On Wednesday, Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's The Daily Show ridiculed Hobby Lobby's objection to the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to violate their religious beliefs by covering contraceptives in their employees health plans by caricaturing them as sexist religious zealots with little regard for science or reason.
In a segment titled "Jesus Christ Superstore," Jon Stewart began as follows:
As you know, America's recently implemented a brand new health care law designed by our President to kill old people and allow Russia to invade Crimea. Now, some Americans are willing to fight this law to the Supreme Court, while they don't cite communism and eldericide as the reason for their objections, we can read between the lines...
After some brief quips about the ridiculousness of a Supreme Court case being called "Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius," Stewart played an Al Jazeera America news clip describing Hobby Lobby as a "family-run business it's owners say is based on biblical principals." The clip cut and Stewart narrowed his eyes in bewilderment, saying:
I'm rusty on the New Testament. Where in the Bible does it mention craft stores? I'm familiar with Jesus, not so much with this Jesus.
The audience howled uproariously as classical painting of Jesus Christ superimposed over Stewart's shoulder with knitting needles and yarn in the palms of hands, mimicking the crucifixion.
In regards to Hobby Lobby's hope that the Supreme Court gives their company the same religious freedom as a church or individual, Stewart stated:
Sure, of course Hobby Lobby wants that. They are a pious corporation. There would never be a case emanating from that other craft store Michaels. For God sake, that place is a Godless f*ck*ng palace with yarn.
Stewart then shifted his aim onto Hobby Lobby's lawyer Paul Clement who argued against Justice Sotomayor's objections that siding with Hobby Lobby might allow future employers to reject vaccinations on religious beliefs by saying the government "would have a compelling interest in imposing that burden, but there's no compelling interest here in this particular case." Stewart stated:
Sure there's no compelling interest to Hobby Lobby's lawyer Paul Clement, he has a penis. Babies rarely grow inside of those except for that one terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
Stewart finished by mocking Hobby Lobby's claims that some of the contraceptives they'll have to cover could be used as agents for abortion. He stated:
Let me get this straight, corporations are not just people, they are ill-informed people whose factually incorrect beliefs must be upheld because they sincerely believe them anyway. I guess that's why at Hobby Lobby they feed their 16,000 employees with five loaves and two fish.
