Phony Anti-Gay Ads With Actors as "Real People"

An anti-gay TV spot produced by the National Organization for Marriage is set to run on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC next week.  The ad supposedly portrays "real" people speaking out against LGBT rights.  Of course the individuals in that reel aren't real... 

An Unfortunate Addendum: Progressive Puppy (and other liberal sites) posted a video showing actors auditioning for the commercial but NOM complained and Youtube yanked it.  A ProPup commenter (see below) directed me to a similar audition tape on VIMEO, which I also embedded here.  And now it looks like the shadowy folks at NOM got that one pulled as well!  Most of the actors trying out for the commercial were pretty awful, like something you'd expect to find treading the boards at the Hooterville Community Playhouse.  It was amusing watching them read the same lines from a teleprompter, over and over again.  I'm sorry, but at this point I haven't been able to locate another copy of the audition video.  From the Human Rights Campaign:  According to sources, the phony ad is set to run eight times per day in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and California...  The general argument of the ad is that the push for marriage equality isn’t just about rights for same-sex couples, it’s about imposing contrary values on people of faith.  The examples they cite in the ad are:

1. A California doctor who must choose between her faith and her job

2. A member of New Jersey church group which is punished by the state because they can’t support same-sex marriage

3. A Massachusetts parent who stands by helpless while the state teaches her son that gay marriage is okay

The facts indicate that (1) refers to the Benitez decision in California, determining that a doctor cannot violate California anti-discrimination law by refusing to treat a lesbian based on religious belief, (2) refers to the Ocean Grove, New Jersey Methodist pavilion that was open to the general public for events but refused access for civil union ceremonies (and was fined by the state for doing so) and (3) refers to the Parker decision in Massachusetts, where parents unsuccessfully sought to end public school discussions of family diversity, including of same-sex couples.  All three examples involve religious people who enter the public sphere, but don’t want to abide by the general non-discriminatory rules everyone else does.  Both (1) and (2) are really about state laws against sexual orientation discrimination, rather than specifically about marriage.  And (3) is about two pairs of religious parents trying to impose their beliefs on all children in public schools.

I did get a kick out of the bargain-basement special effects in the finished product.  Gathering clouds, lightning strikes, stark scenery.  It has everything but hound dogs baying at the moon.  Of course, religious fundies aren't exactly known for subtlety. 

I wonder how many hungry children might have been fed with what it's costing to produce and buy airtime for this ad:

 

UPDATE:  Rachel Maddow to the rescue!  Toward the end of this clip from MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show you'll see some of those creepy auditions:

Comments

[Mike]

Looks like the audition video has been pulled from YouTube by NOM.

[xanaxanaxa]

NOM has had the audition videos pulled from youtube. Here is another link to them. Lets hope Vimeo has more balls than youtube: http://vimeo.com/4060459

[Max]

Thanks so much, xanaxanaxa! I grabbed the new emded code and inserted it, above.

[Max]

Oh well, it was posted for six hours, anyway.

[Bee Girl]

They're probably not members of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) - but I'd love to know who in that group leaked the audition vid. I'd send them a huge THANK YOU! WIngnuts just keep lying to the public.

[Nick]

This is playing in Iowa now since the Supreme Court decision that legalized same sex marriage. I just laugh when I see it. I would think that with all of the economic troubles in the world today that money could be spent on better things. At least money will be brought into Iowa.

[Craig]

I notice Rachel's vid is also gone now. These assholes are really just screwing themselves. I'll look around... nothing EVER disappears on the Internet ... if I find it I'll email you a copy in avi format to load directly onto your blog. Keep up the good work!

[Max]

Thanks Craig, got it. (Hat Tip, Crooks and Liars.)