Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Super Commercials

The Super Bowl is right around the corner and that means fantastic commercials.Or maybe some really controversial ones? 

Apparently, the ad will feature Tim Tebow's mother who will relate her experience of being advised to have an abortion, refusing, and giving birth to Tim Tebow, football player extraordinaire (I really don't know much about football so I'm taking this at face value). 

So firstly, the commercial's position itself is a pretty bad one.  Just because Tim Tebow's mother gave birth to Tim Tebow, doesn't mean that a person should or should not have an abotion, because it is just as likely that Tim Tebow's mother could have given birth to the next Osama Bin Laden or Adolf Hitler.  Sure I can be happy, as Tim is, that I was not aborted, but if I were aborted, would I be unhappy that I was aborted?  Or another way to put it, would I be any unhappier than the billions of possible other children that didn't get conceived and gestated to term?  (I recognize that there is a difference here between an actual conceived being and potentially conceived beings here.)

Secondly, I find it rather troubling that anyone thinks that a complicated issue such as abortion can easily be summed up in a 30-60 seconds.  But unfortunately that what this ad and the inevitable rebuttal commercials will be trying to do.  Discourse through commercials is like discourse through bumper stickers, it can be done only at the most superficial of levels, making people think less about he very hefty issues that they are considering.

Finally, I don't want to come off sounding like I'm against people's freedom of expression here.  I'm fully behind their right to speak their mind and share their arguments.  I'm actually looking forward to the commercial, even though I'm fully pro-choice.  But is the Super Bowl really the platform that people should be using to communicate such touchy issues such as abortion?  Not too long ago, there was a huge hubub over Janet Jackson and a certain performance that she exhibited during half-time.  Now although, I don't think seeing Janet Jackson's nipple harmed anyone in any way, I don't think it was terribly appropriate either, since, as many people pointed out, the Super Bowl is a family event.  I know my neighbors' children will be watching it.  Should we be putting conversation starters like this in the Super Bowl? 

2 comments:

  1. well, first and most important, the fact that you are blogging about a topic that people seem to ignored/ not take it serious, is very interesting to me. is the super the right time to talk about it???? i cant answer that question, the NFL seems to thinks so. just the fact that the commercial will be air for millions has Lot to say. ?? thank you. every body has the right to their own opinion, i understand your pro choice or whatever, but the bottom like is that we live in a society that tolerate Lot... ignorance is power in the eye of the beholder

     

    "Secondly, I find it rather troubling that anyone thinks that a complicated issue such as abortion can easily be summed up in a 30-60 seconds." may b those thirty seconds will change someones live... who know right?... i know it wont change mine.some people aren't lucky enough to b raise with caring parent an television is the only guides they have at this point. remember the NFL must think is important for allowing this ad on TV..."

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  2. I don't think people are ignoring it... the commercial hasn't even aired yet, and its already made the news. The NFL doesn't have control over what commercials are being aired.... the Network does... (CBS? NBC? I don't know which network is airing the Superbowl).

    Ignorance is power in the eye of the beholder.... What exactly does that mean?

    Sure it might change someone's life... But do we want to have people make life changing decisions based on only a superficial understanding of something? And I'm pretty sure that the network really couldn't care less about the content of the ad, so long as they get paid. There are tons of very deceptive commercials out there that get aired all the time, because they paid for the commercial time.

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