My favorite Super Bowl commercial ... sort of
By Todd Stadler · Tuesday, February 3, 2009 9:57pm
This post is all sorts of unusual for this blog, not least of which is the fact that I'm embedding a YouTube video that I didn't even make myself. And yet ... and yet, I think this video — a commercial that NBC elected not to show during the Super Bowl (or so I'm told) — is worth seeing.
I couldn't tell you thing one about CatholicVote.com or if I agree with anything else they do — given that I'm not Catholic, I'd bet that we have our differences.
But they've made a compelling video here, and I think it touches more on why I'm "pro-life" than most of the angry text being spilled out there.
Sure, it tugs at the heartstrings — I'm not ashamed to admit I cried when I saw it. And sure, I'm probably more sensitive right now than the average person when it comes to ultrasound images of children in the womb.
But beyond all that, I think the message is spot-on.
5 comments so far
1 Feb 05 '09 10:44am:
Wah replied:
"They could make the same video with Jeffrey Dahmer.
Anyway, I was always curious about the argument put forth in Freakonomics regarding the abortion debate.
The more common outcome, IMHO...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485620,00.html
And Obama was largely raised by his grandparents. At least according to his own book.
Hope this finds you well, and I enjoyed your 25 things.
-R"
2 Feb 06 '09 8:31am:
Todd replied:
"Odd. Someone made the same argument as you (Dahmer or other murderer) in another forum.
Anyhow, I think it misses the point of the ad, which is to counter the oft-heard argument that it's better to abort a child that would otherwise be born into a "low-quality" (so it's deemed) life, so as to prevent the child a life of hardship. Or any life at all, for that matter.
Sure, very very few children will grow up to be President, and only one grew up to be Obama, but isn't the point that it's a choice the child/person gets to make?
As to your link, there is nothing in that story that ties it to the specifics of this ad. If you get to use all newsworthy stories of murderers, then I will claim the right to use for my argument all the non-newsworthy rest of the population which, while far from perfect, goes about its life in a rather normal fashion that is certainly worth living.
I mean, really, you think that the "more common outcome" for a child (born into a broken home, as per the ad, or just in general, as per your link) is to murder someone?
All that said, thanks for your comment."
3 Feb 12 '09 5:27am:
Jarrett replied:
": Sure, very very few children will grow up to be President, and only one grew up to be Obama, but isn't the point that it's a choice the child/person gets to make?
I'd argue that a fetus is in no position to make any choices.
: I mean, really, you think that the "more common outcome" for a child (born into a broken home, as per the ad, or just in general, as per your link) is to murder someone?
Than to grow into someone with a first-rate, once-in-a-generation mind? Wholly so. Entirely. Without doubt.
The commercial freaked me out."
4 Feb 12 '09 8:30am:
Todd replied:
"Jarrett, you said, "I'd argue that a fetus is in no position to make any choices." Sure, but then neither is a newborn or six-month-old, but your argument wouldn't apply to them, I assume. The ability to make choices about life direction at that time is not the point.
And narrowing your comparison to a "once-in-a-generation mind" necessarily wins your argument, but then I'd counter that you should then only compare that to a "once-in-a-generation murderer". And then we'd be even, and left with a fairly pointless framework.
My point was that most people (even most people born to the circumstances described in the ad) will not grow up to be murderers. Nor will they grow up to be Obama-esque folks (although how Obama, while a fine orator and clearly intelligent fellow, came to be the singular example of humanity in this generation, I'm not sure). Most of them will grow up to be regular folks. Maybe losers, jerks, dorks, or whatever, but still deserving a chance to live."
5 Feb 12 '09 5:06pm:
Jarrett replied:
"(I have to go to work, so I hope this isn't too rushed.)
I was responding to two points specifically, but fair enough. (No animosity was intended, if it seemed there was.)
Thinking about it, here's my problem with the commercial. The President's mother was indeed a poor, single parent, but I feel leaving it at that is purposefully misleading. She herself was bright, had the privilege of an education, and was poor predominantly because of her vocation. This is seldom the case with most people who find themselves young, pregnant, and unwed (altho the timeline is suddenly sketchy - I think she was actually married at the time). She was also a devoted parent, something she was particularly gifted at and prepared for. (Obama himself owes his intellectual heft in large part to her insistence that he study, starting quite young, more than was taught in school, often early in the morning, every day.)
What I find odious in it is that the ad seems to say - albeit draped in the thin cloth of inspiration - that to abort a baby is to kill a future leader. Surely, that's possible. The kid could be the next Leonardo (DiCaprio) or Bach, the next Franklin or Rutherford, the next Darwin or Lincoln. But much more likely it won't be. Most likely, the kid will lead a difficult life, probably not end up terribly well educated, and almost certainly never find the riches hinted at there. And the mother will certainly face a tougher time of it, too, usually alone - one she can avoid by waiting until she( decides for herself that she)'s ready. Some people want kids one day, some never do - it's an option I'd prefer each woman has for herself.
It's okay to feel abortion is wrong, or a failing, or a tragedy. I have no issue with that. But the commercial seems weighted with a sense of judgment, of guilt, that seems unfair and impractical. (And primarily, I think, that's what I'm objecting to.)
But, hey, we're likely never going to agree on this and I'm not terribly thrilled with wedge-issue debates/discussions - which are rooted more in, and aimed at, our emotional centers, and often foment unimportant opposition.
(Note: There are many other cases/instances where abortions are chosen [eg, married and rich women have them, too], but I've limited this to the scope of the commercial.)"