Overnight, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the near-total abortion ban in Texas. The state has effectively banned abortions after six weeks (without exceptions for rape or incest). Not only that, but the state now allows any private citizen to sue someone (including doctors or anyone who even gives a patient a ride to a clinic) who assists a woman in getting an abortion. It’s scary stuff with potentially far-reaching effects as other red states might follow the same bold move, one that will disproportionally affect those women without the financial resources to head elsewhere to secure an abortion.
And of course, there’s the tendency to start pointing fingers. How did we get to the point where Texas threatens to topple Roe V. Wade with The Handmaid’s Tale comparisons flying everywhere? Well, some people are going way back to Susan Sarandon’s 2016 tantrum that ended with her leaving he DNC. The Thelma and Louise star famously looked grumpy as hell during Bernie’s speech endorsing Hillary Clinton, and then she went on BBC Newsnight to declare (of why she wouldn’t vote for Hillary), “I don’t vote with my vagina.” This, for some reason, is making people believe that the Texas developments involving uteruses is mostly Sarandon’s fault.
It’s very silly to draw that conclusion. A whole lot of factors led to Trump being elected, which allowed him to appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices that would uphold whatever the heck Texas lawmakers are thinking (which allows them to take advantage of the structural oppression already present in the state). As one user declared about the current situation, “Since y’all have decided that Susan Sarandon is the most powerful woman in politics why don’t we just make her President?”
Since y’all have decided that Susan Sarandon is the most powerful woman in politics why don’t we just make her President?
— Dr. Victoria Dooley (@DrDooleyMD) September 1, 2021
That’s kind-of what some folks are doing, as far as the Sarandon blame game goes.
Here’s who I don’t want to hear from about Roe V Wade: Progressives, Bernie Sanders, the squad, Susan Sarandon & anyone else we warned in 2016. Go to hell. All of you
— Erik The Overseer & The Uppity Voting Block (@ErikOverseer) September 1, 2021
Any time some bad faith clown like Susan Sarandon tells you that both parties are the same – show them this. https://t.co/dwwQ14WLGi
— Tim Fullerton (@TimFullerton) September 1, 2021
Thank Jill Stein, Susan Sarandon, Bernie Sanders, every third party voter, every Harambe write-in, and every non-voter in 2016 for this outcome.
WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING??? VOTING IS NOT A JOKE.
— Melanated and Vaccinated (@TaritaC) September 1, 2021
Susan Sarandon said that electing Trump would bring the revolution. Instead all we got was the end of women’s reproductive rights and an insurrection by people seeking to end democracy.
And she will never apologize.
— Melanated and Vaccinated (@TaritaC) September 1, 2021
Fuck Susan Collins. Fuck it, fuck Susan Sarandon and they’re-both-the-same non voters or let’s-try-something-different Trump voters. Fuck them all. It goes back to 2016.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) September 1, 2021
With everything going on in Texas and soon in other states, it’s a friendly reminder that Susan Sarandon can fuck all the way off.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 1, 2021
When Roe v. Wade gets overturned, always remember this from Susan Sarandon.
pic.twitter.com/DHcZFsqqK9
— gregarious (@mistergeezy) September 1, 2021
Meanwhile, others are pointing out how non-productive it is to blame Sarandon, rather than attempt to think of solutions to the problem and gear up for 2022, 2024, and beyond. Those Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, after all, and there’s much work to be done in red states by the pro-choice crowd.
imagine sitting at your keyboard blaming Susan Sarandon and Jill Stein for deep structural oppression far beyond either of their control instead of working to support reproductive justice organizations on the ground in Texas
— Evan Greer (@evan_greer) September 1, 2021
Blaming Susan Sarandon or anybody who didn’t vote the way you wanted them to in 2016 isn’t the problem. It’s the DEemocratic party not being willing to have a 50 year game plan for ANYTHING. Republicans have been playing chess with rich donors for total domination.
— ProfB (@AntheaButler) September 1, 2021
I’m glad the “Everyone who criticized Hillary Clinton is sexist and everything wrong with the world is Susan Sarandon and Jill Stein’s fault. I lack any self-awareness” Twitter is alive and well.
— Ron Placone (@RonPlacone) September 1, 2021
A list of people Democrats like to blame for decline of America instead of those in power who actually make the decisions that affect human lives:
Ralph Nader
Jill Stein
Tulsi Gabbard
Cornel West
Susan Sarandon
Ralph Nader
Susan Sarandon
Bernie Sanders
Joe Rogan
Ralph Nader— Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) September 1, 2021
can’t believe we’re still doing the Susan Sarandon’s Fault thing. every woman on here who buys into that noise simply HATES a woman with actual politics, who wasn’t cowed into just blindly supporting a corporate Dem bc she’s a woman. also bc she’s hot
— katherine krueger (@kath_krueger) September 1, 2021
One sign that you genuinely need some mental health help is if you are going into a public forum and embarrassing yourself by blaming Susan Sarandon for a Texas abortion law.
Truly — if you’ve done this, get some help. Because your behavior is a cry for help.
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) September 1, 2021
Is it the weekend yet? Because social media needs a vacation.