We all know that millions of people watch the Super Bowl solely for the commercials; it is arguably the one televised event in which the commercials are more highly anticipated and critiqued than the program itself.
So this Sunday when those viewers tune into CBS for Super Bowl XLIV, the country’s most-watched annual television event, some may be surprised to see the station breaking one of their long-standing advertising rules.
Despite an anti-advocacy ad rule CBS has enforced in the past, the nearly 100 million people viewing the Super Bowl will subjected to the conservative anti-choice agenda of the group Focus on the Family.
In 2004, CBS rejected an advertisement that criticized then-President Bush’s fiscal irresponsibility from MoveOn.org. That same year, an advertisement from the United Church of Christ was rejected for depicting their church accepting a gay couple that had been rejected from other churches.
And this year, an advertisement from ManCrunch.com, a gay dating site, was rejected by CBS. The network cited financial reasons as part of its explanation as to why the ad was turned away.
“After reviewing the ad, which is entirely commercial in nature, our standards and practices department decided not to accept this particular spot,” CBS spokeswoman Shannon Jacobs told CNNMoney.com. “We are always open to working with a client on alternative submissions.”
However, Elissa Butcher, a spokeswoman from ManCrunch.com, believes there is another reason the ad was not accepted.
“It's straight-up discrimination,” Butcher said.
Progressive advertisements are being rejected while Focus on the Family is allowed to promote their anti-choice views under the guise of “family-help.” Clearly the anti-advocacy rule doesn’t apply here.
The 30-second spot purchased by the Colorado Springs based organization will feature Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, sharing a story themed, “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”
In a press release from Focus on the Family, Jim Daly, president and CEO of the organization, said “families need to be inspired” and that Tim and Pam’s “story is such an important one for our culture to hear.”
At least two petitions have been started since the Jan. 15 announcement that Focus on the Family would be airing a Super Bowl ad: One by EMILY’s List, an organization that works to build a progressive America by working to elect Democratic, pro-choice women into office, and another by CREDO Action from Working Assets.
Both Web sites point out CBS’s hypocritical actions in deciding to air one controversial advocacy ad and not others.
Visit emilyslist.org and www.credoaction.com to sign the petitions and urge CBS to reject the anti-abortion ad from Focus on the Family and stick to their own advertising policy.
Taylor may be reached at opinion@su-spectator.com.
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