Joss Whedon's Planned Parenthood video
May 25, 2017 3:31 PM Subscribe
Joss Whedon, nerd icon, has a new video in support of Planned Parenthood. Joss Whedon, known throughout various demographics for Buffy, Dollhouse, The Avengers, Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and the immortal Firefly, recently released a three minute video made for Planned Parenthood exploring some of the consequences of clinics closing.
Whedon is also known for support of Equality Now.
It's dead and so is Wash. They were both leaves on the wind.
"... and the immortal Firefly,"
posted by Docrailgun at 6:51 PM on May 25, 2017
"... and the immortal Firefly,"
posted by Docrailgun at 6:51 PM on May 25, 2017
You can't take the sky from me, Docrailgun. *sniffle*
posted by The otter lady at 7:18 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by The otter lady at 7:18 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's a good ad. But it's preaching to the choir. I don't know that it would persuade anyone who thinks like the enemies of Planned Parenthood think. Those folks seem to believe all abortions are bad and all abortions are performed at Planned Parenthood and too bad for anybody who goes to PP for any other reason. I sometimes wonder if PP shouldn't just change their name, rebrand themselves and get on with their good work. The name has become poison.
posted by pjsky at 7:39 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by pjsky at 7:39 PM on May 25, 2017
Celebrities can continue their "I stand with Planned Parenthood" sloganeering or they can pool their resources and create private abortion clinics with no name. Let Planned Parenthood just do birth control, family planning, health checks. The reason I am saying this is because about 25% of voters, voters who are extremely motivated to show up, are pro-life. And they will vote for a pussy-grabbing fascist every election we have til the end of time because they do not want their tax dollars to pay for abortion. I can't actually disagree with them. What if we had a elephant trophy hunting safari paid by tax dollars? I would HATE to pay for that. I believe it would be immoral. It would be wrong to make me pay for it. I honestly believe that 25% would not vote fascist if they knew their tax dollars did not pay for something they are morally against. It's about abortion FUNDING !
I'm also morally against our insane military budget but there is not a voting block that would vote for fascists if they promised to stop funding military. So that's a whole other problem.
I know it would be difficult - what I am proposing - But as long as tax dollars pay for abortions 25% will vote fascist and because about 45% of people stay home altogether , that is enough to win if you add 3 or 4 % racist or third party or Russian hacking votes.
and it's killing me to watch what is happening because I have gotten such great care at Planned Parenthood when I was young and I know that right now it is a great place if you are trans - you can be assured you will be safe going there for healthcare. no one is really talking about that either. (how scary it is to go to a doctor if you are trans or transitioning - not knowing how you will be treated - scary even to go to a dentist I have heard.
posted by cda at 9:22 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm also morally against our insane military budget but there is not a voting block that would vote for fascists if they promised to stop funding military. So that's a whole other problem.
I know it would be difficult - what I am proposing - But as long as tax dollars pay for abortions 25% will vote fascist and because about 45% of people stay home altogether , that is enough to win if you add 3 or 4 % racist or third party or Russian hacking votes.
and it's killing me to watch what is happening because I have gotten such great care at Planned Parenthood when I was young and I know that right now it is a great place if you are trans - you can be assured you will be safe going there for healthcare. no one is really talking about that either. (how scary it is to go to a doctor if you are trans or transitioning - not knowing how you will be treated - scary even to go to a dentist I have heard.
posted by cda at 9:22 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's about abortion FUNDING !
What are you talking about? Federal tax dollars don't go to abortion funding, except in very rare cases. Those people who are voting for fascists because they don't want to pay for abortions are willfully deluding themselves and/or remaining ignorant. They're voting for fascists because they hold fascist beliefs, and are willing to let women DIE of treatable things like cancer because they can't bear to see a world view different than their own. I don't want my tax money going to the military, but I'm not willing to let veterans go without healthcare to prove some kind of point, even if there were a large enough voting block that would get me my wish.
We don't need celebrity sponsored private abortion facilities. We need politicians on both sides of the aisle giving mass publicity on the realities of pregnancy. That most fertilized eggs never adhere to the uterine wall, and therefore if you believe life begins at conception, we've got much bigger problems - we're flushing live babies down the toilet at an alarming rate. That the neural network doesn't "turn on" until about 25 weeks, meaning the bullshit about aborted babies feeling pain is just that. Bullshit. We need lawmakers quoting facts and if they won't, we need journalists and regular people asking them why they are lying, over and over. And you get that by US the people calling in and demanding it - or voting them out when they won't. If we don't get that, what we'll end up with is a complete reversal of Roe v Wade. No private abortion centers. No legal abortions at all. We're already at that point in some states.
I know, blah blah gerrymandering. But jesus, people. You don't win the good fight by giving the bad guy what he wants and doing good work in secret. I'm pretty sure Buffy would disapprove.
posted by greermahoney at 9:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [29 favorites]
What are you talking about? Federal tax dollars don't go to abortion funding, except in very rare cases. Those people who are voting for fascists because they don't want to pay for abortions are willfully deluding themselves and/or remaining ignorant. They're voting for fascists because they hold fascist beliefs, and are willing to let women DIE of treatable things like cancer because they can't bear to see a world view different than their own. I don't want my tax money going to the military, but I'm not willing to let veterans go without healthcare to prove some kind of point, even if there were a large enough voting block that would get me my wish.
We don't need celebrity sponsored private abortion facilities. We need politicians on both sides of the aisle giving mass publicity on the realities of pregnancy. That most fertilized eggs never adhere to the uterine wall, and therefore if you believe life begins at conception, we've got much bigger problems - we're flushing live babies down the toilet at an alarming rate. That the neural network doesn't "turn on" until about 25 weeks, meaning the bullshit about aborted babies feeling pain is just that. Bullshit. We need lawmakers quoting facts and if they won't, we need journalists and regular people asking them why they are lying, over and over. And you get that by US the people calling in and demanding it - or voting them out when they won't. If we don't get that, what we'll end up with is a complete reversal of Roe v Wade. No private abortion centers. No legal abortions at all. We're already at that point in some states.
I know, blah blah gerrymandering. But jesus, people. You don't win the good fight by giving the bad guy what he wants and doing good work in secret. I'm pretty sure Buffy would disapprove.
posted by greermahoney at 9:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [29 favorites]
Not being named Planned Parenthood hasn't saved any of the non-PP abortion clinics that have been closed due to lack of funding, regulatory abuse, or worse. Planned Parenthood clinics that don't offer abortions are often still picketed, and abortion care isn't generally tax-funded anyway. The name's not the problem here.
A health care system that relies on celebrities pooling their money for funding isn't enough to help everyone who needs it. (And it costs a lot more to run a clinic than it does to make a short video.)
posted by asperity at 9:55 PM on May 25, 2017 [13 favorites]
A health care system that relies on celebrities pooling their money for funding isn't enough to help everyone who needs it. (And it costs a lot more to run a clinic than it does to make a short video.)
posted by asperity at 9:55 PM on May 25, 2017 [13 favorites]
Also, I'm going to caution Planned Parenthood against going with the name-change method that NARAL Pro-Choice America used.
...even though Planned Parenthood is a great place to get treatment for urinary tract infections.
posted by asperity at 10:01 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
...even though Planned Parenthood is a great place to get treatment for urinary tract infections.
posted by asperity at 10:01 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
...and too bad for anybody who goes to PP for any other reason.
I'm not sure the PP opponents actually realize PP does anything other than abortions. Like, y'know, actually making sure babies are born healthy and that the mother is cared for all through her pregnancy. Or that those other services make up the vast bulk of PP's work.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:54 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'm not sure the PP opponents actually realize PP does anything other than abortions. Like, y'know, actually making sure babies are born healthy and that the mother is cared for all through her pregnancy. Or that those other services make up the vast bulk of PP's work.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:54 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
Not to mention, someone who needs an abortion and doesn't have community support or access to information almost certainly knows the name Planned Parenthood.
PP benefits from name recognition in that folks donate to it more reliably than say, Whole Women's Health. I would love to see the network of abortion and other women's and trans folks' healthcare providers grow as well, but I want PP to stick around.
posted by Emmy Rae at 6:16 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
PP benefits from name recognition in that folks donate to it more reliably than say, Whole Women's Health. I would love to see the network of abortion and other women's and trans folks' healthcare providers grow as well, but I want PP to stick around.
posted by Emmy Rae at 6:16 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of Federal funds for abortions.
posted by MythMaker at 6:50 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by MythMaker at 6:50 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
It may be preaching to the choir, but the choir is currently more than half of all Americans. As recently as January, 70 percent of voters agree with the Roe v. Wade decision and 62 percent oppose cutting funding from Planned Parenthood.
In fact, the majority of voters in 13 Republican-held Congressional districts oppose defunding Planned Parenthood.
If this video is another tool to help get the likes of Darrell Issa out of Congress, all the better.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 7:39 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
In fact, the majority of voters in 13 Republican-held Congressional districts oppose defunding Planned Parenthood.
If this video is another tool to help get the likes of Darrell Issa out of Congress, all the better.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 7:39 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
> What if we had a elephant trophy hunting safari paid by tax dollars? I would HATE to pay for tha
Or taxpayer-funded gangs of people kicking orphans in the shins! That would also be bad! Let's not do that either.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:08 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Or taxpayer-funded gangs of people kicking orphans in the shins! That would also be bad! Let's not do that either.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:08 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
But Planned Parenthood cannot use the money it receives from the federal government for abortions anyway. According to the Department of Health and Human Service’s website, "by law, Title X funds may not be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning." Medicaid funding is restricted by the Hyde Amendment to only abortion cases involving rape, incest or endangerment to the life of the mother. Some states use their own funds under Medicaid to go beyond that. Seventeen states and, until recently, the District of Columbia pay for "medically necessary" abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The federal budget deal now bans Washington, D.C., from using its funds to pay for abortions.
source
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that medically necessary abortions are not at all comparable to elephant hunts.
posted by LindsayIrene at 9:31 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
source
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that medically necessary abortions are not at all comparable to elephant hunts.
posted by LindsayIrene at 9:31 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
@LindsayIrene
Well, yes, but we can't let facts get in the way of perspective. I think cda's point was that whether or not federal funds actually go to abortion, voters believe they do. And in some sense that's not entirely wrong.
Let's say the "Color Foundation" that supports "Yellow" and "Purple." It costs CF $1000/week to support Purple, and $1000/week to support Yellow. Bob donates $100 to CF with no earmarking. It makes sense for $50 of that to go to Yellow, and $50 to go to Purple. Both causes get equal amounts.
Now imagine that I really hate Yellow and love Purple. I donate $100 to CF with the restriction that it cannot be used for Yellow. CF still has to pay for both though. The most reasonable thing for CF to do is say my donation of $100 goes to Purple, and Bob's donation of $100 goes to Yellow. They move Bob's $50 from Purple to Yellow and both causes still get equal amounts. Now as a result of my donation to Purple, Yellow (which I hate) has $50 more than they did before.
Similarly, funding an organization that provides abortions means that the organization has more money to spend on abortions, even if the actual funds given can't be used for abortions. The core problem is that money is fungible. Earmarking a donation doesn't actually do very much, unless all the organization's budgetary needs are already met.
posted by yeolcoatl at 10:48 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Well, yes, but we can't let facts get in the way of perspective. I think cda's point was that whether or not federal funds actually go to abortion, voters believe they do. And in some sense that's not entirely wrong.
Let's say the "Color Foundation" that supports "Yellow" and "Purple." It costs CF $1000/week to support Purple, and $1000/week to support Yellow. Bob donates $100 to CF with no earmarking. It makes sense for $50 of that to go to Yellow, and $50 to go to Purple. Both causes get equal amounts.
Now imagine that I really hate Yellow and love Purple. I donate $100 to CF with the restriction that it cannot be used for Yellow. CF still has to pay for both though. The most reasonable thing for CF to do is say my donation of $100 goes to Purple, and Bob's donation of $100 goes to Yellow. They move Bob's $50 from Purple to Yellow and both causes still get equal amounts. Now as a result of my donation to Purple, Yellow (which I hate) has $50 more than they did before.
Similarly, funding an organization that provides abortions means that the organization has more money to spend on abortions, even if the actual funds given can't be used for abortions. The core problem is that money is fungible. Earmarking a donation doesn't actually do very much, unless all the organization's budgetary needs are already met.
posted by yeolcoatl at 10:48 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Of course there are some problems with the elephant hunts analogy. No analogy fits perfectly, but overall I think it was pretty interesting.
From one perspective, hunts are the murder of an endangered species for the disgusting enjoyment of a moral bankrupt sport; and abortions are an important part of protecting our sexual rights, freedoms, and quality of life.
From the other perspective, abortions are the murder of humans for the disgusting enjoyment of morally bankrupt premarital sex; and hunts are an important part of protecting our gun rights, freedoms, and quality of life.
posted by yeolcoatl at 10:51 AM on May 26, 2017
From one perspective, hunts are the murder of an endangered species for the disgusting enjoyment of a moral bankrupt sport; and abortions are an important part of protecting our sexual rights, freedoms, and quality of life.
From the other perspective, abortions are the murder of humans for the disgusting enjoyment of morally bankrupt premarital sex; and hunts are an important part of protecting our gun rights, freedoms, and quality of life.
posted by yeolcoatl at 10:51 AM on May 26, 2017
Fungibility-based attacks on family planning programs and providers are conceptually flawed, deeply hypocritical and show complete disregard for the vulnerable groups of women in need of family planning services.
posted by Lexica at 11:21 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 11:21 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Margaret Talbot reviewed books* for the New Yorker recently, "Why it's become so hard to get an abortion." She talks about some of the recent punitive laws for women who want an abortion. I think this goes hand in hand with clinics closing and it being more difficult to get to a place that performs abortions. (Of course, that also means it's hard to find prenatal care, but somehow that's not Conservatives' concern.)
*Primarily "About abortion" by Carol Sanger, but a bit about "Life's work" by Willie Parker as well. There are a few neat quotes from the latter, "He regards, 'the meeting of a sperm and egg as a biological event, no less miraculous but morally and qualitatively different from a living breathing life, imbued with a sacredness only when the mother, or parents, deem it so.'" "As a few human being, you are allowed to change your mind, to find yourself in different circumstances, to make mistakes. You are allowed to want your own future."
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:25 PM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
*Primarily "About abortion" by Carol Sanger, but a bit about "Life's work" by Willie Parker as well. There are a few neat quotes from the latter, "He regards, 'the meeting of a sperm and egg as a biological event, no less miraculous but morally and qualitatively different from a living breathing life, imbued with a sacredness only when the mother, or parents, deem it so.'" "As a few human being, you are allowed to change your mind, to find yourself in different circumstances, to make mistakes. You are allowed to want your own future."
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:25 PM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm so sick of the fungibility argument. Let's say we both go into the grocery store together. You use your cash to buy groceries, because you are a good hardworking American, and I use my cash to buy beer and cigarettes, because I am not. Did your cash buy my beer and cigarettes?
Okay, this time you use your EBT card to use foodstamps to buy groceries, and I use my cash to buy beer and cigarettes. Did the federal funds behind your EBT card buy my beer and cigarettes?
Okay, this time we both go to Planned Parenthood. You use your Medicaid to get a Pap smear, and I use my cash to get an abortion. Did the federal funds behind your Medicaid buy my abortion?
posted by hydropsyche at 12:25 PM on May 26, 2017 [9 favorites]
Okay, this time you use your EBT card to use foodstamps to buy groceries, and I use my cash to buy beer and cigarettes. Did the federal funds behind your EBT card buy my beer and cigarettes?
Okay, this time we both go to Planned Parenthood. You use your Medicaid to get a Pap smear, and I use my cash to get an abortion. Did the federal funds behind your Medicaid buy my abortion?
posted by hydropsyche at 12:25 PM on May 26, 2017 [9 favorites]
The problem with the elephant analogy is that people who oppose abortion do not spend a lot of time and effort addressing its root cause. If the anti-abortion folks started spending their money promoting comprehensive sex ed and trying to make contraception as accessible as possible, I would take their position a bit more at face value.
People who hate elephant hunts do not simultaneously support laws that funnel people from a marginalized group toward elephant hunts as their only option to get out of a life changing situation that puts them at risk of physical harm and falling into or exacerbating poverty.
posted by Emmy Rae at 12:36 PM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
People who hate elephant hunts do not simultaneously support laws that funnel people from a marginalized group toward elephant hunts as their only option to get out of a life changing situation that puts them at risk of physical harm and falling into or exacerbating poverty.
posted by Emmy Rae at 12:36 PM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
always worth remembering that repealing the filthy Hyde Amendment was part of the Democratic platform Hillary Clinton ran on, and it was a big fucking deal, and losing the chance to see that happen was one of an infinite number of tragedies resulting from the lost election but by no means the smallest one.
the Hyde Amendment is unacceptable, and remembering that it is a terrible law made by man, not god's unchanging truth, is important. it can be taken down.
posted by queenofbithynia at 4:57 PM on May 26, 2017 [15 favorites]
the Hyde Amendment is unacceptable, and remembering that it is a terrible law made by man, not god's unchanging truth, is important. it can be taken down.
posted by queenofbithynia at 4:57 PM on May 26, 2017 [15 favorites]
The problem with the elephant analogy is that people who oppose abortion do not spend a lot of time and effort addressing its root cause. If the anti-abortion folks started spending their money promoting comprehensive sex ed and trying to make contraception as accessible as possible, I would take their position a bit more at face value.
Some of them do. My mom is against abortion, but has worked with people in poverty for much of her life, including running a homeless shelter for families out of her house at one point running a soup kitchen at another, supports sex ed and birth control to the point of providing condoms for my sister to distribute at school and having a condom bowl in the living room through my teenage years. She is against abortion to the point that she have up a child to adoption when she got pregnant unexpectedly. (She also takes her pro-life stance to it's logical conclusion of also protesting the death penalty and the military.) I agree that many of those most vocally pro-life don't seem to follow the tenets of the Christianity they claim.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:39 PM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Some of them do. My mom is against abortion, but has worked with people in poverty for much of her life, including running a homeless shelter for families out of her house at one point running a soup kitchen at another, supports sex ed and birth control to the point of providing condoms for my sister to distribute at school and having a condom bowl in the living room through my teenage years. She is against abortion to the point that she have up a child to adoption when she got pregnant unexpectedly. (She also takes her pro-life stance to it's logical conclusion of also protesting the death penalty and the military.) I agree that many of those most vocally pro-life don't seem to follow the tenets of the Christianity they claim.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:39 PM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Those are great things to do, and I dream of a day when more anti-abortion folks will act like your mom. Surely you know that she is a rarity in the world.
However, if your mom supports Republican politicians because they are against abortion, then she also votes in opposition to soup kitchens, sex ed, and birth control and in favor of the death penalty and the military.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:07 AM on May 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
However, if your mom supports Republican politicians because they are against abortion, then she also votes in opposition to soup kitchens, sex ed, and birth control and in favor of the death penalty and the military.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:07 AM on May 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah, she votes leftist where possible/practical, liberal otherwise, for exactly those reasons. I grew up surrounded by people like her in a Catholic Worker community, so sometimes it's hard to remember the rarity.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:44 AM on May 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:44 AM on May 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
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