# I pit Rush Limbaugh for being an idiot about birth control **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593 "2012-03-02T22:29:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/341 "2012-03-06T14:31:40Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > So was Rush just ignoring inconvenient facts, or is he really that ignorant? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/342 "2012-03-06T14:58:11Z")
Rush: “when I used those **two words** to describe Sandra Fluke…” Two words? [Not exactly](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/04/1070884/-Rush-s-52-Smears-Against-Sandra-Fluke): > [@](#): > > Feb. 29, 2012: > > 1. “testifies she’s having so much sex she can’t afford her own birth control pills and she agrees that Obama should provide them, or the Pope” > 2. “they’re having so much sex they can’t afford the birth control pills!” > 3. “essentially says that she must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex.” > 4. “Sandra Fluke. So much sex going on, they can’t afford birth control pills.” > > March 1, 2012: > > 1. “You’d call 'em a slut, a prostitute” > 2. “she’s having so much sex” > 3. “are having so much sex that they’re going broke” > 4. “they want to have sex any time, as many times and as often as they want, with as many partners as they want” > 5. “the sexual habits of female law students at Georgetown” > 6. “are having so much sex that they’re going broke” > 7. “having so much sex that it’s hard to make ends meet” > 8. “four out of every ten co-eds are having so much sex that it’s hard to make ends meet” > 9. “Now, what does that make her? She wants us to buy her sex.” > 10. “to pay for these co-eds to have sex” > 11. “she and her co-ed classmates are having sex nearly three times a day for three years straight, apparently these deadbeat boyfriends or random hookups that these babes are encountering here, having sex with nearly three times a day” > 12. “Therefore we are paying her to have sex. Therefore we are paying her for having sex.” > 13. “Have you ever heard of not having sex so often?” > 14. “Ms. Fluke and the rest of you feminazis, here’s the deal: If we are going to pay for your contraceptives and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it. And I’ll tell you what it is. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch.” > 15. “we want something in return, Ms. Fluke: And that would be the videos of all this sex posted online so we can see what we are getting for our money.” > 16. “‘If we’re paying for this, it makes these women sluts, prostitutes.’ And what else could it be?” > 17. “essentially says that she must be paid to have sex. What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right?” > 18. “I’m having sex so damn much, I’m going broke.” > 19. “She’s having so much sex that she’s going broke! There’s no question about her virtue.” > 20. “having so much sex she’s going broke at Georgetown Law.” > 21. “Here’s a woman exercising no self-control. The fact that she wants to have repeated, never-ending, as often as she wants it sex – given.” > 22. “She’s having so much sex it’s amazing she can still walk, but she made it up there.” > 23. “Maybe they’re sex addicts.” > 24. “to pay for her to have sex all the time.” > 25. “she wants the rest of us to pay for her sex.” > 26. “She wants all the sex that she wants all the time paid for by the rest of us.” > 27. “Here this babe goes before Congress and wants thousands of dollars to pay for her sex.” > 28. “a woman who is happily presenting herself as an immoral, baseless, no-purpose-to-her-life woman.” > 29. “She wants all the sex in the world, whenever she wants it, all the time.” > 30. “If this woman wants to have sex ten times a day for three years, fine and dandy.” > 31. “to provide women from Georgetown Law unlimited, no-consequences sex.” > 32. “so she can have unlimited, no-consequences sex.” > 33. “You want to have all the sex you want all day long, no consequences, no responsibility for your behavior” > 34. “The woman wants unlimited, no-responsibility, no-consequences sex, and she wants it with contraceptives paid for by us.” > > March 2, 2012: > > 1. "she’s having so much sex, she can’t afford her birth control pills anymore.” > 2. “she’s having so much sex, she can’t pay for it – and we should.” > 3. “She’s having so much sex, she can’t afford it.” > 4. “this, frankly hilarious claim that she’s having so much sex (and her buddies with her) that she can’t afford it.” > 5. “And not one person says, ‘Well, did you ever think about maybe backing off the amount of sex that you have?’” > 6. “Does she have more boyfriends? Ha! They’re lined up around the block.” > 7. "It was Sandra Fluke who said that she was having so much sex, she can’t afford it.” > 8. “By her own admission, in her own words, Sandra Fluke is having so much sex that she can’t afford it.” > 9. “they’re having a lot of sex for which they need a lot of contraception.” > 10. “Her sex life is active and she’s having sex so frequently that she can’t afford all the birth control pills that she needs.” > 11. “who admits to having so much sex that she can’t afford it anymore.” > 12. “she’s having so much sex, she can’t pay for it.” > 13. “As frequently as she has sex and to not be pregnant, she’s obviously succeeding in contraception.” > 14. “Ms. Fluke, asserts her right to free contraceptive, to handle her sex life – and it’s, by her own admission, quite active.” > > UPDATE: added thanks to your comments, > 53) “Ms. Fluke, who bought your condoms in junior high? Who bought your condoms in the sixth grade, or your contraception?” I don’t think I need a Ph.D. in math to notice that that’s a bit more than just two words. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/343 "2012-03-06T15:01:20Z")
Yeah, as Colbert pointed out, Rush is sorry for use of those two words, but apparently the rest of the broadcast stands. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/344 "2012-03-06T15:14:17Z")
The first time I heard the comment about “Who bought your condoms in sixth grade” was last night on Colbert. That got gasps from the audience, and I didn’t think I could be shocked by anything Rush said any more, but I’m surprised that particular comment hasn’t gotten more attention. That’s the most awful one on the list, with the possible exception of the one about wanting to watch her sex tapes online. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/345 "2012-03-06T15:17:57Z")
You can really sense how much the ground has shifted under the feet of people like Rush and his fans. Suddenly you can’t just call women who disagree with your politics sluts and whores, this must be what they’re talking about when they say the culture has gone to hell. The women and minorities have gotten uppity. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/346 "2012-03-06T15:35:29Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > You can really sense how much the ground has shifted under the feet of people like Rush and his fans. Suddenly you can’t just call women who disagree with your politics sluts and whores, this must be what they’re talking about when they say the culture has gone to hell. The women and minorities have gotten uppity. [And he doesn’t like that](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/11/rush-limbaugh-michelle-obama-uppity-ism.html). ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/347 "2012-03-06T15:36:47Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > You can really sense how much the ground has shifted under the feet of people like Rush and his fans. Suddenly you can’t just call women who disagree with your politics sluts and whores, this must be what they’re talking about when they say the culture has gone to hell. The women and minorities have gotten uppity. …and nobody appreciates good humor any more… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/348 "2012-03-06T15:47:09Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Rush: “when I used those **two words** to describe Sandra Fluke…” > > Two words? [Not exactly](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/04/1070884/-Rush-s-52-Smears-Against-Sandra-Fluke): > > I don’t think I need a Ph.D. in math to notice that that’s a bit more than just two words. Yes, although in fairness, of that complete list, I agree with one comment… that is, of that long list, I content that at least one comment is an absolutely fair an accurate assessment of Ms. Fluke’s position. “…they want to have sex any time, as many times and as often as they want, with as many partners as they want.” True, they do. And who among us would disagree with that statement? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/349 "2012-03-06T15:50:28Z")
Well, maybe my spouse. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/350 "2012-03-06T16:09:43Z")
So now all the message boards and most of the comments and usual suspects have switched to “We’re still waiting for Bill Maher to apologize to Bristol Palin!” and “The Left NEVER apologizes!” as their defense. Could somebody explain the logic of this to me? ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/351 "2012-03-06T16:14:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > So now all the message boards and most of the comments and usual suspects have switched to “We’re still waiting for Bill Maher to apologize to Bristol Palin!” and “The Left NEVER apologizes!” as their defense. > > Could somebody explain the logic of this to me? Your mistake is in thinking that logic is involved. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/352 "2012-03-06T16:14:44Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > So now all the message boards and most of the comments and usual suspects have switched to “We’re still waiting for Bill Maher to apologize to Bristol Palin!” and “The Left NEVER apologizes!” as their defense. > > Could somebody explain the logic of this to me? What’s logic got to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/353 "2012-03-06T16:21:25Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Yes, although in fairness, of that complete list, I agree with one comment… that is, of that long list, I content that at least one comment is an absolutely fair an accurate assessment of Ms. Fluke’s position. > > “…they want to have sex any time, as many times and as often as they want, with as many partners as they want.” > > True, they do. And who among us would disagree with that statement? I would. As has been stated in this thread by multiple posters, that’s not what birth control is for. Birth control pills _can_ be used to fuck the entire football team but even that’s ill advised because it won’t protect you from STDs. Birth control pills can and are used if you’re in a monogamous relationship or even if you’re having no sex whatsoever. The amount of sex is completely unrelated to the usage of the pills. But getting back to the facts, Sandra Fluke has NEVER stated or even implied that she wants to use birth control to “have sex any time, as many times and as often as (she) want(s), with as many partners as (she) want(s).” So yes, I would disagree with your statement. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/354 "2012-03-06T16:27:19Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I would. As has been stated in this thread by multiple posters, that’s not what birth control is for. Birth control pills _can_ be used to fuck the entire football team but even that’s ill advised because it won’t protect you from STDs. > > Birth control pills can and are used if you’re in a monogamous relationship or even if you’re having no sex whatsoever. The amount of sex is completely unrelated to the usage of the pills. > > But getting back to the facts, Sandra Fluke has NEVER stated or even implied that she wants to use birth control to “have sex any time, as many times and as often as (she) want(s), with as many partners as (she) want(s).” So yes, I would disagree with your statement. But the statement is a truism. In can’t be false. If Ms. Fluke wishes to remain a virgin until she marries, and have sex only with her husband, it’s still true that she wants to have sex any time, as many times and as often as (she) want(s), with as many partners as (she) want(s). It’s just that any time is “after marriage,” and “as many partners” is “1.” My point is: that statement can’t be false. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/355 "2012-03-06T16:28:05Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > But getting back to the facts, Sandra Fluke has NEVER stated or even implied that she wants to use birth control to “have sex any time, as many times and as often as (she) want(s), with as many partners as (she) want(s).” So yes, I would disagree with your statement. But zero times or once or one partner or dozens might be “as often as she wants” and “with as many partners as she wants.” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/356 "2012-03-06T16:28:58Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Well, maybe my spouse. :mad: 🙂 True. But still – YOU want to have sex any time, as many times and as often as you want, with as many partners as you want. How can it be otherwise? You want what you want. It’s definitional. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/357 "2012-03-06T16:30:03Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > But zero times or once or one partner or dozens might be “as often as she wants” and “with as many partners as she wants.” Exactly. She can’t possibly want what she doesn’t want. Whatever she wants is exactly what that statement says she wants. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/358 "2012-03-06T16:31:44Z")
Bricker, do you think that Rush was implying with his statement that Fluke’s (ETA: or any woman who takes birth control, since Fluke didn’t discuss her sex life) desire was to be monogomous or abstain from pre-marital sex? If you strip the statement from all context, it can have that meaning. It absolutely has a context, though. It’s meaningless to say it can have that meaning when it clearly is not meant to. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/359 "2012-03-06T16:32:32Z")
I think my assessment would be that I agree with the statement, personally (Rush implies that somehow it’s a bad thing) and for all I know Sandra Fluke does too, but that it is not a fair assessment of her position _in her testimony_, since that had nothing to do with the subject of her testimony. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593/360 "2012-03-06T16:35:32Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Bricker, do you think that Rush was implying with his statement that Fluke’s desire was to be monogomous or abstain from pre-marital sex? If you strip the statement from all context, it can have that meaning. It absolutely has a context, though. It’s meaningless to say it can have that meaning when it clearly is not meant to. I agree that Rush clearly meant to tar her with promiscuity, not state a truism. He did, however, state a truism. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-rush-limbaugh-for-being-an-idiot-about-birth-control/614593.md?page=19)