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[ElectricBlanketFire]

Story here.

Ad here (ending portion with the wall will be web-only during halftime).

The Super Bowl is a popular destination for commercials showcasing premium water, candy and beer — but politics can make it a difficult forum.

84 Lumber, a private supplier of building materials in Pennsylvania that is advertising during the game for the first time this year, said it was forced to alter its plans for a commercial after Fox deemed its depiction of a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter confronting a border wall between the United States and Mexico, which President Trump has pledged to build, as “too controversial.”

The ad, slated to run before halftime during the network’s broadcast of the game on Sunday, will now showcase the pair on a journey, but omit the wall. Instead, the address of a website will appear on the screen, giving viewers a chance to see how their story ends.

“I still can’t even understand why it was censored,” Maggie Hardy Magerko, 84 Lumber’s president and owner, said in an interview this week. “In fact, I’m flabbergasted by that in today’s day and age. It’s not pornographic, it’s not immoral, it’s not racist.”

In the case of 84 Lumber, Ms. Magerko said that Fox vetoed the company’s initial idea based on a storyboard of the proposed commercial from Brunner, the company’s ad agency. That document, which was reviewed by The New York Times, said the commercial would show a mother and daughter on “an arduous journey north,” as American workers built a large structure. Their journey appeared doomed once they reached the wall until a patriotic symbol inspired them to find a massive doorway — which is what the workers were creating all along. The final line: “The will to succeed will always be welcome here.”

 

[Jeevesmeister]

Big corporate is not your friend.

Also FOX is running that utterly insane show APB this year, where a Silicon Valley blowhard takes over a police station and brags about creating "Uber, for cops." It's technocratic neofascist propaganda and it's utterly godawful.

 

[legacyzero]

But only those Libruhls are capable of the Pc outrage, huh.

 

[Bronx-Man]

We don't want anything too controversial on our family-friendly network. Don't forget to drink beer, take your boner pills, and gamble your life's savings away with DraftKings.com!

 

[infiniteloop]

I didn't see a wall in that ad?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I didn't see a wall in that ad?

As I said in the OP, that portion will be shown on their website during halftime.

 

[dave is ok]

Wasn't there an ad for a pill that helps opiate caused constipation last year?

 

[VenomousCoffee]

MSM thinks it's 'controversial' to criticize bigotry. Not shocked.

Also FOX is running that utterly insane show APB this year, where a Silicon Valley blowhard takes over a police station and brags about creating "Uber, for cops." It's technocratic neofascist propaganda and it's utterly godawful.

What? So, it's like someone watched RoboCop and missed the satire?

 

[eagledare]

Who would've guessed that a Rupert Murdoch-owned media conglomerate wouldn't show a commercial that attacks the Trump administrations stupid, short-sighted policy decisions. I mean, really, who could've guessed?

Trump and his billionaire buddies control it all now.

 

[Bronx-Man]

Big corporate is not your friend.

Also FOX is running that utterly insane show APB this year, where a Silicon Valley blowhard takes over a police station and brags about creating "Uber, for cops." It's technocratic neofascist propaganda and it's utterly godawful.

Yikes. Between this and Mel Gibson's new flick, 2017's becoming the year of #BlueLivesMatter.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Conservative leaning businesses and government officials are always going on about freedoms for powerful individuals and entities to leverage in public dealings. But they are utterly silent as the weak are targeted.

They're evil. Please, someone, help.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

What? So, it's like someone watched RoboCop and missed the satire?

It's more like Batman without any self-awareness or motivation. "The cops are worthless so I, rich guy, will take control of them and combine them with my awesome technology to run this city properly!"

 

[Spike Spiegel]

So according to the article the ad is supposed to end with the young girl and her mother eventually finding a door in Trump's great wall that allows them into the US. Like a checkpoint? Are there guards at this checkpoint? Or is it just a door? Is the door supposed to be a metaphor for entering the US legally?

”The will to succeed will always be welcome here"? So, don't give up searching for a way around, over, or through that wall? Because if you make it through, you won't be sent back because you wanted to get here that badly that you found a way past that wall? Don't give up on your dreams?

Is the wall going to be built with building materials from 84 Lumber?

The ad's just going to piss off both sides. Drunken anti-wall watchers are going to think 84 Lumber is helping to build the wall, and pro-wall watchers are going to think they're putting doors in the wall to let people through.

 

[hawk2025]

Special snowflakes, though.

 

[boiled goose]

He should show uncensored version on YouTube.

Trump's political ad with wall and "Muslim ban" was shown during football. I remember because it shocked me.

 

[The Albatross]

Our president talks about building an actual wall between the US and Mexico to keep Mexicans out. Not controversial.

A television commercial shows a proposed wall. Controversial. I see.

 

[Frozenprince]

Big corporate is not your friend.

Also FOX is running that utterly insane show APB this year, where a Silicon Valley blowhard takes over a police station and brags about creating "Uber, for cops." It's technocratic neofascist propaganda and it's utterly godawful.

Yep. Fox has no room, as always, to pontificate on any of this.

But they will.

 

[QuantumBro]

Everyone commenting realizes the ad is pro the wall, right?

Ms. Magerko, who said she voted for Mr. Trump, said the ad was meant to recruit employees in their 20s “who really believe in American dreams.” She expressed concern about the labor shortage her company is facing. She said she had a welcoming attitude toward certain immigrants, while providing the caveat that she had faith in elected officials to “make the decisions to make us safe.”

 

[infiniteloop]

As I said in the OP, that portion will be shown on their website during halftime.

oh, I thought you meant the ad linked had the wall in it, but it won't on TV. My bad.

 

[Slayven]

Big corporate is not your friend.

Also FOX is running that utterly insane show APB this year, where a Silicon Valley blowhard takes over a police station and brags about creating "Uber, for cops." It's technocratic neofascist propaganda and it's utterly godawful.

It is a scifi show on fox, it won't last

 

[Beartruck]

Ad seems just confusing enough to piss off EVERYONE. First it shows off the wall like it's some great thing, then it shows people getting through anyway because they just deserve it so hard? Motherfucker, you can't have it both ways.

 

[LegendofJoe]

I'm not watching the Super Bowl this year. I hope a lot of people feel the same way.

 

[sangreal]

Everyone commenting realizes the ad is pro the wall, right?

all the more reason to put it on air

let these people see what they are supporting

 

[whyamihere]

It is a scifi show on fox, it won't last

This is a silly meme that hasn't really been true for a while.

I mean APB is bad, but.

 

[fluffydelusions]

The only takeaway is that girl is obviously a bad hombre


/s

 

[tedrotheredro]

This ad kinda sucks, whether it's pro-wall or anti-wall. Waste of time and money.

The Budweiser ad is legit, tho.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Ad seems to be intentionally playing both sides to create controversy and go viral.

Sinister and brilliant. I like it.

 

[Amory]

The ad sounds stupid anyway, tbh. It doesn't say anything.

 

[notworksafe]

”I still can't even understand why it was censored," Maggie Hardy Magerko, 84 Lumber's president and owner, said in an interview this week.

i wonder why...

 

[Slayven]

This is a silly meme that hasn't really been true for a while.

I mean APB is bad, but.

Doesn't Almost Human, and Minority Report come on tonight?

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Everyone commenting realizes the ad is pro the wall, right?

Yeah, that's what makes her confusion funny

 

[Teggy]

So the commercial meant to show that strong Americans built the wall and there will be always be a way in for sweet Mexican women who love their daughters who worship the US (I assume the scraps she's picking up are to make an American flag).

 

[The Ummah]

Everyone commenting realizes the ad is pro the wall, right?

"It’s not pornographic, it’s not immoral, it’s not racist.”

Of course it's not pornographic, but those other two...keep trying to convince yourself of those, lady.

 

[PillarEN]

Several ad agencies just sighed in relief that they can still win the "controversial" ad now that this one has been pushed away. The sexy women ads will once again reign supreme and get all the attention from articles talking about dull controversy and the company will love every last bit of it.

Edit: She's 84? Oh. Well, it's pretty par for the course to be out of touch by then. I can't read.

 

[EatinOlives]

It's really hard to say that the commercial is anything but pro-wall.

It takes Orange Asshole's words very literally. Americans build a "big, beautiful door" through which Mexicans can pass through "legally". It ends with vapid "if there's a will there's a way" shit while conveniently glossing over the impossibility for impoverished people to actually wade through the purposefully convoluted and prohibitively expensive procedure of legal immigration.

It's a blatant attempt at trying to "win" the "controversy Olympics" that the superbowl commercials are starting to become. Eugh.

 

[Agent_ShortBus]

I'm not watching the Super Bowl this year. I hope a lot of people feel the same way.

Yeah I decided to go to work instead. Also the Chargers left my city so what's the point in watching football anymore. Hope the Falcons pull through and win.

 

[Teggy]

Based on what I am seeing on Twitter no one seems to be understanding this ad at all lol

 

[Zackat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W4GXs-J9Oo&feature=youtu.be


the rest of the video

 

[SystemShock2]

So according to the article the ad is supposed to end with the young girl and her mother eventually finding a door in Trump's great wall that allows them into the US. Like a checkpoint? Are there guards at this checkpoint? Or is it just a door? Is the door supposed to be a metaphor for entering the US legally?

“The will to succeed will always be welcome here”? So, don't give up searching for a way around, over, or through that wall? Because if you make it through, you won't be sent back because you wanted to get here that badly that you found a way past that wall? Don't give up on your dreams?

Is the wall going to be built with building materials from 84 Lumber?

The ad's just going to piss off both sides. Drunken anti-wall watchers are going to think 84 Lumber is helping to build the wall, and pro-wall watchers are going to think they're putting doors in the wall to let people through.

Yeah I'm having a tough time figuring out the message.

 

[Zoe]

I think it's supposed to be supportive of the wall saying, "see? the hard working good people can still get in!"

 

[_illmatic_]

After watching the full ad, it seems like a play on the wall, but saying America still gives people the will to succeed including immigrants. As in welcoming them based on the light shining through the door and the way it opens wide.

 

[Dylan Sexbang]

Door is confusing. Unless it's fuck Trump, here's a door- you're welcome here after all that struggle. I really don't get it. It's like someone put too much thought into a lumber pro/anti immigration commercial.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

So according to the article the ad is supposed to end with the young girl and her mother eventually finding a door in Trump's great wall that allows them into the US. Like a checkpoint? Are there guards at this checkpoint? Or is it just a door? Is the door supposed to be a metaphor for entering the US legally?

”The will to succeed will always be welcome here"? So, don't give up searching for a way around, over, or through that wall? Because if you make it through, you won't be sent back because you wanted to get here that badly that you found a way past that wall? Don't give up on your dreams?

Is the wall going to be built with building materials from 84 Lumber?

The ad's just going to piss off both sides. Drunken anti-wall watchers are going to think 84 Lumber is helping to build the wall, and pro-wall watchers are going to think they're putting doors in the wall to let people through.

The actual ad is like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the wall is presented as the first twist and then the door is the second twist.

I think the ad's message is intentionally both pro-wall and anti-wall, it's goal is to engender controversy. It's trying to fuck with the audience watching it.

 

[Oxirane]

 

[TheSchwab_7]

After watching the full ad, it seems like a play on the wall, but saying America still gives people the will to succeed including immigrants. As in welcoming them based on the light shining through the door and the way it opens wide.

This.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Yeah I'm having a tough time figuring out the message.

the 84 lumber guys went rogue and built a door, at least that's how I saw it.

 

[Geist-]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W4GXs-J9Oo&feature=youtu.be


the rest of the video

Just watched it, damn...

 

[Loxley]

the 84 lumber guys went rogue and built a door, at least that's how I saw it.

That's kind of what I'm leaning toward - but even then I'm still not sure.

 

[NoRéN]

Perfect!

 

[WillyFive]

* The Mexican mother and child are shown as people who like America and are shown crying and sad; never shown as evil doers or with angry grins on their faces as if they are foiled villains.

* A door is built for them by the construction guys, they are all smiling.

* The music is uplifting.

* The commercial ends with a proud statement.

The narrative of the commercial is clearly presented to work as anti-Trump. It's pro-Trump in that the wall ended up being built; but I don't see how humanizing immigrants and showing white laborers care about those South of the border really work to push a pro-Trump agenda.