I make a point to introduce my daughters to a foundational R&B or dance song from the '90s every week or so, and it was Robin S.'s moment in the hopper a couple weeks ago. "Show Me Love" is just in the air these days.
As a person who has used IVF more than once to try to build my family, I have very complicated feelings about this, most of them very unfunny. (Most of them are just internal howling sounds, actually.) I appreciate you using your skills and platform to tackle this one for the team, Josh! (The team being People with Uteruses, I guess.)
Every IVF procedure will have an additional step of Embryo Baptism: All products of the IVF process, at the discretion of the patient (they might be Baptists, who ironically don’t commonly participate in this,) will be sprinkled with liquid nitrogen blessed by the hospital chaplain, who is also responsible for administration of the rite. Nitrogen will be used for its cryogenic properties, as a reminder of the preferred means of capital punishment in the State, and for the cool cloud effect.
Though I know Gallagher did it 1st, I always think of Letterman throwing a watermelon off his roof when I think of splitting a watermelon.
I had the fortune of seeing Robyn S perform the song “Show Me Love” at a club in SF when it was released. Since then, I’ve learned a session singer named Andrea Martin sang the vocals & neither Robyn S or Andrea have royalties from the song. Beyoncé also “interpolated” it for her “Break My Soul”.
I hope that cardigan delivers on its pressure filled expectations.
Well, maybe I misunderstood you (a common pitfall of being a dipshit), are you using 'human being' and 'person' as synonyms? Do you think that an embryo is not human?
I think rather than circling around things, please tell me what you believe and let’s go from there. I thought my initial writing was pretty clear! But if it wasn’t, please tell me where you’re coming from rather than drawing me out socratically.
Thanks Josh. I think I get how I misunderstood you. Here’s how these conversations typically go in my experience:
“The embryo is human”
“No it’s not, it’s just a clump of cells”
“It’s not just a clump of cells, it’s a distinct, genetically complete organism with human DNA which is going through the human lifecycle. It objectively belongs to the human species”
“Ok fine, it’s technically a human, but it’s not a person”
When I read your pep talk I thought to myself ‘he’s denying that embryos are human, but he’s using rhetoric (i.e. denying personhood) that people typically only use when they’re cornered on the human question.” But it seems to me that you believe that embryos are neither humans nor persons - if that's the case my initial reaction wouldn't apply to you.
So in terms of where I'm coming from, I think embryos are human. Sure, they aren’t fully developed humans, but neither are newborn infants, toddlers, or basically anyone under twenty five. Someone’s stage of development isn’t what makes someone human, it’s genetics.
If embryos are human, I think they should have the right to life. I think basing whether or not we give a human being rights based on things like age, size, development, capacities etc is arbitrary - and on a practical level, I think it takes us into the same murky waters that people swam in to find justifications for eugenics, chattel slavery, genocide etc. Any time we can say “this human isn’t really human” or “this human doesn’t deserve to live” is a time to be careful.
Good morning Josh, that comparison doesn't work because sperm cells are haploids i.e. they contain only half of the chromosomes which make up a human organism. They aren't going through the human life cycle and won't unless they fertilize an egg.
You might find my views fringe, but the science on when human life begins is long and well understood. Again, this is why so many make the pivot from "it's not human" to "it's not a person."
I should know better than to feed the trolls, but jeez. Are you actively organizing and fighting for a better social safety net? Medicaid expansion? Easier access to SNAP benefits? Child tax credits? Workers rights? Wealth distribution so people can afford to raise all of these embryos? Are you vegetarian? Are you anti-war? Are you outspokenly advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza? Or is it easier for you to play Theological Philosophy 101 on internet comment threads than it is to work toward a world that actually honors life and dignity?
Actually, I don't care. I know your kind and I know the answers to all of these questions for you. I would love for you to surprise me, but I don't think you will.
your pep talk for embryos is funny and meaningful!
also "In my day mines were for sweeping, not crafting" is very funny!
and "wrote a new joke that seems like it might work (the most exciting kind of joke to tell, even better than the ones that already work)" is very meaningful!
I make a point to introduce my daughters to a foundational R&B or dance song from the '90s every week or so, and it was Robin S.'s moment in the hopper a couple weeks ago. "Show Me Love" is just in the air these days.
Oh wow! I love that we are having a small-scale RobinSsance!
Methuselah’s Goatee was my band’s name in high school
Methuselah’s Goatee
3 parts Bourbon
1/4 part Sweet Vermouth
1/4 part Dry Curaçao
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Black Walnut bitters
1 teaspoon Grenadine
As a person who has used IVF more than once to try to build my family, I have very complicated feelings about this, most of them very unfunny. (Most of them are just internal howling sounds, actually.) I appreciate you using your skills and platform to tackle this one for the team, Josh! (The team being People with Uteruses, I guess.)
Every IVF procedure will have an additional step of Embryo Baptism: All products of the IVF process, at the discretion of the patient (they might be Baptists, who ironically don’t commonly participate in this,) will be sprinkled with liquid nitrogen blessed by the hospital chaplain, who is also responsible for administration of the rite. Nitrogen will be used for its cryogenic properties, as a reminder of the preferred means of capital punishment in the State, and for the cool cloud effect.
Though I know Gallagher did it 1st, I always think of Letterman throwing a watermelon off his roof when I think of splitting a watermelon.
I had the fortune of seeing Robyn S perform the song “Show Me Love” at a club in SF when it was released. Since then, I’ve learned a session singer named Andrea Martin sang the vocals & neither Robyn S or Andrea have royalties from the song. Beyoncé also “interpolated” it for her “Break My Soul”.
I hope that cardigan delivers on its pressure filled expectations.
I need to know what was in the Squash Groban.
"...and it’s also increasingly unlikely you’ll be used to create a human being."
Embryos are human beings - that's whole point of the personhood word games you were playing earlier in the paragraph.
No it isn't, dipshit.
Well, maybe I misunderstood you (a common pitfall of being a dipshit), are you using 'human being' and 'person' as synonyms? Do you think that an embryo is not human?
I think rather than circling around things, please tell me what you believe and let’s go from there. I thought my initial writing was pretty clear! But if it wasn’t, please tell me where you’re coming from rather than drawing me out socratically.
Thanks Josh. I think I get how I misunderstood you. Here’s how these conversations typically go in my experience:
“The embryo is human”
“No it’s not, it’s just a clump of cells”
“It’s not just a clump of cells, it’s a distinct, genetically complete organism with human DNA which is going through the human lifecycle. It objectively belongs to the human species”
“Ok fine, it’s technically a human, but it’s not a person”
When I read your pep talk I thought to myself ‘he’s denying that embryos are human, but he’s using rhetoric (i.e. denying personhood) that people typically only use when they’re cornered on the human question.” But it seems to me that you believe that embryos are neither humans nor persons - if that's the case my initial reaction wouldn't apply to you.
So in terms of where I'm coming from, I think embryos are human. Sure, they aren’t fully developed humans, but neither are newborn infants, toddlers, or basically anyone under twenty five. Someone’s stage of development isn’t what makes someone human, it’s genetics.
If embryos are human, I think they should have the right to life. I think basing whether or not we give a human being rights based on things like age, size, development, capacities etc is arbitrary - and on a practical level, I think it takes us into the same murky waters that people swam in to find justifications for eugenics, chattel slavery, genocide etc. Any time we can say “this human isn’t really human” or “this human doesn’t deserve to live” is a time to be careful.
If destroying an embryo is one step away from slavery then cum is basically the holocaust.
Good morning Josh, that comparison doesn't work because sperm cells are haploids i.e. they contain only half of the chromosomes which make up a human organism. They aren't going through the human life cycle and won't unless they fertilize an egg.
You might find my views fringe, but the science on when human life begins is long and well understood. Again, this is why so many make the pivot from "it's not human" to "it's not a person."
I should know better than to feed the trolls, but jeez. Are you actively organizing and fighting for a better social safety net? Medicaid expansion? Easier access to SNAP benefits? Child tax credits? Workers rights? Wealth distribution so people can afford to raise all of these embryos? Are you vegetarian? Are you anti-war? Are you outspokenly advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza? Or is it easier for you to play Theological Philosophy 101 on internet comment threads than it is to work toward a world that actually honors life and dignity?
Actually, I don't care. I know your kind and I know the answers to all of these questions for you. I would love for you to surprise me, but I don't think you will.
dear josh,
your pep talk for embryos is funny and meaningful!
also "In my day mines were for sweeping, not crafting" is very funny!
and "wrote a new joke that seems like it might work (the most exciting kind of joke to tell, even better than the ones that already work)" is very meaningful!
love and thanks for all this!
myq