Posted on 04/29/2018 2:13:42 PM PDT by ethom
On Saturday night, one Washington crowd tried to give President Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, while another Washington crowd stood up against some of the most offensive "jokes" a "comedian" has ever uttered. When Michelle Wolf spoke at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, her monologue descended into an x-rated tirade most infamous for attacks on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Wolf's attacks on Sanders proved disgusting from about every angle, but only those familiar with the Hulu series "The Handmaid's Tale" — or the Margaret Atwood novel on which it is based — could understand the worst aspect of this tirade.
The "comedian" described Sarah Huckabee Sanders as "Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women," and this wasn't even the most offensive thing she said. Wolf started her attacks against Sanders with an "inside joke."
"I love you as Aunt Lydia on 'The Handmaid's Tale,'" Wolf said.
With this quip, Wolf played on the tired leftist motif that President Donald Trump's regime mimics the dystopian setting of "The Handmaid's Tale." In the novel and TV show, the United States has been coopted by a movement known as "Gilead," which removes all autonomy from women. The regime removes women's property, fires them from their jobs, and forces them into a stratified society based extremely loosely on one specific Bible passage.
Since the calamity that gave birth to "Gilead" made most women infertile, the big government solution is to assign fertile women the position of "handmaids," silent servants who are systematically raped in order to bear children.
Last year, anti-Trump activists seized on "The Handmaid's Tale" as a political cudgel, suggesting that the slightest limitation on abortion would equate to a regime of systematized rape of women.
In May, Hillary Clinton warned that if the United States government defunded Planned Parenthood, "The Handmaid's Tale" would not be far behind. Abortion activists in Ohio, Texas, and Missouri have all dressed up like handmaids to protest pro-life legislation. When the Republicans came out with a bill to repeal and replace parts of Obamacare, SJWs on Twitter compared it to "The Handmaid's Tale." To make matters worse, the cast and crew of the series declared that they had "joined the resistance" against Trump, suggesting that they also think Trump is implementing this dystopian future.
The premise of "The Handmaid's Tale," and the suggestion that Trump or anyone associated with him would ever countenance such a hateful submission of women, is bad enough, but Wolf arguably compared Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the worst character in the novel and show.
No, Hillary Clinton Fans, Evangelicals Are Not Secretly Planning a 'Handmaid's Tale' Future Aunt Lydia, played excellently by Ann Dowd, is not just part of the oppressive regime — she is the enforcer. She patrols the quarters of the "handmaids" to ensure silence, she assigns handmaids to watch one another, and she leads the handmaids to carry out brutal punishments to anyone who steps out of line. In one chilling scene, she orders the other handmaids to stone one of their sisters to death.
Comparing Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Aunt Lydia is arguably worse than calling her an "Uncle Tom," even though that phrase is much more offensive to black people. Perhaps knowing just how harsh this was, Michelle Wolf immediately moved on — to attack Vice President Mike Pence.
Of "The Handmaid's Tale," this "comedian" said, "Mike Pence, if you haven't seen it, you would love it!"
In another short phrase, Michelle Wolf echoed the disgusting suggestion that evangelical Christians — and Pence in particular — are fundamentally oppressive. LGBT activists harbor a special hatred for the vice president, throwing a "queer dance party" at his house on the eve of the inauguration and throwing a "pride parade" mocking him explicitly in Pence's hometown. Margaret Atwood, the novel's author, said that Pence was the "model" of her forced-birth dystopia.
Such suggestions are absurd, because "Gilead" is based on a Bible passage often cited by Christians as a cautionary tale against polygamy. In Genesis 30, Jacob's wives Leah and Rachel, anxious for children, tell their handmaids to have sex with Jacob, claiming the resultant children for their own.
The Bible serves multiple functions. While Christians believe it is the inspired Word of God, the book (it is actually more a library) records many stories meant more as cautionary tales than moral suggestions. The story of the dueling wives, besides being history, is most likely recorded to suggest the fundamental social problems with polygamy. The general theme of the Bible — from Genesis to Jesus' words in the gospels — suggests that human beings were designed for marriage between one man and one woman.
No evangelical would advocate for "The Handmaid's Tale," and the left's susceptibility to this offensive comparison suggests that far too many liberals have no idea what Christians really believe, and simply stigmatize them as oppressive and hateful with no basis (like the Southern Poverty Law Center frequently does).
Wolf said that she didn't want President Trump impeached, because Pence would become president. She attacked Pence as "the kind of guy that brushes his teeth and then drinks Orange juice and thinks MMM!"
Compounding this weird ad hominem attack, the "comedian" went on to advocate for abortion. She noted that Pence "is also very anti-choice. He thinks abortion is murder, which first of all, don’t knock it till you try it. And when you do try it, really knock it. You know, you’ve got to get that baby out of there."
Michelle Wolf delivered offensive line after offensive line, verging into the anatomical correctness of "pussy hats," insinuations that House Speaker Paul Ryan got too much snipped off at his circumcision, and multiple masturbation and orgasm jokes. While she was occasionally correct, her disgusting diatribe even put off many members of the liberal media.
Peter Baker, an MSNBC analyst and chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, put it well: "Unfortunately, I don't think we advanced the cause of journalism tonight."
Peter Baker ✔ @peterbakernyt Unfortunately, I don't think we advanced the cause of journalism tonight.
In a better world, the liberal media attacking Michelle Wolf for her attacks would mark the high point of anti-Trump hysteria. Even left-wing journalists saw these attacks as a bridge too far, but Wolf is likely to become a hero in many "progressive" circles nonetheless. Do not expect the "Handmaid's Tale" attacks on Trump, Pence, or Sarah Huckabee Sanders to end any time soon.
I don’t need your insults Ken. I am tired of being insulted day in and day out for being a Trump supporter.
Link is now dead.
Tell me about it also since Twitter has removed it. Thanks!
JUST WONDERING...
Is this person, Michelle Wolf of mixed race?
Did a search on her but could not find out? just wondering.
So glad I didn’t tune in...after watching a great DJT Rally decided to turn off TV after Judge Jeanine...and learned that was a good decision.
TIME TO PUSH FOR THIS ANNUAL DINNER TO BE MADE ‘HISTORY’. END, OVER, DONE WITH...
Never heard of her, but I encourage them all to tell us who they are.
Get it all out darling....
bookmark
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is fantasy fiction.
Anyone who is delusional enough to claim that anything like “The Handmaid’s Tale” is being implemented is too irrational to be allowed to vote.
Agree. I read the whole transcript - did not find it remotely funny. Heck nobody minds a good joke even if it pokes fun at your guy. But there was nothing humorous or new here. Just a liberal screed. I predict she will end up like Kathy Griffin or whatever her name was.
I watched her set. It was very mild.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
yes i noticed that
Her novel The Handmaid's Tale dates to 1985 so Mike Pence was certainly not the model for it in any way.
WHCA is an enemy of the United States of America.
That is a correct. A sane person would conclude exactly as you have.
I just let Netflix know that I am a subscriber and I'm not happy. We all need to let them know. Michelle Wolf's disgraceful behavior is not fit for a mainstream entertainment company like Netflix. She needs to go.
That’s a great idea. I’ll send them an email tomorrow.
She has no class whatsoever. And I’m so tired of the left using Handmaid’s Tale against the right. It just shows how little they understand about conservatives.
I had no idea what the handmaid’s tale was. It’s about forced sex? Can’t anyone come up with any story line at all that doesn’t include some kind of deviant sex act? Are these writers only thinking about what their crotch wants and that’s what they write about?
Well put.
Good to know.
Don’t let anyone tell you not to post that. THEY make up all kinds of vile **** about our side and it is up to US to debunk it. People to this day believe it was Sarah Palin who said “I can see Russia” instead of Tina Fey. But, someone makes up something about THEM, and WE are the ones rushing out to debunk it! Bull****! Let it make the rounds and let it be her problem!
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