The Right to Speak His Mind
Posted at 6:24 am on January 27, 2010 by Farrah
Admittedly, I may not be a very unbiased commenter on this topic. I am a huge Florida Gators fan and an even bigger Tim Tebow fan. So I guess you should the rest of this post with a small grain of salt. But just a small one.
It has been reported that the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family has paid over 2 million dollars for a 30second ad to run during the Super Bowl on February 7th on CBS. The ad is to feature Tim Tebow and his mom Pam talking about the value of choosing life and the importance of celebrating family. Tim and his mom have a very cool story about when she was pregnant with him in 1987 and was encouraged to abort due to some health concerns. She chose to carry her baby to term and now her “baby” is one of the most well-known and loved college football players of all time and a remarkable man over-all (see, grain of salt). I am personally excited to see the ad just because I can’t get enough of my Timmy. But more than that, I think it is admirable that Tebow would stand up for his personal beliefs, controversial or not, on such a national stage.
But not all are excited about Timmy’s Super Bowl debut. A national coalition of women’s groups is petitioning CBS to 
pull the ad from the lineup on Feb 7th., claiming the ad is divisive and out of line. CBS has responded to the protest by saying they have screened the ad and have deemed it appropriate and “responsibly produced” and they have no intention of pulling it.
You may agree with what Tebow and his mom have to say in the pro-family ad or not, but that is not really the point. They have the right to say it. If they are paying for the time and being responsible in the way they are conveying their message, I don’t understand where the conflict is. In my opinion, it would be insensitive of anyone to attack people with opposing viewpoints or create an ad that is overly political or controversial. And obviously I haven’t seen this ad yet, but that doesn’t fit with what I know of Tim Tebow. But no matter the level of controversy, I admire them for standing up for what they believe even in the face of serious national opposition. And truthfully, I think it is a bit hypocritical of women’s groups to condemn Pam Tebow for speaking out about something she feels strongly about- her own heartfelt opinions and values. Isn’t that what they are doing? Aren’t they all about standing up for the rights of women to have their own say and be treated equally and respectfully on all platforms? If others want to create a tasteful and appropriate ad about the value of the right to choose or any other topic, that is also their right.
This protest is really just creating more media-buzz around the ad and will make more people wait to see it and maybe put down their beer or chicken wing for just a second to see what all the fuss is about. You may love Tim Tebow or hate him, you may agree with his values or not. But it is not our place to decide what he is and is not allowed to say.
I am not trying to be controversial either. My own opinions on Timmy or his ad don’t really matter all that much. I just would love to see where my fellow Dupage Mamas stand on this issue. Do you think the ad should air? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I had a feeling this story might get a post out of you.
I think his story sounds great, and I hope it airs. But the reason why its stirring up so much passion is because CBS has a policy that it won’t show “issue” commercials during the Super Bowl, and there have been a lot of organizations similar to Focus who have tried to buy value-laden “issue” ads and were not allowed to do so. CBS has even had to reword their policy in light of the complaints. So I understand why some might be upset, not due to beliefs about abortion but values of fairness and equity.
You are absolutely right – I don’t watch the Super Bowl but I’m tempted to tune in just to see this commercial.
I know that is part of it but that is not the whole story. These womens’ groups are upset about the content and not just the fact that it isn’t a commercial for beer. I also think that CBS probably was a little more willing to air this particular “value-ad” since Timmy is such a beloved football personality who brings attention and ratings wherever he goes. His heart is right in this though. I can’t wait to see it!