TV Morality

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

Confession: I like watching TV commercials.

Partly because I’m an actor and I do a lot of commercials, and so it’s kinda like homework to see what the commercial “trends” are.

Some of these trends include: making dads and men seem like dopes or incompetent, ethnically ambiguous “heroes,” the switching of normal gender roles, and co-branding partnership commercials.

And honestly, most commercials are pretty forgettable. Or standard. Or just kind of…boring. Very rarely do I see something that evokes any sort of emotion, other than, say annoyance.

But not yesterday.

I was watching television, and I saw a commercial for Subaru Outback that literally made me say out loud to myself: Wow, way to go Subaru.

Why?

Because it was an unapologetically prolife commercial.

And you can watch it here for yourself.

But basically, it was this couple, and the wife was probably 8 months pregnant. And they were driving to all these beautifully scenic locations: the beach, the forrest, the mountains, countryside. And at every location, the mom would rub her belly, and say “And this, baby, is the ocean. You’ll love it here.” Or she’d say, “There’s so much I want to show you.” It was just so heartwarming, but also so clearly obvious that she was referring to her unborn child as a baby.

Not a fetus. Not a collection of cells. A baby. A life.

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It’s no secret that I am staunchly prolife. I’ve written a lot about it before. I mean, it is the clear determining factor in how I cast my ballot.

And yes, the fact that I am Christian has a lot to do with my belief. But also for reasons that might not seem related: I am prolife because of the anorexia in my past.

Here’s the thing: when I was in my disease, I was destroying my life. It’s not like I was flat out saying, I’m trying to die, but the truth of the matter is that my actions were communicating just that. I wasn’t eating. I wouldn’t even drink water. I was compulsively exercising. And I was withdrawing and pushing away all the relationships in my life.

I was living on borrowed time.

All because I didn’t believe I was worth love.

And coming out of that hopeless pit of despair was damn near impossible. It took a full out intervention by my family and close loved ones. And even then, I had to be threatened with drastic legal measures in order to cooperate. Times were dire. I was 78 pounds. It was literally do or die.

After many tantrums, tears, and slammed doors, I finally agreed to a three month stay at an intensive inpatient treatment facility across the country in Arizona.

And though I credit inpatient with keeping me alive and saving my life, it in no way healed my anorexia.

I got out of there as fast as I could just so that I could relapse and get back into my disease. I still wanted my eating disorder.

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There was only one thing that truly healed my eating disorder.

And the simple answer, is Jesus. But why? What really does that mean. Because it’s kind of  gross simplification of the actual transformation that took place. And I promise this will all come full circle and loop back to the Subaru Outback. I swear!

My healing came when I finally understood, accepted and embraced that I do in fact have worth.

But not from anything that I did.

Growing up in a family of mega-overachievers, I had always believed that worth was earned. You study hard, you earn a good grade. You practice free throws until you can make it with your eyes closed, thus earning your position as starting point guard. And I liked it that way.

But this time, my worth as a human being did not come from anything I did or didn’t do. Because frankly, we are all way too messed up, and if that were the case we’d all be up a creek without a paddle.

No, my worth came from the mere fact that I was handmade by God. Formed in the womb, and known by name, by voice, by heart, by the number of hair follicles He put there. 

I am a work of art, beautifully designed by the Maker Himself.

And His love for me was made known when He died on the cross…for me. Out of so much love so that we could be together forever in Heaven.

When I finally believed that to be true, I realized that my life is worth something truly great.

My life is worth His death on the Cross.

My life is worth living.

And it was in that moment that I realized that I need to stop killing myself.

I needed to feed and nourish, protect and take care of this incredible gift that is my life.

I was worth life.

So knowing that, who am I to not extend that same worth and value to the life inside a woman’s womb?

A child, growing in the womb is deserving of that same protection as I am. Why? Because he or she was also handcrafted by God. And his or her life was also purchased by Jesus on the Cross.

If I truly love Jesus, then I need to love and protect all lives – from conception to natural death.

It’s that simple.

And seeing Subaru make a public declaration in their commercial that the life inside the mother’s womb was actually a baby – I actually started to tear up a bit.

They get it.

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I was so impressed and excited. There’s so much crap out there. Companies going out of their way to bash the president, or make fun of Christianity or morals, or promote things that go against Christian values. And yet we still support them. We still buy their products or download their music. And every time we do that, we’re sending the message that that “BS” that they’re pulling is okay!!

We need to stop that! We need to start supporting brands and people that promote what we believe, and gosh darn it — I’ve never ever wanted a Subaru in my life. I mean I always thought that a prerequisite to owning one was a highly manicured beard, Birkenstock sandals, and an affinity for hatch back station wagons. But dang it I do now!

Let’s start paying attention to what companies are putting out there, and make a conscious vote with our pocketbooks.

Starting with Subaru.

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255 thoughts on “TV Morality”

      1. Thank you young lady. That was awesome and I couldn’t agree with you more. Jesus and life pretty much go hand in hand. I wish more people believed that. So many commercials disgust me anymore with men married to each other. They’re trying to brainwash us. No thanks. That’s so wrong. May God richly bless you!!!

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      2. Thank you so much John, I really appreciate you sharing your heart on this! big hugs to you xox

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      1. Exactly.. a lot people so not understand the ways paying attention to the exalted idiotic and negative messages people pay so much attention to affects them negatively. This is what I write on. If you truly want knowledge concerning the effects of the media and media literacy then be sure to visit my site thetruthbyjade@wordpress.com.. I assure you, you will embark on a journey of enlightenment with me.. grace.

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      2. You’re so right about that – thanks for passing your article along. I look forward to reading it! Hugs and love xox

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  4. Amen! If I could put an emoticon of “praise hands” in this I would!! But seriously, thanks for the reminder of what Jesus did for us. I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, but a reminder of our worth because of what He did is always needed.

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  9. I love reading your words and your story mirrors mine, but substitute alcohol for anorexia. The devil has a pretty big bag of tricks, doesn’t he?

    And like you, it is only by His amazing, unrelenting, everlasting love and grace that I am whole again & free from those chains that for some reason I fought so hard not to lose!!!

    He is so good, and I am so thankful for you and your story as He uses you to encourage me in my walk. 💕

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    1. Hi Jenni, thank you so much for sharing your story. Oh gosh, he really does. Amen amen amen! Hugs and love xox

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  10. I hate television commercials!! Hate… hate… hate… hate.. wait for it… HATE. Groan. They are so deliberately manipulative and corrupt. I have to immediately put the TV on mute the second the ads start. At least then I don’t have to hear them. I saw one recently for a car (not sure which type of car) in which a couple of new parents were driving their newborn baby home, and the car’s blindspot detection kept the husband from switching lanes. I figured the overriding (no pun intended) message was: “Buy our car, or your precious newborn baby WILL DIEEEEEEEE.” Classy.

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    1. haha thank you Meg. Yeah they are definitely manipulative, that’s for dang sure. yeah…real classy. thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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  12. I saw this commercial earlier today, it’s great as you say! Frankly, I’m beyond tired of seeing all the political hatred and PCism today. More I could say but that’s enough. Be well!

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  14. Another beautiful post! I preached on the sanctity of life once from Jeremiah 1 where God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you.” My first point is that life begins before conception because we were planned in the mind of God long before physical conception took place. I always look forward to reading how you blend your faith with real life.

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    1. Thank you so much Matthew! I love that so much. you’re absolutely right – we were formed before the womb! Hugs and love xox

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  16. What a great ad! A God-designed family: man, woman, and child inside, then outside the womb. It’s a great ad. And isn’t it sad that it’s a relief to see that??

    I’m taken back again to your earliest articles and the pain that was there. I am so thankful to God that you heeded His call and chose life! I have a friend that might not have been! How many friends never were and never will be, because someone bought into the lie of “medical procedure” which is murder in utero?

    I pray you don’t take any hits tonight for your right stance on family and life. If you do, remember you are loved by God and all of the friends he’s introduced you to!

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    1. Thank you so much Jeff. I know! Sad that it’s a relief but dang – what an awesome thing that they made their voice heard. And thank you for such kind words my friend. And boy do I appreciate that prayer. Amen – God is so so good! Sending you and Julie lots of hugs and love! Xox

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  18. I was watching Seinfeld the other night and the Modernist sexual amorality was on full display. I lived by that code for too long with the inherent devaluation of human life at its core. Catholicism offers the answer, at least for me. Sex is meant to function and flourish within a family wherein the life created will be cherished.

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  19. A wonderfully encouraging post. And I am glad that some advertisers are getting the message that life is precious. And those who are sponsoring you get that also. Thanks for always being the light of Jesus in your blogging: Nearly 37K seeds scattered every day. Nice.

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    1. Thank you so much friend. I’m glad about that too – Subaru got it right! And what a kind thing to say:) big hugs to you friend xox

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  20. Thank you for meaningful post. Would you like to share this beautiful blog and your story on What You Blog About ?

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  21. A young lady in England with Down Syndrome put it best when she said, about DS babies, “Discrimination begins before we’re born, and continues until we die.” I thought that the best pro-life comment I’ve ever heard. Amen, young lady.
    Great post ❤

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  22. Hi,
    As always, thank you for sharing your commendable insights and thoughts. I, too, have found that much of media is geared towards the spectacular or obscene. It is always refreshing to find things that are both meaningful and profound. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you so much Robert, for your reflection. The spectacular or obscene – yep that pretty much sums it up! Hugs and love xox

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  26. Great post! This is such a great reminder that life starts in the womb and it’s applause worthy that this ad was aired and that they are standing up for something that a lot of us claim to stand up for but remain quiet when pushed even a tad bit. God is so gracious to also have given you a new life in Him!

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  28. For once, a positive and wholesome advert! Thank you for sharing!

    The other overpopulated category of commercials are the ones that are vaguely inspirational in a way that is not even related to the product. But there is a family theme in many of Subaru’s ads.

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  30. The body is a sacrament . . . a visible sign of invisible grace. . . . All our inner life and intimacy of soul longs to find an outer mirror. It longs for a form in which it can be seen, felt, and touched. The body is the mirror where the secret world of the soul comes to expression. The body is a sacred threshold; and it deserves to be respected, minded, and understood in its spiritual nature. . . . The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. [See 1 Corinthians 6:19.]

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  31. SO beautiful. And I love that commercial 🙂 I think of it as a privilege to take good care of my body, it’s the only one I’ll have! And like you said, made special just for me by God. Thanks for sharing this! Jenny

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  32. I really enjoy your blog. Food for thought though… for someone in recovery it can be very triggering when you list exact numbers (78). I totally understand that you list the number so people understand how dire the situation was but because ED is so comparative and competitive, it can send someone into a tailspin.

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    1. Thank you Emily for this important perspective. I appreciate you stopping by and for your feedback! Hugs and love xox

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  34. Wow! Love this, and I love YOU! What an amazing journey your life has been and is becoming (not making light of the anorexia years, and the toughness that it sometimes still is) and what a bold, beautiful, fantastic voice you are developing for our Jesus! And for our future generations. You simply rock! ❤

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    1. Thank you so much Mindy!! Gosh what a kind thing to say. I am truly so touched. Love you too friend!! Hugs and love xox

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  36. “❤️I needed to feed and nourish, protect and take care of this incredible gift that is my life.
    I was worth life.” very powerful!! Thank you for being so honest! ❤️❤️

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  38. Triple B,

    I just wrote a post in which I trashed Subaru for trying to sell me on being one with the universe. So . . . yanno. Dang.

    You are winning this round. Based on your soulful rendition alone.

    Well penned.

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  39. Caralyn, Subaru has an appreciation for babies and families. Enjoyed watching the commercial. I drive a Subaru it is a practical car that helps me stay on the road in icy and snowy Interior Alaska. Really enjoy reading your blog! XOXO

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  40. Gosh what a marvellous post – you’ve hit the nail right on the head! Our worth comes from knowing deep down that we are loved by and precious to our Heavenly Father – once we know that and live by it it’s a game-changer for life. Thanks so much for posting this!

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  43. Yes, true worth can only be found in Jesus. The unborn is human. Making informed decisions with our pocketbooks is wisdom. Thanks for the post.

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  44. Amen! to pro-life. Your prolife journey differs from mine which is due to being childless not by choice.

    I love this post. You are a great writer and fun to read. Keep up the good work and energy. You are changing lives. Bless you!

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  45. I agree that the message is a positive one, as far as it goes. I don’t see it as controversial that an unborn child is a life when the mother wants a baby. I would be more impressed if the ad recognized the worth of that life unconditionally. But I suppose we need to take any small win we can get these days.

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  49. Another excellent pro-life, pro-Christianity post! I’d never seen the Subaru ad until now. It’s an excellent message–regardless of whether it sells any cars! Thanks for posting this.

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