Focus on the Family Gets Super Bowl Ad

MoveOn.org couldn’t do it. PETA couldn’t do it. But Focus on the Family has been given a green light to air a commercial during the Super Bowl.

Focus on the Family is known for taking a pro-life stance and valuing marriage as an institution for opposite-sex couples.

…

Its Super Bowl commercial is not polarizing and does not take an “anti” stance against any issue, according to a person familiar with the situation. The organization’s ad will feature college football star Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, sharing a personal story centered on the theme of “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” according to a news release from Focus on the Family.

So why is this commercial allowed to get on the air when left-wing groups’ ads were blocked?

Isn’t this commercial pushing a pro-life (i.e. political) agenda?

Yes, but in order to pass the filters, it will likely have to be so un-controversial that it won’t even mention Jesus or Christianity or abortion or “pro-life” or any of the hot button words that would get anyone to notice it. Certainly, FotF will stay away from any of their usual buzzwords (i.e. homosexuality, gays, homogays, etc).

If a website is mentioned, I doubt it’ll lead to Focus on the Family; instead, it’ll point to something vague and inconspicuous like CelebrateFamily.com. It’s a message that’ll go over the heads of most of the millions of viewers.

If it does play on the key words, that just gives liberal groups ammo to use the next time they want to air a Super Bowl commercial. CBS will have to answer for their decision.

Consider this as well: What is the FotF commercial was followed by a Doritos commercial featuring a farting monkey? We’d forget all about the pro-life commercial…

I’m actually in favor of this commercial airing.

Focus on the Family is already on a downward spiral in terms of fundraising — they laid off 8% of their staff just a few months ago — but they still want to pay at least $2,500,000 for a 30-second commercial?

Granted the money for the ad is coming from “unnamed individuals” specifically for this purpose, I suspect that’s still a hard sell to make when your stances are becoming unpopular with each generation. A bland Super Bowl ad hardly seems worth the money, especially when it could be going to so many other places where it could make a real difference.

So, let them do it. Give them enough rope.

More money spent on an innocuous commercial means less money spent on gay-bashing.

Ideally, all the hype for this ad will come before the commercial airs and Focus on the Family will have little to show for it the day after.

(Thanks to Kate for the link)

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Jonas

So will this ad be on YouTube when the time comes? Inquiring non-sports fan minds want to know.
Jeff P

I was thankful that I didn’t have to see any bible verses under anyone’s eyes in the college football championship game. I guess I won’t be so fortunate for the super bowl. Even if he doesn’t wear them, he is “mister bible verse under his eyes”.
.-= Jeff P´s last blog ..Atheism described with Venn diagrams =-.
cj

this is just gross allocation of 2.5 million dollars at a time when that sort of money could be a huge help to some other worthy cause.

*cough* haiti *cough*
.-= cj´s last blog ..01.21.2010 – Time: The Most Important Thing =-.
James

I dunno. I think it would be badass if a player had Mal. 2:3 on their eyeblack.
Leilani

Godness, couldn’t they have sent that money to Haiti, or cancer research, or college scholarships?

I guess when you have silly beliefs you spend your money on silly things.
.-= Leilani´s last blog ..Losing my Religion =-.
littlejohn

Let’s see… pro-family isn’t code for anti-gay. Pro-life isn’t code for anti-abortion. All righty then.
I’m pro-firewood made from existing churches. Can I buy an ad?
Stroodle

If the NFL picked them, it’s obviously because it makes them more money. Not because they have any type of affiliation.
Shannon

I don’t know the story behind the Moveon commerical, but I saw the PETA ads on youtube and totally understand why they weren’t shown.

As much as I dislike this group, I don’t see the big deal in them being allowed a commercial as long as they follow the rules and guidelines.
Mouse

It just so happens that I was looking at some of the propaganda for “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” specifically for the anti-gay side of things. There was a page about what their supporters should pray for in terms of gay marriage, including that the judges make their decisions based on the merits of the case and not their personal biases. My wife’s response was, “When did they start rooting for us?”
Saganist

Is it possible for Tim Tebow to be on TV without talking about Jesus? I’m curious to see him try.
Jen

I kind of hope it airs and is stupid and irritating, to remind people how stupid and irritating it is to try to control women’s bodies. Then people will remember this intrusion in the voting booth.
Bill

Just wait until God hears about this!!!
Isabel Santos

Wise words, lady.
May I borrow them ?
They’re just perfect.
Richard P

Maybe it will be an apology for being stupid? one could always hope….
Mike Clawson

This is complete and utter hypocrisy on CBS’s part, especially considering that they refused to air an ad by the United Church of Christ five years ago because it was welcoming to gays.
manyhats

The $3 mil for the ad came from a single donor who donated it specifically for the purpose of running this ad. What I read didn’t name the donor but my money is on S. Truett Cathy, one of their biggest supporters, and the founder/owner of Chick-fil-a. You all are boycotting Chick-fil-a with me, aren’t you?

The donation was made prior to the earthquake so it’s unfair to blame the donor for misspent money, and Focus on the Family can’t use it for anything else according to the terms of the donation, so it’s also unfair to criticize them for that. That said, it does seem a little lopsided that our bus ads create such an uproar but this ad doesn’t, except among us.

BTW, I’m still upset that Tebow wasn’t checked for using his position at a state funded school, and the media exposure it afforded him, to advance his religious agenda, but then as a member of a (non)religious minority I’m a little sensitive to cracks in the wall between church and state. Mostly though I just feel sorry for him. He seems like a good kid with good fundamental values (compassion, honesty, etc.) and he’s working real hard to meet the ideal presented by those around him. How much blame for that ideal being utter crap accrues to him and how much to his parents etc.
Lagunatic

I’d like FOTF to focus on my assssstute observations about what makes a good family work.
Alicia

Tim’s the right to do commercial. The commercial and Tim’s ad will entertain lol. I can’t wait for February, I got ma tix from Ticketsinventory.com and I know tht I did the right choice. It’s no better to politicize things, we’re waiting for games not for commercials.