Jon Stewart had time for neither Republican politicians nor “science denying, affluent California liberals” peddling anti-vaccination myths on Tuesday night’s edition of “The Daily Show.”
The host ran a CNN report that interviewed a woman from the Bay Area who said she doesn’t believe in mandatory vaccinations because she lives in a “liberal place” with “a well educated group of people, a thoughtful group of people.”
“Mmm, this is Marin County — they’re not rednecks, they’re not ignorant,” Stewart said. “They practice a mindful stupidity.”
Stewart made an appeal to the science-denying liberals.
“Look, California, if your crazy wellness ideas only affected you, I’d be fine with that!” he continued. “Have all the fair trade organic espresso enemas you want!”
“But your choice puts other people in jeopardy — just ask a doctor,” Stewart said.
He cut to Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), an ophthalmologist, who said on Monday that he’d heard of cases of normal children who “wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” the host said with a sigh. “Perhaps we should not have asked Dr. Rand Paul, who’s ‘heard things.'”
“He’s star of the hit medical drama ‘Dr. Paul: Anecdote Man,'” Stewart said.
Watch the clip, courtesy of Comedy Central:
If shame and ridicule are the only things that will motivate some people to vaccinate, then pour it on.
Ok, so now I have to now take back what I had said earlier – thinking anti-vaxxers were the tea party / anti-government crowd. It seems that it’s a confluence of the new-age/holistic/organic crowd dove-tailing nicely with the tea party/anti-government/anti-Obama folks. So…congrats new-age liberals! I hope you come to understand the dangerous stupidity you’ve helped to unleash with your nonsense.
As much as I despise the mentality on display from the “Marin County Mom”, I don’t think shaming is a viable route to correct the problem. Nor do I agree with Amanda Marcotte’s ridiculous idea of a $5K fine – talk about helping to recruit a whole new set of anti-vaxxers.
No, I think the only real way to “nudge” them to get their kids vaccinated is to put in place minimum vaccination requirements for things like public/private schools, daycare facilities, doctor/dentist offices and the like. Make it clear that, if you want your child in public places, interacting with the public at large, they need to not endanger everyone.
There are JUST AS MANY MORONS on the left as there are on the right.
The difference is, the ones on the left can afford better education and hire “image consultants”.
Other than that, they the same, narcissistic “me, me, me” assholes as the Tea-Baggers.
A false equivalence made in hell. An enclave of stupid by a few liberals is not equivalent to the institutional stupidity of the GOP, its media, and supporters. For democrats, it’s a bug; for republicans, it’s a feature.