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ManCrunch time for the NFL

When it comes to the Super Bowl, it’s pro-family 7, gay rights 0. After accepting an anti-choice ad from the right wing Focus on the Family group, starring Tim Tebow and his mother Pam Tebow, CBS has rejected an ad from the gay male dating service ManCrunch.com.

If this isn’t discrimination, I don’t know what is.

In a previous post on the subject, I argued that I had no problem with CBS accepting the Focus On the Family ad, as long as it accepted a pro-choice spot if it came their way. It turns out it wasn’t the pro-choice groups that tested CBS, it was an online site that assists gay guys to hook up.

Many have suggested that attempting to buy the ad spot was a ManCrunch publicity stunt. Many argued that t he dating service was just hoping to get rejected so they could get some media traction, that the site couldn’t afford the $2.5-million price tag for the spot and how many queer men watch the Super Bowl anyway?

The answer to the last question – tons. All the bars at Church and Wellesley are readying for the crush come Super Bowl Sunday and anyone who thinks gay men aren’t interested in football should get over their stereotypes.

ManCrunch is owned by Avid Life Media, which also operates AshleyMadison.com, the controversial website that helps people have extra-marital affairs, cougar.com and other dating sites that net profits to the tune of $30-million a year. So Avid Life has plenty of cash to cover the cost of the spots.

Yes, ManCrunch was looking for publicity – which is why they were prepared to buy it in the form of a TV ad in the first place – though Avid President Joel Biderman claims he thought the debate would happen after the game

This isn’t the first time that an Avid Life Media’s Ad has been turned down. Last year, the TTC rejected an ad from Ashley Madison which promoted clandestine extra-marital affairs because it encouraged people to lie. The TTC didn’t think the ad was appropriate for a publicly run company like the transit system.

But CBS has already taken a risk by accepting the controversial and highly divisive ad from Focus on the Family, an organization which opposes gay marriage and treats homosexuality as society’s scourge. This is not, by any means, a moderately conservative group, but rather a far right, close to lunatic fringe bunch bent on denying gays our civil rights.

Media outlets have the right to reject ads. There’s no way around that. But CBS showed its true colours when it accepted the Tebows and then rejected the ManCrunch ad: the network is a craven discriminator.[rssbreak]

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