Did The Daily Show go too far on Monday with a joke it made about abortion?
The controversial ball got rolling yesterday morning after the Supreme Court struck down a restrictive Texas abortion access law.
It “required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and forced clinics to meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery.”
The highest court in the land ruled against this legislation by a 5-3 vote.
Those in the pro-choice movement hailed the landmark ruling, with President Barack Obama celebrating the decision via the following Tweet:
“Every woman has a constitutional right to make her own reproductive choices.
“I’m pleased to see the Supreme Court reaffirm that fact today. Women’s opportunities are expanded and our nation is stronger when all of our citizens have accessible, affordable health care.”
In 1973, of course, Roe v. Wade legalized the practice of abortion across the country.
But some states have tried to make it very challenging for women to actually get abortions, keeping then legal, just making them… difficult to complete.
After this legal decision was announced yesterday, The Daily Show tweeted:
“Celebrate the #SCOTUS ruling! Go knock someone up in Texas!”
Yikes. It’s not hard to see how this message may have rubbed some the wrong way.
Numerous social media users quickly slammed the satirical news show for its Tweet, with many users dubbed “disgusting,” insisting it went “too far.”
“This tweet is so vile,” Fox News host Meghan McCain wrote, while WWJ Newsradio 950 anchor Jackie Paige added:
“Get a conscience.”
Washington Post opinion writer Alyssa Rosenberg questions whether Trevor Noah himself was to blame for this controversial, writing:
“I sometimes think that the Daily Show just should have ended with Jon Stewart’s departure.”
Do you agree? And do you think this Tweet went too far?
NOTE: The Daily Show later posted a clarification on Twitter, writing:
“Friends, we’re certainly not promoting abortions. Just excited about #SCOTUS reaffirming right to choose.”