Humor and the Abortion Debate

Humor and satire is so very little seen when it comes to the abortion debate, unless seen in the fantastic It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Recently pro-choice politicians have taken to using humor as an effective means of combating restrictive and humiliating laws restricting abortion.

Since the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade (1973) discussions on abortion and its legality have dominated the political, moral, and social climate of America. One of the primary reasons for the decision that allowed for women to get abortions was the fact that laws banning abortion violated a woman’s privacy by having the government monitor a woman’s decisions over her body. Since Roe politicians, in a great many cases male, have made laws that forced women who want to get abortions: to get ultrasounds shown of the fetus, to get invasive procedures done prior to an abortion, or to get “counseling” on the effects an abortion will have. In response to this some female legislators have brought forth bills that would force men who use the male erectile dysfunction drug Viagra to: learn about the potential dangers of Viagra, have rectal exams for health reasons, watch videos on the effects of Viagra, and have counseling on the benefits of a celibate lifestyle.

I find the laws brought forth by female legislators to be a brilliant way of satirizing the invasive laws male legislators have passed to prevent abortion. I think it is a great way of showing that women should not have draconian abortion prevention measures thrust upon them. By showing how invasive and personal the government intervening in sexual matters is, female legislators have shown the hypocrisy of male legislators in approving invasive health laws that only affect women. It is even more jarring when many conservatives have come out against a government-mandated vaccine for young women that prevent cervical cancer. Conservatives have argued that the mandatory vaccine against cervical cancer violates the privacy of individuals and the right to refuse these vaccines. It is ironic that these same conservatives often approve of measures that do the same thing in abortion cases.

I personally believe that there should be no restrictions on abortion and that the government has no right to interfere in women’s health matters, including abortion.