Minnesota Atheists' New Ad Compaign!

[Pomidor]

Hi, long time lurker, first time poster, and all that jazz...

 

In Minnesota, there is this organization called Pro-Life Across America. I'm not sure that they put up their bill boards outside of MN, so here are a few examples:

 

 

 

The gist is that they use cute little children as anti-choice propaganda. And these things are seriously everywhere. On the drive from Minneapolis to Duluth, it seems like every few feet there is yet another baby billboard. Now, apparently another group called Minnesota Atheists have noticed this as well, and so they've borrowed the technique:

 

 

Thoughts?

(Here's the article about the new billboards, if you're interested: http://www.twincities.com/ci_19827758?s ... ost_viewed)

[valsa]

That thing is going to get so vandalized.

On a meaner and shallower note, I find all three of those babies ugly.

[Pomidor]

On a meaner and shallower note, I find all three of those babies ugly.

Many people I know have made that same observation...and I agree.

[valsa]

Many people I know have made that same observation...and I agree.

Cripes! The picture with the two babies didn't load for me the first time so now it's 5 ugly babies.

You'd think that with the anti-choice side basically using babies to evoke a visceral, emotional reaction in people, they'd want to use cute ones.

So not only is their message stupid, but their strategy is too.

[Peas n carrots]

I'm sure it won't be up for long. But go MN Atheists!

[lilwriter85]

I agree that sign will likely get vandalized or be taken down after a lot of people bitch about.

[prairiemuffin]

Those damn pro-life billboards are EVERYWHERE once you get out of the metro. I tend to swear when I see one.

Go Atheists!

[slickcat79]

Here's an article about the campaign, including a quote from the representatives of ProLife Across America:

"The baby is an eye catcher, and that's why we use the baby, and the atheists apparently think so, too. They may be helping us. They may be reminding us of the preciousness of babies.

"If the atheists get any referrals for pregnancies, they can send them our way," she added.

I guess she gets some credit for not having an angry reaction to the billboards, but seriously, why do all pro-life people think pregnant women (and pro-choicers) are stupid? The billboards very clearly represent the MN atheists, so why would someone with an unplanned pregnancy call them for advice? And even if they did, why would the organization refer them to PLAA, a group that clearly has a biased agenda? There may be pro-life atheists out there, but I would think nearly all atheists support access to complete and unbiased information so that people can make their own choices.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_19827758?s ... ost_viewed

[Conuly]

Gosh, look at all those white kids. I guess non-white individuals don't feel pain until birth, and their hearts don't beat either?

(Yes, that was my actual first thought. I'm not sure why.)

Seriously, though, I eat chickens. And I eat pigs. And I eat beef as well! All those things had, at one point, beating hearts and the ability to feel pain. I don't stay up at nights worrying about it, so unless you're a vegetarian, I don't want to hear this argument from you about abortion. Form a coherent argument that's not even a little inconsistent, and then we can talk. (Not that you CAN talk to these folks!) :roll:

Also, I saw the atheist ad before I saw the anti-choice ads. At the time I just thought it was a very bad design (and it was described as such on the site where I saw it), but with the context it all makes sense.

[bekkah]

I live in two very small towns in Minnesota. There's two outside the college and I go to a freaking Catholic college so most support life. My hometown there's 3 along the Highway and my town might be 3 miles total. I hate them, I think they actually discourage the cause of being prolife.

[valsa]

I hate them, I think they actually discourage the cause of being prolife.

Well, I guess that's one positive then.

[Pomidor]

Gosh, look at all those white kids. I guess non-white individuals don't feel pain until birth, and their hearts don't beat either?

If you google "Pro-life Across America" you can find a few with non-white babies. I'm pretty sure that the one on my way to my (intercity) high school wasn't white...but yeah, the vast majority of the babies they care about are white.

On another note, a lot of the billboards I'm seeing lately say some vaguely relevant messages referring to fathers, such as "I'm dad's little man!" or "God bless daddy!" or, accompanied by a picture of a baby in a weird hat, "Dad says this is my thinking cap!" Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've ever seen a billboard referring to just "mommy." It has always struck me as patriarchal...what does anyone else think?

And finally:

You'd think that with the anti-choice side basically using babies to evoke a visceral, emotional reaction in people, they'd want to use cute ones.

That is almost exactly verbatim what a friend of mine said when these signs were covering out school during "Pro-life week" :lol:

[JesusFightClub]

I'd fucking call the atheists for pregnancy advice! I bet I'd get a far better answer than calling the prolifers.

The babies all look a bit ick but part of it is the yellow, which catches their pasty skintones wrongly.

[MrsYoungie]

So I guess according to those pro-life billboards they are in favour of early abortion? i.e. before the heart beats etc.?

[Kitty]

Slightly OT, but may I ask what the hell being "dad's little man" has to do with brain development?

The pro-lifers just proved that they're sexist, gender-essentialist assholes if they think "male" and "female" are natural neurological constructs rather than SOCIAL ones.

[Black Aliss]

Just wish the atheists hadn't used comic sans font for their billboard.

[Kitty]

Just wish the atheists hadn't used comic sans font for their billboard.

It's not Comic Sans, but it's far too close for comfort.

Overall a shitty design. Not that the pro-lifer ads are much better.

[Daenerys]

Just wish the atheists hadn't used comic sans font for their billboard.

I think it's a 'childish' font to represent a child's perspective.

[synchroswimr]

Those damn pro-life billboards are EVERYWHERE once you get out of the metro. I tend to swear when I see one.

Go Atheists!

Me, too. The first one I see when Imm back home is always a ... Welcome home.

[O Latin]

The font and color schemes really are awful. To me, they look like flyers for air conditioning or an exterminator or something, except with babies instead of happily air conditioned, pest free people.

[emmiedahl]

The UK atheist PR campaign is wittier and most visually pleasing.

And this one in NZ:

[valsa]

another note, a lot of the billboards I'm seeing lately say some vaguely relevant messages referring to fathers, such as "I'm dad's little man!" or "God bless daddy!" or, accompanied by a picture of a baby in a weird hat, "Dad says this is my thinking cap!" Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've ever seen a billboard referring to just "mommy." It has always struck me as patriarchal...what does anyone else think?

That might actually be a smart move on their part. Abortion statistics for 2008 from the Guttermach Institute show that 62% of women seeking an abortion had been in a relationship with their male partner for a year or more (50% lived with their male partner the month they got pregnant), and only 12% had not been in a relationship with the man who got them pregnant. Men have little-to-no required investment in bringing a pregnancy to term, so it's probably much easier to convince them that they should have the baby (after all, until it's actually born, they have nothing to lose by continuing the pregnancy) If you can manage to convince the father that the fetus shouldn’t be aborted, both you and he can put pressure on the mother. I know a lot of women who wouldn’t abort a pregnancy, even if they thought it was the right decision for their situation, if the father expressed clear wishes for her to have the baby.

And finally:

That is almost exactly verbatim what a friend of mine said when these signs were covering out school during "Pro-life week" :lol:

Ha! I'm going to take that as a "awesome minds think alike" thing.

[Rosa]

Gosh, look at all those white kids. I guess non-white individuals don't feel pain until birth, and their hearts don't beat either?

They run Black baby versions in my neighborhood (S. Mpls) sometimes. They're usually cuter, too.

I always figured the Pro-Choice billboard ring was the protective anti-city-people hex between us and outstate, then they put some facing outward along two of the minor highways (77 & 55) this summer.

[MonkeyMomma]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the Pro-Life Across America babies were kinda funny looking. I have a very clear memory of someone on a school related trip saying "I'm pro-life and all, but damn, that baby is ugly."

So .... are there a lot of Minnesotans here? There seem to be man references not only to the Twin Cities, but life outside the Metro.

That would just be another point for MN in my book. ;)

[defrauding]

Just wish the atheists hadn't used comic sans font for their billboard.

I think it's delightfully subversive, actually, since Christians love that font so much -- almost as much as they love Papyrus, in fact.