There’s a series of ads that has been running here in Los Angeles for a decade or so, paid for by the “Foundation for a Better Life.” Every ad, be it Radio, TV, or Print ends with a single inspirational word… “Integrity” or “Innovation” for example, followed by the encouragement to “pass it on.”
One of my favorite of these ads was a TV spot featuring a basketball game played by teens. The ball goes out of bounds and the ref calls for an in-bounds pass in favor of the blue team. As the blue team huddles up to discuss the play, one of the players says “hey Coach, I touched it last.” His teammates want him to keep his mouth shut, but the Coach takes the high road and nods at him. As the ad ends, we see the kid running off to come clean to the Ref.
“Sportsmanship… pass it on.” intones the Narrator. Simple, inspirational… perfect.
It’s a nice series of ads, but what I’ve always marveled at is the fact that there’s no sell. The “Foundation for a Better Life”, whatever that is, doesn’t seem to want anything from you, except maybe for you to “pass on” whatever piece of inspiration they’ve sent your way. If the Foundation for a Better Life is selling anything, the only way to find out what it is would be to Google the group and see what’s what, a step I have never taken. And I supect the Foundation for a Better Life, whoever they are, is totally cool with that.
Given the high levels of cynicism in our current society, that fact pattern is really quite remarkable.
As I drove by one of the “Pass It On” billboard ads today, this one featuring the Wright Brothers, I was reminded of a Christmas Party I attended years ago, back when these ads first started to appear. It was a typical L.A./Hollywood party, by which I mean very Progressive. Frankly, I was surprised they were willing to call it a Christmas party at all, but there we were.
At some point during the evening, the subject of these “Pass It On” ads came up and I confessed that I actually quite liked them and, to my surprise, there was general agreement amongst the partygoers.
Until…
One of my friends overheard the conversation and walked over. This guy is probably the most Progressive person I know in the world. His contribution to the dicussion was to say that yes, on the surface, the ads were sweet and inspiring and totally uncontroversial…
BUT… (there’s always a but)
He figured that they were probably being paid for by some Right Wing Christian Organization and so he couldn’t stand them because what they were really doing was normalizing the kind of Right Wing Christian thought that always leads to Crusades, pogroms, lynchings and death camps.
I know… at this point you probably have a million questions, and I wish I could answer them. But I learned a long time ago to just ignore this dude and not indulge his insanity, and so I did not ask any of those questions you’re asking now.
But let’s take a moment to marvel at the depressing thought process revealed by his comment.
Imagine being so miserable, so caught up in tribal politics, that you can’t enjoy a sweet sentiment like “Integrity… pass it on”, without worrying that you are somehow normalizing something evil by doing so?
Such is the prison of the modern Progressive mind.
Pity them.
And then crush them!
(at the ballot box, guys, the ballot box… what did you think I meant?).