Of Super Bowl ads, and the masculine assumption.

So, like most of the country, I watched the Super Bowl yesterday with a group of friends. And what a game it was. Absolutely awesome until the Steelers won. Then it was just a good game. Not that I'm a Cardinals fan, I'm a Chargers fan, but since they weren't playing, I went with the next best thing.

But I'm not really wanting to talk about the game. I want to share something that really is on my heart, and was since yesterday.

The commercials.

It used to be that I watched the Super Bowl only for the commercials. And over the years there have been some good ones. My favorite last year was the office workers having a huge battle with the barbarians. That one was great. This year there was one I really enjoyed. The Mean Joe Green redo with Palamalu. That was good. Funny thing was, we were at a party with some young 20-somethings, who had no idea why we were laughing. Man, that made me feel old.

But like in years past, there is of course the objectional commercial or two. And yesterday was no exception. Oh how I wish I had a set of penalty flags, I would have thrown my own yellow flag more than once, and not just during the game.

Go-Daddy. Yes the website domain thing. Go-Daddy. The main sponsor of the Dannica Patrick race car. Yes that Dannica Patrick. The one who at one time said she wanted to be known for her race car driving, and wouldn't use her femininity to get ahead. Well that same Dannica was in a commercial yesterday that should have been on late night TV if anything.

I'm sorry, I'm as male as the next guy, but there is really no reason to put her naked in the shower with another woman. No reason at all. Except to say that every advertiser out there along with the NFL, must think that every man living and breathing, watching the Super Bowl, is going to enjoy that emensely. Unless of course they are gay. I don't know, maybe not every advertiser, maybe that is too broad a statement. But many. How's that?

Look, I'm not gay. I'm not effeminate in any way. I've been married over 13 years to the same wonderful woman. Just to give you insight, in case you don't know me, to my orientation. I am a guy.

Let me say that again. I AM A GUY!

One more time. I AM A GUY!

And I was greatly offended at that Go-Daddy commercial as well as the Courtroom commercial from them. Both commercials did two things very effciently. No make that three things.

First, they objectified women to the point of making them simply about sex, boobs, and other body parts designed only to satisfy men.

Second, the stereotyped men to the point of saying if you are a man, then you must want to see two women naked in the shower, or see another women flash her breasts to another, and if you don't like it, there must be something wrong with you.

Lastly, pissed me off enough to write this blog and send a copy of it to Go-Daddy.

What will it accomplish? I don't know. But it does me precious little good to be angry and show no effort to voice that anger.

Now for those of you who were, shall we say, enticed by either of those commercials, I'm saddened. Saddened, because typically those that read here, are those that Walk with God. And while I'm no expert, I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't want to go online and look for the unrated finish to those commercials.

I don't mean to shame anyone who enjoyed it, but rather to open eyes to the subtlety of the enemy. The Devil is no fool. He knows God designed man to be attracted to woman, and he will use that to his advantage, and your destruction.

Trust me I know.

Father,
I pray right now that you would remove those images, thoughts and rememberances of the above mentioned commercials from my mind. Purify my thoughts and heart. Let me be free from the power of the enemy over my desires. Lord replace those things with pure thoughts. Thoughts of you Lord. Fill my mind with the beauty of your entire creation. Lord and give me a healthy respect for your daughters. Lord cleanse me from every ill thought, every fantasy that may have been sparked by those things. And Father, let me walk as Jesus would walk. Keep my eyes on You Lord.

In Jesus' name
AMEN

If you read that and prayed it as your own, and want to talk about what that means. You can let me know you'd like to and I'll get in touch via email.

Strength and Honor.

Freedom?

I have, for some time now, been walking with God in Freedom.

Freedom from the long arm of the church, so to speak. The self-policed version of sin-management, dictated by the aforementioned church. Not to name any church names, because I'm sure I would miss yours. :)

But at anyrate, I communicate much over the years in an internet forum that promotes greatly, this freedom. And for the most part, the guys there walk in freedom well. For the most part. Often there are times, when a Freedom newbie shows up, still "tainted" by the effects of the church, and is "educated" as to his lack of understanding of Freedom. Well intentioned? I'm sure. Well received? I don't know.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Asking God how to describe this. About a week ago, we were watching the movie Wild Hogs. If you haven't seen it, its a tale about 4 middle aged guys going on a motorcycle road trip cross country. Its a great film. Anyway, in the movie, the antogonist is played by Ray Liotta. His character, Jack, is the leader of a real biker gang, the Del Fuego's. At one point in the film, he's calling out the four heros of the story (played by Tim Allen, John Travolta, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence) as posers trying to experience the freedom that he and his biker buddies have. He tells them basically, get on your bikes and go home, you can't handle this freedom! And so without spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it, they leave.

Later on in the film the four "posers" stand up to the 50 hard core bikers. When all hope looks lost, in walks Damian Blade, played by none other than Peter Fonda. He's the founder of the Del Fuego's. Jack says hello, and proceeds to tell him these four "posers" burnt their bar down. Damian looks at him in all his coolness and says, four guys stand off against 50 bikers....and THEY'RE the posers?

I love that! The group that thought that they had all the answers. All the Freedom. Thought they had everything all figured out, basically called out as posers. Wow.

So that made me wonder which one am I????

Which one are you????

I just want to be real. I want to walk in all the freedom God has given me.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Have a great day!