I'm linking to this political ad but not because I have an opinion about the race in question. My topic here is the nature of this commercial and how I honestly don't know how I feel about it. What you'll see in it — and it may make you a bit uncomfy — is Michael J. Fox making a pitch for Claire McCaskill, who's seeking to unseat Republican Senator Jim Talent in Missouri. Fox, who has Parkinson's Disease, is asking us to vote for McCaskill because Talent is a strong opponent of Stem Cell Research.
Now, I happen to be on the same side as Mr. Fox on this issue. Even if, as some claim, it's a longshot to yield useful cures, I'm in favor of exploring that frontier and I think the government ought to fund it. I also have nothing but good and sympathetic thoughts about Michael J. Fox. I don't know the man — never met him — but I've always liked him on screen and people I know who've worked with him are unanimous in saying he's one of the most gracious and professional actors in Hollywood. When it came out that he had Parkinson's, more than a few co-workers remarked, with great sympathy and compassion, that it literally couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
I'm behind the cause and I think, of course, that Michael J. Fox has every right to make such a commercial. In a way, I even admire him for it. So what's the problem here?
Darned if I know. I've watched it three times and each time, something inside me says, "This is not right." But I can't really explain what I object to, other than it reminds me a bit of tasteless charity pitches that roll out crippled children and imply that without your nickels, Little Katie will die within the week. This isn't that, though. This is an adult who isn't being exploited the way I think those kids sometimes are, and who has some knowledge, strong opinions and a personal interest relating to this particular subject. I'm also pretty sure that what bothers me is not just that it's so sad to see Michael J. Fox in the condition he's in.
Perhaps it's that I've become so distrustful of emotional appeals in political ads that it's jarring to see one that appeals to one's sense of compassion and humanity. It's very powerful to hear Fox say what he says and a little disconcerting to view a political ad that you can't instantly write off as partisan propaganda and forget.
Anyway, my reaction is somewhat along those lines but still muddy. See if it has a clearer impact on you.