Andrew Toth/Getty Images; Hulu
Hillary Clinton referenced the bleak future portrayed on Hulu's new drama series, "The Handmaid's Tale," to illustrate the threat to women's rights today in our real world.The former presidential candidate and Secretary of State made the comments during Planned Parenthood's 100th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"What a time it is to be holding this centennial. Just ask those who've been watching 'The Handmaid's Tale,' a book I read and was captivated by years ago," Clinton said in her address.
Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" is based on the popular 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood. Set in the near future, it finds the US taken over by an authoritarian leader and conservative values influencing the law of the land. At the same time, a widespread inability to bear children has caused those who are fertile to become forced concubines who provide offspring to powerful men and their sterile wives.
"I am not suggesting this dystopian future is around the corner, but this show has prompted important conversations about women's rights and autonomy," Clinton continued. "In 'The Handmaid's Tale,' women's rights are gradually, slowly stripped away. As one character says, 'We didn't look up from our phones until it was too late.' It is not too late for us, but we have to encourage the millions of women and men who support Planned Parenthood's mission to keep fighting."
Clinton's comments coincide with the ongoing efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare with a Republican plan that includes stricter rules for coverage of abortions and a move to partially defund Planned Parenthood.