# "Gathering Storm" - Awful anti-gay marriage commercial **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385 "2009-04-17T04:22:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/61 "2009-04-23T03:49:19Z")
[OPEN] Sattelite view of a powerful hurricane building up in its slow cyclic motion. “gathering storm alert” slides accross the lower portion of the screen, CNN news-style in bold red lettering. Ominous music plays. The camera zooms slowly out to reveal a perfect, white ring surrounding the storm, which as we zoom out further, is revealed to be a tea cup with swirling milk, sitting on a perfectly set table. Ominous music fades and is gradually replaced with Doris Day singing “Tea for Two”. As we pull out to the final frame setting, the scene is revealed to be two teenage boys playing tea on the grass, on a perfect summer afternoon. [Voiceover]- “How do you take your tea? Straight, lemon or with a little cream and sugar?” The camera cuts to the two boys smiling at eachother. [voiceover] “In a civilized world, we don’t judge eachother for our preferences.” [FADE] ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/62 "2009-04-23T19:02:51Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > That was the California doctor from the ad. She had to choose between her medical practice and her faith when she passed through Iowa en route to do tornado relief and was told she could only practice medicine if she married **“Butchy Barb” the Corn Queen**. Porn movie title! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/63 "2009-04-23T22:00:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait . . . Those were separate movies? _Armageddon_ was, of course, abysmally terrible, but _Deep Impact_ was actually pretty good. I can’t speak to the bug movies, though, having never seen either. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/64 "2009-04-23T22:32:43Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > What is the “I’m a doctor and I have to choose between my faith and my profession” even supposed to imply? There was a case that was settled earlier this year where a California fertility clinic refused to give treatments to a lesbian. IIRC, they specifically refused because she was an unmarried woman, ignoring the fact that she was in a long-term relationship with another woman. The California supreme court decided that the clinic was in violation of California’s equal protection laws. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/65 "2009-04-23T22:50:39Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > If gay marriage becomes legal in all 50 states, all that will happen is that we’d be allowed to marry our dogs. > > What’s my name, bitch!! Yeah, and it’d good a whole 'nother meaning to the phrase “doggy-style.” Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/66 "2009-04-23T23:01:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > There was a case that was settled earlier this year where a California fertility clinic refused to give treatments to a lesbian. IIRC, they specifically refused because she was an unmarried woman, ignoring the fact that she was in a long-term relationship with another woman. The California supreme court decided that the clinic was in violation of California’s equal protection laws. Well.. that at least makes some degree of sense. How many people watching the commercial would even know that? Including it without explanation just makes you think “wtf?” and makes it seem even more pathetically vague. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/67 "2009-04-23T23:29:03Z")
I think the people watching the commercial are supposed to think about pro-life pharmacists being forced to give women morning after pills. That ad is a whole lot of misdirection. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/68 "2009-04-23T23:33:46Z")
deleted. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/69 "2009-04-23T23:48:10Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Well.. that at least makes some degree of sense. How many people watching the commercial would even know that? Including it without explanation just makes you think “wtf?” and makes it seem even more pathetically vague. The last thing the anti-marriage lobby wants is for anyone to actually think about their arguments. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/70 "2009-04-24T00:30:19Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > What if there’s an odd number of women in my city? Do I have to wait for the next girl to turn 18? Or can I just marry my cats and be done? Why wait? Age of consent laws will be removed so that each man can marry as many 15 year olds as he wants. Just as God intended. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/71 "2009-04-24T01:02:46Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > I think the people watching the commercial are supposed to think about pro-life pharmacists being forced to give women morning after pills. That ad is a whole lot of misdirection. Yeah, the only other thing I could think of is that a gay or lesbian husband or wife would have more choice in the medical care of his or her SO. 'Course, if someone finds it horrifically abhorrent to allow a loving companion access to their beloved in trying times… \ …well, they need to re-examine their priorities. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/72 "2009-04-24T01:04:02Z")
mmmmmm, 15 year olds. I’ll be in mah bunk. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/73 "2009-04-24T01:40:21Z")
This is very subversive. It’s such a bad argument that it will actually turn a good number of swing votes away from its ostensible position. And I suspect that’s the real intent. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/74 "2009-04-24T01:42:56Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > This is very subversive. It’s such a bad argument that it will actually turn a good number of swing votes away from its ostensible position. Ssshh! Don’t tell them that. They’re just getting warmed up! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/75 "2009-04-24T01:53:26Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > This is very subversive. It’s such a bad argument that it will actually turn a good number of swing votes away from its ostensible position. And I suspect that’s the real intent. Which is exactly why Colbert played such a large chunk of it, unedited: it comes with parody self-attached. Which NOM did [not](http://nomblog.com/?p=55) understand. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/76 "2009-04-24T03:21:46Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Which is exactly why Colbert played such a large chunk of it, unedited: it comes with parody self-attached. Which NOM did [not](http://nomblog.com/?p=55) understand. Except the news release says that their bit was parodied on the Colbert report. In the first line. They just say thanks for the publicity. Anyway, my main reason for entering the thread is this: how do we know that the HRC didn’t just film their own “auditions”? Easy enough to staffers to mumble the dialog from the commercial in front of a green screen. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/77 "2009-04-24T03:45:09Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Anyway, my main reason for entering the thread is this: how do we know that the HRC didn’t just film their own “auditions”? Easy enough to staffers to mumble the dialog from the commercial in front of a green screen. Well, some of the actors in the tapes are recognizable from the commercial, firstly. Second, NOM could easily refute that simply by releasing the real audition tapes, making the HRC look dumb and dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/78 "2009-04-24T03:48:39Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Except the news release says that their bit was parodied on the Colbert report. In the first line. > > They just say thanks for the publicity. Uh, yeah, and the point I made–and make again–is that when the ad is so ridiculous that it’s its own worst enemy, the publicity works against them, not for them. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/79 "2009-04-24T04:01:03Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Well, some of the actors in the tapes are recognizable from the commercial, firstly. Second, NOM could easily refute that simply by releasing the real audition tapes, making the HRC look dumb and dishonest. If you’re the NOM, your position is that they’re concerned citizens, not actors, and hence there are no audition tapes. Now, just to be absolutely clear, I think that position is bullshit, and that every single other thing about the ad is bullshit, including the message. Anyway, I though that was why the mere existence of the audition tapes made them worth airing on the HRC website. I didn’t recognize any actors from both ads but I didn’t really watch that closely. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385/80 "2009-04-24T04:05:00Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Uh, yeah, and the point I made–and make again–is that when the ad is so ridiculous that it’s its own worst enemy, the publicity works against them, not for them. Which I hope is true. And it’s not like people watching Colbert are likely to be recruited by it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gathering-storm-awful-anti-gay-marriage-commercial/493385.md?page=5)