Comments on: Abortion, Shmashmortion … What You Won’t See on Screen

By: Ilana

Ilana — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:00:51 +0000

This is a really interesting and disturbing issue, and one which crossed my mind when I saw the film Knocked Up last summer (obviously if she had an abortion there would have been no movie, but it was never even really brought up as a legitimate option). As I try to think of films/TV shows that do depict abortion (either as a choice characters are considering or going through) not many come to mind. I agree with Laureli that having children and family life are closely associated with national pride. I wonder how much, if at all, abortion depictions in film have declined during the Bush years/post 9-11. A really interesting book out now by Susan Faludi (called Terrorist Dreams) explores how 9-11 has impacted women in general and heightened media portrayal of traditional family values and gender roles. This throwback to the 1950s, combined with the scary anti-abortion legislation and the dismissal of abortion in film/media, is definitely a concern.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:54:55 +0000

This is just plain silly. We are all grown ups, and if we can see sex, gratuitous violence, and drugs on screen why should this be any different. Since when did filmakers care about offending people. Maybe film makers should get educated (you can start here with this clip about a recent study on the abortion pill)

By: Maggie

Maggie — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:10:02 +0000

There was a great Mike Leigh movie out in 2004 called Vera Drake about a female abortion provider in the 1950s, but again, it took place in the past. I can also think of a few episodes of House that involved abortion, but in at least one of these episodes a woman was glorified for refusing an abortion that would save her life, and in another espisode abortion was only advised because the woman had been raped – not exactly pro-choice messages.

By: C.K. Kelly Martin

C.K. Kelly Martin — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:50:46 +0000

I was reading an article about Canadian teen show Degrassi recently and it mentioned that an episode dealing with abortion was never aired on The N (the network carrying the show in the States).

In an N interview about Degrassi’s most shocking moments Shelley Scarrow (one of the writer’s) said, “We had to skip over the abortion. What I find sort of upsetting about it is we have a school shooting, we have all the violence you want, we have all kinds of sexual issues on Degrassi, but you can’t even talk about the A word.”

I find that terribly sad. I also worry about what that will mean for a YA book I have due out which does touch on abortion.

The media is selling so many women and girls short by ignoring the subject. Jess’ lost example is a prime example and yet, watching it, I wasn’t in the least surprised they avoided the issue. To see it confronted so much rarer.

By: Margie

Margie — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:49:47 +0000

It is about time that the rose colored glasses fell off. Marriage and children are not these happy times. Most marriages take a lot of work, and children make the work and the marriage more challenging.

Take “Knocked Up’ for example, it was a one night stand and now she is pregnant. I have not seen the movie. If in fact they do get married, chances are very high that it fails.

The U.S. views marriage and children (especially babies) far too romantically. Babies are hard work. One gets very little sleep.

I think our divorce rates are so high because of our rose colored view. I think many couples marry for “love” which is often times infatuation or romantic love, if you will.

By: laureli

laureli — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:49:05 +0000

In 1988 a French film called Une Affair de Femmes, and dealt with the topic of back alley abortions that occurred during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Based on the true story of Marie-Louise Giraud the film presents contrasts the evils of the Nazis occupation and that of abortion, embodied by Giraud. She is portrayed in the film as morally ambiguous: flirting with young handsom Nazis, accepting gifts from dubious sources, and not treating her own son very well. She provides an invaluable and wanted service for the women of her community (albeit with unrevealed methods) yet the film remains withdrawn to the point that her eventual downfall does not elicit the tragic sentiment associated with the death of a heroine.

Perhaps abortions are kept out of stories because it is so hard to represent them without commenting. And abortion right now is such a polarizing question, that pregnancy and carrying the baby to term is almost the required choice. Having children has always been seen as a nationalist and patriotic action for women. In these polarized times, when national pride is a few notches higher than the national security alert level, carrying children to term in media and films validates the illusion that the United States is a happy, healthy country. And that is a role that abortions really can’t fill.

By: Jess

Jess — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:48:09 +0000

This is an issue that really rubs me up the wrong way. Most recently, in the latest (US) season of Lost (SPOILER!) the option of abortion never comes up, even though the alternative is death (or, I suppose, being rescued). It’s never even mentioned. Frankly, that’s ridiculous and offensive. Despite the justification of avoiding a hot-button issue, the reality is that this equates to erasing the stories of women who do have abortions, and for whom abortion is a real option, from the screen, casting a pall of silence over the subject.