So you may or may not have heard that this year, there’s going to be a Superbowl ad from “Focus on the Family,” a Christian-based pro-life group, featuring Tim Tebow.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails about this, and read a lot of blog posts about it, and I’m still kind of on the fence. When I first heard, I sort of dismissed it – because on the one hand, if corporations want to spend $3 million for a 30-second ad (probably missing their target altogether, too), why should I want to stop them? And I mean, if Planned Parenthood wanted to run an ad, I would be so gungho it’s not even funny. Especially because only a very small percentage of what Planned Parenthood does actually centers around abortion, yet I know that’s what people would be up in arms about – the pro-choice part. But after all this talk about the Supreme Court decision to basically grant multinational corporations personhood on account of the First Amendment (which doesn’t sound like a good idea to me), I don’t really want to grant Focus on the Family the same First Amendment rights that I have.

I mean, the only part that really makes me wonder, is the part about how

TV networks have traditionally tried to keep the Super Bowl free from commercials that could cause outsized controversy.

Something changed this year? Why? I remember last year PETA got a lot of press for proposing some risque and weird ads, which were denied by the network. It got them some press, but I mean, they were denied.

I still don’t really know. All I know is that the ad isn’t supposed to be “anti” or political at all, it’s just a story about family, about how Tim Tebow’s mom “chose life.”

But I do know this! Focus on the Family supports Crisis Pregnancy Centers, which are known to falsify information and lie to clients.

And I also know this!
It looks like this ad, for a gay dating website, was rejected by CBS. So what does that tell us. lakhlgdkhs.

Blog for Choice is over at sammylif.wordpress.com, check it out! Soon this page will be completely functional.

Year in Music 2009
Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GJWSAVMD

I’m embarrassed at how late this is, please forgive me.

I started doing this in 2007 because I wanted to remember the songs that were stuck in my head throughout the year – it still is mostly comprised of songs like that, songs I couldn’t get enough of. Some of them were in my head the whole year, some only for a few hours. Each of them means something or is attached to a nice memory. I like it, it’s like a nice, neat little time capsule.

Here is 2008, if anyone is interested: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y2IK0915
I don’t have a link for 2007 but it exists also…

Tracks

1. Her Morning Elegance, Oren Lavie. I fell in love with this song because of the amazing music video. I downloaded the rest of the album, but I wasn’t really into it. And I’m honestly not sure I’d like the song if I hadn’t seen the video – but the video is SO good and meshes so well, and I had it stuck in my head for weeks.
2. Song Against Sex, Neutral Milk Hotel. This song is funny because it’s the only song of theirs I ever really liked that’s not on Aeroplane. I also like it because the line “And I knew the world was over so I took a look outside ” was once Joanna Ginsberg’s status, if I’m not mistaken, and it always stuck with me.
3. Time Goes By (Whatever), Space Ghost Cowboys. I acquired the Sad Album months before it came out, and John really played it out, and I kinda fell in love with it. This song is so wonderful.
4. I’m On A Boat, The Lonely Island. The trip to Miami with the SU basketball team was all about this song, and that trip was really important and memorable and hilarious. And we saw T-Pain (right!?) and a scene from the video is right outside the hotel we stayed at.
5. In my Life, The Beatles. Harpsichord solo.
6. Single Ladies, Beyonce. My mom introduced me to this song before anyone else did, and that means something. Also, it runs the line between empowerment and objectification, and I’ve seen it written about from both sides. But most importantly, it’s a great song and a groundbreaking video.
7. I Should Have Known Better, The Beatles. John told me this was one of his favorite Beatles songs, and I didn’t know it. To be honest, it didn’t even sound familiar. So I listened to it nonstop for a few weeks to avoid total humiliation.
8. Not The Same, Ben Folds. I saw him play live in the Dome up at school, and it was a really mind-blowing show. I hadn’t heard this song before, and I wish I had that live performance recorded, because the recorded one doesn’t really do it justice. But I thought about this song nonstop for a few days after that show.
9. This Year, The Mountain Goats. I think I was feeling down for a days at some point, and listened to this song a lot, and made it a melodramatic status update.
10. Living Room, Tegan and Sara. There’s something really powerful and cute in this song (like all their songs). I like those little raspy voice parts.
11. Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks. Ok, when I was in London, I went to Waterloo Station a few times a week on my way to work, and I would unconsciously start singing this song every time I saw the sign. By the end of the 6-week trip, all my friends knew the song by heart, and I had basically played it out.
12. Just Dance, Lady GaGa. I am in love with GaGa, despite my better judgment. But part of the reason she’s so important is because of all the dancing me and Suzie did in London at the clubs. GaGa was like, the focal point of that trip. And seeing Suzie dance to this song was so excellent, and made me smile a lot.
13. Us, Regina Spektor. I saw [500] Days of Summer twice, and played the soundtrack out. But this song pretty much makes me cry. I downloaded all her other music too, after seeing that movie. I was mad at myself for not doing it sooner.
14. Diva, Beyonce. I’m usually against duplicating artists in this mix, but Beyonce ruled this year. I saw this performed live on Tv when I was in Bing visiting Gabby, and it freaked me out, how much I was entranced by it. I thought about Beyonce nonstop for a few weeks, and how fucking awesome she is.
15. Please Don’t Leave Me, P!nk. Me and Gabby joked around to this song while painting my awesome room awesome yellow. This song really kinda bothers me a lot, but we had a good time with it.
16. I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas. A lot of these songs toward the end are pop songs – actually, this year in general had more pop in it than other years. But just the first measure of this song makes me feel really good. Even though it’s sort of a dumb song. L’Chiam!
17. Party In The USA, Miley Cyrus. This is the most fun song ever.
18. Forever, Chris Brown. The JK Wedding and the Office wedding made this song way more meaningful that it would’ve been if I had known it was Chris Brown when I fell in love with it. Those weddings are both so amazing.
19. Kids, MGMT. Erica played this song a lot in the dorm last year, and now it really caught on and I hear it all the time, in commercials and whatnot. I find the video really scary, but this song is in my head a lot.
20. Lisztomania, Phoenix. I added this at the last minute, and I’m still not sure it fits. But it sure has been appearing in a lot of places recently.

Honorable mention: Battlefield, Jordin Sparks

I know that adrants was waiting for some feminazi to be offended by this ad (thanks for the snark!), but I don’t mind.

I mean, it only caught my eye because I just read these posts about how men are affected by gender norms, and it’s worth noting how men are always morons in commercials, and women either “just don’t get it!” (like the doritos one) or the women are just there to pick up the slack and teach her husband how to use the fucking blender.

(also! this isn’t a shoe-in for the superbowl yet, you can vote for your favorite here)

Watched this video strangely recently, and just saw it mentioned again here (worth a read).

Just pointing out how funny and interesting it is how the terminology has changed in just 25 years. Cracks me up.

Every advertising student’s favorite holiday is quickly approaching – The Superbowl! On February 7th, every ad student and professor, as well as everyone working in the ad world, will get together and geek out about the superbowl ads. I wonder what the percentage of superbowl viewers are actually superbowl commercial viewers?

Anyway, here’s your first taste of one of the spots

via adrants

Because for me, the rare women’s studies/advertising dual major, the superbowl represents something slightly different.

via sociological images, here’s a recent ToysR’Us coupon insert for some fun science toys.

Notice! The ones with the least power are the pink ones! My stepdad was quick to point out at these are probably the cheapest models too, and that maybe pink is just supposed to be for younger kids or something.

But let’s be real here – little girls love pink! Pink is often the only color designated for girls, and often the only color little girls love.  A little girl who loves pink isn’t going to see or understand the magnification or the specs – she only wants pink! Not knowing that she won’t be LEARNING as much as little boys who HATE pink. Doesn’t seem fair, does it? And meanwhile, adults buying a cool science gift for a little girl will feel pressured to buy the pink one – because we all know already that pink is for girls – and the girl might be delighted to get the gagdet, not realizing that she was cheated. This makes me upset.

I wonder what Toys R Us would say in their defense? I can’t even begin to imagine.

Soon I will resume regular blogging schedule, this hiatus was somewhat unplanned and out-of-hand!

Until then…

via MTLB