Just one of those days....

[sigma7]

CBS has refused to run an ad by a liberal church promoting the acceptance of people regardless of sexual orientation because the network believes the ad is advocacy advertising.

The church also says the ad was banned on NBC.

The 30-second spot, run by the United Church of Christ, features two muscle-bound bouncers standing outside a church, selecting people who could attend service and those who could not. Among those kept out are two males who appear to be a couple. Written text then appears saying, in part, "Jesus didn't turn people away, neither do we."

Honestly? I knew things would get worse after the election, but I didn't think it'd happen less than a month afterwards.

Comments

[mystery-star.livejournal.com]

I join you in a hearty cup of AARGH.

Then again, there is another angle to this- you don't see ads for any OTHER religious denomination either. You don't see ads for Catholicism, Buddhism, or anything else. So while I agree with the idea that it's frustrating that messages of hate can get on the air while messages of acceptance and tolerance get sidelined, accepting that would open up a big can of worms too.

Then again, let's remember CBS is owned by Viacom, the corporation that wants you to think in lockstep, that cancelled Invader Zim, that has turned Nick, MTV, VH1, the Country Channel and etc into ONE NETWORK with exactly the same programming on each and every one...

It's just one more reason to boycott Viacom. What's on CBS worth watching nowadays, anyway? ;p

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Though I know I've seen ads for the Church of the Latter-Day Saints on more than one newscast, albeit not lately.... Maybe I'm wrong or maybe those're local ads or something....

There's just this whole transparency about it that angers me -- like when the Swift Boat Vets for "Truth" were trying to say their ads weren't election advertising and thus not covered by McCain-Feingold. *spit-take*

Viacom infuriates me, from the whole Zim-travesty to whatever the hell MTV is.... I find I'm missing extended cable less and less.

[motteditor.livejournal.com]

LDS advertises at least wherever I've been, so I assume they're national. I have to admit, I always thought the jingle they used in the one where the kids make pizza with the old woman (man?) from my childhood was really catchy.

[mystery-star.livejournal.com]

They kinda.. disguise them though, IIRC. They're not really obvious what they're about, and seem to promote more vague ideals overtly, like 'kindness', 'friendship', etc. That way the message is BROUGHT TO YOU BY the LDS, but it's not SELLING the LDS. It's a weird vaguery only possible in US media, but I believe the reason those get through is because of their non-politicized, non-offensive demeanors.

I could definitely see a combative edge to the UCC's ad...

This isn't to say I approve of the LDS trying to 'soft sell' like that, but I can understand why those get through when the others don't.

[opheliasclone.livejournal.com]

Agreed, I've seen LDS ads in four different markets across the nation so far. I've also seen local advertisements for churches in New York City. They typically include video of an average service, with a voice-over listing church name, denomination, address, and/or times to attend.

I've attended a UCC service, and the really are inclusive to a fault. If I were going to attend church, I suppose it would be the least bad option in my mind. The problem, I suspect, is that churches that don't discriminate may take offense at the ad's implication.