Tim Tebow, Super Bowl, Prior Restraint Didn’t Work – Now What?
The Tebow Family Tackles (sorry I couldn’t help it) the Super Bowl
In spite of all the snarling, whining, and threatening, CBS aired the ad sponsored by Focus on the Family featuring Pam (mother) and Tim (son) Tebow. Pam Tebow talked about her “miracle baby,” how hard it was, and how she still worried about “little Timmy.” She also assured Tim that he wasn’t as tough as her. There were two versions: one with and one without a tackle.
To be honest, I pretty much missed the ad while I was talking and had to miss another ad to run to my computer to replay it. Why did I miss it? I think it was because a) it was early in the game; and b) it looked like a typical Super Bowl ad – not a stark, bleak, political advocacy ad. It wasn’t until the tackle that I realized that I was missing the ad — talking about it instead of watching it.
My first reaction: It was cute, funny, charming. Focus on the Family deserves credit. Their ad’s purpose was to get you to their website – just like every other ad’s purpose. It was clear this was a special loving family.
Did I say funny? There’s an old comedic form called slapstick. Slapstick is all about pies in the face, tripping, falling, Niagara Falls (“slowly I turned”), The Three Stooges, and – in this case – an unreal looking tackle of an unscathed mom which didn’t topple or do violence. It brought to mind Tim growing up racing throughout the house playfully tackling everything – the dog, cushions, siblings, maybe even stuffed animals. (Do football players like stuffed animals?). There was also a “sans tackle” version in the pre-game show.
Most – if not all – humor can be an offense – if you’re looking.
It looked like the snarling might abate. NOT! Terry O’Neill, the president of NOW, is still at it. She has zeroed in on the tackle. “I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” she said. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.” Apparently, Ms. O’Neill didn’t perceive anything “slapstick” about it.Wow! This defies the entire context of the ad as well as ignoring what it really was – slapstick. By the way, it was not – by any means — the only ad using slapstick or exaggeration. Another “pro-choice” leader characterized this assertion as “absurd” – as it certainly was.j
So for all you sensitive, humorless types, here’s the no-tackle version. To be honest, I think it was more effective (but then less in tune with the rest of the Super Bowl commercials).
One of the things that is abundantly clear is that Focus on the Family took the high road on this. Since they seemed to take the high road, let’s keep that tone. Speaking of tone, compare the tone of the comments – pre- and post- — about this Super Bowl ad to the tone of the ad itself.
If you want to be humorless, most of the ads had the potential to offend someone. Possible objections: All men seemed to be emasculated boobs, All boobs seemed to have “Go Daddy” written on them. Is there a hidden meaning there? Animals were exploited. Women were beyond mere objectified symbols. One women was even ejected out of a car. There’s plenty to analyze and be offended over.
By the way, it is likely that if ManCrunch had taken a little more of a “high road” about gay dating, they would have made it (as long as that credit report didn’t prevent it).
Is there a lesson? Yes, censorship in almost any direction is neither appropriate nor even needed. Don’t ASSUME commercial content based on your feelings toward the sponsor or what you think the sponsor stands for. For surely, in this case especially, if you assume, you make an ass out of you and me!
–Joe Johnston Sr.
Tags: Bowl, CBS, didn, Don, family, Focus, Focus on the Family, football players, Joe Johnston Sr., little timmy, loving family, miracle baby, Ms. O, Neill, Niagara Falls, o neill, Pam, Pam Tebow, pies in the face, political advocacy, pre game show, quot, road, Slapstick, Super, Terry, three stooges, Tim, Timmy, tone, violence, violence against women
Filed under: Rants About the News
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