In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Michael J. Fox: 1, B-List Godbag Celebrities: 0

Jill

The Republicans are bringing out the big guns to respond to Michael J. Fox’s incredibly moving ad promoting candidates who support stem cell research: James “Movie Jesus” Caviezel, Patricia “Feminist For Life” Heaton, and a couple of Missouri football players.

Let’s get this straight: Because there won’t be cures for 15 years, stem cell research is useless. Because fertility clinics can pay women for eggs (which they already do), stem cell research is bad. Because proponents of stem cell research spend a lot of money on ads, it’s a lie. Because Movie Jesus tells you in a foreboding tone that “You know now. Don’t do it,” you shouldn’t.

Strong arguments you’re presenting there, guys. Maybe next time you should just invite Rush over to give his two cents, and perhaps hear a little bit from Dr. O’Reilly.

(Anyone here speak Aramaic? What the hell is James Caviezel saying at the beginning of the video?)

23 thoughts on Michael J. Fox: 1, B-List Godbag Celebrities: 0

  2. Are they purposefully making this ad look cheap and slapped together? The sound is awful!

    That aside, what a bunch of crap. I especially like the “no cures for 15 years!” bit. Do people honestly think that research is like a vending machine? You put money in and a cure pops out?

  3. Are they purposefully making this ad look cheap and slapped together? The sound is awful!

    Not sure — this is actually the best version I could find, so I promise it’s not me who’s trying to make them look bad.

    Perhaps they did such a low-budget ad to boost their claims that supporters of stem cell research are spending too much money in advertising?

  5. (Anyone here speak Aramaic? What the hell is James Caviezel saying at the beginning of the video?)

    According to Dave Weigel, Caviezel says ‘you betray me with a kiss’.

  6. Clarification: It’s a football player (Kurt Warner) and a baseball player (Jeff Suppan).

    Seeing this play out in my home state, my impression is that this ad was slapped together quickly to respond to the MJ Fox ad (which has played very well here). It just happens to feature two sports stars that 1) won a Super Bowl here, and 2) will win a World Series here. Warner doesn’t play here anymore (he’s in Arizona), but he’s still quite popular.

  7. This reminds me of those Doonesbury strips during Reagan’s first campaign, where he airs commercials in which he’s endorsed by God.

  8. According to Dave Weigel, Caviezel says ‘you betray me with a kiss’.

    Actually… my Aramaic’s a little shaky, but it sounds more like he’s saying “to the son of man with a kiss.” Which I guess would be talking about Jesus as the “son of man,” but beyond that means approximately… nothing? It’s definitely not even a complete sentence.

  9. So they’re saying that cures for major diseases are only 15 years away. In our lifetime. A blink of time when compared to how long these diseases have ravaged humanity. And that’s a BAD thing? The only thing bad about that is that they’re trying to put it off by another 15 years!

    Also, they already pay women for eggs. Don’t they do it for in vitro clinics? Where are the ads speaking out against women trying to conceive? Hmm?? I’m waiting, Jimmy Jesus.

  11. So any possible cures are at least 15 years away. Hmmm..we’ll never get there if we don’t start trying.

    I can imagine these folks back in 1961….”It could take to the end of the decade to send a man to the moon! Let’s not even bother!”

  12. Patricia Heaton has been carrying water for right-wing causes in Hollywood for a long time, and has been very active with Feminists for Life. Kurt Warner is riding the bench. And Caviezel is, IMHO, a real looker. But as for convincing — please. And believe me, the Stem Cell Initiative is making great progress here in California. No one is suggsting miracles — just long-term possiblities for progress.

  13. What is it that these folks don’t understand the most basic principles biology, R&D, or economics? I mean, I can forgive Limbaugh for his original comments on the issue (although I still think they were asinine and incompetent), but he still hasn’t apologized, and now the right is pushing this tripe. That people will probably believe. Gah.

  15. Is there anyone more qualified to speak out on fertility and science issues than professional sportsmen and actors? The actors at least know how to memorize someone else’s script convincingly but Caviezel especially seems really creepy, like he’s under the effects of some mind-control device or something.

  16. Dear James Caviezel:

    You only played Jesus in a movie. You are not actually the Son of God, and your words are not divine pronouncements.

  17. Why are these jerks trying to get in the way of the free market? If a woman wants to sell her eggs, she should be allowed to. 😉

    And at the risk of sounding crass, I’m not really sure that the five-six women who have died from complications of donating eggs to fertility critics can really be compared to the thousands of people who die every year from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

  18. Wow. 5 scraping the bottom of the Z-list, able bodied healthy celebrities telling me they don’t give a fuck about medical research because they can afford really good doctors is going to affect my vote.

    I haven’t been this moved since the President’s wife from “Independence Day” (Margaret Colin) explained that her life really had been touched because a friend of hers, who isn’t her, had died of some severe disease, and she still wouldn’t harm a nonexistant hair on the nonexistant head of a little clump of discarded cells to save him.

  19. I haven’t been this moved since the President’s wife from “Independence Day” (Margaret Colin) explained that her life really had been touched because a friend of hers, who isn’t her, had died of some severe disease, and she still wouldn’t harm a nonexistant hair on the nonexistant head of a little clump of discarded cells to save him.

    Margaret Colin played Jeff Goldblum’s estranged wife and was a top aide to President Bill Pullman. Mary McDonnell played the president’s wife (the one who died). I’m pretty sure McDonnell wouldn’t speak up in public re: stem cell research, particularly not against it. Everything I’ve heard about her suggests she’s very liberal. It’s only the character she plays on TV who forces women who want to stay pregnant to abort and women who want to abort to stay pregnant. And throws people out of airlocks, and orders assassinations, and steals babies and elections. But, to be fair, also stands up to a military coup, and helps organise a resistance, and other cool stuff. Which doesn’t actually make up for the other shit, but makes her multifaceted. Laura Roslin is totally kickass, but I wouldn’t turn my back on her.

    Sorry, where was I? Just, you know, Friday, so BSG is on my mind. Anyway Mary McDonnell is apparently pretty darn liberal in real life. Don’t know anything about Margaret Colin’s politics, or didn’t until just now. Ya know, maybe whoever interviewed her about that touching story where her friend died of a disease that might be cured by stem-cell research and she STILL thought the snowflake embryos must be protected, maybe that reporter should track down the immediate family of her dead friend and ask what THEY think on hte subject.

  20. I can’t even articulate comments on those idiots, but I noticed something about the MJFox ad – he says Missour-ee the first time, and Missour-ah the second. Nice way of catching both sides of the state! Whoever wrote it was quite smart about that. (yeah, people in the state actually feel strongly about the pronunciation both ways)

  21. I prefer “misour-ee” myself, then again, I’m the odd one in my family. I really can’t believe the lows that these people will go to. On shitty video no less. A YouTuber could have made a better video than that.

  22. Those of us in Cardinal Nation couldn’t help noticing that the Cardinals beat the Tigers in Jeff Suppan’s last game—the one during which this ad premiered, I believe—but Suppan was ineffective and didn’t get the win. Obviously, God is a Redbirds fan who supports stem-cell research.

    By the way, a sign in the stands after Jeff’s MVP performance in the playoffs said “CLONE SUPPAN.” Heh.

  23. and meanwhile Rush, class act that he is, weighs in with the pronouncement that Michael J Fox is faking it, or deliberately didn’t take his meds to as to milk maximum sympathy, or something.

    What the hell is wrong with some people? I mean, seriously. Finally? What?

Comments are currently closed.