Sound Off on Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad Controversy

Tim Tebow vs. Pro-Choice and Feminists

Considerable controversy surrounded a commercial played during the Super Bowl staring Tim Tebow and his mother Pam. The commercial tells the story of Mrs. Tebow’s troubled pregnancy with Tim. You can view the commercial here:

Although the back-story isn’t discussed in the commercial, the gist is she contracted amoebis dysentery and the medicines used to treat her for recovery threatened her unborn fetus. Doctors advised her to abort the fetus. She decided against it and had Tim. Although the commercial never said anything about being pro-choice, the commercial was paid for by Focus on the Family, a Christian conservative group.

Before the Super Bowl, the ad received resistance from a coalition of woman’s groups asking CBS not to air the ad.

“This campaign is about holding CBS and the NFL and the other Super Bowl advertisers accountable, said Jehmu Greene, president of the Women’s Media Center, “for inserting an exceedingly controversial issue into a place where we all hope Americans will be united, not divided, in terms of watching America’s most-watched sporting event.”

Notice that Ms. Greene spoke about CBS’s advertising policy, instead of her views about abortion.

A few days before the big game, I was listening to real radio 104.1 and a heated woman called in opining against airing the commercial because it gave women a false hope when considering an abortion. Not all children will grow up to be Tim Tebow. She also said some women aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions concerning abortion and should let others make it for them.

In response to Tim Tebow’s commercial, Planned Parenthood played a commercial before the Super Bowl promoting and respecting a women’s choice. Football player Sean James and gold medal winner Al Joyner were featured in the ad. It can be seen here:

After the Super Bowl, the controversy continued. Terry O’Neil, the CEO of NOW, the National Organization for Women, said the commercial promoted violence on women. If you didn’t watch the ad, the violence O’Neil refers to is in the middle when Tim tackled his mother.

“I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s was 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.”

Women’s domestic abuse is a serious issue and what’s disappointing about this quote by Ms. O’Neil is it delegitimizes domestic abuse. Comparing domestic violence to Tim Tebow fake tackling his mother, then laughing and hugging her, makes the issue seem silly. Ms. O’Neil’s statement makes NOW, as an organization, lose credibility.

Is this commercial a real threat to making women’s abuse more accepting? And why didn’t NOW say anything about the Doritos commercial when the old lady was tackled?

Sifting through all the fuss, perhaps Tim Tebow said it best, “I know some people won’t agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe. I’ve always been very convicted of [his views on abortion] because that’s the reason I’m here, because my mom was a very courageous woman.”

What do you think about Tim Tebow’s commercial? Add your thoughts below.