Even from Rome I watched the Superbowl (until the third quarter when I went home because it was like 3 am Rome time). HOORAY, SAINTS! Unfortunately for me, ESPN was playing. So, I did not get to benefit from the commercials. Even as non-controversial as they ended up, it would have been nice to see them airing in real time.
However, upon researching some of the commercials via YouTube, I smiled to discover THREE pro-life ads: Tim Tebow, Dove and Google.
In regards to the Tebow ad, everyone recognizes how absurd Terry O’Neil, president of the National Organization for Women, sounds saying, “I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it. 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.” Focus on the Family had a quiet but appropriate approach; O’Neil needs a better complaint.
In regards to the Dove commercial, it’s simultaneously splendid and strange that a soap company recognizes at what stage life begins—conception!—when our own President cannot.
And, lastly, in regards to the Google ad, I am unashamed to admit that this ad tapped into my most girly of emotions, leaving me looking up tickets to Paris and thinking: that’s too cute!!
But, maybe there is something else there that makes the ad so appealing? As Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman writes in a post explaining the ad’s pro-life nature, “the Google ad is borne of a society that is tired of pushing the morality envelope… Boys and girls will fall in love, get married, and have a baby, which is the way God designed it.”
He is entirely correct; the Google ad subtly points to a natural order, something modernity loves ignoring and rearranging. Don’t misunderstand, it isn’t that marriage and babies are the only way to live out one’s calling, just that such familial service is the normal vocation. The connection of marriage yielding families, specifically families with babies, was phenomenally subtle in the ad, but infinitely strong.
Now, I feel like I should Google something in honor of their stellar ad.
& if yr still interested...
to read Catherine's related post about the Tebow ad, click here.
to read Jill Stanek's related post about the Dove & Google ads, click here.
to read Bryan Kemper's related post about the commercials and feminist backlash, click here.
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Liz! This post makes me happy! I love babies and I think that they should all live. And I agree with the part where you said that the modern world likes to play with the natural order of life.I feel like people are almost getting bored with "boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love" they think they need to mix it up. But thats just my opinion...Hope Rome is amazing! Go to Florence and look at the Baptistery doors! We are learning about them in art history and i think they are too cool!
ReplyDeleteinsightful post. nice job.
ReplyDeleteliz, this is a FAB post, and i LOVE love LOVE the google ad! (as well as all the other ones!) thank you for being awesomely pro-life. i especially like when you said "familial service is the normal vocation." right onnn!
ReplyDelete-catherine!
I'm so glad you follow Bryan Kemper! :]
ReplyDeleteI got to work with Stand True for March for Life, and finally hearing Bryan speak was so good! :]
I fail to see how that Dove life is pro-life. You're making a bit of a stretch there.
ReplyDeleteLiz, this post is sweet! Thanks for sharing these ads with us :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, in response to the previous post, I don't think she's making a stretch at all... The whole pro-choice position is hinged on the contention that we can't know when life begins, and thus abortion is permissible (Though, even if it were true that we couldn't know this fact, this would still be a faulty argument). But the truth is, when human life begins is not a theory or opinion- it's a proven, uncontroversial, scientific fact. Dove showing this fact in their commercial is consistent with the pro-life position that life begins at conception and makes any other theory about the matter look inaccurate.