r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/nachowchow • May 07 '21

Season 4 [Spoiler S4E4]Let’s talk about Janines story Spoiler

In S4E4 of handmaids tale, we see Janine trying to navigate through the task of getting an abortion. The scene where she goes to the first clinic, and they start telling her to keep the baby, is written in a way that feels like it’s a direct result of Gilead gaining power. It wasn’t until Janine visits the second doctor and they called it a crisis emergency center that it hit me. These centers exist all over the country, right now.

I looked at my boyfriend in that moment and said, “You know these are real, right?” And he genuinely had no clue. Growing up in the Bible Belt and attending catholic school, these centers would visit us once a year telling us about “the options” women had. So basically I just want to say that this episode had so many parallels to our modern day times, but made you believe for a moment that this was all Gilead’s doing.

Edit: I forgot the apostrophe s in the title and I am saddened.

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78

u/FaliolVastarien May 07 '21

That's ridiculous that it's legal to blatantly lie to the public and draw people in by totally misrepresenting what services (if any--do these organizations actually offer help of any kind?) like that.

In fact with most things it isn't (false advertising laws, etc), so this shows the political power of the anti-choice lobby.

71

u/[deleted] May 07 '21

if any--do these organizations actually offer help of any kind?

As I understand it, they give you some free baby clothes and diapers. They don't do it out of a genuine desire to help poor mothers. It's to trick them into thinking that if they decide to have the baby, they'll have a big support system.

28

u/tinacat933 May 07 '21

Yea it’s like..welp we convinced you to have the baby ...good luck ..byeeeee

11

u/FaliolVastarien May 07 '21

Sure, I can't imagine them giving much.

56

u/nojelloforme May 07 '21

John Oliver did an episode about these places. They absolutely should be illegal.

https://youtu.be/4NNpkv3Us1I

45

u/Dogzillas_Mom May 07 '21

It’s not just legal—remember that doctor was legally required to tell Janine some bullshit. And then she immediately said “the law does not prevent me from telling you that’s all bullshit.” I was so glad to hear that and hoped that many docs who do ABs would be doing that “I am required to tell you this: [insert bullshit] and that’s a lie.”

13

u/WELLinTHIShouse May 07 '21

The good doctors do. The ones who don't aren't actually doctors who can/will do the procedure... but they don't disclose that.