Talk It Out with Jodi Leib

March for Women's Lives, 2004

Jodi: Welcome so much to Talk It Out. Thanks for being here.

Janeane: Thank you!

Jodi: Talk It Out is an online music magazine. I interview musicians and celebrities, and actors. I'm also a performer and actor. I wrote a movie about the family planning debate. A lot of what I'm hearing is that the media is doing everything in their power to disregard Women's Rights. Can you talk about what the media can do to support us in our efforts?

Janeane: Well, they have to stop using dishonest language like "partial-birth abortions", which doesn't exist, and "Unborn Victims Act", which doesn't exist. If they were really concerned about Women's Rights, child development and Children's Rights, they would not blindly support this administration and their politicizing of science and lying about lead and mercury and environmental pollutants that are harmful to women and children. The Bush administration would stop cutting funding for social programs that help women and children. They would realize that there is no such thing as a Pro-Life, Pro-War, Pro-Gun, Pro-Death Penalty Christian. They would see that it is illegal to tamper with the Constitution, to discriminate against Gays and women. They would be more honest about the Global Gag Rule that has affected, injured and killed 80,000 women and children around the world. They would be honest about the fact we've depleted uranium in Iraq, killed women and children. So, the regard for Human Rights is the same thing as a regard for Women's Rights. And they would also understand that Reproductive Rights is a privacy issue. It's the same thing as a man doesn't have to ask permission to get a vasectomy. Doesn't have to tell the world about it; doesn't have to ask his parents; doesn't have to ask a Judge. It's also ridiculous that John Ashcroft is subpoenaing private medical records and doctors who have performed reproductive procedures and allowed Reproductive Rights to go forward. He has also asked doctors to name names like in the McCarthy era.

Jodi: Right?

Janeane: This administration has shown no regard for religion, and no regard for women and children in any of their legislation. They're just using it as a political football in an election year. It's very cynical and it's very dishonest, and mainstream media should realize that. And, they should stop just talking to people in the entertainment industry, because it gets marginalized as issues. It mocks and marginalizes issues. Mainstream media deliberately only focuses on the entertainment industry as pertains to activist issues, because they know the majority of the audience disregards it immediately. They could be talking to millions of other Americans from all walks of life who are in the Anti-War movement, in the Global Justice movement, in the Reproductive Rights movement. But they don't. And, it would be the same thing as if they only talked to Ted Nugent and Chuck Norris all the time when it came to guns and war.

Jodi: (huge Jodi laugh) Right.

Janeane: So they need to be more fair about that. They need to start being linguistically honest and stop using ridiculous language like "partial-birth abortion".

Jodi: Tell us about your radio show, real quick.

Janeane: It's on Air America Radio. You can go to AirAmericaRadio.com and screen it live or find out where it is in your city or town.

Jodi: Right on!

What an intelligent Woman! Thank you, Janeane!

Back to www.jodileib.com

Talk It Out with Jodi Leib's Janeane Garofalo Interview was taped on April 25, 2004. Talk It Out (c) Jodi Leib, 2004. Reprint by Permission at talkitout@jodileib.com.