Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Katie Britt Gave People Serious 'Handmaid's Tale' Vibes With SOTU Response—And The Memes Were On Point

Screenshot of Katie Britt
ABC

GOP Senator Katie Britt inspired instant 'Handmaid's Tale' comparisons with her bizarre State of the Union response.

Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union on Thursday night, presenting a counter-narrative to his critiques of the GOP and highlighting what she sees as a darker reality under his leadership.

But her remarks—made from her kitchen table in Montgomery, Alabama—inspired comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale, a novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood that was written at the height of the Reagan administration and satirized political, social, and religious trends of the 1980s.


The book, published in 1985, was inspired at least in part by the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. That overthrow of the Shah's rule saw a theocracy established that subjugated women in a strict patriarchal society, gutted female agency and individuality in addition to reproductive rights, and limited all the other ways women can assert their independence. It was then famously turned into a critically acclaimed series on Hulu at the beginning of Trump's presidency.

Britt characterized the American dream as "a nightmare" and her emphasis on her role as a wife and mother of two children as well as her claim that the "country we know and love seems to be slipping away" prompted many to reflect on the rise of a society like Gilead, the one depicted in the novel, in which women are forced to bear children against their will.

New York City public defender Eliza Orlins noted that someone had edited Britt's Wikipedia page in response to her speech, referring to her as "an American politican and attorney who is a member of The Handmaid's Tale and not one of the good ones."

Other memes were similarly on point, with many pointing out Britt was even dressed in the same color as the wives married to Gilead's high-ranking men as depicted on the television adaptation.



Britt issued her response against the backdrop of a recent blow to reproductive freedom after an Alabama Supreme Court decision that labeled frozen embryos as legally equivalent to "children."

The ruling, which allows couples to sue for "wrongful death" in cases of destroyed frozen embryos, has raised significant questions about the legal and ethical implications surrounding reproductive health.

Following the court's decision, the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system took a significant step by pausing its Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility services. Concerns about potential criminal prosecution and punitive damages led to the suspension of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in various Alabama fertility clinics.

However, state healthcare providers resumed some IVF services on Thursday, following the enactment of a new law by Kay Ivey, the Republican governor. The legislation is designed to shield IVF patients and providers from legal ramifications stemming from the contentious state Supreme Court decision.

More from News

Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Murkowski
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.

In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman listening to her boyfriend play guitar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them

Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.

In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.

Keep ReadingShow less