Actor and gay rights activist Neil Patrick Harris is being slammed for being part of a TV promo "mocking Christianity" by spoofing on NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's eye black with Bible verses. However, there was nary a ripple when pop diva Beyonce did almost the same thing.
Promos aired on CBS during an NFL game showed the "How I Met Your Mother" star wearing eye black with the date of the Super Bowl written over the top. Critics say it's a slam against Tebow, who became famous for writing Bible verses on his own eye black during games. Tebow is known for his Christian faith, going as far as to kneel and pray in the end zone, a move that became known as "Tebowing."
Because Harris is gay, some are making a connection between a gay agenda and the ads.
"They're pushing a gay agenda by using him, and they're mocking Christians at the same time," one football viewer told
website WND.
Harris has been openly gay since telling People magazine in 2006, “I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.”
A spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance disagreed with the mocking assessment.
“I think the main thing here is that CBS recognizes that Neil Patrick Harris as one of their biggest television stars,” Wilson Cruz told the Huffington Post. “And they are using him as they would use any of their stars on their network, to promote their Super Bowl. If there’s any correlation between Tim Tebow and Neil Patrick Harris it’s that they’re both great Americans and great American heroes and this was CBS bringing them together.”
Beyonce announced her appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show this year in the same manner. The singer posted a photo to her tumblr where she was wearing similar eye black with the same date written on it. There was no backlash against the singer for mocking Christianity at that time.
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