Abortion on screen

[dipenates]

Feminists for Choice has a fantastic series running at the moment, which is exploring the representation (and lack thereof) of abortion in television and film.

Yesterday's edition looked at Julia's unwanted pregnancy in season two of Party of Five, so I watched the episode on YouTube. I was never a huge fan of the show, but I dimly recalled

Comments

[shutterbug_12]

This is a (depressing but) good post. If I hadn't spent all day writing about this very issue (sort of; I wrote letters blasting our opposition for his very conservative anti-choice position), I'd have more to say. But I certainly don't think that enough attention has been paid to this topic/theme in television (or anywhere, really).

[dipenates]

Thanks, and I agree.

Looking at your lovely Mary-Louise icon has reminded me that West Wing was pretty solid on choice, even if no characters actually had an abortion. (Except maybe Louise Thornton. I was never very clear on what we were supposed to make of that episode.)

[shutterbug_12]

Evelyn Baker Lang, the Chief Justice (nominee) in S5 had an abortion (in her 2nd year of law school, she said). Hers is the only character I could think of that was explicitly mentioned.

And I agree. I thought the show was pretty solid in that respect. There was some good, realistic, reasonable talk about it.

[dipenates]

Yes, indeed. Sorry, I should have been clearer that I meant main characters.

EBL's abortion was interesting, though, in terms of the conversations that it provoked. It made me both pleased with President Bartlet, for his stance on choice, and a little bit annoyed with President Bartlet for not seeing CJ's point. Which is about par for the course.