I finally got around to watching the Coca-Cola “America the Beautiful” ad that made so many people angry. So now I ask you: What’s the big deal?
http://youtu.be/443Vy3I0gJs
I usually avoid debates about immigration and whether people should learn to speak English in order to live here. There’s no winning debates like that. It’s a classic liberal vs. conservative argument. Those who feel strongly one way or the other are set in their views and will fly into a rage anytime someone presents a different opinion.
This commercial, originally shown during last weekend’s Super Bowl, sparked all the old outcries, including this from conservative commentator Glenn Beck:
“So somebody tweeted last night and said, ‘Glenn, what did you think of the Coke ad?,’ Beck said in a segment flagged by BuzzFeed. “And I said, ‘Why did you need that to divide us politically?’ Because that’s all this ad is. It’s in your face, and if you don’t like it, if you’re offended by it, you’re a racist. If you do like it, you’re for immigration. You’re for progress. That’s all this is: to divide people.”
Thing is, I look at this commercial and think nothing about politics. Nor do I think about Immigration Reform. I don’t think about the merits of speaking English only. I don’t think about Democrats or Republicans.
I simply see a video celebrating America’s diversity. Spanish isn’t the only language covered. It captures languages from around the world, representing all the world’s cultures. It celebrates the melting pot that is the U.S.A. Scores of cultures, living together.
There’s nothing political about it.
The only reason this ad has sparked controversy is because the typical voices from the extreme ends of the political spectrum chose to make a big deal about nothing.
Leave it to someone like Beck to take an ad promoting togetherness and turn it into a tirade about divisiveness.
Good grief.
