Tim Tebow will do a Pro-Life, Anti-Choice ad during the Super Bowl- No outrage toward CBS?

[trumad]

Miami Herald Sports writer Greg Cote comments:

TIM TEBOW WANTS YOU TO HAVE THAT CHILD, DAMMIT!: (Whether you want to or not!) Granted, the law indicates pregnant women may choose for themselves regarding their bodies and whether to have a legal abortion. But Tebow and his mother, Pam, have teamed with conservative group Focus On The Family for a pro-life/anti-choice ad that will air during the Super Bowl. What's interesting is CBS-TV has a policy prohibiting "advocacy ads" that take sides in fractious political issues such as this. Since CBS is allowing an anti-abortion ad, would it also allow, say, an anti-gay marriage ad during the Super Bowl?

(Focus On The Family is anti-gay marriage, too, unless that went without saying). I have no problem with pro-lifers (except of course their extreme, lunatic fringe who scream "Murder!" and think killing doctors who perform abortions is justifiable). I sometimes wish pro-lifers had that same tolerance for the other side, but that's another story. But I also believe religion and this choice are personal, private things. CBS is wrong to violate its own policy by airing an advocacy ad on this topic. CBS would be wrong if it were airing a pro-life ad, too.

The network is star-struck by Tebow or mesmerized by the $2.8 million being paid for the 30-second spot. The ad will be jarring, especially in the context of all the funny, talking-donkey ads. Also the ad will upset more people than it pleases, if we are to believe opinion polls on this issue. There is a place for rigorous political debate, but during the Super Bowl? It'd be like you throwing a big Super Bowl party and one of your guests shows up on a bullhorn railing against the evils of drinking. Out of place, man! Call this a mistake by CBS. And the first fumble of Tebow's professional career.

http://blogs.herald.com/random_evidence/2010/01/twittercomgregcote--tim-tebow-wants-you-to-have-that-child-thats-whether-you-want-to-or-not-by-the-way-granted-it-is-t.html

[hobbit709]

1. The mute and channel buttons are your friend.

[trumad]

3. Wow---

Thanks so much for that simple advice.

Of course there's a bigger picture to this...

ugg

[theHandpuppet]

8. Would you be so cavalier if the KKK broadcast a commercial?

"Focus on the Family" is a misogynist, homophobic hate group that poured over a half million dollars into overturning gay marriage in California and more recently, some 100,000 dollars to defeat gay marriage in Maine. The fact that Tebow and Focus on the Family will now spend millions to campaign against the reproductive rights of women SHOULD piss people off.

I'm sick and tired of the Tim Tebows and Tony Dungys of the world constantly being referred to as "good Christians" when what they really are is BIGOTS who use their position as sports celebrities to push the hate-filled agendas of their brand of "Christianity".

http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/focus_on_the_family_misusing_football_stars_life_to_attack_womens_rights

[hobbit709]

14. Free speech.

I don't agree with clowns like the Klan or the Nazis but they have the right to be heard. I choose not to listen.

My attitude about free speech is that everyone has the right to open their mouth and see how far they can insert foot. I have the right to ignore their screeching.

[TankLV]

26. THERE IS NO FREE SPEECH!!!

These same self "fair and balanced" idiots REFUSED TO ALLOW DEMOCRATIC AND MOVE-ON ADS!!!

Take your head out of your ass...

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. Have a reread of TankLV's posts #'s 25 and 26

current media is propaganda--it's not "the right of everyone to open mouth", it's repeating lies big enough, often enough and exclusively enough until the masses are thoroughly blinded to the toothmarks in the instep.

Propagandists ALWAYS yell free speech for themselves while shutting down opposing views.

[joeybee12]

55. When CBS has a policy that they selectively chose to haul out when Planned

Parenthood is denied ads, when a church ad saying it welcomes gays is denied airing, then we're not talking free speech, we're talking the selective pushing of a specific agenda.

[TankLV]

25. And yet, when Kerry and Democrats tried to run ads, and HAD THE MONEY for once,

They were refused on bullshit arguments THAT AT THE SAME TIME ALLOWED THE SWIFTBOATERS TO AIR THEIR ADS!!!

But the spineless Democrats threw up their hands and said "oh well"...

[no limit]

28. This.

[Mojorabbit]

2. Who is Tim Tebow?

Are he and his mother famous?

[trumad]

4. You must be from another country?

[1awake]

5. I must be as well cause for the life of me.. I can't think who he is. n/t

[ima_sinnic]

12. hey, guess what? I don't know who Tim Tebow is either

the name sounds vaguely familiar--but not all Americans are into sports, let alone football, which AFA I'm concerned, has no socially redeeming virtues whatsoever.
now make sure to call me names and piss all over my post for dissing *football* :cry:

[trumad]

19. I'm not saying all Americans are into sports..

Do you know who Tiger Woods is?

[spiritual_gunfighter]

35. Tim Tebow isn't as nearly as recognizable as Tiger Woods

They dont even compare really.

[TankLV]

27. Never heard of him either...still don't know who he is...

[joeybee12]

59. Tru, lots of people who don't follow college sports don't know who he is...

...makes me wish i was one of them.

[joeybee12]

60. Tru, lots of people who don't follow college sports don't know who he is...

...makes me wish i was one of them.

[ipfilter]

38. Saint Tebow is the now former

QB of the Florida Gators. College football fans have had him stuffed down our throats by the jock sniffing media for the past four years. He generally comes off as a pompous and self promoting fundie.

[TornadoTN]

61. Here's how I will always remember Saint Tebow

oh, and aside from his in your face fundamentalism, his hypocrisy when his own team was trying to literally gouge the eyes out of the head of another player.

[ipfilter]

66. Tebow Cried for our Sins.

Yeah, as a Sooner fan that was a priceless moment. Last year, during the MNC game, one of the announcers boldly stated that if you spend five minutes with Tebow your life will be better for it. I threw up a little in my mouth.

[Mojorabbit]

77. Whoops

living in Fl I guess I should have known who he is. I used to be a football fan when I was younger too. I just have not been watching much other than HBO and Keith and Rachel for the past few years.

[alfredo]

44. A football player that choked when the chips were down.

[bigwillq]

70. Tim Tebow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Has anyone seen the ad yet? How do we know that it is anti-choice?

Advocating for choosing life is not same as advocating taking away choice.

[theHandpuppet]

10. How much do you know about Focus on the Family?

http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/focus_on_the_family_misusing_football_stars_life_to_attack_womens_rights

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. I know a lot about them. I also know that CBS would probably not air and ad with advocated

restricting abortion rights during the Super Bowl.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

36. Again how much do you know about Focus On The Family

and Viacom for that matter.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Man, is he tiresome

STFU already.

[-wulf-]

9. Not a big deal

I see ads all day that I don't agree with, or at the least "public service" style ads regarding some issue that I didn't really care to hear about at that moment.

I don't see it as a religious political debate issue either, so I'm not "offended" by that either. I didn't see the memo that declared religious nut-jobs have exclusive rights to the pro-life position. I suppose it was in the same publication that stated left-wing loons had exclusive rights to global-warming...

I'm not religious at all, and while I never really considered myself "pro-choice" or "pro-life" I would have to say that was just pretty much indifferent to the whole issue.

I have two children now with a third on the way and I have to say that I find myself disagreeing with a lot of abortion practices that I used to not care about. After seeing the new 3-d ultra sound images of my second child nearly every month, I found myself realizing that "life" began a little bit earlier than I had originally thought and in some cases it would be perfectly legal to abort my son after the point that it was obvious to me that he was "alive."

While I feel that abortions are justified and appropriate in some cases, I feel like the idea of abortions after the first trimester make me uncomfortable. I also feel that we are all "educated" by mass media and everyone else about the "pro-choice" option, but I don't see anything out there really offering the other side of that, other than the occasional reference to "pro-life" being a lunatic position.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing the same level of ads and awareness that "pro-choice" gets addressing the point that one doesn't have to be a religious fanatic or anti-abortion nut to consider options other than abortion.

In fact, the whole "pro-choice" movement should be restructured to actually be a pro-choice awareness campaign rather than a pro-abortion campaign, which it has become. I think that just as people in the position where they're having to make such a descision should be present with the pros and cons of all options, including abortion, adoption, or just pulling their heads out of their asses and being a responsible adult and raising the child.

I don't want to see it during the super bowl though!

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[-wulf-]

45. Wow

Control yourself there!

I explained that I feel it is not a big deal because of the subject matter, not because of what CBS does or does not want to air.

I didn't comment on that because last time I checked, CBS is a private company not a government entity, so they have right to air whatever they want so long as it doesn't violate any existing laws.

It's really do different that any other form of media (newspapers, blogs, whatever) publishing whatever they want.

[JoeyT]

58. Yep.

Well, you know, except for the fact that they use the public airwaves to do it. Which is why they fall under the jurisdiction of the FCC. So, as a matter of fact, it IS different from newspapers, blogs, whatever publishing whatever they want.

Want proof? A newspaper or blog doesn't get in trouble if Janet Jackson's breast is exposed.

[-wulf-]

62. quote:

"so long as they don't violate existing laws"

I'm well aware of the existence of the FCC. CBS deciding what they want to air, relevant to this issue, does not violate any FCC laws, or the FCC would be the one shutting them down.

[Maru Kitteh]

46. I don't really care about your spawn or your feelings. mmmkay?

Your warm and fuzzy feelings about some pictures on a screen do not give you the right to go sniffing around other people's crotches and making decisions for them about their lives.

[Hello_Kitty]

52. Thank you. It's like they think we're stupid or something.

Several paragraphs of dreck about Teh Pweshus Baybeez and then he ends it by basically saying that women who get pregnant are irresponsible sluts who should be punished with pregnancy.

[-wulf-]

63. you obviously can't read.

Please reference where in my post I support "sniffing around other people's crotches and making decisions for them about their lives."

If you feel that saying both options should be equally presented equals making decisions about people's lives, then presenting either options would be out of question.

And I also don't see where I say that all women are ignorant sluts, but I'll keep looking.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blueamy66]

68. You have gotta be a man.

holy shit

[-wulf-]

75. Sure

Man enough to not freak out if someone says something I don't agree with. Some ad on television isn't anymore likely to force a woman to have a baby she doesn't want any more that it can force her to have an abortion she doesn't want.

Unless of course you happen to be a slave to whatever you see on TV, then I suppose panic would be appropriate.

Therefore, not a big deal.

[blueamy66]

76. It's really

none of your business, as you will never be pregnant.

[Orsino]

11. Apparently, my outrage is now unconstitutional. n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

49. No, you misunderstand entirely. You don't have enough MONEY to be outraged.

You only have enough money to be outraged in some generic 5.5 font in the classifieds of your local newspaper, if you still have one.

[mn9driver]

13. CBS only allows Superbowl issue ads that it agrees with

CBS has a history of denying progressives a voice during the Superbowl while allowing ads like this one. In 2004, they would not allow MoveOn or PETA to air ads, saying "We have a policy against accepting advocacy advertising". Conservative ads of course, are welcome:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0116-01.htm

[hvn_nbr_2]

57. Bingo! nt

[Rebubula]

15. Meh..

big deal...

He and Focus are free to spend money as they wish.

Freedom of speech runs both ways...

[theHandpuppet]

17. But it doesn't run both ways.

See my post below.

[theHandpuppet]

16. Groups Take Action Over Tebow Super Bowl Ad

http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx?id=105738

Groups Take Action Over Tebow Super Bowl Ad
CBS will allow Focus on the Family's anti-abortion ad featuring college football star Tim Tebow to air during the Super Bowl ... news that has gay rights groups crying foul and taking action.
By Michelle Garcia

Focus on the Family's upcoming Super Bowl spot featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow has been met with a flood of complaints over its controversial subject matter before the ad has even aired.

Tebow and his mother, Pam, will appear in the ad, sharing their personal story about how she opted not to abort him, despite doctor's warnings that he might be stillborn.

Tebow, a senior at the University of Florida, is known for his Christian beliefs and writing Bible verses on his game-day eye black. Focus on the Family is known for lobbying against gay rights, including marriage and parenting rights, to name a few.

To add insult to injury, many are crying foul since CBS refused in 2004 to air a commercial from the United Church of Christ that promoted the denomination's willingness to accept gay and lesbian members; the network cited its policy against "advocacy advertising." The same year, during the Super Bowl, CBS also refused to air an ad from MoveOn.org, a liberal group, which criticized former president George W. Bush over the growth of the federal deficit.... MORE

[treestar]

56. I wonder if they have any proof of their assertion about the doctor

[Scout]

79. ^^^read post #16 above^^^^

[Vinca]

18. Is Tebow going to promise all women he'll fight for a social safety net for them?

More women might opt to go to term if they knew they wouldn't be facing life in a homeless shelter with an infant. It pisses me off the way this bunch of embryo-lovers gives a rat's ass for the mother or for the child after it's born. Women don't have abortions for sport. It's not a fun thing to do with the girls. How about a law that says the man immediately gets physical custody of the unwanted child and must support it fully until age 18? Oh, yeah, and no Viagra for you under the new law.

[mmonk]

21. Well I know what I will not be watching.

[robcon]

22. Outrage? why? He can advertise whatever he wants, can't he?

n/t

[lukasahero]

Only if the opposing view is also allowed to advertise what they want

And if you read the freakin' thread you'll see that this is not the case.

God why don't people read before spouting their unfounded opinions?

[tom_paine]

65. Are you intentionally playing dense? That must be it.

:wtf:

On SEVERAL occasions during the Bush Era, left-advocacy groups were denied permission to run advocacy ads on the Super Bowl, citing this rule. MoveOn.org for one and I know there were others (do your own research, if you actually don't already know & are playing dumb as you people so often do)

You know, one thing I miss about the height of the Old Republic, 1945-1980, was there was some shit that was just so heinous and wrong, MOST people would agree was wrong, no matter what side got it done to them.

No more, not our our little crazy corporate authoritarian celebrity nuthouse we've built (and a murderous nuthouse, too, as any number of innocent Iraqis & Afghanis could tell you - you call them "collateral damage").

If the situations were 100% diamterically reversed, so would you're position be, like a flipped lightswitch, or a 1975 Soviet Comrade, Comrade robcon. Like you now suddenly feel all UPSET about deficits. Gosh, and golly gee, rob, when did THAT switch in your philosophy occur? Could it be around 1/21/2009?

What the hell has to go on up there inside your skull, what kind of 1984-type reflexive two-minute hate Orwell shit have you got going on saying that, having been on DU and probably having sat down and read about the denied lefty Super Bowl ads.

You are NO goddamned different from those double-thinking lying through their teeth Soviet and Chinese Communist bastards. It's no wonder you both share the same opinion of Liberals.

Creepy.

[tularetom]

23. This douchebag is gonna be a million times worse than Kurt Warner

Another asshole wearing his religion on his sleeve - and on his shirt, pants, shoes and hat as well.

We're all going to get really sick of listening to the jeebus bullshit from this fuckwad before he even takes a snap in the NFL.

Warner and his dimbulb wife were bad enough, but I sort of got the impression that there was a bit of cynical manipulation behind their jeebus spiels.

But this Tebow asshat - I think he really believes all that crap.

The injection of religion into sports - bad fuckin idea.

[trumad]

31. Diff is---Warner actually is a good NFL QB

while Tebow will never become one.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

37. He already wears it under his eyes

[peekaloo]

24. Uterus with us or against us.

The Who(are they still playing?) should dedicate "Squeeze Box" to Mom.

I wish the "ad" was available for pre-viewing. It could be so over the top that it just may backfire. "For God so loved the world that he gave us another football player."

[Blue_Tires]

30. Tebow lovers; check your boy....

[tom_paine]

32. we have proceeded on to much more horrific outrages than this minor Soviet-style double-standardism

now fully integrated into our Inverted Totalitarian Empire.

I'd go into detail and explain, but why bother, you know all of it, anyway.

Compared to what is to come, this "Corporate Totalitarianism is the tiniest fleabite of a nothing at this point.

Significant? Of course. Internalization and unquestioning acceptance of such smaller double-standards were powerful stepping stones on the way to Bushification/Nazification.

Now, that's long in the rearview. Done deal. Nothing we can do. (would that it were not so, but it is)

Sure, had it been possible to highlight the Orwellian Madness and mobilize a countervailing force AT THE TIME, perhaps this monstrous evil our nation has now irrevocably embraced could have been deflected, but probably not even then.

Hell, it was probably over already when the Spineless Democratic Leadership did their usual toadying in helping the Bushies cover up their Iran-Contra Treason.

Outrage? Our Empire has progressed to mucj more monstrous outraes against the weakest-minded Subject Populace since the 1933 Germans.

[trumad]

41. Tom---how ya been buddy?

[spiritual_gunfighter]

34. Just when I thought I couldn't dislike Tim Tebow any more

he goes and stars in an anti-abortion ad during the Super Bowl.

[fascisthunter]

39. I will NOT watch the Super Bowl this year

it's not a big sacrifice for me... people forget it's only entertainment.

[Echo In Light]

53. We never watch that or any sports, but we've never been all that into popular religions

[dem629]

40. Good for him.

Who cares?

[trumad]

42. I care when a network advocates one view over another..

you should care to.

[madinmaryland]

48. According to the SCOTUS, networks are now free to advocate their views

whatever they may be. Money=Free Speech. PERIOD.

So I guess it is a moot point now.

[NYC_SKP]

43. Superbowl: Bread and Circuses. Didn't plan to watch it anyway, but I'll be glad to...

...boycott their sponsors and write letters.

:puke:

[slackmaster]

47. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle

I support his freedom to spend his money as he pleases.

Round up the usual suspects.

[GoCubsGo]

50. Why should I be outraged?

Focus on the Family is going to piss away $2.8 million that could be used for even more nefarious purposes. BTW, they run those "talking donkey" commercials, because that's the kind of audience they have. You think Timmy's commercial is going to go over well with that crowd? I'm betting there will be a lot more people flinging their guacamole at the screen in disgust at it than will be jarred by it.

[treestar]

54. Waste of his time and money to preach to the choir

Who the hell would change their mind on this issue because this moran does an ad?

[Initech]

64. Yeah it's pretty clear what side of the fence Jesus Tebow falls on.

[mzteris]

67. all the more interesting when

he gets caught with his pants down . . .

[Initech]

69. That tends to happen to fundies a lot these days.

In the words of the late, great Frank Zappa: "One day every one of those cocksuckers will get caught."

[xxqqqzme]

71. I will plead cultural ignorance

but who is Tebow and his mother Pam?

Ok, I read some other threads. Just another rong wing hack claiming god is on his side. Wonder what focus paid him to do the ad?

[geardaddy]

72. His wiki page is locked

"to prevent libelous additions"

[umyeah]

73. It goes both ways.

No one is stopping anyone from buying a pro-choice spot.....

[Individualist]

78. It does NOT! See post #16.

[joeybee12]

80. Yeah, CBS is...

....nice try, though.

[Flubadubya]

82. Three little letters says different... CBS

[Born_A_Truman]

74. Good time to take a bathroom break!

Express your views to CBS:


CBS Program Practices
51 West 52nd Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 975-3300 – phone
[phone] – fax

[WI_DEM]

81. well, maybe some pro-choice group should produce an ad to counter it???