Super Sellouts

Even though I've been away for a week, it's been impossible to miss out on the fact that "advertisers are being more cautious this year" with Super Bowl ads. Why? Why has this country become so overly concerned with offending everything and everyone? Why did one nipple flash become a turning point in American advertising? I've heard nothing but stories about commercials being edited, taken off the air (one about a priest 'coveting' a Ford truck was pulled because it was insensitive to victims of priest abuse), and run only if clean and dry. Fox's "Best Damned Sports Show" even changed its name to the "Best Darned Sports Show" for today's Super Bowl pregame show. Amazing. Let's make sure we don't say the word "damned," but oh, by the way, run out and see the graphic flogging and murder of Jesus in Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ...it's great.

Once again, however, Frank Rich of the NY Times hits the nail on the head by pointing these issues out in today's column. Bravo, Mr. Rich.

At the same time, today's NY Post applauds the Marine officer who commented about enjoying war and shooting people. "It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/39390.htm

Bravo also goes to Mayor Bloomberg. First, he clearly stated his opinion that all people have the right to marry who they like. Second, he pointed out that the New York lower court decision allowing gay marriage was wrong...not because he doesn't support gay marriage, but because New York's Constitution does not allow it and such a change must come from either the legislature or New York's highest court.