Today's NY Times story about CBS' double standard, in its policy towards who they are willing to accept ridiculous sums of money for a :30 second commercial that few people remember after they air Superbowl Sunday, is a great piece. [For those not in the 'know' during Sunday's telecast of the Super Bowl, CBS will air an anti-abortion 'message' from Focus on the Family featuring former Heisman Trophy winner and soon to be NFL starting Quarterback Tim Tebow. The network, which said it had expanded it's policies on the types of ads it normally airs due to the tough economic times, rejected an ad from ManCrunch, a gay dating web site]
The article features an interview with New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita, an articulate football player (there goes that stigma), who has in the past spoken up for gay rights. More important than Fujita's stand for gay rights is the fact that he understands the message Focus on Family is trying to showcase in its ad.
Fujita's birth mother was a teenager when she got pregnant. She carried him to term then gave him up for adoption. He goes on to say in the article that he is gratefully she had the courage and support system to grant him life. What's not to understand about that? Could you imagine if every young woman who got pregnant had that kind of support?
It's a great piece because of its subject — Fajita, an incredibly good looking married man of two [DAMN!]. The highlight of the story, for me, is a quote from Fajita, "It’s not that courageous to have an opinion if you think it’s the right thing and you believe it wholeheartedly.” He is absolutely right. If more people thought like him — gay and straight — our country would look a lot better to me than it does right now.
I say this, because by not accepting the ManCrunch ad, CBS steps to the front of the line of all those who are openly and seemingly happy to discriminate against an entire class of citizens. And I just don't understand how this continues to be allowed in this day and age.
This has nothing to do with my stance on abortion. For the record, I consider myself to be a pro-choice individual — though I am not in favor of abortions. In fact, it saddens me and makes me angry that a man and woman (let's be honest, it still takes 2 to make a baby) can be careless enough in this day to make a 'mistake.'
However, by law women are allowed to make this 'mistake' and quite frankly that's what I agree with. Irresponsible or not, no one should have the right to tell ANYBODY what they can/can not do with their body. And unlike those who call themselves 'Pro-Life" I know full well that abortions aren't only about women who become pregnant by accident.
The law protects all women who become pregnant, and at the end of the day, I just don't understand how people think it's a good idea to force women back into getting secret abortions or even worse, performing them on their own with a wire hanger — because failing short of locking up every pregnant woman until she gives birth, that would be the result of over turning Roe v. Wade.
Back on point, CBS had no real justification for their rejection of the ManCrunch ad other than to say that the ad didn't live up to its 'Standards and Practices department.' Which I guess means two men fake kissing while watching football is more offensive to them than a scantily dressed female pushing "Go-Daddy.com." I'm just guessing of course.
What's sad is the ad really isn't all that good. In fact I find it to be pretty stupid, except for the ending which is mildly funny. (Chick here to view the ad) But I digress.
"By and large…", Fajita says in the article, "…[NFL] players are more tolerant than they get credit for. It’s not a big issue. Some guys will think you are crazy for believing one way, but they’ll still accept you.”
Makes you wonder…if the majority of the largest "manliest men" in our country can feel that way, why can't the rest of it?
Repartee Room 
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