Stanek weekend question: What would be some pro-life equivalents to the disturbing new BMW ad campaign?
Click to enlarge…
BMW has new print and television ads out giving almost graphic examples of the consequences of texting and driving. From AOL, June 29:
[T]he “DON’T TXT AND DRIVE” commercial juxtaposes the overprotective parent with the negligent act of texting at the wheel. Vignettes appear on the screen of a father bathing his child (wearing swimmies so he won’t drown) and a mother lathering sanitizer all over her child’s hands and arms. And yet at least one of the parents gets behind the wheel with a child in the back seat and starts texting….
“Distracted driving of any kind, especially texting while driving, is an extremely dangerous activity that costs thousands of lives every year,” said [BMW North America CEO Jim] O’Donnell. “We developed this campaign to be impactful in hopes of evoking emotion and conveying the serious dangers of distracted driving and its potential consequences.”…
The U.S. Department of Transportation says nearly 5,500 people died in crashes in 2009 involving a distracted driver….
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMBtFgey7rk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
The ad reminded me of American Life League’s “Planned Parenthood’s Bunnies”ad, disturbing and not leaving much to the imagination without being graphic…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpuDbY3xU20[/youtube]
I thought of a pro-life alternative to the BMW ad, although it’s graphic: Scenes of couples about to engage in promiscuous sex – making out in a car, flirting in a bar – followed by an image of an aborted baby.
Can you think of a pro-life BMWesque ad showing a consequence of irresponsible sex?
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Oh my gosh, that BMW commercial gave me chills at the end :|
Haven’t seen the bunny ad before, although it sends a powerful message, I think 1)We’re preaching to the choir, to those who already self-idenitfy as pro-life because there’s a cognitive dissonance where many pro-choicers don’t indentify with what is being aborted as a baby and 2)The use and symbolism of an innocent animal being ground up sends the wrong message, especially to those who not only self-identify as pro-choice, but are also animal rights activists.
Scenes of couples about to engage in promiscuous sex – making out in a car, flirting in a bar – followed by single mother screaming at her toddler…”I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN”!
How about scenes from those college orientation programs with “safe sex” presentations and then list colleges by name with their students telling their stories of believing the lies, becoming sexually active and then having abortions.
I could run something like this.
“My name is Mary Smith and I started college at State U very excited. The social life was exciting too. There were so many interesting people and parties. Unfortunately there was also tremendous pressure to have sex. I mean everyone’s doing it. The administration sponsored safe sex seminars and gave out free condoms. It was supposed to be fun too, right? I got pregnant and was scared. The university health clinic told me not to worry and referred me for an abortion. I felt so overwhelmed. I went along. It was the worst decision ever. I will never forget and always regret.”
Anyway, that is about what my friends tell me. I have seen young women fall into depression when they realize. No, it isn’t fun. It is horrible.
Anyway, this reminds me of something I read on feministing.
There is not enough discussion about how bad it really is when you catch an STI. People are not encouraged to go out and warn others not to make the same mistakes. Rather they are encouraged to cope privately. It seems if people were encouraged to cope privately with their personal issues before infection, they might not be out exploring their sexuality and getting the ultimate wake up call.
I found this at feministing
http://www.feministing.com/archives/020439.html
“In feminist spaces, I see a fair amount of talk about how to have safer sex, but little to none about what to do when safer sex fails; lots of discussion about how to protect yourself, but not very much about how to deal with it when you’re the one people need protecting from.
“I’m a 22-year-old woman with a slightly checkered sexual past that I never had any guilt or shame about until about four months ago, when I was diagnosed with genital herpes. I contracted it through a one night stand and I am having some intense issues with that, given that all the herpes support that I’ve found around the internet is trying really hard to reinforce this idea that “not everyone contracts herpes through sleeping around!” well, I did. And now I’m suffering the consequences. I don’t even have the consolation of slut-shaming self-righteousness. I can’t get this idea that I’m being punished out of my head. I went from sex-positive queer to a self-hating emotional wreck in the course of a day.
“Where do I go from here? I cry all the time and I feel like miserable shit constantly. Nothing seems to matter anymore. I am obviously not in any state to be sleeping with anyone, but what’s more, I often can’t even look at or touch my own body without flipping out. Showering and getting dressed often set off tears for me because I have to touch myself down there. I used to think I was cute but I hate myself for thinking that now (because where did cute get me? Diseased.). Even in totally non-sexual situations, being touched or being expected to be present in my body feels grotesque and painful. I feel like a scare tactic, a cautionary tale, a non-person. Mostly I just want to be able to not hate myself, to not cry all the time, and to be able to fully inhabit my body instead of feeling divorced from it.
“I am not asking for advice on how to find partners, nor reassurance that it will eventually happen… because frankly, that seems completely irrelevant and useless to me now. I am asking for advice on how to come to terms with my own body.”
—–She then gets the following advice:
“You are not a bad person. STDs are overwhelming the luck of the draw and you could have slept with just one person and gotten it. In all of this, keep in mind you are not only, herpes is one of the most common STDs, the stats go from 1 in 4 people having herpes from 1 in 6. As cheesy as it sounds, you are not alone.
“You need to take time to heal. Sex was likely a way that you connected with your body and you need to find a way to reconnect that is not sexual. Yoga, walking, running, anything that puts you back in touch with your physical self.”
—- Um that advice sounds a lot like what people say to deter people from taking dangerous risks in the first place. First, you have a high risk of infection and second you can do something else to feel good. The problem is that this advice is too late to actually help the person. That is why it is so cruel.
It also reminds me of the BS that pro-aborts invent that like 25% of all women have an abortion sometime in their lives. A percentage that isn’t even numerically possible. It’s almost like trying to drag women over to the dark side by implying that everyone goes for this evil crap, so you should, too. It is a sick misery loves company argument. Disgusting
“It also reminds me of the BS that pro-aborts invent that like 25% of all women have an abortion sometime in their lives. A percentage that isn’t even numerically possible”
Actually, it’s quite simple. Take a poll of post menopausal women to see how many have had abortions. And if abortion is black “genocide,” then lots of black women have abortions. Right?
The bunny ad is quite good.
CC supports the right to blend unborn humans.
Awesome to understand the enemies of life so well.
This would need some tweaking, but I’d like to see a young couple driving in a car with a newborn, perhaps only a day or two after birth being cradled in his/her mother’s lap.
And they’re on the way to a scheduled “postpartum abortion”.
And the couple is going through all of the popular justifications for killing their unborn child.
Husband: “You know how expensive it is to raise a child these days, we simply can’t afford “it” right now.”
Wife: “I haven’t gotten my degree yet. We’re just not ready.”
Husband: “I wish we would have made up our minds 3 months ago not to have “it”. We could have gotten this done closer to home. In _________, you can have your preborn child dismembered alive and killed up until 6 months gestation. Now we have to drive all the way to __________. You don’t think that just because “it” came out yesterday that we’re too late. I mean what’s the difference if “it’s” on the outside of your abdomen or the inside? We don’t want “it”.
Then have an announcer say, “Just because you’re carrying your child in your womb, and not on your lap, doesn’t give you the right to kill him or her.”
“And just because our evil corrupt society permits it doesn’t mean it’s not murder in God’s eyes.”
Ed, Great idea!
I would add:
Wife: “Yeah, the world currently has too many children the way it is.”
Husband: ”I know right. This is the best choice for our future children.”
Wife: ”I can’t believe my sister suggested adoption. I could never give it up to another couple.
Husband: ”I’m going to pull into Appliances Plus to pick up that flat screen for the game room.”
Wife: ”Oh, don’t forget we need to stop and pick up more cat treats but we can do that after the procedure.”
Excellent Praxedes!
Here’s another:
Husband: ”We really should have done this 6 months ago when “it” was just a blob of tussue.” Then show an image of fetal development at 13 weeks.
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Dr. Suess
Ed,
Incoming! Red Alert! Warning, Warning,Warning! Danger Will Robinson!
You have comitted a grave sin by invoking the name of Dr. Seuss.
Such blasphemy will not be permitted by ‘the dead babies r us’ mob.
‘Horton hears a who’ has been decreed sacro sanct and not even the hint of sacrilege will be tolerated.
‘A who’s a who no matter how small’ shall not be associated with the human embryo/fetus.
Whale fetus, seal fetus, cat fetus ‘no problema’, but not a human fetus.
Next thnig you know you will be publically pilloried because you have inadvertently violated ‘Godwin’s law’.
Or you will be intemperate and use the ‘h’ word in a discussion about human male on male/human female on female sexual congress.
I am sure there is a available cell phone ‘app’ to navigate you safely thru the evermorphing minefield of political correctness by highlighting any mis-steps you might make before you click on the ‘add comment’ icon.
There is probably a sub-function that will alert you when you are even getting close to a hidden mine. For example, if you were to type in ‘niggardly’, it would warn there are some people who will deliberately fein ignorance of the true origin and meaning of the word, and there are those who are not faking, but either way use of the word could result in unpleasant consequences.
Bigotry will not suffer wise men.
Jesus said the Truth will set us free. What HE did not say, but I have found to be generally true: It will probably make you angry first.
You might even get angry at GOD for pointing out your folly. Even when HE does it with a gentle loving rebuke.
But thank GOD, really thank GOD, that HE is not bound by any arbitrary and capricious code of ‘political correctness’.
If the natterring naybobs of PC hell challenge your authority to speak the truth, just tell them that ‘I AM that I AM’ sent you.
But be prepared.
They may demand a demonstation of HIS power as proof positive that you are indeed his representative.
But even after you have ‘parted the waters’ or ‘calmed the stom’ or even ‘raised the dead’, they will still NOT believe and their immediate response will be to destroy you; slowly, incrementally, [see ‘plaguing:Roman Empire] but if it is politically expedient, they will immediately attempt to smash you with a single blow.
Have fun and be safe, stay between the ditches and keep the sunny side up.
Kevin’s suggestion could also be taken as an advertisement to abort.
I think the animal rights activists got the bunny comparison but: it makes them very uncomfortable to face the hypocrisy in caring more for animals than human beings. Rather than solve their own hypocrisy, they just scream their little heads off and try to shut down commercials and billboards.
“Actually, it’s quite simple. Take a poll of post menopausal women to see how many have had abortions. And if abortion is black “genocide,” then lots of black women have abortions. Right?”
And since they’re having abortions entirely of their own free will, they’re also perpetrating genocide. Against themselves (or more accurately, their offspring). Since genocide is a crime against humanity, shouldn’t every black woman that has an abortion be charged in the International Criminal Court? What say you, people who call abortion “black genocide”? Are you willing to follow your propaganda to its logical conclusion?
joan says:
“And since they’re having abortions entirely of their own free will…”
How do you know that? In my opinion, the conditions surrounding the decision to abort for many women resembles duress more than it resembles your statement above. Even if the duress is self-imposed through ignorance and fear.
However, the abortionists are acting of their own free will, so let’s try them in International Criminal Court.
Duress that is self-imposed through ignorance and fear? I didn’t know that’s a viable defense for genocide (or any criminal charge). Maybe abortion doctors are acting under duress imposed through their own ignorance and fear too? Guess you wouldn’t be able to charge them either.
Ken, what in the world are you talking about
Jane,
George Carlin used to have a bit about the 7 words you can’t say on television/radio.
The political correctness gestapos have expanded that number exponentially.
Dr. Seuss and ‘Horton Hears A Who’, the holocaust and the Nazi’s are verbotten in the discussion of the pre-natal child.
Just trying to spare Ed some grief.
What would Jesus do?
joan says:
Duress that is self-imposed through ignorance and fear? I didn’t know that’s a viable defense for genocide (or any criminal charge).
It’s not a legal defense. However, the emotional state of a woman choosing abortion could mitigate moral culpability.
The abortionist is the one that does the killing and in my opinion should be the one held accountable for any laws broken.
But you didn’t answer my question. The premise of your “logical conclusion” argument is “And since they’re having abortions entirely of their own free will, they’re also perpetrating genocide.” How do you know they act entirely of their own free will?
Well, actually, I wrote out three synopses of pro-life psas a few months back when I suggested such for a week-end question. I believe it was in response to that bunny and blender ad.
I don’t think we need such sledgehammer-in-the-face type of ads. My ideas were little stories with a pro-life conclusion.
As for a “safe sex” psa, my thought years ago went like this:
A couple in bed in the dark:
“Do you have protection?” “Clink!”
“Yeah. Do you?” “Clank!”
“Yeah. Wait a minute.” “Clink! Clank!” Can’t be too careful.”
“Bang! Bang!”
The light goes on, revealing them in suits of armor.
“I forgot to tell you I ordered “The Clapper”.
Followed by the message: The safest sex is in a marriage.
“Edelweis” softly playing in the background…
Scene: Rolling hills of Bavaria – circa 1943 – BMW convertible roaring down the country road….
“Dahlink, you are driving way too fast – but it’s so exciting!”
“Ya, my vittle schnitzel, hang on to your bonnet – I vont to open her up and see how fast she’ll really go!”
“But, Dahlink, didn’t you miss our turn way back there, ya?”
“Nein, mine enschen juden, I know where I’m going!”
“We just ousfarted to Dachau! What’s all that smoke? How could it be snowing in July? Is the car ok, Hans?”
“Ya, Zaza, die BMW is just fine. I have a friend in Dachau who can help you and the twin baby judens.”
“What’s your friends name? Can he marry us?”
“Dr. Josef Mengele – and, uh, we’ll see about that…”
– “A persons a person no matter how small.” ~ Dr. Seuss
– “Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. ” ~ Mr. Rogers
– “Sesame Street” is brought to you today by the letters N, R, T & L. ~ Big Bird
Hans, how is the safest sex in marriage? Does marriage make you immune to diseases and unwanted pregnancy?
I think a more analogous add to the texting ones would be one showing all the trouble parents go to to protect their wanted “unborn children”, and then showing what they’ll do to get rid of their unwanted “products of conception”.