Celebrities Celebrate ‘Gorgeous’ Liberal Super Bowl Ads

Sarah Stites
February 7th, 2017 1:01 PM
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Despite apparent attempts to inspire unity, some Super Bowl advertising led to even more division as liberal commercials and the halftime show sparked Twitter battles over what America stands for as a country. And, as usual, celebrities weighed in on the debate.

“Super Bowl’s all, ‘Remember America? The REAL one? Like to hear about it? Here it go,’” tweeted Scandal director Shonda Rhimes. “Then immigrants and Hamilton everywhere. <3!”

Although Lady Gaga’s halftime performance was apolitical, many progressives twisted it to subtly push a liberal agenda. After the pop star’s patriotic opener, Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted: “Lady Gaga: ‘…with liberty, and justice, for ALL.”

The media were in agreement with Hollywood's take. Daily Beast entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon called the show “quietly subversive.” Lady Gaga used her position as a “cultural lightning rod to electrify a message that was pro-gay, pro-unity, pro-feminist, pro-weirdo, and pro-fabulous,” he wrote. Actress Sophia Bush echoed the point with the simple tweet “#BornThisWay,” a nod to Lady Gaga’s LGBT-friendly anthem.

Coca-Cola’s ad, which celebrated Americans of all nationalities and languages, also incited discussion. Tweeting the video, director and producer Ava DuVernay commented: “These pretty images deserve an RT. Also, I enjoy that this disrupted some white supremacist’s SuperBowl party.”

Actor and writer Josh Gad also weighed in: “By the time tonight is over Breitbart readers will only be drinking tap water and Fanta.” Actress Susan Sarandon called the ad “gorgeous.”

With its “#WeAccept” campaign ad, Airbnb garnered praise for what The New York Times called an “Implied Criticism of Trump’s Travel Ban.” Josh Gad loved the message. “I want to be very clear,” he wrote. “I do not need a room tonight. I’m in a hotel but I’m still going to book an #airbnb right now because just yes.”

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis weighed in on Budweiser’s ad about the immigration story of its German founder. “Bravo @Budweiser 4 having 2 run that beautiful commercial. Even sober I will buy some 2 say thank you. #NoBanNoWall #allofusareimmigrants.”

Several celebrities highlighted Audi’s ad, which intimated that American women aren’t as valuable as men. Actress Elizabeth Banks noted that it caused her second bout of tears for the evening. “Cry #2 @audi #equalpayforequalwork,” she tweeted. Feminist writer Elizabeth Plank then added that “in our current structure of work, [women] are valued less.”

Then there was the controversial 84 Lumber Company ad about a mother and daughter’s trek across the Mexican-U.S. border only to encounter a wall. “That commercial you saw with the little Mexican girl?” Takei wrote. “It had been censored for depicting part of Trump’s wall.”

Taking a step farther, some celebrities reacted to the conservatives who didn’t appreciate the tenor of the game-time advertising, and responded by calling for a boycott of certain brands.  

“A community of people now exist who will not have anything to do with Hamilton, coke, bud, airbnb, or Meryl Streep movies,” Gad tweeted once again.  

“This is where we are as a country,” lamented comedian and actor Michael Ian Black, “any commercial that celebrates American values is interpreted as an insult to the President.” 

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