Life

This Video Perfectly Defends Planned Parenthood

by Eliza Castile

Once again, Funny or Die has swooped in and perfectly captured all our feelings in sketch comedy form. The comedy group's latest video, "The Shocking Truth About Planned Parenthood," took on the latest Planned Parenthood scandal, which was caused by an anti-abortion group claiming that it had recorded footage of the organization selling fetus body parts. It's a heavy topic, no matter how comically preposterous the accusations may be — but as usual, Funny or Die perfectly balances sarcasm with sarcasm. And also a little more sarcasm.

Shot in the form of a somber, dramatic PSA, complete with a warning that the video "may be disturbing to some viewers," the sketch opens with the typical reminder that your tax dollars are being used to support this place that does unspeakable things — things like (gasp!) providing women with accurate information about sex, contraception, STIs, pregnancy, and childbirth. The horror! The horror!

"I was pregnant when I first went to Planned Parenthood, and they led me down a narrow hallway into a little room filled with medical instruments," one "victim" describes, pausing dramatically every few words. And then, the shocking truth about what actually happened in that little room: "They... gave me great advice for prenatal care."

Wait — you mean Planned Parenthood actually helps women have babies? Healthy ones? Well... huh. Who knew, right? (Answer: Everyone except the people who decided they were going to stick their fingers in their ears and yell "LALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU" every time someone brought up the many, many services Planned Parenthood provides beyond abortions.)

The sketch continues as other women relate their horrific stories of the... welcoming environment? Willingness to answer questions? Quality healthcare? Well. That's... certainly not the nightmare anti-choice activists would have us think goes on at Planned Parenthood, is it?

"Planned Parenthood is relentless... in screening for breast and cervical cancer," declares one comedian. According to another, the organization made her feel comfortable asking "anything, and I mean anything." She then stares unseeingly into the camera like a trauma victim:

Worst of all, the aforementioned government money — and again, these are your tax dollars!!!! — have been going to... contraceptives and family planning. Shocking, amiright?

This is all totally true, by the way; according to the Washington Post, government money has been banned from being used to fund Planned Parenthood abortions since 1976. In fact, all the "horrors" discussed in the video are true: The fact that 97 percent of services provided by Planned Parenthood are unrelated to abortions, the fact that the organization also provides services for men's healthcare, and even the fact that they assist in embryonic stem cell research.

The hysterical tone of the video serves to highlight exactly how ridiculous the vitriol directed at Planned Parenthood can be, but it's also just plain funny. Check it out for yourself below:

Images: Funny or Die/YouTube (2)