Reproductive Rights Prof Blog

John Oliver takes aim at crisis pregnancy centers and anti-abortion activists 'controlling women's behavior'

The Guardian (Apr. 9, 2018):  John Oliver takes aim at anti-abortion activists 'controlling women's behavior', by Guardian staff

John Oliver examined crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) designed to prevent abortions on this past Sunday's episode of HBO's Last Week Tonight, criticizing their “disingenuous and predatory” tactics and explaining how their "primary purpose is to talk women out of terminating a pregnancy.”

There are 2,752 CPCs  in the United States, compared with 1,671 abortion providers. Many CPCs use the word "choice" in their names and give out advice that is medically inaccurate. They often pretend to be abortion clinics on the exterior to fool women to enter. “Normally, the strategy ‘pretend you’re an abortion clinic’ is not actually a great marketing stunt, although I am pretty sure that Radio Shack would have tried it if they’d thought of it,” Oliver said.

Oliver also discussed how CPCs discourage the use of contraception. There are claims from within CPCs that condoms are ineffective at preventing pregnancy. “For all the lengths that CPCs will go to to prevent abortions, many of them don’t do a key thing that would help that and that’s give women access to birth control,” he said.  “The fact is if you want fewer abortions, you should love birth control."

Oliver said that the real goal of CPCs is “controlling women’s sexual behavior”, as many of them are affiliated with religious figures and organizations.

Watch the segment below:

More Reaction to "Abortion Episode" on Girls

The Washington Post: TV gets smart — and sensitive — about abortion, by Alyssa Rosenberg:

For all Lena Dunham’s indie comedy “Girls” has been lauded for its bravery, back in 2012 during its first season, the show took what felt like an early punt. On her way to have an abortion, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) had one of pop culture’s infamous spontaneous miscarriages, saving her — and the show — from making a decision that Hollywood still treats as controversial. Last night, the show finally circled back around to the subject, when Adam’s (Adam Driver) new girlfriend, Mimi-Rose (Gillian Jacobs), revealed that she’d had an abortion without consulting him. . . .

Jezebel: While You Watched the Oscars, Girls Did a Super Chill Abortion Episode, by Anna Merlan:

Here it is, because we have to talk about it: a character on Girls had an abortion, and it was very chill. Adam's new girlfriend Mimi-Rose politely declined his request to go for a jog, telling him, "I can't go for a run because I had an abortion yesterday." The scene that followed was both laudable in its matter-of-fact depiction of abortion and bizarre in just about every other way. Does no one on this show ever think about money? Ever? . . .

Yahoo Health: What Makes The Portrayal Of Abortion On 'GIRLS' Different Than The Rest, by Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy:

Last night, the most shocking thing on the Lena Dunham-helmed HBO show GIRLS wasn’t a graphic sex act (as has become the series’ calling card). It was the straightforward and non-sensationalized way in which one of the show’s characters discussed her decision to have an abortion. . . .

"Girls" Introduces Abortion Plotline

The Huffington Post: 'Girls' Finally Went There With An Abortion Storyline, by Laura Duca & Emma Gray:

“I can’t go for a run because I had an abortion yesterday,” announces Adam Sackler’s new girlfriend, Mimi-Rose Howard. With that statement, “Girls” joined the (limited) ranks of TV shows that a) have a character follow through with an abortion and b) deal with the subject in a way that is both interesting and adds positively to the dialogue about reproductive choice. . . .

The Mindy Project Won't Address Abortion -- But Shouldn't It?

Slate -- The XX Factor blog:  The Mindy Project Really Needs an Abortion Storyline, by Amanda Marcotte:

Dr. Mindy Lahiri, the loveable lead played by Mindy Kaling in the sitcom The Mindy Project, is an OB-GYN. Her job functions as more than background decoration, as Jessica Goldstein of ThinkProgress notes. “One of the most standout things about The Mindy Project is the way its setting has allowed for stories that explicitly deal with women’s health,” she writes, citing storylines about birth control, condom distribution, and even The Talk.

But there's one aspect of reproductive health care that Kaling has no intention of touching on in the sitcom: abortion. “It would be demeaning to the topic to talk about it in a half-hour sitcom,” she recently said in the October issue of Flare. 

Sorry, but that's total nonsense. . . .

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Hobby Lobby Decision

The Daily Show
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Will the New Abortion Bans End up in the Supreme Court?

MSNBC - Andrea Mitchell Reports: New bans could send abortion back to Supreme Court:

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With all of the experimentation going on in the state legislatures, it's quite possible that one of these measures will end up in the Supreme Court.  I doubt, however, that it will be North Dakota's six-week ban, as I explained on MSNBC's Martin Bashir show yesterday:

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Faith and Abortion Providers

MSNBC - Melissa Harris-Perry: Faith’s role in the fight for abortion access, by Rev. Matthew Westfox:

As both a person of faith and an advocate for reproductive freedoms, I often find myself talking about the connection between religion, spirituality, and reproductive justice. We talk about religious questions raised by patients and clients, and we talk about how to use religious language in reproductive justice activism.

Yet one group seems to be left almost completely out of these conversations—abortion providers . . . .

Video available here.

On "Parenthood," Rare Television Episode Dealing with Abortion

Salon: “Parenthood” bravely tackles abortion, by Willa Paskin:

Because they happen with such rarity, I feel obliged to take note when they do: There was an abortion on prime-time television last night. On “Parenthood,” shy, quiet high-schooler Drew and his increasingly manly eyebrows found out that his girlfriend Amy was pregnant. Amy decided to have an abortion . . . .

Pro- and Anti-Choice Advocacy Groups' TV Ads Target Swing States

The Hill – Healthwatch blog: Abortion groups target swing-state voters, by Elise Viebeck:

Groups on both sides of the abortion debate are focusing their advertising on swing-state voters in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign.

As Mitt Romney nabbed headlines with his comment that abortion bills would not be part of his agenda, voters in four swing states were already viewing a slew of ads from Planned Parenthood's political wing, on the left, and the Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List, on the right.

The two groups have spoken loudest for their sides of the abortion debate this presidential election, particularly through television spots aimed at convincing undecided voters of the dangers of the opposing candidate. . . .

AP 'Trash' Abortion Story Lambasted by Rachel Maddow

 

MSNBC: AP stands behind abortion story Rachel Maddow called 'trash', by Zachary Roth:

 

The Associated Press is standing behind a recent story—labelled "trash" by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow—on the ongoing political fallout from the murder of a Kansas abortion doctor. . . .

 

Here is Rachel Maddow demanding a retraction or apology:

 

 

Lawrence O'Donnell Questions Santorum Donor Over Comment on Aspirin As Contraception

MSNBC: The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell:

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"The Pregnancy Project," A Film Focusing on Teen Pregnancy, Premieres on Lifetime

TIME - Healthland: The Pregnancy Project: Why One Girl Decided to Fake Her Baby Bump, by

Gaby Rodriguez' mother got pregnant for the first time at age 14. Her sisters got pregnant as teens too. Rodriguez decided to buck the trend — and get creative at the same time.

Last year, high school senior Gaby Rodriguez tucked a faux baby bump under her shirt and went to class. She attracted stares and the usual mean-spirited gossipy comments, all of which she jotted down. She then took her notes and parlayed them into a book, The Pregnancy Project, and a Lifetime movie of the same name that premieres on Jan. 28. . . .

Rachel Maddow on Anti-Abortion Intimidation Tactics and Abortion Politics in Presidential Race

The Rachel Maddow Show: Anti-abortion extremists introduce new intimidation tactic:

Randall Terry Hopes to Bring Aborted Fetus Ads to Super Bowl

Huffington Post: Randall Terry Bringing Aborted Fetus Ads to Super Bowl: 

Randall Terry, the anti-abortion activist who announced last year that he would challenge Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, has resurfaced with a bigger platform to get his message out.

Terry is known for his gruesome ads featuring what look to be aborted fetuses, which have already hit the air in Iowa, and now they are coming to the Super Bowl if he can raise the funds. Television stations and affiliates are normally allowed to block indecent content, but Terry is exploiting an FCC loophole that prevents censorship of political ads within 45 days of a presidential primary or caucus. Christian News Wire reports that the ads will air in 40 markets whose primaries fall in that window after Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5--should Terry get sufficient response from his fund-raising appeals. . . .

Television Series on Dr. George Tiller May Influence Perspectives on Abortion

Jezebel: True Blood's Alan Ball Developing Series That Could Change the Way We Talk About Abortion, by Lane Moore:

According to the Hollywood Reporter, True Blood mastermind Alan Ball is currently developing a series called Wichita about "a Kansas surgeon who inadvertently becomes the focal point of a contemporary political, cultural and ethical war."

Ball is also teaming up with Devin Friedman, the writer behind the 2010 GQ article "Savior vs. Savior" about the late doctor Dr. George Tiller, one of the few physicians to provide late-term abortions. . . .

Rachel Maddow on Mitt Romney and Embryonic Personhood Amendments

MSNBC - The Rachel Maddow Show: The Rachel Maddow Show Man Cave - Romney edition:

 

Ron Paul Ad Graphically Portrays Anti-Abortion Sentiment

ABC News: Ron Paul Ad Recalls Graphic Abortion, by Jason M. Volack:

Texas Rep. Ron Paul is out with a new TV ad focusing on abortion.

The 60-second ad titled “Life” features Paul recalling a graphic story from his time as an obstetrics-gynecology resident to explain his opposition to abortion.

The GOP presidential candidate told a story of witnessing doctors deliver a baby via Caesarean section and then “put it in a bucket in the corner of the room and pretended it wasn’t there.”

The ad continues with Paul, 76, contrasting the harsh realities of an abortion to seeing only moments later the inspirational act of doctors trying to save a premature baby. . . .

Rachel Maddow Blasts Republican's Focus on Abortion Laws

MSNBC - The Rachel Maddow Show: Republicans dither with 'other' as America waits for jobs:

 

Little Fuss Over Character’s Abortion on Grey’s Anatomy

Los Angeles Times: Critic's Notebook: Abortion a muted matter on 'Grey's Anatomy', by Mary McNamara:

What to make of the fact that not much of a fuss was made — on TV or off — over Sandra Oh's character having an abortion?

Caught between a bunny and a new girl, the talk of TV this season has been double-X, as in chromosome.

What's up with all the women? They're saying "vagina" and going all Count of Monte Cristo! "New Girl" is adork-able (or is she?), "Pan Am" is a female-centric "Mad Men" (or is it?), "The Playboy Club" glamorizes sexism and "Charlie's Angels" is even more ridiculous the second time around! After the 2010-11 season proved dismal for non-males, women came back with a vengeance.

We were all so busy talking about the Big Trend that we missed the revolution. During the recent eighth-season premiere of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) had an abortion. . . .

Bill O'Reilly Back to Attacking Dr. George Tiller

Media Matters: O'Reilly Returns To Demonizing Slain Abortion Clinic Doctor George Tiller, by Adam Shah:

Bill O'Reilly has a history of demonizing the late Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas doctor who provided abortions at his Women's Health Care Services clinic. O'Reilly repeatedly referred to Tiller as "Tiller, the baby killer" and even once said: "[I]f I could get my hands on Tiller -- well, you know. Can't be vigilantes. Can't do that. It's just a figure of speech."

After Tiller was gunned down by anti-abortion zealot Scott Roeder, O'Reilly tried to whitewash his attacks on Tiller.

But on today's edition of his Fox News show, he was back to demonizing Tiller. . . .