CBS Urged to Pull Tebow Anti-Abortion Superbowl Ad

Not really related at all, but thanks for trying to cross-breed threads.

 

Wow. That is some epic pwnage of StupidMoniker by Sam. The true hypocrisy of the right-wing comes to light: they have no problem with messages being "censored"...as long as it's something with which they don't agree. Well done, sir.

 

Why is this an issue? CBS has deemed this to be bad for business. This happens pretty much all the time.

Personally, I feel like the abortion issue has no place in Super Bowl ads but if CBS ran the ad I wouldn't lose sleep over it. It makes me a bit sad that I'm not a high profile athlete so that I could run a pro-choice ad immediately after. :grin:

 

You know what, you (and by extension I) have convinced me. If CBS wants to pull the Tebow ad they should be allowed to. Furthermore, if these interest groups want to petition the corporation to have the add pulled, they should be allowed to do that as well. Focus on the Family should be able to find another outlet for their ad. I was initially thinking about it from a freedom of speech viewpoint in terms of the party trying to buy the ad time, but I didn't consider the party running the ad.

I blame insomnia and bias in favor of a pro-life ad. Insomnia for not thinking too deeply into the consequences of requiring a private entity to be a mouthpiece for whoever came along with a check. Pro-life bias for overriding whatever free speech concerns I might have had with the desire to get MY viewpoint heard. Ultimately, I would prefer CBS only put out the content I want out there, but that is hardly a realistic position. Damn my not being emperor of the world yet.

I am thus retreating to my 2004 position. CBS can (and should be able to) chose to run or not run whatever ads they want during the Super Bowl. They are a (mostly) private, for profit entity, not a public organ and should be run as such. As it sounds like they are going to run the ad, I am happy that a pro-life message is getting out there. If they chose to pull it, I think they will be making the wrong decision, but will be satisfied that it was their decision to make.

Thank you Sam, for pointing out my flip-flop and making me take another look at this issue. I really do appreciate it, and it was fun reading back on that earlier thread.

 

I have to listen to all this political bickering on a daily basis, whether it be at work or in line at the grocery store or on my favorite BBS.

At least give me football. I don't care which side the ad is on, I don't want to see either one. All I ask is one Sunday out of the year. Is that so hard?

 

^ CBS probably won't pull the ad if past practices are any indication.

If you read through to the end of the old thread, not only did they pull the moveon ad on the grounds it was an "issue ad" and prohibited according to their policy - they later aired one of Bush's issue ads on Medicare Part D (these days, something that would be called "Socialized Medicine"...heehee)

 

Really not trying to be difficult or whatever, but the above essay reads to me as if you are saying "yes they are biased, but that's ok because they have the right to be biased and I agree with their particular brand of bias."

That's all well and good, but it seems like a rather short-sighted and, frankly, unamerican attitude. IMHO

 

I thought we (you in particular) were talking about people being thin-skinned? Is there any better example than the conniptions over Rush's show?

 

Actually, I was pointing out MY bias in my original position of wanting CBS to be required to show the ad. Ultimately, some reflection (spurred by SamFisher's long memory for my posts, and desire to lay some "pwnage" on me) prevailed and convinced me that I should not be in favor of the government telling CBS what to air or not air. I hope that they CHOOSE to air the ad (because I agree with a pro-life message), but in retrospect don't think they should be forced to, just because FotF came up with the money.

 

Of course in your self-satisfied celebration you have failed to do three things:

1. Give StupidMoniker a chance to respond. Maybe he regrets the position taken all those years ago so it may not be hypocritical at all... just "progress."

2. Fail to recognize that the intent of the leader of that particular, shall we say, liberal organization quoted in the news story wishes to dis-allow the pro-Life commercial from Tebow--- which you are now criticizing StupidMonker for having done in similar fashion some six years ago....

3. Just admit that all of our criticisms are going to be slanted in favor of our own views. Don't expect neutrality... or at least criticize both sides. Nah, that's asking too much of any of us!

 

giddy, you don't understand what the clamor of Rush was all about. So it doesn't really count for you to assess whether or not people were thin skinned on that issue.

 

Yes I do.

 

When someone lies and makes up ludicrous sh@t without evidence, as Rush often does, people are allowed to get pissed and Limbaugh deserves almost all of the flaming he gets. That isn't an example of thin skin, that is an example of a troll trying to get attention and going as far as he has to in order to get it... so no amount of "thick skin" would work.

A commercial saying "Hey, please consider not having an abortion, it would make us very happy" isn't exactly inflammatory on a Limbaugh level. In fact, it's nowhere near it... especially considering they're paying to say it, while Limbaugh gets paid to do his troll act.

Besides, who is trying to "pull" or "censor" Limbaugh (at least on this BBS)? He's allowed to be a troll, just as much as we're allowed to blast him for trolling the airwaves. In CBS's case, people are actively trying to censor this commercial to a relatively tame message, THAT is thin-skin.

 

samfisher probably didn't remember your post, he probably just knew you were biased.

 

Acknowledged. My point was that CBS (as shown in the previous thread, and would be evidenced again here should they run the tebow add) is biased too - but you seem to be glossing over that:

Simply ignoring the bias and claiming they have the "right" to air whatever they want is akin to denial. Sure, it's convenient if you agree with their bias, but it's hardly conducive to addressing the fundamental issue of whether or not it's the "right" thing to do given the circumstances.

 

No win situation.

If they air it, there will be uproar.

If they pull it, there will be uproar.

In the future, maybe they just enact a general "no-politics" policy. But of course, money talks...

Best if we all just boycott the Superbowl.

 

Perhaps you do. You may have intentionally tried to demonstrate a lack of understanding for some reason.

 

I didn't remember anybody's post, I just remembered there was an incident/thread about this exact same issue with moveon and figured there would be some possibility for a 3 point reversals....lo and behold.

 

So what happens if CBS has room for 20 commercials (arbitrary number) during the Super Bowl, and they have 30 potential buyers of airtime?

Can't they just say, sorry, we chose to go with company X, Y, & Z instead?

Certainly there are some commercials that DON'T get picked up during the Super Bowl from Doritos or something simply because of lack of room... but no one goes around calling CBS anti-nacho chippists, right?