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July 19, 2004
Television and abortion
A NYTimes article about what is says is the last taboo.
On TV, most women and girls who contemplate an abortion make up their minds, often at the last minute, that they're keeping their babies ("Beverly Hills, 90210," "Dawson's Creek," "The O.C."), even if they happen to get as far as a clinic or doctor's office ("Felicity," "Sex and the City"). It was this trend that inspired Greg Berlanti, the creator of "Everwood," to depict someone who goes through with an abortion — it was one of the stories he pitched to WB before it bought the show. The episode, broadcast in May 2003, made "Everwood" one of the few shows on network television to portray a character's decision to have an abortion since "Maude" in 1972 (abortion was legal in New York state, where "Maude" took place, before Roe v. Wade was decided in January 1973). "I just thought, `Why aren't people talking about this on TV?' — pretending like it doesn't exist until, frankly, the rights are taken away again?" Mr. Berlanti said in a recent interview. "Let's get families and young girls and boys to see what it's like to go through this. Let's put some kind of human face on this issue."
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Comments
`Why aren't people talking about this on TV?'
Oh, there are a lot of reasons. But I suspect that one of them is that, despite the ways in which pro-choice folks explain the 'procedure' away, it still uncomfortably gnaws at most people's consciences. Having TV shows that gnaw at people's consciences don't sell a lot of advertising.
Posted by: Sean Gallagher at Jul 19, 2004 8:30:07 AM
"...Let's put some kind of human face on this issue."
That's ironic.
Posted by: meggan at Jul 19, 2004 8:36:06 AM
Still The Issue Most People Want To Sidestep. The one that elicits throat-clearing, odd silences, and um's among normally lucid people. Film and teevee people are particularly reticent to address it- except for the occasional Very Special Episode or a full-length piece such as The Cider House Rules. 'Some kind of human face.....' Hardee har har. To look at it squarely is too difficult for the modern secularist to pull off.
Posted by: Gerard E. at Jul 19, 2004 8:56:40 AM
It would be nice to see HBO do an expose on the depravity of the abortion industry as they did with that evil source of all problems: Celibacy.
Posted by: Jason at Jul 19, 2004 9:10:37 AM
"Some kind of human face" -- a nice, fictional face.
And since they're being fictional, we can see whether they decide to leave out any of that nasty anguish and trauma that usually results down the road. (And, of course, no medical complications).
Nice, sanitary, forgettable -- the perfect fictional abortion.
Posted by: Mio at Jul 19, 2004 9:22:36 AM
That's two "human face" stories of abortion in as many days in the New York Times. Let's see if this is a trend, presumably initiated by a pro-abortion pressure group or PR firm.
Apart from the important spheres of faith, ethics and politics, my sense is that science is finally beginning to express the reality and intensity of pre-born human life, which many others of course have already known about. So if it comes down to science (perhaps the preeminent value system in the West, certainly above mere Christianity) vs. sentiment (as expressed in the popular media), I think pro-life values may begin to have a chance in secular society.
Posted by: George at Jul 19, 2004 9:38:15 AM
A bill has been introduced amending the Animal Protection Act of 1911 in England; it increases the fine and jail time for cruelity to animals--and even to unborn animals.
Posted by: tonymixan at Jul 19, 2004 10:40:12 AM
I saw the Everwood episode, it was infuriating-the abortion was not performed by the main character, but by Dr. Abbot, who this episode clearly points out is a Catholic--it was an outrage.
Dr. Abbots Catholicism was never mentioned in any other episode, just the "Very Special Everwood" where he performs the abortion (making clear that he has done others and will continue to do them) then walks into the confessional. Grrrrr.
Posted by: Sheila at Jul 19, 2004 11:27:22 AM
Basically, the reason is this: people love to watch babies come into this world. They find it thrilling. They don't care much for the nothing that follows an abortion. So of course the shows are almost always going to feature the mom changing her mind--unless ideology gets in the way of good storytelling.
Posted by: Charlotte Allen at Jul 19, 2004 12:51:50 PM
Just out of curiosity: does anyone recall an episode of a TV show in which a character whom the audience is not supposed to consider stupid and/or loathsome expressed the view that an unborn child has a *right* to live, whether or not the mother "chooses" to let him? I'll bet it hasn't happened since the early 60's, if then.
Posted by: Hunk Hondo at Jul 19, 2004 2:56:51 PM
Hunk,
I do recall a few such instances. In each case the non-stupid, non-loathsome character eventually came around to reason.
Posted by: Mike Petrik at Jul 19, 2004 3:15:12 PM
I thought the 6 feet under piece when Claire had an abortion was at least a step in the right direction.
The cattle call that was the clinic, the cold spiritless people performing the abortion, the women vomiting, the lack of joy, but most importantly, the vision of Claire's baby in heaven with dead Lisa.
Not perfect, but certainly did not glamorize abortion. I think they caught some flack from the pro-aborts for that episode.
Posted by: cathy at Jul 19, 2004 4:46:46 PM
Also the follow-up from this season when the "dad" was told and actually mourned Claire's "choice".
Posted by: cathy at Jul 19, 2004 4:47:40 PM
I think a teenager on "Nothing Sacred" had an abortion after being counseled by Father Ray not to. I remember thinking it was a cop-out in that the writers didn't have the nerve to have Father Ray support the abortion but didn't want to show someone actually accepting the teaching of the Church.
Posted by: sj at Jul 19, 2004 8:39:08 PM
A couple of years ago I saw an episode of Family Law (which I believe is no longer on the air), where a man and woman had gone through the in vitro process because the man was going to be treated with chemotherapy. When the man was in remission, they had a divorce. There were several frozen embryos left and the ex-husband sued for them, while the woman wanted them destroyed. While most other things in a divorce go 50-50, the judge refused, as she was pro-choice and sided with the woman ordering the destruction of the embryos, even though she stated that it was property and not a life.
The show ended when the man broke into the embryo repository and stole the embryos before they were destroyed, and had one implanted in a friend of his. Because the judge had declared them to be property and their "value" was deemed to be low, the man could only be charged with a misdemeanor.
While the episode was by no means the flagship of the pro-life stance, at least it made people think about how we value human life.
Posted by: Gerardo at Jul 19, 2004 9:39:55 PM
To Jason: Amen.
To all: The fact that more and more people, esp females, are becoming prolife, in spite of relentless pro-abortion propaganda from many corners over the past 40 or so yrs, is a testament to the truth of the cause. (Sadly, it is almost certainly not due to the scattered and ineffective prolife movement.)
FYI for anyone in the Boston area: Democrats for Life is holding a protest during the convention on Tuesday, Jul 27. Their website has more information. Also, Operation Rescue is holding prayer vigils outside John Kerry's place on Beacon Hill, more info on their website.
Take care, all -
Joanne
Posted by: Joanne at Jul 19, 2004 9:42:44 PM
