Mitt Romney got tsked tsked when he quoted “Friday Night Lights” during last year’s presidential election, but actress Connie Britton is happily letting Planned Parenthood benefit from the popularity of the show.
This month, Britton has joined forces with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and created a t-shirt using her “Friday Night Lights” character’s name. “WWTTD? What Would Tami Taylor Do?” the front of the shirt reads, while the back directs people to “standwithtexaswomen.org,” a website that provides a form letter to send lawmakers, asking them not to limit access to abortion services.
This all comes on the heels of last week’s 13-hour filibuster by Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis over legislation that would have put sweeping restriction on abortion throughout Texas.
“The character Tami on ‘Friday Night Lights’ is a Texas woman deeply committed to her community and to standing up for what is right for her neighbors and the people she loves,” Britton said in the Planned Parenthood release. “I have been inspired by how people around the country have united to stand with the women of Texas, and I can’t help but think that, in this moment, we all have the opportunity to join with and become strong, powerful Texas men and women.”
This isn’t the first time Britton has inserted her name into the political conversation. Directly before last year’s presidential election, she and “Friday Night Lights” executive producer Sarah Aubrey, penned an editorial for USA Today criticizing Romney for using the show’s trademark phrase, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.”
“But the show wasn’t just about football. And ‘Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose’ wasn’t just about winning games,” the duo wrote. “Rather, it was a rallying cry for hope and optimism in a community where everyone had a fair shot — no matter their background, no matter their parents, no matter their gender. And no matter their politics,” they continued, arguing that President Obama’s values were more in line with the work ethic of those living in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas.
Britton also made a cameo at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., as a guest of ABC News. She chatted with everyone from Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, alongside her “Nashville” co-star Hayden Panettiere.
The Planned Parenthood t-shirts, which are only available in July, come in orange or white and are being sold for $32 and $22, respectively, on CafePress.com.
