According to a Guns & Ammo story, firearms manufacturer Daniel Defense has had a TV ad rejected for broadcast on the Super Bowl:
... Though the video doesn't showcase one of the company's popular DDM4 rifles, this paid advertisement spot was rejected by the NFL.The company notes that it has brick-and-mortar stores that sell goods other than firearms, and also "offered to replace the DDM4 logo with an American flag and/or the words 'Shall not be infringed,'" according to the Gun & Ammo story. No deal, said the NFL.
The commercial, which focuses on themes of personal protection and fundamental rights, was originally created by Daniel Defense to run in any network TV station at any time.
... The NFL's Advertising Policy addresses several Prohibited Advertising Categories....
The firearms portion of the NFL's Prohibited Advertising Categories states:
"5. Firearms, ammunition or other weapons are prohibited; however, stores that sell firearms and ammunitions (e.g., outdoor stores and camping stores) will be permitted, provided they sell other products and the ads do not mention firearms, ammunition or other weapons."
I don't know if this is a legitimate effort to get a gun ad aired during the game or just an inexpensive way for Daniel Defense to get free publicity out of the rejection. (I can't help noticing that the Guns & Ammo story repeatedly mentions that DDM4 rifle.)
But what I find interesting is the nature of the ad. It depicts a former serviceman returning to his suburban home, where his wife and baby await. As low-key music plays, the imagery (uniform, flag, angelic baby and baby monitor) hits a lot of emotional hot buttons, especially in conjunction with the rather chilling voiceover:
It's been a long road getting here, and a lot has changed since I got back. Now this is the center of my world, and my family's safety is my highest priority. I am responsible for their protection, and no one has the right to tell me how to defend them. So I've chosen the most effective tool for the job.Final frame:
Maybe I've read too many David Brooks columns about Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone, but I can't help noticing how, in this man's world, there's country (represented by the flag and the military) and there's family, but there's nothing in between. There's no community. His posture is that he's a soft-focus loving dad, but he's also a lone wolf. It's him against the world.
The point of Bowling Alone is that America has become a nation of atomized residents who no longer join bowling leagues and other voluntary associations. I think there's some truth to that -- but this ad reminds me how much right-wing propaganda cultivates that sense of atomization, by portraying American society as debased and not worth participating in.
This guy comes home and regards the society beyond his property line as full of hostile figures who either want to hurt his precious family or deny him the means to defend his loved ones. This strikes me as a specifically right-wing worldview -- I can't think of an analogue for this on the left. If that's how you see society, no wonder you're bowling -- and gunning -- alone.
