For everyone who watched Sunday's series finale of Game of Thrones, perhaps a better show to get a handle on what's happening inside America is Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale.

People aren't going around greeting their neighbors with "Blessed by the fruit." But there's an argument to be made that news headlines from the past week are eerily similar to the fictional transpirings that gave way to Handmaid's Republic of Gilead.

Today, we consider Alabama's new ultra-conservative abortion law, President Trump's desire for barriers along the Mexico border to be painted black with spikes, and the ousting of administration officials opposed to a White House plan to conduct mass raids of migrants in 10 major U.S. cities, among other recent events.

Is comparing them to Handmaid's make-believe dangerously unhinged? Or is it right to be concerned that we may be heading down a potentially Margaret Atwoodian path?

We'll take your calls. 

For everyone who watched Sunday's series finale of Game of Thrones, perhaps a better show to get a handle on what's happening inside America is Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale.
People aren't going around greeting their neighbors with "Blessed by the fruit." But there's an argument to be made that news headlines from the past week are eerily similar to the fictional transpirings that gave way to Handmaid's Republic of Gilead.
Today, we consider Alabama's new <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hundreds-protest-alabama-abortion-ban-my-body-my-choice-n1007561">ultra-conservative abortion law</a>, President Trump's desire for barriers along the Mexico border to be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/trump-wants-his-border-barrier-to-be-painted-black-with-spikes-he-has-other-ideas-too/2019/05/16/b088c07e-7676-11e9-b3f5-5673edf2d127_story.html?utm_term=.60b91660fc22">painted black with spikes</a>,&nbsp;and the ousting of administration officials opposed to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/before-trumps-purge-at-dhs-top-officials-challenged-plan-for-mass-family-arrests/2019/05/13/d7cb91ce-75af-11e9-bd25-c989555e7766_story.html?utm_term=.7b6550c3a745">White House plan to conduct mass raids of migrants</a> in 10 major U.S. cities, among other recent events.
Is comparing them to Handmaid's make-believe dangerously unhinged? Or is it right to be concerned that we may be heading down a potentially Margaret Atwoodian path?
We'll take your calls.&nbsp;

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

Advertisement