IF I KNOW ONE THING ABOUT MY VIEWERS, IT'S THAT YOU WATCH
T.V.
( CHEERS ) YEAH.
AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT T,V. IS THE COMMERCIALS.
THEY'RE LIKE MINI-SHOWS THAT ALWAYS END WITH THE SAME
HEARTWARMING MESSAGE ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
BUY SOMETHING.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONE AD
OUT THERE THAT'S SO POWERFUL I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT
COMMERCIAL BREAK FOR YOU TO SEE IT.
>> COOPER, I AM YOUR FATHER.
>> NO, NO, NO.
I AM YOUR FATHER.
>> THAT'S GOTTA BE THE WORST VADER EVER.
>> CAMPBELL'S "STAR WARS" SOUPS.
>> HOW ABOUT YOU BE CHEWBACCA >> MADE FOR REAL, REAL LIFE.
>> Stephen: NOW YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED-- IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
PRET I GOOD.
WELL MADE.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, THAT COMMERCIAL
FEATURED A NON-TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE.
I'M TALKING OF COURSE. OF THE UNION BETWEEN CAMPBELL'S SOUP
AND "STAR WARS."
MAY THE FORCED PRODUCT INTEGRATION BE WITH YOU!
BUT YOU MAY HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FAMILY HAD TWO DADS.
IT'S NO SURPRISE.
IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT CAMPBELL'S SUPPORTS ALL TYPES OF
MARRIAGES SINCE IT JUST HELPS THEM SELL MORE CANS.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT HERE'S THE THING-- THIS IS
"STAR WARS," AND THIS IS SOUP SO, NATURALLY, SOME
PEOPLE ARE ANGRY.
IN THIS CASE, THE MOTHER-BASED ACTIVIST GROUP ONE MILLION MOMS.
THEY PROMOTE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN VALUES BY, AS FAR AS
I CAN TELL, GETTING MAD AT T.V.
COMMERCIALS.
THEY CLAIM "CAMPBELL'S SOUP IS GLORIFYING THIS UNNATURAL
MARRIAGE," AND "THIS GAY-INCLUSIVE COMMERCIAL IS
ATTEMPTING TO DESENSITIZE VIEWERS."
IT'S TRUE.
THIS SOUP AD THAT NORMALIZES GAY RELATIONSHIPS COULD HAVE
PROFOUND EFFECTS ON YOUNG PEOPLE BACK IN THE 70s.
I SAW AN AD WHERE A MAN AND A WOMAN EAT CAMPBELL'S TOGETHER.
AND TO THIS DAY, I LIKE WOMEN AND SOUP.
COINCIDENCE?
EVERYBODY KEEPS SAYING IT IS.
AND THEY'RE RIGHT.
THE POINT IS, ONE MILLION MOMS ARE FURIOUS THAT CAMPBELL'S IS
BEING ASSOCIATED WITH GAY MEN.
PSSST, NOBODY TELL THEM ABOUT.
ANDY WARHOL.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
AND THE MOMS HAD SOME STRONG WORDS
FOR THE COMPANY, SAYING: "THIS IS A MARKETING DECISION
CAMPBELL'S WILL REGRET."
YES, NOTHING WILL TEACH CAMPBELL'S A LESSON MORE THAN
FREE PUBLICITY.
( LAUGHTER ) I MEAN, IF IT WASN'T FOR THOSE
ONE MILLION MOMS, I WOULDN'T HAVE SHOWN THAT WHOLE COMMERCIAL
JUST NOW.
THAL TEACH YA!
NOW, FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T THINK THIS AD IS
OFFENSIVE.
IN FACT, I FIND IT HEARTWARMING.
BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
IT'S TOO HEARTWARMING.
I'M A DAD, AND I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO BE EATING SOUP WITH
MY KIDS.
AND THAT KID GETS TWO DADS COMPETING FOR HIS ATTENTION!
I'M JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST I CAN, OKAY.
THIS IS A TRUE CENTER.
YESTERDAY MORNING I'M COMING DOWN FOR BREAKFAST AND I'M
SITTING IN THE KITCHEN WITH A CUP OF COFFEE, TRYING TO WAKE UP
AND MAKE IT TO THE DAY.
AND I LOOK UP AND SEE MY WIFE IS SITTING THERE WITH MY TWO SONS
AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THEIR DAY
AND HAVING THEIR SERIAL-- "DID YOU GET YOUR MATH HOME WORK
DONE?
WHAT'S GOING ON AFTER SCHOOL TODAY?"
AND I REALIZED, WHY AREN'T I SITTING AT THE TABLE?
I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SITTING AT THE TABLE.
I'M THE DAD.
AND SO I-- YOU KNOW, I PUT DOWN MY COFFEE, I GOT UP ON MY ELBOYS
ON THE SIDE OF THE KITCHEN TABLE BETWEEN MY WIFE AND ONE OF MY
SONS AND MY OTHER SON IS OVER THERE AND I'M LIKE, "HEY, HEY,
GOOD MORNING."
( LAUGHTER ) AND-- AND THEY ALL JUST TURNED
AND LOOKED AT ME SILENTLY.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
SO I JUST TOOK ONE OF THE STRAWBERRIES OFF MY SON'S PLATE,
AND SAT BACK DOWN WITH MY COFFEE AND THEY LAUGHED, AND, YOU KNOW,
LIKE, YOU KNOW, "IT'S OKAY, DAD.
WE KNOW YOU'RE NOT SITTING AT THE TABLE."
( LAUGHTER ) AND-- AND THE STRAWBERRY WAS
GOOD.
( LAUGHTER ) THE POINT IS, I LOVE MY
CHILDREN.
I LOVE MY FAMILY.
BUT THE ONLY WAY THIS AD RESEMBLES MY LIFE IS THAT WITH
NO MOM AROUND THE KIDS ARE EATING CANNED FOOD FOR DINNER.