In a segment that would undoubtedly get them fired if they were men, the cackling coven of ABC’s The View spent part of their Friday conjuring session fantasizing about drugging men with “a male contraceptive pill” that has “impressive results in lab mice” and has the side effect of infertility. Of course, they went with the criminal route of suggesting women should crush the pills and put them in food if their partners wouldn’t take it willingly.
For co-host Sara Haines (who has three kids), it was all about giving men an ultimatum: “Offer them the snip versus the pill.” “Why would men take it if they can get the women to take it,” rotational co-host Ana Navarro proclaimed.
“As long as we start taking it off their plate and we continue assuming the responsibility and we're not teaching our little boys and young sons that they have equal responsibility,” Navarro decried. “Listen, as long as they can get away with not doing anything, they will. They don't even want to wear condoms for God's sakes.”
Then came the discussion about the side effects and co-host Sunny Hostin finally disclosed that infertility was one of them, much to the glee of Haines and co-host Joy Behar:
HOSTIN: So, those are the traditional ones. That's because it affects testosterone. This one targets a protein, but it makes men temporarily infertile.
HAINES: Intertitle’s fine! That's what you want.
BEHAR: That's what you want.
After noting some people might fear infertility wasn’t temporary (or perhaps would have other side effects), Hostin announced that she thought about giving the pill to her son but decided she wanted to be grandma:
I have to tell you when I first read this, I was, like, ‘I am signing Gabriel up.’ I was, like, ‘this is perfect. I'm too young to be a grandma right now.’
(…)
But then I saw the infertility, and I was, like, ‘I want grandbabies. No thank you.’ I mean I immediately thought, ‘I don't want it.’
Talk about selfish and creepy.
After Hostin conducted an “anecdotal poll of the men in the audience” (none of whom would take the pill) and Navarro mocked “how paranoid men are about the family jewels,” Behar chimed in again to suggest women should secretly drug men who don’t want to take, it like a dog:
BEHAR: You know, Ana. How about this idea: you smash the pill up and put it in their food like you do with a dog.
HOSTIN: Yes. Yes.
NAVARRO: Dogs. They sell those pill pockets.
And to further make this sound like something Bill Cosby or Harvey Weinstein would cook up, Behar capped off the segment by adding that the men “won't even know they're taking it and you just have a good time and you don't have to worry about anything.”
This disturbing segment promoting illegal activity was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Macy’s and Olay. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
ABC’s The View
March 25, 2022
11:25:10 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: So in the category of ‘yeah, this might happen,’ here's the question: could men actually start taking responsibility for birth control? Huh?
SUNNY HOSTIN: The women are all laughing.
SARA HAINES: When they start taking control of birth in general, then yeah.
BEHAR: Well, scientists have announced that they've developed a male contraceptive pill that has been showing impressive results in lab mice. Now, men probably won't take it, but maybe it will keep the rodent population down. So that's a win right there, certainly in New York City!
HAINES: I think a man will take it if you offer them the snip versus the pill. I think men – Vasectomies are not appealing to men.
BEHAR: I wonder why.
ANA NAVARRO: Why would men take it if they can get the women to take it?
HOSTIN: That's the issue.
NAVARRO: As long as we start taking it off their plate and we continue assuming the responsibility and we're not teaching our little boys and young sons that they have equal responsibility. Listen, as long as they can get away with not doing anything, they will. They don't even want to wear condoms for God's sakes.
BEHAR: This is better than that though. This is just a pill.
HOSTIN: Well, there are side effects.
BEHAR: Oh, there are? There's always a side effect.
HOSTIN: So, traditional methods of male birth control pills that have been tried have -- the side effects have been weight gain, depression, and mood swings.
HAINES: Welcome to PMS.
HOSTIN: Welcome to it, right?
BEHAR: And menopause.
HOSTIN: So, those are the traditional ones. That's because it affects testosterone. This one targets a protein, but it makes men temporarily infertile.
HAINES: Intertitle’s fine! That's what you want.
BEHAR: That's what you want.
HOSTIN: They're not going to want that. They're not going to want that.
BEHAR: Infertile is not impotent. Infertile means you can't have a child. Impotent means you know what.
HOSTIN: They're not going to want it. I think they're going to be nervous—
NAVARRO: That it’s not temporary.
HOSTIN: -- that it's not temporary. I have to tell you when I first read this, I was, like, ‘I am signing Gabriel [her son] up.’ I was, like, ‘this is perfect. I'm too young to be a grandma right now.’
HAINES: But men aren’t craving the baby part. They’re craving the sex.
BEHAR (to Hostin): And no you’re not.
HOSTIN: I am. I’m too young. But then I saw the infertility, and I was, like, ‘I want grandbabies. No thank you.’ I mean I immediately thought, ‘I don't want it.’
[Crosstalk]
NAVARRO: You know how paranoid men are about the family jewels. The idea that it could affect fertility, virility, how it looks, how it smells. They're not going to allow it.
HOSTIN: They're not going to do it.
BEHAR: They're making upside effects.
HAINES: Is there a smell side effect?
BEHAR: No, you’re making up side effects.
HAINES: I don't get that close.
NAVARRO: Honey, you've got three kids.
HAINES: Those aren’t made up here.
HOSTIN: I would like an anecdotal poll of the men in the audience. How many of you would be interested in taking this? Ha! Ha! No one.
NAVARRO: Brian?
HAINES: Give them the option of this: we will give you a vasectomy or we give you a pill.
NAVARRO: Brian. Brian. Brian, we're looking at this.
BRIAN TETA (producer): I do what I'm told, I don't know.
HOSTIN: See? No one. There you go.
HAINES: I disagree on this though because the options for them are a condom which changes the experience, a vasectomy which makes them feel completely emasculated, or a pill that might make them moody.
BEHAR: You know, Ana. How about this idea: you smash the pill up and put it in their food like you do with a dog.
HOSTIN: Yes. Yes.
NAVARRO: Dogs. They sell those pill pockets.
BEHAR: They won't even know they're taking it and you just have a good time and you don't have to worry about anything. We'll be right back.
