercial gets the reaction they want. The lives that aborted children would be born in are not typically the bright shiny lives that most people who are pro life come from.
March 7, 2010 at 12:34 AM
Romance is the other core belief in an American culture which also comes through with sexuality. Advertisers to sell their product but the ads promote a great deal more than the products. They sell love, passion, sexuality and romance. For example, in general the day to day ads shows a young girl and boy hugging each other with a romantic expression on their face which gives us the idea of love with the sensuality of romance. The youth generation is more vulnerable and influenced by these things easily. Therefore, they are the prime targets of many advertisers who deliver their message through ads because young people are on their learning stage and learning their values and roles in their lives. Indeed, romance emphasizes human contact and relation with each other which is particularly used in a wrong way by youngsters. Eventually, they end up with separation and ruin their life. Furthermore, women are the most common person used in advertisements to give the inspiration of sexuality and romance. In other words, women are used to sell products. Women are used as an object by many advertisers who contribute to the image of women in modern culture. That is to say that in advertising images, women are objectified.
September 3, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Focus on the Family's stated mission is "nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide." Focus on the Family opposes abortion, divorce, gambling, LGBT rights, pornography, pre-marital sex, and substance abuse. It supports abstinence-only sexual education, adoption, corporal punishment, creationism, school prayer, and strong gender roles. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and social scientists have stated that Focus on the Family has misrepresented their scientific research to bolster FotF's political agenda and ideology.
Best regards,
Michael
September 3, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is an tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A component of the Christian right, it is active in promoting an interdenominational effort toward its socially conservative views on public policy. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s.
Regards,
Richard