Comic Relief: The Best of Health Reform Parody
With all the Serious and Important Coverage of the Supreme Court's hearings on the Affordable Care Act, it might be a good time for some comic relief in the form of health reform parodies and satire.
Are they funny? Depends on your political orientation.
I've tried to avoid the most offensive parodies (believe me, they are legion). I have included examples of parodies from both supporters and critics of health reform. If you're offended, amused, or just want to add your own suggestions for parodies, please share in the comments below.
Let's start out with a "story" on the Supreme Court hearings from the Onion:
As the Supreme Court hears oral arguments today on President Obama's health care reform law, plaintiffs aiming to strike down the legislation are citing the U.S. Constitution's Kids-With-Pre-Existing-Conditions-Can-Go-F$#k-Themselves clause, which decrees that children who suffer from debilitating illnesses prior to acquiring health insurance "should just go straight to hell."
And this earlier Onion "story" - "Mitt Romney Haunted By Past Of Trying To Help Uninsured Sick People," also made me laugh out loud:
Romney, who signed the state's 2006 health care reform act, has said he "deeply regrets" giving people in poor physical and mental health the opportunity to seek medical attention, admitting that helping very sick people get better remains a dark cloud hovering over his political career, and his biggest obstacle to becoming president of the United States of America.
Moving over to YouTube, we find a few gems.
This retro "Health Rations and You" video, produced by the conservative Sam Adams Alliance, envisions a bleak future under health reform. Nice production values!
Having read more about accountable care organizations than I care to recall, this Xtranormal satire of a health care executive in search of an ACO hits the mark:
Stephen Colbert takes on lobbyists' impact on the Affordable Care Act in this edition of The Word, a popular feature on his show:
Finally, I'm particularly fond of this catchy little tune, "Grandma's Light Got Put Out by Obama," which satirizes the death panel rhetoric of 2010:
Image credits: Bluntcard.com (top left), NotionsCapital.com (right)