Amid the outrage over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the Court's intent to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling on abortion rights, a clip of legendary comedian George Carlin skewering conservative views on abortion has resurfaced.
And it couldn't be more timely.
The clip perfectly encapsulates right-wing hypocrisy on the issue, and is sadly even more timely today as it was in the 90s when Carlin performed the routine.
See the clip below.
WARNING: NSFW language
Since SCOTUS is going to overturn #RoeVWade I think this one from George Carlin is appropriate.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re anti-women\u201dpic.twitter.com/jBEYzAwQvy— Tony Michaels \ud83c\udf99 (@Tony Michaels \ud83c\udf99) 1651541985
In the clip, taken from the late comedian's 1996 HBO special Back in Town, Carlin lambastes Republicans' obsession with fetuses and indifference to actual children.
"Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to 9 months."
"After that, they don’t wanna know about you. They don’t wanna hear from you. No nothing!
"No neonatal care, no daycare, no Head Start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing.
"If you’re pre-born, you’re fine, if you’re preschool, you’re fu*ked."
Carlin goes on to put an even finer point on the right's approach to abortion.
"They’re anti-woman, simple as it gets."
"They believe a woman’s primary role is to function as a broodmare for the state."
The clip has gone viral amid shock and outrage over Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a Mississippi court case addressing an attempted ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Alito's leaked draft rules in favor of Mississippi's proposed ban and overturns both of the Court's previous landmark decisions guaranteeing abortion rights, 1992's Planned Parenthood v. Casey and 1973's Roe v. Wade.
If adopted during the Court's next session in June, the decision will render abortion unconstitutional and it will be illegal in as many as 26 states.
The draft also invalidates the interpretation of the 14th Amendment that underpins those cases and others guaranteeing rights to access to contraception, interracial marriage and same-sex marriage, jeopardizing those rights as well.
Given the stakes, Carlin's routine has been given whole new relevance, and people on Twitter have been sharing it like wildfire.
This was how Carlin opened the special. He just ran out and this was his first joke. \nA real one.pic.twitter.com/Y6PogU95Lb— quasimodo predicted all this (@quasimodo predicted all this) 1651667852
Nearly 30 yrs. ago, but what George says still rings true! One of the best, I miss him!https://twitter.com/BoingBoing/status/1521953714818461698\u00a0\u2026— Blu Artiste (@Blu Artiste) 1651719499
I don't know how many times this needs to be said, but MAGA GOP aren't #ProLife, they're #ProControl.\n\nFirst, it's Roe V Wade, then LGBTQ, minority, religion & whatever else they want to control.\n\nThey don't give a shit about babies, just control!\n\n#DemVoice1 #BlueVoices #wtpBLUEpic.twitter.com/3qplrGJMDG— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@The Jewish Ginger Resister) 1651548201
George Carlin, a true visionary!pic.twitter.com/amlZy5DY5q— deb b bitchin (@deb b bitchin) 1651682419
"Conservatives aren't pro-life, they're anti-woman." Carlin had regressives' number in '96.pic.twitter.com/H8q2naxluh— flexghost. (@flexghost.) 1651544438
George Carlin nailed itpic.twitter.com/DjGWD6yxgS— (((\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6))) (@(((\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6)))) 1650817947
There\u2019s always a George Carlin clip \n\n#RoeVWadepic.twitter.com/H6Ma3Q5cGJ— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@Wu-Tang Is For The Children) 1651588977
\u2018Conservatives aren\u2019t pro life....they\u2019re anti women\u2019\n\nThe truth, the whole truth, & nothing but the damn truth from George Carlin pic.twitter.com/IWxzgD4UT8— ANN is still European\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 WTAF SCOTUS? (@ANN is still European\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 WTAF SCOTUS?) 1651751690
I\u2019m just gonna let George Carlin speak.pic.twitter.com/j3Gjn4qFaf— Kevin L. Lee (@Kevin L. Lee) 1651542938
Another clip of Carlin raking Republicans over the coals for their attacks on abortion rights way back in the 80s surfaced as well, showing just how long this war has been going on.
This George Carlin clip about Abortion and "Pro-life" has been evergreen since the 80s.pic.twitter.com/8CAEKt2ldn— CSA (@CSA) 1651550846
Carlin, widely regarded as one of the best stand-up comics of all time, was legendary for his incisive take-downs of right-wing politics and advocacy of progressive causes in his comedy, a subject highlighted in an upcoming HBO documentary about him premiering later this month.