Rabbit Test - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

• The rabbit test was featured in the episode of the television series M*A*S*H entitled "What’s Up, Doc". A rabbit (Fluffy) belonging to Radar O'Reilly was used to test for pregnancy in Margaret Houlihan. To assuage Radar, rather than killing the rabbit, Hawkeye Pierce performed surgery under anesthesia. When Houlihan later thanked Radar for the use of his pet, he responded that he was sure that she would have done the same for the rabbit.
• On a 1962 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show titled "What's in a Middle Name?", Laura, played by Mary Tyler Moore tells her husband that "the rabbit died."
• An independent short film titled Redemption Maddie centers on the idea of testing pregnancy with rabbits.
• In Squidbillies, the rabbit test was used to determine Rusty's paternity. However, the rabbit died when Early's acidic urine "melted" the rabbit into an ooze, rather than as a result of the test procedure.
• Billy Crystal starred in a 1978 movie Rabbit Test in which his character became pregnant.
• A collection of essays by Teresa Bloomingdale, columnist and mother of ten, bears the title I Should Have Seen It Coming When the Rabbit Died (1979). The title refers to an anecdote (1956) in which the rabbit used in her first pregnancy test died from jumping off the examination table, thereby shrugging off any responsibility for her ever-growing family.
• Aerosmith's song "Sweet Emotion" contains the lyrics:

"I pulled into town in a police car, Your daddy said I took you just a little too far, You're telling me things but your girlfriend lied, You can't catch me 'cause the rabbit done died, Yes it did"

• In "Rose Fights Back", the fourth episode of the fifth season of The Golden Girls, Dorothy asks her mother Sophia what medical emergency would require lending her more money. Sophia says that she thinks that she is pregnant, and, after a beat, Dorothy responds, "What happened, the rabbit died laughing?".
• In The Sandman's volume A Game of You, one character asks if she needs to kill a rabbit in order to know if she's pregnant or not.
• Eric Church's song "Two Pink Lines" where the lyrics state: "Yeah, these days the rabbit doesn't die You just sit around waiting on two pink lines"
• In the Showtime drama/comedy Californication, two of the main characters (Hank and Marcy) use the phrase "the rabbit done died" in separate episodes when each of them are not pleased with a positive pregnancy test.
• In "Maude's Dilemma", the ninth episode of the first season of Maude, Maude tells Vivian that she is pregnant. Vivian says, "No, they made a mistake. Laboratories make mistakes!", and Maude replies, "There's no mistake, Vivian; the rabbit died!" and, after a beat, adds

"Laughing, no doubt."

• In Mad Men, Season 4 "Hands and Knees," Roger asks Joan, "Have you had the rabbit test?"
• In House M.D., Season 5, episode 8: "Emancipation", House tells the crew pregnancy tests only takes 5 minutes and no longer kill rabbits.