Producers and stars of the CBS/Warner Bros. TV sitcom “Mom” have decided to make a $250,000 donation to Planned Parenthood rather than mount an Emmy campaign this year.
“Mom” star Allison Janney and series co-creator/exec producer Chuck Lorre on Thursday launched the effort to raise awareness of the threat to Planned Parenthood funding as the Republican-backed American Health Care Act makes its way through Congress. Janney and Lorre are expected to appear on “CBS This Morning” to encourage fans to donate to the non-profit family planning and health care org through a special link established as part of the “Mom” campaign.
“In Los Angeles County alone, we answer approximately 2,000 calls each day from people asking us for help,” said Sue Dunlap, president-CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. “Across the country, millions of women and men are relying on Planned Parenthood health centers for their basic care — like birth control, life-saving cancer-screenings, and STD testing and treatment. We are committed to being here for them, no matter what. Generous support from our community fuels this work, and we are honored that the team behind “Mom” is launching this campaign at this critical time.”
Support for Planned Parenthood has become a rallying cry for activists and others who are organizing to fight aspects of the Trump administration’s political agenda. Planned Parenthood’s role as a provider of birth control and abortions has made the org a target of anti-abortion activists and some conservative lawmakers. The health care bill designed to repeal Obamacare would also bar access to Planned Parenthood services by anyone receiving Medicaid, a crippling blow to those in need of low-cost birth control options and women’s health services.
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“Mom” stars Janney and Anna Faris as a mother and daughter who are both recovering from alcohol and drug abuse and other challenges. The show is known for its bold mix of comedy and drama in tackling real-life issues faced by people from all walks of life. Janney won back-to-back supporting comedy actress Emmys for her work on the show in 2014 and 2015. “Mom” was renewed in March for a fifth season.
Janney has long been an active supporter of Planned Parenthood. Lorre, one of TV’s most successful producers, has a record of supporting public health organizations including the Venice Family Clinic, where he established the Robert Levine Family Health Center in his father’s name. Faris is a champion of the Global Alliance to Prevent Premature and Stillbirth (GAPPS), a org devoted to preventing premature births and stillbirth.
Planned Parenthood serves some 2.5 million people a year, more than half of them in rural communities and areas underserved by affordable health care facilities.
The “Mom” team’s move to forgo traditional kudos campaigning in favor of social activism recalls the decision in February by UTA to table its Oscar-night party in order to make a $250,000 donation split between the ACLU and the refugee-oriented International Rescue Committee.
