"Socialized Medicine" Ad Runs On Cartoon Network

I'm hanging out with my family at our hotel room this morning. My daughter Olivia is watching Ben 10: Alien Force on the Cartoon Network. (She tells me to make sure and mention it's Alien Force so you don't confuse it with the previous seasons of Ben 10. A stickler for journalistic accuracy, that's my daughter.) I'm barely paying attention to the TV.

Then I hear the phrase 'socialized medicine.' Doesn't seem like something Ben 10 would get into.

I look up and watch a minute pack of lies about health care reform on the Cartoon Network on World Cinema, a major supplier of satellite TV for hotels. The ad is from a group called U.S. Citizens Association.

So on the day before conservative crazies are about to pull their kids out of school so President Obama won't 'brainwash' them with her commie talk about personal responsibilty and getting an education, there's an ad about 'socialized medicine' running on The Cartoon Network.

The ad makes statements that have been debunked over and over such as "You will pay for free health care for over 20 million illegal aliens."

A bit of quick research shows that it's the same ad that CREW said MSNBC should pull from it's older demographic because it goes "beyond misleading and well into delusional."

As CREW points out in a piece about the ad airing on MSNBC,

The FCC expects broadcasters not to air false or misleading ads and NBC requires a "reasonable basis for the claims" made by an advertiser and that claims "fall within the bounds of reasonable debate." By airing U.S. Citizens Association's ludicrous advertisement, MSNBC appears to have violated both FCC and NBC policy.

Does Cartoon Network have such a policy? Does World Cinema or the Dish Network?

If my kids end up yelling 'socialist!' at some Congressman at a town hall meeting, I think we'll know who to blame.

Follow Lee Stranahan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Stranahan

Comments

[Osusuki]

The problem is, effectively, lying is legal. You can pay for commercials that say the sun revolves around the earth or that abstinence is the most effective deterrent to teen pregnancy or any other demonstrably false statement, and there is no down side. Before we get health insurance reform in this country, we're going to have to get honesty reform.

[yioughta]

I saw the same ad last night on Bravo, which is owned by NBC Universal. WTF is up with that? I expected a little bit more from the network that brought us "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"!

[DevonTexas]

Look at it this way, the Anti-Reform / Pro-Private Health Insurance groups want to reach their target demographic of 18-99 voters who are vulnerable to their lies and hyperbole. So where would they find them?

They already have control of the Faux News Channel so advertising there is redundant. Surely it won't be on the REAL news networks or channels where at least a sixth grade education and intelligence would be expected like Discovery, History, etc.

Their target demo are probably watching Cartoon Network while they are awaiting their caregivers and seeking some distraction from the burden of remembering to "breathe in, breathe out". It makes sense to me. On the other hand, it's probably a waste of their ad money and that's a good thing, I believe.

[chazmanr]

Actually, due to local cable advertising contracts, ads which a network has not reviewed may appear in slots sold by local cable providers rather than directly by the network on which they appear.

[dynwit]

I wonder whether the Republicans realize that they have become the national laughingstock. I was visiting another state this weekend and, over and over, people kept making jokes about "socialist" this and "socialist" that. If you want to ridicule something these days, just work "socialist" into the conversation and it makes you look like a brilliant comedian. Perhaps it was in this vein that Comedy Central ran this ad.

[blshea]

Shame on anyone pulling their kids from school because the President is giving a speech on the value of education. The public schools of all places! Are they trying to create political rivalry among students now? I could see this all spiraling out of control over the next few years. If anyone is indoctrinating anyone...it's those that are giving this false and idiotic message to their children by demonizing the President. The hatred is so out of control. I just feel nausseated.

[chazmanr]

I couldn't agree more. Want to really get your blood in a boil? Watch the documentary "Jesus Camp".

[Darnamell]

Here's something I've been wondering.

1. Why aren't the racist thugs who hate our President not being "volunteered" for deployment in Their Man Bush's Iraq War (TM)? I mean, if they are going to accuse you of setting up a police state.... Really, just a couple years ago, you were called a traitor by these guys for merely questioning the President. Now you can basically parade around the White House with a grenade launcher.

More importantly and seriously....

2. How can a public school ban a speech by the President? I'd really like to see how that is even justified. Also, can we place the schools that did not air the address at the absolute bottom of the list for federal funding? I mean, if they WANT to play politics with their students, there should be political consequences.

[JeffPoster]

In the last couple of days, I've seen again and again the clip of the couple being interviewed about the then-impending speech by Pres. Obama...and the wife/mother is getting more and more agitated about the idea of the Chief Executive telling her children about politics, or at least, that's her view of what he's going to say. It's just frustrating, almost like there's no rational balance for her opinion. We need more progressive and understanding parents, and, certainly, news editors to let us hear both sides of the argument, not just the one promoted by the "birthers" and "deathers" and assorted other Kool-Aid drinkers.

[Mikeatle]

I happened to catch one of the ads while watching King of the Hill last night. It was crazy stupid, but I was floored to see it on Toons.

[unionave]

He that controls the media controls the masses .

[wndrwrthg]

Just wait until he sees the anti-drug spots that run on that channel. Those are true works of fiction.

[Quislet]

We can blame Ben 10???

Seriously, it seems like the other side is projecting when they talk about indoctrinating children.

[Yves Papa]

Television does not have access to my daughter at my home.

[detepe]

Ooooo. Aren't you such a good parent...

[chazmanr]

Congratulations on creating a future TV junkie and social pariah! Monitoring your child's viewing is wise; prohibiting your child from viewing completely will have negative results.

[ncmom54]

What have we become?

"The world is a dangerous place to live -
not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
Albert Einstein

[jade7243]

Watch anti-Socialized Medicine advertising on the Cartoon Network on the Dish Network, but by all means do not allow the President to encourage your children to excel in school.

Ain't this country grand?

[WilliamP]

Oh, the real Cartoon Network? I came into this article thinking that "Cartoon Network" was the new euphemism for Fox News.

[TheCommons]

The corporatocracy knows no limits other than those it would impose on progressives.