Tebow Super Bowl Ad

[osu99jp]

CBS asked to cut Super Bowl ad with Tim Tebow, mom - ESPN

NEW YORK -- A national coalition of women's groups called on CBS on Monday to scrap its plan to broadcast an ad during the Super Bowl featuring college football star Tim Tebow and his mother, which critics say is likely to convey an anti-abortion message.

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," said Jemhu Greene, president of the New York-based Women's Media Center.

The center was coordinating the protest with backing from the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority and other groups.

CBS said it has approved the script for the 30-second ad and has given no indication that the protest would have an impact. A network spokesman, Dana McClintock, said CBS would ensure that any issue-oriented ad was "appropriate for air."

The ad -- paid for by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family -- is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow's pregnancy in 1987 with a theme of "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim, who went on to win the 2007 Heisman Trophy while helping his Florida team to two BCS championships.

The controversy over the ad was raised Sunday when Tebow met with reporters in Mobile, Ala., before beginning preparations for next weekend's Senior Bowl.

"I know some people won't agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe," Tebow said. "I've always been very convicted of it [his views on abortion] because that's the reason I'm here, because my mom was a very courageous woman. So any way that I could help, I would do it."

Thirty-second commercials during the Super Bowl are selling for $2.5 million to $2.8 million. Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, said funds for the Tebow ad were donated by a few "very generous friends" and did not come from the group's general fund.

Schneeberger said he and his colleagues "were a little surprised" at the furor over the ad.

"There's nothing political and controversial about it," he said. "When the day arrives, and you sit down to watch the game on TV, those who oppose it will be quite surprised at what the ad is all about."

The protest letter from the Women's Media Center suggested that CBS should have turned down the ad in part because it was conceived by Focus on the Family.

"By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will damage its reputation, alienate viewers, and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers," the letter said.

However, Schneeberger said CBS officials carefully examined Focus on the Family's track record and found no basis for rejecting the ad.

"We understand that some people don't think very highly of what we do," Schneeberger said. "We're not trying to sell you a soft drink -- we're not selling anything. We're trying to celebrate families."

The idea for the ad came from an employee in Focus on the Family's film department, Schneeberger said, and the Tebows "were thrilled" when it was proposed to them. The Tebows, including Tim, have been outspoken in discussing their Christian faith and their missionary work.

All the national networks, including CBS, have policies that rule out the broadcast of certain types of contentious advocacy ads. In 2004, CBS cited such a policy in rejecting an ad by the liberal-leaning United Church of Christ highlighting the UCC's welcoming stance toward gays and others who might feel shunned by more conservative churches.

CBS was criticized for rejecting that ad -- and perhaps might have worried about comparable criticism from conservatives if it had rejected an ad featuring such a charismatic and well-known figure as Tebow.

CBS noted that it had run some advocacy ads in recent months, including spots taking conflicting sides in the debate of a national health care overhaul.

Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, said she had respect for the private choices made by women such as Pam Tebow but condemned the planned ad as "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning."

"That's not being respectful of other people's lives," O'Neill said. "It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's."

A national columnist for CBSSports.com, Gregg Doyel, also objected to the CBS decision to show the ad, specifically because it would air on Super Sunday.

"If you're a sports fan, and I am, that's the holiest day of the year," he wrote. "It's not a day to discuss abortion. For it, against it, I don't care what you are. On Super Sunday, I don't care what I am. Feb. 7 is simply not the day to have that discussion."


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

[Tedesco]

I don't believe the Super Bowl is the place to air such a spot, but it is what it is. I don't necessarily take issue with the content, but rather the group funding the commercial.

[osu99jp]

No problems here. It's still a free speech country.

(well not exactly free..it's costing them upwards of $3 million)

I am opposed to anyone who attempts to stifle someone else's freedom of speech in any way, shape, or form - which would include trying to to move this commercial to another time/place when less people are watching TV. I don't usually try and get all political on people since I claim no political party...but this is what I think Conservatives mean when they claim that Liberals love freedom of speech - but only as long as it agrees with their ideology. I believe these people would prefer this ad never air.

So as far as the Tebow camp is concerned...there is no better time or place to air their commercial than during the Super Bowl.

[Sloopy32]

I don't know anything else about the Focus on Family or National Organization for Women, but from reading this article, I have a hell of a lot more respect for the former than the latter.

First: Tim Tebow and his family should be respected and applauded for standing up for their beliefs and taking advantage of his notoriety to lead by example. I commend them for that.

Second: If this organization wants to and can spend the money required for the Super Bowl ad spot, why in the world should they not be allowed to? Risque ads selling websites and beverage products are fine, but it's not OK to promote families and children, and the respsonsible raising of children? That is ridiculous.

Third: The groups actually opposing the ad's right to run should be seriously ashamed of themselves. I am ashamed of them. The First Amendment, for one. For two, look at this shit -
"That's not being respectful of other people's lives," O'Neill said. "It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's."
Are you kidding me? Promoting a responsible and loving family, and opposing abortion, should not be offensive to anyone. I am shocked that even pro-choice people would find this offensive.

[osu99jp]

....[The ad] is likely to convey an anti-abortion message.

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together,"

Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women....condemned the planned ad as "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning."

"That's not being respectful of other people's lives,"......"It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's."

Q: What do all these quotes have in common?

A: They were made by people who haven't seen the advertisement, as far as I can tell.

[Tedesco]

I would only take issue with the spot due to Focus On The Family's involvement. I've got no problem with the message. Do I think that airing it on the Super Bowl is a bit much? Sure, but if you've got the cash to get your message across on one of the biggest nights of television, so be it.

[Tedesco]

Originally Posted by osu99jp

Q: What do all these quotes have in common?

A: They were made by people who haven't seen the advertisement, as far as I can tell.

There would not be as much commotion if it were not funded by such an extreme group.

[osu99jp]

Much ado about nothing. I hope the outspoken critics of this ad who never saw it feel silly now, but I'm positive they don't.

[Franny]

Originally Posted by osu99jp

Much ado about nothing. I hope the outspoken critics of this ad who never saw it feel silly now, but I'm positive they don't.

The ad should be banned. It promotes domestic violence.

[V3n0M]

We were just pissed how un-funny it was! There were a couple of funny commercials in a row, then this woman goes on about how her kid almost died - total bummer!! Then she gets tackled, and we're like "YAY!"...

...then she got up and started talking again

[Franny]

Originally Posted by V3n0M

We were just pissed how un-funny it was! There were a couple of funny commercials in a row, then this woman goes on about how her kid almost died - total bummer!! Then she gets tackled, and we're like "YAY!"...

...then she got up and started talking again

It was just cheesy. They tried to be funny but failed miserably. What kind of person is motivated to go and read about the birth of Tim Tebow after seeing that?


For the record - I am not a Tim Tebow Hata

[osu99jp]

I guess I was right - they don't feel silly. In fact, they are angrier now than they were before they saw the ad.

NOW president Terry O'Neill said it glorified violence against women. "I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she said. "That's what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don't find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself."

[V3n0M]

Rhetorical questions:

Did they say anything about the "Go Daddy" commercials treating women unfairly?

There was a Doritos commercial that showed a man being slapped across the face by a child. Did they say anything about Domestic Violence for that one?

[osu99jp]

Originally Posted by V3n0M

Rhetorical questions:

Did they say anything about the "Go Daddy" commercials treating women unfairly?

There was a Doritos commercial that showed a man being slapped across the face by a child. Did they say anything about Domestic Violence for that one?

Not to mention Betty White being piledriven into the sloppy mud by a tackle that would make Rey Maualuga proud. I'm baffled by NOW's selective criticism of violence against women in advertisements. Why would the Tebow one upset them but not the Betty White one? Hmmm.......

[V3n0M]

Originally Posted by osu99jp

Not to mention Betty White being piledriven into the sloppy mud by a tackle that would make Rey Maualuga proud. I'm baffled by NOW's selective criticism of violence against women in advertisements. Why would the Tebow one upset them but not the Betty White one? Hmmm.......

Good call.. I forgot that one! Tebow could never hit that hard!