Monday, February 06, 2017

The unaired Superbowl commercial that everybody is talking about.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

The ad featured a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter apparently traveling from Mexico to the United States. The end, which shows the pair discovering a door in a giant wall, was reportedly banned from TV since it commented on President Donald Trump’s promised border wall.

A part of the ad was shown which then directed you to Journey84.com which then promptly crashed. (Back up now.)

However attempts to stifle the message of inclusion ultimately failed miserably: 

One after another, on the NRG Stadium field, on the streets of Houston and perhaps most important of all, in ad after ad from the giants of corporate America such as Coke and Anheuser-Busch, a message of inclusion and equality in defiance of Trump emanated from an event that always is much more than a football game. 

The tone was set inside the massive football stadium even before kickoff when three stars of the hit musical Hamilton made a simple but significant addition to the words of America the Beautiful. 

When the original Hamilton cast’s Schuyler Sisters trio of Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones reached the line, “And crown thy good with brotherhood,” they smiled and added, “and sisterhood,” to a roar from the crowd.

At halftime the irrepressible Lady Gaga also let her feelings be known with an amazing performance that not only entertained but also could be its own advertisement for inclusion and acceptance: 

Before plunging toward the field, tethered by wires, she added, “One nation. Under God. Indivisible. With liberty. And justice. For all.” 

A few minutes later, singing Born This Way she added the word “transgender” to the Super Bowl conversation likely for the first time ever: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgender life…”

Ultimately Donald Trump's favorite quarter back may have won the game, but the message of the day was anything but Trump approved. 

55 comments:

  1. Leland8:43 AM

    What a powerful message! I was in tears at the end.

    And over and over again for the past few minutes, all I could hear in my head were these powerful words spoken by another downtrodden group:

    WE SHALL OVERCOME!!!!!!!!!!!

    Humpty Trumpty? You WILL lose!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:16 AM

      Fareed Z. Tells it >
      https://www.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/videos/1023242301102157/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:48 PM

      It is amazing how many suckers we have in this country, suckered in by a commercial with ACTORS, simply intended to work your simpleminded heartstrings.

      Do you have any idea how refugees from other countries trying to come up thru Mexico are treated by Mexican smugglers? If you did and you had any real compassion you would want to shut down any thought of illegal immigration just to put an end to that practice and the crimes against humans they commit.

      There is a reason a legal immigration system exists- in basically every country around the world. Use it.

      Delete
    3. Leland2:25 PM

      12:48. I have to say that was one of the most stupid and insulting comments I have read on IM. OF COURSE it was an AD! That is what it calls ITSELF! DUH!

      And I personally found it to be one of the most effective pieces of the filmmakers' art since the one of the Indian along the shores of a polluted river. No words, just a single tear. HIGHLY effective ad!

      And yes, it was intended to pull at one's heart strings.

      And it did a good job of portraying the fear and the hope and some of the danger involved in the trip.

      As for putting an end to the illegal immigration that is occurring, THAT little problem is one that has been exacerbated by the repubes in Congress for their utter refusal to even attack the immigration system we currently are stuck with for DECADES! It is out of date. It is a mass of confusing rules and regulations and it is a mess!

      I can promise you that any wall that idiot in the White House comes up with won't work - unless they build a concentration camp style wall complete with top of the wall walkways manned by soldiers or police with machine guns, and I would be willing to bet THAT ain't gonna happen! Oh! And let's not forget the land mines.

      And speaking of crimes against humanity, the entire Central American Region is rife with countries who are attacking their own citizens. It's no wonder the people want to get the hell away from them. Have you never heard the phrase "desperate people do desperate things"?

      And since you seem to hint that you are so damned unfeeling and smart, what the hell do YOU want to do to stop it?

      Yes, there is a reason for an immigration system. And yes, they have been around for a long time. But when faced with the conditions most of those people live with, it's no surprise we have a problem on our southern border.

      And when you think about stopping the problems involved with the dangers those people face, THIS ad will go hopefully go a long way toward energizing the people here in this country to ORDER Congress to work on the system - which is its intent after all.

      You sounded in your comment as though you are as unfeeling and uncaring as Humpty Trumpty. Next time try to see the behind the scenes intent of something like the ad.

      PS: I'll bet you are a lot of fun at an evening watching movies. Is there no movie which raises any emotion in you or are you as cold as your comment says?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:06 PM

      There is no behind the scenes reality of that ad you moron.

      Delete
    5. Leland1:02 AM

      Sure there aren't, 7:06. You keep believing that. You're beginning to sound like Kellyanne Conway. DenyDenyDeny.

      And your insulting name calling only makes me wish to disbelieve you all the more. No flies with vinegar, remember?

      And STILL no ideas about how to solve the problem.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous8:46 AM

    I wish Trump could have been ridiculed more - especially because he was in attendance and would have been publically mocked.

    The performers were classy though and did an outstanding job! Especially Lady Gaga!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:10 AM

      Where was drumpf?

      http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/2/5/14517742/donald-trump-super-bowl-party-wedding-maybe-patriots-vs-falcons

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:24 AM

      He was pictured in a box watching the game.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:29 PM

      I am picturing him in a box. Nice.

      Delete
    4. Leland2:26 PM

      12:29, you mean one with an address for bumpf**k island?

      Delete
  3. I had a chance this morning to watch the full commercial. I held it together until the little girl pulls the American flag she made & handed it to her mother. I sobbed all the way till the end after that.

    Maddening that the end of this commercial was banned from TV cuz Trump.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:05 AM

      Notice the 'rainbow dangle' on the backpack....

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:56 AM

      I had to fight tears too. Its crazy that some feel that others have no right to live in this country. I was able to trace my fathers ancestors back to slavery. Some people paid a very steep price to live in this country and never had a choice in the matter. It is sad that we can start wars and fight for israel but we cant take the displaced people from a war that we started at the behest of a so called ally that wont take or help the people that their actions implicitly impact directly. To make matters worse our soldiers will suffer the casualties while the don't even bother to send troops, they are too busy killing the Palestinian's. Just like the Nazis did to them. Fuck em, let them go at it alone.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:17 PM

      What is wrong with legal immigration thru the proper channels 10:56?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous1:28 PM

      But you dont disagree with the israel part tho. Cool i think we are in agreement.

      Delete
    5. "Anonymous1:17 PM What is wrong with legal immigration thru the proper channels 10:56?"
      --------------------
      Nothing. Nor did 10:56 say there was anything wrong with legal immigration. For anyone with any critical thinking skills, it is not an either/or question.

      But you are abysmally, willfully, inexcusably ignorant if you think that it is easy in many countries to just bustle down to the US consulate and order up a visa.

      The countries in which the people are most desperate to leave are often the ones that make it the most difficult for people to leave.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous3:53 AM

      Thank you Nefer, you understood what I was trying to say.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous8:50 AM

    1/2Time Lady Gaga> (with 2 adds embedded) LOVEHER!
    Worth the watch! She jumped off the roof and off the stage!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txXwg712zw4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:58 AM

      P.S. add
      With 300 drones flying with her. That is the future!

      Delete
    2. Were those real, or were they digital for TV watchers only..? I kind of got the impression they weren't real

      Delete
  5. Anonymous9:39 AM

    Dear President Trump,

    As a Jew, as a rabbi, as a gay man, I have something to say to you: you don’t know me, but I know you. We have met, in fact, many times. We have met in this lifetime, and across countless generations. In my lifetime, I have heard your hateful words and felt your contempt in the expressions of bullies and mean-spirited children who taunted me and beat me and called me “faggot” in the hallways and classrooms of my junior high school. The day after you won the election, your spirit was in the man who approached my partner and me as we walked down the street holding hands, as he pantomimed gunning us down with a semi-automatic weapon.

    My Jewish people know you so very well. In fact, we tell the story of you at our Passover seders. In the Haggadah, we read how you rise up in each and every generation — either to destroy us literally, or to destroy everything that we stand for. And what is it that we stand for? “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him…You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan…” (Exodus 22:21-22). The stranger, the widow, the orphan — these represent all the people in society who are vulnerable, who do not have privilege. In our time, that list extends to black people, to LGBTQ people, to Muslims and to immigrants, to Jews, to women, to the disabled.

    I know you so well, Mr. Trump, because in every generation, you hate and seek to destroy us for exactly the same reason: deep down, you are afraid of us. We threaten everything that you understand about yourself. For you, life is a nightmare where you cannot feel the nearness of Divine love, no matter how much wealth and acclaim and privilege you hoard, no matter how many of us you attack for the momentary relief of feeling powerful at the expense of the less powerful.

    But I also know one more thing about you, Mr. Trump. In every generation, you may rise up to extraordinary power. You may wreak terrible destruction. But you always fall. Always. You see, the power of Divine love lives with us “strangers, orphans and widows.” And that Divine love is the only real power there is. And that love will give us strength to organize, to stand tall and proud, and to resist you.

    Sorry to break this news to you, Mr. Trump. Sorry that your power and privilege shuts your eyes and covers your ears to the truth. But we have been around the block with you for thousands of years, and it always ends the same way. Enjoy your power grab and your rampage of hate — yet again. And when Love and Justice vanquishes your regime of intolerance once more, I only ask that you try to remember, once and for all, that it was never us whom you needed to fear. It was your own hardened heart — feeling powerless and closed off to the world — that you projected onto us and called “enemy.”

    But whether or not you are capable of learning this lesson, we are here. We are stronger than you can imagine. And we are ready for you.

    Sincerely,

    Gil Steinlauf

    Senior Rabbi
    Adas Israel Congregation, Washington, D.C.

    http://www.metroweekly.com/2017/01/gil-steinlauf-dear-president-trump/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:30 AM

      Excellent essay, thanks!

      Delete
    2. Leland2:31 PM

      PERFECT!

      Delete
  6. Anonymous9:42 AM

    Trump “displays classic traits of mental illness”

    ...The Independent goes on to list The American Psychiatry Association‘s nine-point checklist for narcissism noting that “if someone displays just five of the traits, they have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.” We thought we’d share the newspaper’s summation below, leaving in their native spellings, as it really does seem to answer so many questions about President The Donald.

    Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognised as superior without commensurate achievements).
    Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
    Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
    Requires excessive admiration.
    Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favourable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
    Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
    Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognise or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
    Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
    Shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes.

    http://www.metroweekly.com/2017/01/british-paper-trump-displays-classic-traits-of-mental-illness/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:06 PM

      That list is a very generous description of Trump. He's actually far worse.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  7. Anonymous9:50 AM

    PASS THIS ALONG - get the word out - March 15 send in your postcard! #TheIdesOfTrump

    "On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.

    Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math.

    No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.
    So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin.
    Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump

    Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.

    Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:
    President (for now) Donald J. Trump
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
    Washington, DC 20500

    It might just be enough to make him crack.

    Cut and paste to pass this on."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:22 AM

      Will do! Have marked my calendar to mail one off to the jerk! Great idea!

      However, mine will not reference 'president' or 'mr.'! I have zero respect for him!

      My address will be directed to "The Donald".

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:49 AM

      Mine will be address to: Yellowish White House
      c/o BLOTUS drumpf in Big Boy Letters.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:16 AM

      "So-called President Donald J. Trump"

      Delete
  8. Anonymous9:56 AM

    ‘President Bannon is going to be mad’: The Internet mocks Trump for insisting he’s the boss

    The internet treated Trump’s tweet with scorn and derision, as some Twitter users saw it as a sign of deep insecurity — or as one person put it, Trump looks “rattled and flailing.”

    Check out some of the best reactions to Trump’s tweet below.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/president-bannon-is-going-to-be-mad-the-internet-mocks-trump-for-insisting-hes-the-boss/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:03 AM

    People Love This Cartoon About Trump’s Travel Ban

    “I think too many people have been posting pictures of Lady Liberty getting dragged through the mud, and I thought somebody should stand up for her.”

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/i-got-this?utm_term=.wjggK8Ydk#.vi83YjEkb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leland2:49 PM

      LOVE IT!

      Nice to see people aren't afraid to stand out and scream!

      Delete
  10. Anonymous10:04 AM

    2016
    http://www.9news.com/news/crime/flight-attendant-saves-passenger-from-human-trafficking/400300061

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:10 AM

    Rogue POTUS Staff ‏@RoguePOTUSStaff 1h1 hour ago

    --Miller points blame for bad image at Conway's alt facts $ BG massacre comments, while Conway points to Priebus not finding the light switch.

    Rogue POTUS Staff ‏@RoguePOTUSStaff 1h1 hour ago

    --Everyone has quickly realized that it's business as usual in POTUS White House. Metaphor of a walrus leading a dog sled team is being used.

    https://twitter.com/RoguePOTUSStaff

    https://twitter.com/RoguePOTUSStaff/status/828634995640107008

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:42 PM

      Heheheheheh...walrus leading a dog sled team!
      Excellent.

      Delete
    2. Leland2:53 PM

      Maybe Todd should try that! He couldn't do any worse, could he?

      Delete
  12. Anonymous10:19 AM

    WATCH: Stephen Colbert mocks Kellyanne Conway’s bogus Bowling Green Massacre at NJ benefit concert

    Stephen Colbert poked fun at President Donald Trump’s senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway, at a benefit concert for the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey.

    After performing the Talking Heads’ hit “Once in a Lifetime” on Saturday night, Rolling Stone noted that Colbert mocked Conway for accusing the media of covering up the “Bowling Green Massacre.”

    “Obviously tonight is for the Montclair Film Festival,” Colbert said. “All remaining donations, if there’s anything left over, is going to go to victims of the Bowling Green massacre.”

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/watch-stephen-colbert-mocks-kellyanne-conways-bogus-bowling-green-massacre-at-nj-benefit-concert/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous10:27 AM

    Sean Spicer: 'Sad' That Judge Who Blocked Trump Travel Ban Went 'Rogue'

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sean-spicer-judge-who-blocked-immigration-order-went-rogue

    Rogue? Supporting the Constitution?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous10:58 AM

    As someone who doesn't live too far away from the 84 Lumber headquarters, I commend all of those involved with making such a powerful ad. Too bad that FOX and/or whoever else found it to be too "political". Glad that a YUUUUGE number of people went to the website to view the original ad. (Guess Trump won't be using American-made products from 84 Lumber to build "his" wall on the Mexican border!)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous11:20 AM

    Some people are now saying that 84Lumber is in the Trump camp, and the ad was supposed to be anti-illegal immigration (pro-legal immigration). If so, I'd say they miscalculated badly, twice: first in how the ad would be perceived, and second in thinking that most Trump supporters would appreciate the portrayal of would-be immigrants as actual, and sympathetic, human beings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:46 AM

      Oh that is utter bullshit. It's just their way of deflecting how damn powerful the ad is.

      Delete
    2. Leland2:55 PM

      @ 11:46.

      Of course it's bullshit. That DOESN'T mean they aren't trying it.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous11:36 AM


    Trump’s Immigration Order Is Getting Slammed With Legal Opposition

    States, national security veterans and tech companies have mounted fierce opposition to the legality of the travel ban.

    A group of former high-level government officials, nearly 100 tech CEOs and several state governments have all mounted legal opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration order, stating that it jeopardizes national security and stifles the U.S. economy.

    The latest is a declaration filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit by former secretaries of state Madeline Albright and John Kerry and several other former national security officials. In the filing, they expressed support for the temporary restraining order a Seattle judge issued last week against Trump’s executive order barring all Syrian refugees and people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S.

    Trump’s order, they wrote, endangers U.S. troops and intelligence officials in those regions, disrupts counterterrorism and diplomatic efforts, alienates Muslim Americans who could aid in identifying radicals, has a devastating humanitarian impact, hurts the U.S. economy and could feed “the recruitment narrative of ISIL and other extremists that portray the United States as at war with Islam.”

    The letter was co-signed by former government officials including former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, former CIA director Michael Hayden, and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turmp-immigration-ban-opposition_us_5898a54fe4b0c1284f2710c6?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous11:37 AM


    Donald Trump Is Not Welcome To Address Parliament, U.K. Speaker Declares

    The chance to address Parliament is “an earned honor,” John Bercow said.

    A top-ranking British lawmaker vowed on Monday to block President Donald Trump from speaking before the U.K. Parliament, citing that body’s opposition to racism and sexism and its support for equality and an independent judiciary.

    In a blistering statement before the House of Commons, Speaker John Bercow said he was “strongly opposed” to Trump addressing Parliament during an upcoming state visit to the U.K.

    “I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery,” Bercow said. While British lawmakers value their country’s relationship with the United States, he said, “I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons.”

    He would not have backed inviting Trump to address Parliament anyway, Bercow said, but the president’s recent imposition of an anti-Muslim ban made him “even more strongly opposed” to the idea.

    “An address by a foreign leader to both houses of Parliament is not an automatic right. It is an earned honor,” Bercow said.

    The speech was met with applause from other members of Parliament.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-parliament-address-speaker_us_5898b426e4b09bd304bc967a?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:42 AM

    Funny, the entire ad showed their apparent struggles traveling thru Mexico.... They should have just taken a bus to the border, there really is no problem taking a bus or other modes of transport across Mexico, especially for a Mexican citizen.

    And if they want to move to the US so badly, why not come thru the proper immigration channels?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:51 PM

      Because EVERY single body that comes across the border is Mexican, right?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:15 PM

      If they are not Mexican, then they would be lucky to make it to the border without being raped, robbed, and killed. Do you have any idea how Mexico and Mexican smugglers treat immigrants attempting travel thru Mexico 12:51? That humanitarian disaster right there should be more than enough reason for the bleeding hearts to want to shut down illegal immigration. But most of you are too obtuse to deal in reality.

      Again, there is safe passage with LEGAL immigration. What the hell is wrong with legal immigration?

      Delete
    3. "And if they want to move to the US so badly, why not come thru the proper immigration channels?"
      -----------------
      No matter how many times you prattle on asking this same question and putting yourself on the back for your brilliance, it remains a stupid, ignorant question to which a few minutes thought or research could provide an answer.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous5:26 PM

      Nefer, you obviously have never lived near the border. You are essentially an ignorant bullshitter who doesn't belong in this conversation, because you are ignorant. IGNORANT.

      Delete
    5. Leland1:09 AM

      And the more you scream and yell at us, 5:26, the more you sound like one of the people who believe in Humpty Trumpty regardless of what the facts and truth are.

      I will say it again: It takes YEARS for people living in desperate conditions to get papers to enter. Desperate people do desperate things.

      And AGAIN I will repeat THIS: Insulting language and anger only reinforce OUR beliefs that you are one of the Humpty Trumpty-can't-do-anything-wrong people.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Wow, a priest and s toys. Ultra-conservative. Oh my!
    Just like repubics, ultra-conservative, no?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:49 PM

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/05/italian-priest-visited-widows-with-bag-of-sex-toys-to-prey-on-them.html

      Delete
  20. Anonymous4:31 PM

    Best Super Bowl 1/2time EVER!
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-internet-freaks-out-over-lady-gagas-rooftop-super-bowl-leap_us_5897d362e4b09bd304bbef7e

    ReplyDelete
  21. America the Beautiful was written by a WOMAN. Inspired by a visit to Pike's Peak.

    I've always felt that it should be our national anthem as our current one is basically a war song glorifying a single battle and is only about the flag. Plus the melody is stolen, er plagiarized, er borrowed.

    The words of America the Beautiful are much more appropriate.

    Let the Star Spangled Banner stay on as an instrumental but our SONG should be America the Beautiful.

    (Yes, This Land is Your Land is also good but as a national song, America the Beautiful is a bit more polished.)

    ReplyDelete

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