America now worse than 'make believe' 'Handmaid's Tale' because of abortion, actress claims
MSNBC's Joy Reid has frequently invoked Margaret Atwood's dystopian 'The Handmaid's Tale' on her show
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The ReidOut" host Joy Reid spoke with "The Handmaid’s Tale" actress Ann Dowd on the state of the country in regard to abortion on Thursday.
Reid, who has frequently invoked the Hulu series and book to attack pro-life Republican lawmakers, discussed the recent bill proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., which seeks to restrict abortions after 15 weeks nationwide as well as Indiana’s abortion restrictions officially taking effect on Thursday.
Dowd, who plays the villainous character Aunt Lydia, slammed Graham for his proposal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s disgusting. That’s what I make of it. And honestly, watching that right now, how dare, how dare he acclaim himself a servant to the people," Dowd responded.
Woman dressed in a Handmaid's Tale costume takes part in a pro-abortion rights protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2021. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)
She later suggested that America now could possibly be worse than the dystopian society in "Handmaid’s Tale" since the show is "make believe."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As to ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ and comparing it to the world we’re in, let’s be clear about one thing. What we do is make believe. When I go home at night, I know that no woman has been forced to be pregnant because of our show and stay pregnant. What’s happening in our country is appallingly different. Because in our country, we have made a very blind and costly mistake," Dowd said.
She also condemned efforts to limit abortions, claiming that women will instead have underground abortions or have children in miserable conditions.
Protesters shout as they join thousands marching around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
"Who is going to suffer? The poor. The disenfranchised people of color. And how dare – how dare – they used the phrase pro-life. This is not pro-life. Because, if you open your eyes, and look around, think of all the children without homes, without love, without care, desperate for a chance. Having been familiar with the foster care system and the gift of my son, who is now my adopted son, and those lonely, desperate kids who have been let down – don’t you dare use the phrase pro-life. Look after those who are on this earth in need of help. And frankly, don’t dare hide behind God’s word. Because God would never put people in this circumstance," Dowd added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Regarding any "hope" for the country to get better, Dowd was optimistic but admitted some doubts.
"I think we are in a very, very bad way. Without question. We have lost our way on many levels," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Activists opposed to the confirmation of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, are dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale," at the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. Barrett's confirmation hearing begins Monday before the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee. (. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite))
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"The Handmaid’s Tale" started airing its fifth season on Hulu Thursday.
Several media pundits and liberals, including Reid, have attacked Graham’s abortion proposal as "extreme" and focused on a "made-up" term like "late-term" abortion.