Staff Reports
In a bold move, a group of GOP lawmakers are taking action against Paramount Global and CBS, urging them to drop Super Bowl ads from a Chinese company that they suspect of using forced labor. According to an exclusive letter obtained by the Daily Caller, Republican West Virginia Rep. Carol Miller and ten other lawmakers have demanded that CBS block an estimated $15 million in ads from Temu during the Super Bowl broadcast. These lawmakers are concerned that Temu does not have sufficient measures in place to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, leading them to believe that the company is using forced labor.
??EXCLUSIVE: GOP Reps Pressure CBS To Ditch Super Bowl Ads From Chinese Company https://t.co/01dct2oQyi via @dailycaller
— Patriotic ??Suzanne⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@suzost) February 8, 2024
Rep. Miller minced no words when expressing her disgust at the potential airing of ads promoting products made with Uyghur slave labor. She sees it as yet another attempt by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to profit off the United States. Miller believes that allowing Temu to air these ads during the popular American sporting event would effectively be an endorsement of the CCP’s values. Making a passionate plea, she strongly urges CBS to remove any Temu ads from the Super Bowl LVIII commercials. And she’s not alone in her fight against this perceived injustice.
Paramount Global has declined to comment on the matter, leaving room for speculation on their stance. However, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party also uncovered that Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings, engages in trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy through their subsidiary company, Pindoudou. It seems that questionable practices are not limited to just one company in this case.
Of course, it comes as no surprise that CBS would be protective of its stake in this matter. The Super Bowl broadcast attracts a massive audience, making it prime ad space for companies. Whether CBS’s actions to discourage lawmakers from signing Miller’s letter are true or not, it is clear that this issue has sparked a heated debate behind the scenes. Both CBS and Paramount Global are undoubtedly aware of the potential consequences of this decision.
It is worth noting that Temu has used Super Bowl advertisements in the past to reach millions of Americans, capitalizing on the event’s enormous viewership. Super Bowl LVII, held in 2023, broke records with approximately 115.1 million viewers tuning in across various platforms, as reported by Nielsen. This immense exposure makes it all the more critical for lawmakers to take a stand against what they perceive as the endorsement of a Chinese company’s potentially unethical practices.
In addition to Rep. Miller, several other representatives have signed onto the letter, including Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, and New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, to name a few. Collectively, these representatives make it clear that they want CBS and Paramount Global to understand the gravity of the situation. They request that the companies refrain from airing any television advertisements provided by Temu, Pindoudou, or PDD Holdings during Super Bowl LVIII and related programming. Their plea emphasizes that allowing these commercials to air would essentially be granting the Chinese Communist Party a touchdown against the home team.
This controversy highlights growing tensions surrounding Chinese business practices, labor ethics, and the corporate responsibility of American media companies. As American consumers become more aware of the potential human rights abuses associated with certain products, it is no surprise that lawmakers are taking a stand. Their fight against forced labor in China is commendable, and their push for CBS and Paramount Global to align with their values underlines the importance of holding all companies accountable, regardless of their size or financial influence.
