Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

When the UCC announced its new campaign recently, the church noted that not only was its new ad rejected by the networks, but the network's Sunday public affairs programs have been deeply skewed -- presenting leaders of the Christian Right, but never having leaders of historic Protestant churches.  The UCC sees a pattern of exclusion -- call it rejection -- of mainstream religious views in the broadcast media.  

The ads have now been barred from the NBC-owned USA Network and Telemundo, and the United Church News reports that

"Nick@Night and TV Land, two Viacom-owned networks that twice aired the UCC's ads in December 2004 and March 2005, have now turned down the church's most-recent attempts to purchase air time.... Several other networks, including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Bravo and the lesbian/gay-oriented LOGO network are also among those owned by Viacom or NBC now deemed off limits to the UCC, since it has become clear to church officials that the cable outlets are lining up behind parent companies' decisions.

"I just wanted to let you know that currently [Viacom-owned] MTV Networks commercial standards & practices cannot accept this `Ejector' spot from United Church of Christ because of the political nature of its content," according to a sales associate's e-mail response on March 30.

Two semi-independent networks -- Discovery and Univision -- have also declined the ad.

Not all cable networks, however, are refusing the ad. ABC Family, a cable network owned by ABC/Disney, has accepted the ad even though its principal broadcast network has refused it, citing a blanket policy against religious advertising.

Cable networks that have accepted the ad include A&E, AMC, BET, CNN, CNN Headline, Hallmark, History, TBS, TNT, E!, Lifetime, Si-TV, and Azteca America.

Rev. Ron Buford, director of the UCC's God is Still Speaking Initiative, of which the ads are a part, said:  "There could not be a more concrete example of what happens when our media is in the hands of a few corporate elites who simply don't agree with you. They can simply turn you off. Click, goodbye." He told United Church News that the ads are

neither "political" nor "advocacy," but a sincere attempt by the church to address the oft-ignored feelings of rejection and alienation that many people say they have experienced from organized religion....

"Our UCC forebears -- the Congregationalist Pilgrims, the frontier Christians, the German Evangelicals, the freed slaves -- they would rise in judgment if we didn't resist this," Buford said.
The "ejector seat" commercial begins with a shot of an African-American mother trying to calm a crying baby. Sitting in a church pew, the mother fidgets anxiously, as she endures disapproving looks from fellow worshippers. Eventually, someone in the wings pushes an "ejector" button to rid the church of her -- and her noisy baby. Into the air they go flying.

In similar fashion, a gay couple, an Arab-American, a person using a walker, among others, get "ejected." Finally, when a homeless person wanders in and takes a seat, nervous parishioners -- expecting she'll get the boot for sure -- scoot away from her.

The commercial ends with a mood shift, where shots of diverse, friendly people set the stage for the announcer's invitation: "The United Church of Christ -- no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here."