Brits Flipping Out Over 'Abortion Ad' That Doesn't Have Much To Do With Abortion
By Brian FairbanksMay 24th, 2010, 2:48 pmComments (13)
The word "abortion" doesn't even appear in the ad. The ad is airing over in Britain, where there's no sign of Ron Paul, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, or any of those dangerous anti-choice wackos. But it's clear the right-wing movement is gaining steam across the sea, thanks to the building controversy over a TV spot for an abortion clinic.
The thirty-second spot, which is set to air Monday on the UK's Channel 4, will ask viewers "are you late?" It will then provide the number of a helpline run by Marie Stopes International, an abortion and sexual health clinic. The UK's Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice actually bans for-profit companies from advertising abortion services, but since Marie Stopes is a nonprofit, the ban doesn't apply to them. However, the commercial won't run in Northern Ireland, where abortion is still illegal. [via]
The 30-second clip is below. It's hard to imagine anything so vague whipping up any degree of anger, but this is abortion we're talking about. The mere fact that Britain is finally allowing an abortion clinic to broadcast this ad is enough to set off a shitstorm...
Sorry for the image that had almost nothing to do with this post, but the video had a stroller in it and we've been dying to use this on Scanner.
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Comments ( 13 )
you probably could have tied the stroller image to the bit about the robot. I've always thought those bg dog and little dog robots had a bit o' the old AT-AT in their dna
One persons "anti-choice wackos" is another persons "pro-life activist".
I've always found that those who cannot argue a case on its merits resorts to this type of name calling.
Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland? Jeez. Surprising.
Agreed with Henry Robert.
Plus, it seems like running an ad for an abortion clinic is a very sneaky way of getting around a ban against abortion ads.
"One persons "anti-choice wackos" is another persons "pro-life activist"."
Except that "pro-life" is a meaningless term here. The "pro-life" side is specifically attempting to force a restriction on legal choice, not promote more life. When I see ads trying to talk women (married or single) into having more babies or even enact laws that DEMAND that all women be pregnant under penalty of law, and programs in school trying to get teenagers to get pregnant alongside demands to end the war, restrict gun ownership and end capital punishment forever, THEN I'll accept the existence of a "pro-life" movement,
@greg
You're generalizing the pro-life movement. Not every pro-lifer is an evangelical, Republican, etc. Not everyone who is pro-life is also pro-war, pro-guns and pro-capital punishment. Discrediting an entire school of thought on abortion based on what some of its members believe in addition to being pro-life undermines everyone else who is pro-life and their reasons for being so.
@Me: It's still restricting a women's right to choose and therefore the right of her life and value in society.
They aren't pro life, they're pro-making-women-incubators-go-read-the-handmaiden's-tale.
Also, what a completely inoffensive ad. Must be the Daily Fail working up the rabidness again.
John, you're completely oversimplifying what a lot of pro-lifers' opinions are.
For example, I see a woman's right to have an abortion as being less important than a fetus's right to live. There's a lot to disagree with in that statement, and a lot of those disagreements are completely valid. It is not valid to think that every pro-lifer wants to turn women into incubators.
John, child support is restricting a man's right to choose and therefore the right of his life and value in society.
. . . But most people agree that child support is necessary.
Summing it up as "the woman's right to choose" is a poor argument. What about the baby's right to be born? What about the man's right for his child to be carried to term? His sperm, what about his choice?
I actually agree that abortion should be legal, but most of the sum-up arguments of the pro-choice people are fairly offensive.
I think when it all comes down to it, the argument isn't about choice or ownership of bodies. It is: is that thing inside the uterus a person yet? If so, does this person (the fetus) have the right to inhabit another person (the mother) without that other person's consent? Whose rights are more important?
I am pro-choice but I do understand it is a complex issue. I have friends who are pro-life, and while I disagree, I understand where they are coming from. In a perfect world, there would be no abortion. But people make mistakes in this world, and just like we are allowed to divorce some mistakes, I think we should have the right to abort some of them if we feel it is really right.
Just as a matter of fact, abortion is legal in certain (limited) circumstances and, of course, abortion is available more widely to women from Northern Ireland in the rest of the UK. Between 1,000 and 2,000 women make the trip over every year.
And the headline on this article is a little misleading. Very, very few Brits are 'flipping out' about this. It's barely on the radar over here. The Daily Mail, as usual, is trying to manufacture some hysteria. But as usual most Brits will ignore it.
Oh, that should read "is legal in certain (limited) circumstances in Northern Ireland..."
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