Tim Tebow Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Sparks Controversy

(HMG) – Whatever happened to the days when the hugely expensive Super Bowl commercials were highly anticipated  for their  sponsors attempts to debut adverts that amused and wowed their huge captive audience?  Seems like instead of anticipating which beer commercial will be the funniest, were about to be bombarded with highly charged social issue messages.  One that is getting a lot of press features Heisman trophy QB Tim Tebow and his mother Pam that is likely to air during Super Bowl XLIV.  Tebow who took his team to two national championships and will become a NFL pro next season has proudly displayed his Christian faith, via Bible passages written on his eye black during Florida football games.    Now he’s about to become the poster child for pro-lifer’s based on the theme “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”  The commercial is expected to focus on Pam Tebow’s 1987 pregnancy, during which time she fell ill with amoebic dysentery in the Philippines, while she was working as a missionary.  According to reports she was treated with strong antibiotics, which she says doctors told her had caused fetal damage, and recommended that she abort the pregnancy.  But of course she chose to go through with the birth of her son Tim, and he grew up to be a great young man.

The Christian conservative group Focus on the Family run by it’s controversial founder James Dobson, paid for the spot.  Despite protests from women’s groups, and attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented a roster of famous clients the ad is expected to air during the Super Bowl on CBS.  Because abortion under any circumstance has been illegal in the majority Catholic country of the Philippines since 1930 and is punishable by a six-year prison term, Allred says she finds it hard to believe that doctors would have recommended the procedure.  Not to mention that women who receive abortions in the Philippines, no matter the reason , may be punished with imprisonment for two to six years. She claims she will lodge a complaint with the FCC and FTC “if this ad airs and fails to disclose that abortions were illegal at the time Ms. Tebow made her choice,” according to RadarOnline.

According to Entertainment Weekly, CBS has however decided not to air an advertisement from gay dating website ManCrunch.com during Feb. 7′s Super Bowl XLIV.

“After reviewing the ad — which is entirely commercial in nature — our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot,” a network rep said in a statement. “As always, we are open to working with the client on alternative submissions.”

The ad depicts two football-watching men sharing a passionate kiss after their hands touch while reaching into a bowl of potato chips.

A rep for ManCrunch.com also confirmed the rejection and called the refusal to air the spot hypocritical. “We are totally of the opinion the ad was rejected due to the homosexual content,” spokeswoman Elissa Buchtertold EW. She added, “The creative is PG-rated and doesn’t feature any tongue or overt sexuality.”