This essay seems to take issue with “Hollywood” portrayals
of pregnancy and the pro-life/choice argument surrounding abortion, and I think
the problem is more about cultural expectancies and perceptions. These Hollywood
portrayals are both based in cultural perception and perpetuate them, but at
the same time, there is some truth to the stories. If there wasn’t truth in
them, people wouldn’t want to see the movies. Even horror movies where the
fetus is some paranormal being plays on real fear. On a side note, nobody wants
to see a movie about a pregnancy (or live) isn’t raffled with complexity; a
mother who wants a child and gets one or doesn’t want a child and chooses
abortion (after an unexpected pregnancy) and everything stays stagnant in her
perceptions and actions, doesn’t make for a good story. Stagnant ideals and
desires don’t always portray real people. (This isn’t to stay that perpetuating
stereotypes about pregnancy, abortion, and motherhood within the cinematic framework
isn’t problematic.)
Perhaps the most shocking idea presented to me, was that the
idea of white supremacy could permeate into the discussion. That white
middle-class women need to push aside their careers (or even include children
as part of the plan) in order to produce children with better odds of being
successful and contributing society, fundamentally devalues life (and pregnancy
and motherhood) based on racial and socioeconomic lines. Is abortion and the exercise
of choice to not having children in different races and socioeconomic backgrounds
viewed differently?
Sarah, I do agree that the reason these films draw audiences is because they do appeal to specific fears, wants, and desires in our collective conscious. However,I disagree that the reason feminist films about abortion are not made is because they are "boring" stories. Even in TV shows when a non-main or essential character experiences an abortion, or even thinks about getting one, it is usually portrayed as an agonizing decision that could potentially haunt the character for the rest of their life. Most of the time, the writers of the show make the characters show up at the abortion clinic, just to back out after two minutes of being there. To my knowledge, most tv shows that have featured abortion as a plotline have generally been very conservative about it and I think it reflects media's issue with depicting women who have very little to no moral qualms about abortion.
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