Stephen Colbert and the women of Late Night struggle to find the humor in Alabama's cynical abortion ban

Stephen Colbert and Amber Ruffin on Alabama abortion laws

(Image credit: Screenshots/YouTube/The Late Show, Late Night)

"Right off the bat, I just want to thank the news cycle, because it's a rare treat for a late-night comedian when the subject of your comedy is legislation restricting abortion," Stephen Colbert joked darkly on Wednesday's Late Show. "But that's the big story, so here we go!"

"Yesterday, Alabama lawmakers passed a bill banning nearly all abortions," he began. "That is either an overreach by the Alabama GOP or some pretty intense viral marketing for the new season of Handmaid's Tale. I don't get it, if a TV show has to become reality, why can't it be Star Trek so they can beam me off this planet?" The bill would jail doctors for up to 99 years, and it makes no exception for victims of rape or incest "because the whole point of this law is to establish that a fetus is a person with rights," Colbert said. "Now, that is a bold interpretation of human development, but on the plus side, apparently pregnant women get to vote twice now."

Alabama's female Republican governor signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law on Wednesday, but all 25 votes in favor in the Alabama Senate came from Republican men, Colbert said, making an off-color but on-topic joke about those men. People have lots of different views on abortion, he noted, but the backers of this bill admit it's a cynical overreach to get the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, which they openly speculate is possible now because of President Trump's two high court appointees and — as Alabama Pro-Life Coalition head Eric Johnston said — one justice's questionable health. "So he's pro-life, unless it's Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Colbert said. "Quick, Justice Ginsburg, get pregnant! It's your only chance."

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At Late Night, Amber Ruffin took a literal approach to not being able to control her own body, joined by Jenny Hagel and Ally Hord. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.