PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:

Rebekah Spicuglia, Media Director
Women’s Media Center
(office) 212-563-0680; (cell) 415-290-2970
rebekah@womensmediacenter.com

Coalition of Progressive Organizations Demand CBS Pull Divisive Anti-Choice Super Bowl Ad

January 26, 2010 (New York, NY) – The Women’s Media Center and united organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice have launched a campaign calling CBS to immediately pull an anti-choice advertisement sponsored by Focus on the Family to air during Super Bowl XLIV.

CBS has a well-documented history of prohibiting advocacy ads it deems controversial, rejecting ads from organizations such as PETA, MoveOn.org, United Church of Christ, and even ones that carry only an “implicit” endorsement for a side in a public debate. Last year, NBC made the prudent decision to not air anti-choice messages during the Super Bowl. CBS executives have indicated in the past that they would not air Super Bowl ads where “substantial elements of the community (are) in opposition to one another.”

Focus on the Family is an organization well-known for opposing the equality of Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and reproductive freedom. This ad uses one story to subtly dictate morality to the American public, and encourages women to disregard medical advice, potentially putting their lives at risk. Abortion is a controversial issue and anti-abortion vitriol has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health service providers and their patients.

“An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year – an event designed to bring Americans together regardless of background, faith, ideology or political affiliation,” says Jehmu Greene, President of the Women’s Media Center.

The ad goes against the approximately 70 percent majority American view that reproductive decisions should be left up to a woman and her physician; against the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that such decisions are protected by a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy; and against the health needs of the 1 in 3 American women who will need an abortion at sometime in her life.

American values of privacy and freedom should be respected, not undermined during the Super Bowl. CBS must take action now, by canceling the airing of Focus on the Family’s anti-choice ad.

To speak with WMC President Jehmu Greene, or to book other experts on health reform, health care politics, or women’s reproductive rights, please contact Rebekah Spicuglia, (212) 563-0680, rebekah@womensmediacenter.com.

Coalition partners signed onto the letter to CBS include: Abortion Access Project, ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition, Women, Action & the Media, Advocates for Youth, Alternet, By Any Media Necessary, California Council of Churches IMPACT, CAMI project, Choice USA, Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP)/Hampshire College, Equality Now, Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), Feminist Press,

HollabackNYC, Ibis Reproductive Health, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, MAMAPALOOZA!, Media Equity Collaborative, Medical Students for Choice!, Ms. Foundation, New Prospect Family Praise and Worship Center, National Organization for Women (NOW), NOW-NYC, OpEd Project, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, Religious Institute, RH Reality Check, Sisterhood is Global, Inc, The White House Project, Third Wave Foundation, Women, Action & the Media (WAM!), Women In Media & News, Women’s Information Network (WIN).

About the Women’s Media Center: The Women’s Media Center is a non-profit organization making women visible and powerful in the media. Its women’s health care campaign NotUnderTheBus.com is working to ensure that health care is fair, safe, and accessible to all.

Please visit WomensMediaCenter.com to learn more about our work.

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CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

January 27, 2010

Dear Leslie Moonves:

This letter is in response to the reported CBS decision to air an anti-choice advertisement during Super Bowl XLIV, sponsored by the controversial organization Focus on the Family. As united organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice, we urge you to immediately cancel this ad and refuse any other advertisement promoting Focus on the Family’s agenda.

CBS has a well-documented history of prohibiting advocacy ads it deems controversial, rejecting ads from organizations such as PETA, MoveOn.org, United Church of Christ, and even ones that carry only an “implicit” endorsement for a side in a public debate. Last year, NBC made the prudent decision to not air anti-choice messages during the Super Bowl. CBS executives have indicated in the past that they would not air Super Bowl ads where “substantial elements of the community (are) in opposition to one another.” Abortion is a controversial issue and anti-abortion vitriol has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health service providers and their patients, including the murder of Dr. George Tiller during Sunday morning service at his church. We sincerely hope you do not want CBS associated with this brand of un-American hate.

Focus on the Family has waged war on non-traditional families, tried its hand at race baiting during the 2008 election, and is now attempting to use the Super Bowl to further ramp up the vitriolic rhetoric surrounding reproductive rights. By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will alienate viewers and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers. The decision to air this ad would be ethically, economically and politically disastrous for CBS. The content of this ad endangers women’s health, uses sports to divide rather than to unite, and promotes an organization that opposes the equality of Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and reproductive freedom. Focus on the Family’s ad is surrealistic in its argument that a woman who chooses not to have a child may be depriving the Super Bowl of a football player. It uses one family’s story to dictate morality to the American public, and encourages young women to disregard medical advice, putting their lives at risk.

The Super Bowl is an entertainment event that brings people together regardless of background, faith, ideology or political affiliation. Focus on the Family’s ad goes against the approximately 70% majority American view that reproductive decisions should be left up to a woman and her physician; against the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that such decisions are protected by a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy; and against the health needs of the 1 in 3 American women who will need an abortion at some time in her life.

Though women comprise only 9% of CBS’s board, they are a key constituency for the CBS network and 40% of Super Bowl viewers. If you contradict your policy and air this ad, you will be throwing these women under the bus. American values of privacy and freedom should be respected, not undermined during the Super Bowl. The last thing Americans need is CBS or its advertisers telling us how and when to have a family. CBS must take action now, by cancelling the airing of Focus on the Family’s ad.

Signed,

Abortion Access Project
ACCESS/Women’s Health Rights Coalition, Women, Action & the Media
Advocates for Youth
Alternet
By Any Media Necessary
California Council of Churches IMPACT
CAMI project
Choice USA
Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP)/Hampshire College
Equality Now
Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF)
Feminist Press
HollabackNYC
Ibis Reproductive Health
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
MAMAPALOOZA!
Media Equity Collaborative
Medical Students for Choice!
Ms. Foundation
New Prospect Family Praise and Worship Center
National Organization for Women (NOW)
NOW-NYC
OpEd Project
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health
Religious Institute
RH Reality Check
Sisterhood is Global, Inc
The White House Project
Third Wave Foundation
Women, Action & the Media (WAM!)
Women In Media & News
Women’s Information Network (WIN)
Women’s Media Center

Guess Who. Every time I'm with Lily it feels like a highschool reunion

Lily Tomlin with Megan Ferguson, a wonderful young actor whose mother, Sharon, is on my G-CAPP board.

A wonderful group of smart, interested women came together at Jodie Evans and Max Palevsky's home to hear Lily and I dialogue and learn about the Women's Media Center

I spent the whole day in a Womens Media Center board meeting. It was exciting because the board members are so fabulous and smart, because we welcomed our new President, Jehmu Greene, and because there is so much critical work to be done.

Glora Steinem, me and Jewelle Bickford

Gloria Feldt explaining her WMC Amplify Project aimed at amplifying women's voices and issues in Health Care Reform.

Board member and Film and TV director, Donna Deitch, listening to Gloria's presentation

The Women's Media Center president, Jehmu Greene

Emme Aronson (co-Emcee), Me, Roz Abrams (co-emcee), Karen Karpowich, NYWA president,

Gloria, Me, Karen Karpowich, Rancy Guggenheimer (Son of Elinor Guggenheimer, founder of NYWA)

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

I was honored this morning (at 7am!! Having flown in from LA so for me it was 4am) with the Elinor Guggenheimer Lifetime Achievement Award presented to me by the New York Women’s Agenda. Gloria Steinem gave me the most moving, human, generous introduction. As I told her, it’s the first time I did the trophy-exchange photo op with tears running down my cheeks. The award was in recognition of my co-founding (with Gloria, Robin Morgan, Jessica Neuwirth and others) The Women’s Media Center. I have had various meetings all day and interviewed a wonderful psychologist about male sexuality for my book about aging and now I’m going to take a nap before seeing my pal, Kerry Washington, in David Mamet’s new play “Race.” Richard (in L.A.) Can’t believe I go to the theatre alone. Shucks, I do it all the time. Got an all day board meeting of The Women’s Media Center tomorrow so I need to crash right after I hug Kerry backstage (I hope I remember to take pictures with my Blackberry). It is soooo cold in the city!!! Reminds me of the frigid sub zero temp last winter during my play when my dog Tulea refused to go outside and pee’d in the apartment lobby—no fool she.

I have other days/photos/blogs from Sunday etc but Jodie Evans has my camera with the photos–and my reading glasses. Are you like me…when you’re tired you drop things and forget things? Well, that’s all for now or I won’t get my nap which will be brief enough as it is.

Next time.

PS: at least I got a snap of the Rockefeller Xmas tree. And the Saks Fifth Ave store windows are grandkids-worthy.

Tables are turned: Now It's my turn to pay backstage respects.

With Kerry Washington backstage after seeing her in “Race.” It/she was riveting. I am so proud of her. What a strong presence in a tough role.

Said hi and congrats to Richard Thomas, as well. We were together in the Actor’s Studio production of “Strange Interlude.” He was 10 years old and his father was my ballet teacher.

Nancy Zehner, Ann Kaplan and Gloria Steinem

Annette Allen, James Benedict and Lori Ordover

This took place while I was recently in NY but because of the internet isses I haven’t posted this before. We had a lovely dinner in the home of Caroline Hirsch. Gloria Steinem sat at one table and I at another and we switched at dessert time. Besides the interesting conversation, two things moved me in particular about the evening: the multigenerational aspect with mothers bringing daughters and daughters bringing mothers and the presence of two good men. It always touches me deeply when men show up in support of women’s organizational efforts and really GET it.

After dinner I did an emotional reading from my memoirs about my experiences making ”On Golden Pond.”

So there you have it.

My computer was contaminated and, though I wrote 3 or 4 blogs I couldn’t send them till today. Sorry about that. So there’ll be a bunch getting posted all at once.

Last Saturday, My dear friends Jodie Evans and Max Palevsky, invited Richard and me to join them at their table at a fundraiser at the Armand Hammer Museum in Westwood. It was a good evening for lots of reasons. I had never been to the museum and definitely want to go back. Clearly it is a courageous place, very cutting edge. Then, too, I saw lots of friends I hadn’t seen in a long time and I sat next to Jodie who told me a little about her recent trip to Afghanistan with an American delegation that included a retired colonel, and member the State Department. While there, she met with people ranging from the brother of President Karzai, Afghan members of Parliament, activists, to warlords and members of the Taliban. Jodie is co-founder of the peace organization, Code Pink, and always willing to go to any lengths to try and find out what’s really going on. Bottom line: everyone she met with wants the U.S. Military out of their country. They feel our presence there has brought more violence rather than security. Please read a short article she wrote about the trip which is on the Women’s Media Center website.

With my mentor Dr. Michael Carrera

Last night there was a gathering at the Harvard Club to celebrate and honor the 25th anniversary of the Children’s Aid Society Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention program created and run by Dr Michael Carrera. It is one of the (if not THE) most successful programs which has been replicated all around the country. It wraps itself around the young people in the program for seven years–from when they enter middle school until they graduate high school, instilling in them the knowledge that they have a future that includes a job, health care, a savings account, college. They learn that they have value, potential, skills. Several of the alum spoke movingly about how the program made a difference in their lives. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Dr Carrera has been toiling in this youth development vinyard for 50 years!!! And I was proud to be there to help him celebrate. Some of the things I have heard him say that influenced the work we do in Georgia: “Young people may not remember what you do but they will never forget how you made them feel” and “These children aren’t at risk, they are at promise.” He speaks of what we do as “above the waist work” and says “it’s less about what goes on between their legs and more about what goes on between their ears.” I know from my 16 years with GCAPP how true this is.

After the event, I had dinner at Orso’s with New Yorker writer Hilton Als, he is doing a profile of me for the magazine and we are becoming friends. It was fun being with him back at Orso’s where I went almost every night after my Broadway show. I missed seeing Jeff Daniels (he’s still in “God of Carnage” and we were too early) who was also a regular there as was Geoffrey Rush. Wow! Writing this is making me miss the camaraderie and fulfillment of being on Broadway and I wish I was back in a play.

I am about to catch a flight to Dallas where I’m doing a fundraiser for The Women’s Media Center. Hilton’s coming with me. My dear friend, Helen LaKelly Hunt, has helped assure this will be an extremely successful event. She is also the driving force behind an effort called Women Moving Millions, motivating women donors of means to give $1 million or more to the many Womens Funds and foundations around the country. Since the initiative began 2 years ago they have raised $180 million all of which goes to benefit women and girls.

See you next time.