Stanek weekend question: Are the increasingly coarse portrayals of abortion having an impact?
This week comedienne Sarah Silverman called preborn babies “goo” on Real Time with Bill Maher:
“And meanwhile, it’s goo. It’s goo that they’re so worried about.”
Silverman is no stranger to contemptible treatment of the abortion topic (<– and yes, NBC did indeed take a pass on her pilot), sometimes in conjunction with the Christian faith.
But Silverman is part of a celebrity club doing their best to make abortion funny, blasé.
Abortion proponents like Sarah Seltzer of RH Reality Check think is a good thing:
[T]he lack of abortion jokes creates this hyped-up atmosphere of tragedy and controversy around something that is quite common and needs to be discussed more.
Even if Seth McFarlane and the Family Guy team failed miserably to be funny or edgy in their attempts to milk humor from abortion, even if they were crass and sexist, I’d hope the episode would be an opening salvo for more comics, artists and others to talk about this reality in women’s lives that, like all realities, has to contain fodder for humor.
Where Seth MacFarlane failed in his attempt to bring abortion humor to that cartoon, his South Park brand succeeded with the video game Stick of Truth, where the abortion scenes may have been censored elsewhere, but not in the U.S.
And so you’ll read such [<– warning: graphic] comments by gamers intent on completing the abortion as:
- “I can’t do this for the life of me… How do you take out the thing when you dilate him? Just get blood.”
- “No I’ve been stuck on the vacuum for ages it’s just silly now, been trying for a few days.”
- “The guide says, ‘You have three procedures to accomplish to avoid getting shot up by the goons. First, inject the syringe correctly by waiting for the needle to point toward the center of Randy’s groin. Second, spin to dilate. Third, when prompted, move the vacuum from one side to the other until the procedure is complete.'”
- “With the injection, your character will angle the syringe in three different directions (left, center, and right). When the needle is positioned in the center, press down with the left stick to inject whatever it is that you’re injecting.”
This all makes me sick. These people are oblivious to the fact they’re virtually killing a baby.
But isn’t that the point?
Looking back over the past few years, do you think these growing attempts to destigmatize abortion by making it funny is working in any way?
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
There are some subjects that will NEVER be funny. Abortion is one of them.
I am glad they keep talking about goo, and cells and tissue. They talk like idiots. They look like idiots.
Abortion is discussed. ALL THE TIME! Like when Silent No More ladies and men take over The Supreme Court steps for hours and hours of TRUTH about abortion.
But that is not what they mean. They want positive, lighthearted, funny, casual stories of abortion pride. Women that scream, “It’s the best thing I ever did!!!” Videos of smiling women who claim they are filming their abortions.
They want what they will never have. Acceptance. Cultural acceptance to ease their minds. To justify their involvement in the destruction that abortion brings.
I will pray for Sarah Silverman.
She needs help.
We should be glad for the disgusting South Park parody. It is a prolonged rape joke. Unfunny and sickening, for sure — but it portrays abortion for what it is: A violation of body and dignity.
The Sarah Silverman schtick is more problematic. In spite of the real-science data of ultrasounds, photos of abortion victims, Gosnell and all of the dead and injured women — there are still people who are in denial. They want to believe that the child is just a tumor or a clump of cells. They want to believe Sarah and Bill when they talk about “goo.”
We need to keep teaching the truth of fetal development. A child in the womb is as fully formed and organized as a newborn child, an adolescent, an adult, or an elderly person. We are always just the way that we are supposed to be, at every stage of life.
By the time a mother realizes that she is pregnant, the child has already developed into defined organs, including a brain and heart and heart-beat. No abortion is “just goo.”
You guys need to fact-check; Seth MacFarlane did NOT make South Park.
I just came home from a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat. (Weeping, wounded, hurting woman and their families trying to come to terms, somehow, with the murder of their pre-born children.) Western society is so deeply sick with the rot & corruption of the culture of death it’s bound to collapse as the Roman empire did and the sooner the better I would say. Sooner the better as it is so determined to spread the disease into every nation in the world. Only Christs mercy can save us from ourselves.
Chris, they’re talking about two different things. Family Guy attempted an abortion plotline and it fell flat; South Park apparently worked it into a video game.
I actually think South Park talking about abortion is a great thing, because the whole POINT of South Park is to be as offensive as humanly possible and milk horrible things for humor. Nobody in their right mind would utter the statement “I get my morals from South Park.” It puts abortion into the same category as Kenny being killed in every episode.
I think comments like that may resonate with a certain demographic that is already pro abortion anyway.Most of us have had fetal development in high school biology and at least to me she sounds foolish. And of course she’s an Obama supporter.
Elizabeth, I agree with you that this country is quickly losing its moral compass, and its heartbreaking to watch.
“Where Seth MacFarlane failed in his attempt to bring abortion humor to that cartoon, his South Park brand – See more at: https://www.jillstanek.com/2014/05/stanek-weekend-question-are-the-increasingly-coarse-portrayals-of-abortion-having-an-impact/#sthash.qrE1WHbG.dpuf”
Seth Macfarlane isn’t associated with South Park.
When you see these 2 together dont ever expect anything good. Bill doesnt believe in God and since when has Silverman ever been amusing? I imagine her fanbase is made up of a few teenage boys or warped me who find her “hot” I never hear women talk about her and I really havent ever heard a man talk about her. IMO she tries too hard to get attention.
Above post should say warped minded men.
And if you run the tape on you tube nobody is even laughing. That includes Bill. See how she concludes it by what she seems to think about pregnant women. Ignorant and assuming nobody will be there for the woman. Sarah give it up. You just arent funny.
Usually “comedians” that have to curse and try to shock ppl to get a laugh aren’t that funny in the first place, Heather. Yet she’s a millionaire, so she must appeal to quite a few people. Once again these anti-religious celebrities usually only attack Christians. M She had a show called “Jesus is Magic.”. Can you imagine a show called “Mohammed is Magic?” I don’t think so.
She must appeal to a few people….yes phillmiss shes done a few unmemorable movies and sang a few skits. One was called I blanked Matt Damon and hes in the background singing with her. I dont call that entertainment. Some do I suppose. Of course you can always look her up but somehow I doubt you have time:)
I think some post-abortive women would like to laugh, but in one’s private moments I doubt many women find the subject funny.
“A fetus in the womb is as fully formed and organized as a newborn child, an adolescent, an adult, or an elderly person” – now you know that isn’t accurate Del. At least I hope you do.
Right 9ek the few people who did laugh sounded almost nervous. She says at the end “And the woman had the kid and everyone is like now youre on your own s***”