Clowning around about abortion
THIS is how you make comedy about provocative subjects
One in three clowns…
Saturday Night Live is still a mainstay watch for me, even as it has its ups and downs and further downs and surprising ups after all these many years. An interesting phenomenon I read about lately is that more and more of the cast members just stick around because there aren’t as many comedy films being made. So sometimes they negotiate breaks to do other projects, but SNL is what keeps them fresh, relevant, and (I assume) well-compensated.
One of those longtime MVPs who’s sticking around even as she does other projects (check out Schmigadoon, it’s delightful) is Cecily Strong. And Cecily Strong knocked it out of the park this past Saturday night with her portrayal of Goober the Clown, who had an abortion when she was 23. Just watch, before I say another word.
To get this out of the way: One of the conservative folks I follow (who is at her core a very consistent pro-life staunch Catholic) thought the above was an example of Strong being traumatized by her abortion all these years later. But no. No, Strong is traumatized by how it can be 2021, and we’re still fighting all the same battles for all the years since she had the abortion…for which she expressed gratitude, not shame.
In all the recent conversations about comedy and its intersection with social justice and marginalized groups I’ve found there to be a remarkable lack of either a) People sharing what they find funny, not just provocative about the folks who are getting push back about “punching down” at people far less powerful than they or b) People sharing alternative examples of comedians tackling provocative subjects and doing it in a way that is both thought-proving and laugher-inducing.
So, for the record: This piece by Strong is that latter kind of example for me. I laughed. (Mostly at the deft use of the clown metaphor and her own clown get-up to keep us both surprised and amused even as she laid out her truth for us.) I groaned in recognition. (At her frustration.) I nodded my head in affirmation. (Like when she says that abortion is common and that you are probably surprised by that because no one talks about it. The latest stat is that one in four women will have one by age 45.) And finally, I teared up. (Because frustration often does that to women.)
Where is Cecily Strong’s $20MM Netflix special I wonder?
Strong’s bit was in response to the unconstitutional Texas SB8 law effectively banning abortion coming before SCOTUS last week, and I also happened to finish up reading the galley for a new book coming out early in 2022 called Bodies on the Line by Lauren Rankin. It tells the untold story of a group of people who may have kept abortion accessible more than you realize: Clinic escorts. I really had no idea how long and hard these volunteers have fought a weekly battle against an aggressive and violent pro-forced-birth protest movement, in the face of a legal system that cares little and a law enforcement system that cares not at all, even when the legal system lifts its finger.
The irony of the forced-birth movement leaders (and their followers) pretending they are “pro-life” as they employ tactics that mostly exhibit that they are anti-women who don’t toe their line is astounding. Clinic escorts show up, put on a vest, and literally put their bodies on the line, physically shielding women who are trying to exercise their constitutional right from verbal, emotional, and sometimes physical abuse being rained on them. Pre-order the book at the link above to review the history of legal abortion and those who are fighting with feet on the street to protect it from those who would ban it.
What are your thoughts after watching her video? I’d love to know if you were similarly affected, as I was. (And PS I’d love to hear the thoughts of people of any gender. My s.o. watched the video and said Strong deserves an Emmy…or maybe a Peabody Award. If you are or have a male partner, I’m curious what they think!)
Last week-ish
Episode #69 of The Op-Ed Page podcast was published this past week, and it features one of my favorite conversations yet. My colleague Dr. Tania Israel has published a book, Beyond Your Bubble, and a handy workflow chart, both focused on how to have productive conversations with people with whom you may know you disagree. As the holidays approach I know plenty of people don’t have the politically homogenous family that I do. We discuss useful tactics, and we also discuss boundaries. You may need to employ both.
I also talk a bit about the election results from last week (11/02/21) and why we should stop being surprised when certain groups vote the ways they’ve been voting for decades. I’m not saying you can’t move some folks from such groups to vote a different way, sometimes you can, but we continually allow ourselves to be shocked by some very well-established voting patterns. And when I say we I mostly mean people who live in an ideological bubble (like me in the Bay Area).
Also last week:
The latest piece I edited for The Rosie Report is A layered workforce of one by Elke Govertsen. It’s a good read about how it can benefit both employer and employee to change and adapt one’s hours, one title, one’s role, and more as needed.
My course on “Storytelling That Sticks…and Sells” is available on genConnectU (and hopefully will shortly be available on LinkedIn Learning too if you have a premium account there).
genConnect CEO Nancy Spears and I did a live stream on 10/28 about my course and storytelling and media engagement in general, and the video is now available if you couldn’t watch it live:
Coming this week-ish
Next week’s podcast will feature an interview I did with colleague Mark S. Babbitt, the co-author of a very action-oriented business book called Good Comes First. We had a really good conversation about how to do the work of instilling your values into your behaviors as a leader of an organization. It can’t just be a laminated poster on a wall. What you do matters even more than what you say. I enjoy business books that don’t just tell you what and why, but really give you a blueprint for how, and that’s what Good Comes First does.
Also next week a project I’ve been lending a hand to will come to fruition when my friend Dr. Makiko Hirata comes up to the Bay Area commandeers a “pianovan” and brings music and storytelling to isolated and underserved communities around the bay. She studies the intersection of music and neurology, and thinks musicians like her could be “second responders” in stressful situations and environments, helping people stay healthier and more stable. You can read more about the project on her blog. I am hoping to join her on a few stops and may even sing! If you want to support her work, let me know! She’s looking for a way to make this concept repeatable, scalable, sustainable.
This week I’m getting on a plane for the first time in 20 months. (I’m sure the longest I’ve gone in my adult life without flying.) I’ll report back on how it felt to be back in the friendly skies.
Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on all of the above. This is basically my blog now! And as always I appreciate a share of this newsletter or my podcast.
And if I can help you break through the things that are keeping you stuck, set up your first introductory 30-minute consult for free by booking it in my Calendly.
I cried. I laughed. Cecily is genius. We all love someone who has had an abortion.....or someone who has a part of the "team" who created the need for one.