CBS Urged to Scrap Super Bowl Ad With Tebow, Mom

NYTimes ^ | January 25, 2010

[Steelfish]

CBS Urged to Scrap Super Bowl Ad With Tebow, Mom

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: January 25, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) -- 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 Jehmu 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.'' 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.''

[franky8]

Amazing!

For those who don't see late night TV ads they outwardly promote adultery and promiscuity and I' I am sad to say Fox is a perpetrator

[CRBDeuce]

she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim

As a Georgia Bulldog fan, I endorse this message. I'll further endorse any message that suggests that the recommendation ignored by one Stanley Dunham to abort her first child in Kenya was obviously correct and hereby demand reparations.

[WOBBLY BOB]

I wonder if these same “women’s groups” complained to CBS as loudly about Letterman’s behavior toward women who were his subordinates?

[AUJenn]

Nope, they are silent. I am very much pro-life and see absolutely nothing wrong with Tebow’s commercial.

However, if they are so concerned about this message, why don’t they run their own opposing commercial? Buy their own time, create their own commercial (but I’d imagine it would be hard to have a good ole’ pro-choice commercial.) These groups have plenty of money to do so.

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

I would like to see ads for cialis and viagra pulled from all of televised sports. They are truly offensive ads.

“If you suffer from four hour erections” blah, blah, blah. But don't try to show an ad sticking up for life and real hope.

I'm not surprised at this though!

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

Tell me about it! And what the hell is with the bath tubs anyway?

[Steelfish]

Agree- regardless of any other ads these need to be pulled. It’s terribly offensive given that kids will be watching as well. I think this whole genre of ads should be confined to the 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. period.

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

Don’t get between a Commie Socialist and their genocide, they don’t like it when you do that.

Let’s face it, the abortion industry is their new holocaust. They want you to sit down and shut up and not spoil their good time.

I am originally from North Jersey and have many, many terms that I can use to describe them.

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

I think that we are going to have to start putting a lot of pressure on these stations before they budge on these gross ads. A mass protest would do the trick!

[teletech]

Probably the ONLY reason See BS won’t scrap this ad, is THEY NEED THE MONEY!

[EDINVA]

Somehow I suspect there are more ardent pro-life Christians than pro-abortion feminists who watch Super Bowl, and a large number of them WOULD boycott the game. I would join them.

[fhayek]

"Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life."

What a disgusting, divisive message.

[Melas]

Wow, that’s unusually harsh. Almost every woman over the age of 50 technically has a barren uterus, but I find pointing it out, somehow less than kind.

[wardaddy]

I’m pretty harsh when it comes to the proponents of abortion.

To me they are evidence the Devil does walk this land.

My point was most pro-abortion women don’t have kids anyhow..they are either too ugly or self obsessed.

[wmfights]

The Tebows are long standing members of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville FL

They sure do walk the talk.

[Talisker]

''That's not being respectful of other people's lives,'' Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, said. ''It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's.''

Ah, the logic of feminist totalitarianism: Opinions about superior ways of living are offensive and so must be suppressed, because suppressing the expression of those opinions is a superior way of living.

[SusaninOhio]

It’s funny how the left can’t bear to listen to a true story, but will stand in line in vile weather throughout the night to listen to Obama lie to them.

I guess it makes sense if you are a lib!

[rcrngroup]

“43% of the women in this country have had an abortion”

Is that statistic for real? I find that hard to believe in this day & age.

I don't know if its real or not, but my understanding is that there have been an ESTIMATED 55 million abortions in America alone, since Roe vs Wade in 1973. So the statistic of 43% does not sound unreasonable.

[Popman]

Summary: It is estimated here that, as of 2008, about 28% of U.S. women ages 15-64 have had abortions. This figure has risen from 2.8% in 1973 to 11% in 1980, 19% in 1987, 24% in 1994, and 27% in 2001. In 2008, of women ages 40-55, about 40% have had abortions in their lifetimes.

Link

[Popman]

Summary: It is estimated here that, as of 2008, about 28% of U.S. women ages 15-64 have had abortions. This figure has risen from 2.8% in 1973 to 11% in 1980, 19% in 1987, 24% in 1994, and 27% in 2001. In 2008, of women ages 40-55, about 40% have had abortions in their lifetimes.

Link