Anyone who was feeling anxious over how they could bring up the immigration debate during the Super Bowl this weekend can sigh in relief. Budweiser has veered away from its typical celebration of Americana and will be airing this “Born the Hard Way” ad this year during the big game:
The “Go back where you came from!” that is shouted at the young Adolphus Busch as he walks through a crowd of Americans after getting off the ship from Germany is a nice touch.
Of course, the story of America is a tale of immigration. Most Americans are proud of their own mixture of old nationalities and cultures. We teach our children that we are a nation of immigrants. The story of Adolphus Bush is a truly American immigrant’s success story. Busch is asked in the ad “Why leave Germany?” to which Busch responds, “I want to brew beer.” A testament to the freedom to pursue what you want in America, rather than staying in a country that had very stringent rules on who and how beer was made.
The timing of the ad is what makes it groan-worthy. After weeks of protests and the bungling of the rollout of the temporary hold on immigration from seven countries, most of us just want to set aside politics and watch a game. But thanks for the socio-political commentary. Now if Lady Gaga can refrain from grandstanding about politics during the halftime show, maybe we can start feel normal again.
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