30 October 2008

The Daily Show on "Women's Health": full of win!

This bit from the October 28th episode of The Daily Show was one of the best responses to McCain's outright dismissal of women's health and right to bodily autonomy I have seen. It's just brilliant:



For the impatient, the relevant bit starts at 2:40 or so, and I've included a transcript below:

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[preceded by a series of clips of McCain putting scare quotes around a bunch of things Obama has said, from "assault weapons" to "spreading the wealth" to "nuclear power safety" and the "middle class"]

Jon Stewart: But McCain's "air quotes", or "dick fingers" as we call them, don't just apply to energy independence or assault weapons or economic policy; they can really be applied to any issue:

[clip plays of McCain's statement in debate that "health of the mother" is an extreme position of the pro-abortion movement]

Stewart: [stares in shock and disgust]

Samantha Bee: I'm sorry, Jon, may I?...do you mind if I...?

Stewart: Oh! Sam B, of course! Thank you, I...I...

Bee: Thank you, Jon, thank you.

Stewart: Oh, okay.

Bee: And thank you John McCain for finally exposing the seedy underbelly of the women's "health" scam. Let's face it: women love abortions, and will do anything to get one. The later the better. "Hemorrhages". Severe "uterine infections". "Dying". Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And while we're at it, enough with the whining about "rape", "incest" and "incest rape". We're on to you, ladies. Those aren't a golden ticket to the abortion factory, okay?

Stewart: [stares in embarrassment at tabletop]

Bee: [points finger at audience] That's right, you know.

Stewart: uh...that...seems a little harsh...uh

Bee: Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. Why don't you strap on a pair, okay? Listen, John McCain has finally put the concerns of women where they belong: in derisive air quotes. And this transcends politics, Jon. Reasonable people can disagree about abortion, but still agree on the unimportance of women's health.

Stewart: You don't think that that position might alienate some women?

Bee: Nooooo. Not at all. It's about equality. And I'm sure if John McCain was raped, and had a baby growing in his penis, he would want it publicly discussed at the same level of abstraction without concern for his specific "life", or "penis".

Stewart: All-all right, well, uh, thank you very much Sam.

Bee: Well fuck you, Jon.


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It was just a good response until that last bit where she points out how such abstract discussion completely ignores the reality and humanity of those involved that really did it for me. Pointed, intelligent and hilarious.

What was that again about feminists being humourless and women not being funny?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller?

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