Jonathan Eig » blog

On the Question of My Genius

Jon Eig — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 16:47:09 +0000

Someone asked me the other day if I planned it this way? Did I time the release of my book on the invention of the birth-control pill to coincide with the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, with the closing of clinics in Texas, and with the announcement by the pope that he would reconsider some of the Catholic Church’s positions on family planning?

The answer is yes, of course I planned it. I knew there would be controversy at the time of my book’s release just as surely as the author of a solar system book knows there will be sunrises to coincide with his publication. (“The Birth of the Pill” will be available Oct. 13, but you can pre-order now here or at your local store.)

It’s sad, I suppose. Sad that we’re still debating whether a woman has a right to control her own body. Sad that a corporation’s right to religious freedom supersedes a woman’s health needs. Sad that five Supreme Court judges let politics get in the way of common sense.

But that’s where we are today. Margaret Sanger thought the pill would lead to true equality for women. It hasn’t happened yet. Until it does, it’s a safe bet that birth control will remain controversial and books such as mine will remain all too timely.

Margaret Sanger Anticipated Hobby Lobby (Sort Of)

Jon Eig — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 03:29:49 +0000

I wrote this piece for the Ms. magazine blog. Here’s the beginning. To read the whole thing, click here.

Two decisions in the past two weeks by the Supreme Court offer sharp reminders that while Americans and even American businesses have long embraced birth control, the law has not.

Two weeks ago, the nation’s highest court struck down restrictions that had created protest-free buffer zones near abortion clinics. Soon after, the court ruled that government can not require “closely held” business to provide employees with birth control.

When Sanger, the crusading feminist, and Pincus, a biologist, got together in the early 1950s to begin development of the world’s first oral contraceptive, knowledge of the government’s opposition guided their every step. They viewed themselves as populist rebels, armed with the strong belief that Americans were ready for change even the law wasn’t. To bring about that change, they knew they would first have to outsmart the establishment, appeal to the general public and . . .

Read the rest of the piece here.

George Carlin on The Pill

Jon Eig — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:15:54 +0000

On his brilliant 1972 album, FM&AM, the comedian George Carlin predicted that it wouldn’t be long before birth-control pills were available without prescription. Customers would buy them as quickly and easily as a pack of mints.

When that happened, Carlin said, the pills would need snappier names.

“Preg-Not!,” he offered by way of example. “Doctors prefer Embry-no. Here’s one for the ladies: Narry-a-Carry. Something lofty and poetic…Nay-Family-Way. Something for the youngsters…Junior Miss. Here’s a real man’s product: Inconceivable.”

He rattled off more:

Mommy-Not

FetusFail

KiddyKill

PoppaStoppa

WombBroom

Humpty Dumpty

He went on: “They’re clever guys. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came up with a birth-control pill that didn’t work all the time. Call it BabyMaybe, available in the six-pack, the sex-pack, and the handy shack-pack for you weekenders.”

You can hear it here: