Reproductive politics is a topic so controversial that I dare not to discuss with my family or friends or anyone I care about. There is an overwhelmingly negative connotation towards the loss of virginity before marriage in Chinese culture. Women in TV shows and novels who commit such acts almost always end up in tragedy. Such plotlines have caused heightened anxiety regarding pre-martial sex for many of my friends in China. For this reason, I am well aware of the hidden psychological control from cultural presentations and their implication. It was not surprising that the researchers discovered the similarity in skewed portrayal about abortion in American TV shows and fictions as well.
In the abortion scenes videos, there are a number of negative adjectives used to describe abortion, such as “unholy” and “wrong” in Godfather and Degrassi High. The scenes portraying abortion as an invasive and excruciating procedure are more than never cracking for me to watch. In Fast time at Ridgemount High, the pale girl wearing a scrub hat(which is unnecessary) on the table is scared of the pain, and still tormented by her indecision. Likewise, Cider House Rule feature the abortion procedure with emphasizes on the metal equipment and the devastated reaction of an observer. Dirty Dancing depicts the serious complications due to an unsafe and unsanitary abortion which also confirms with the social myth.
The word “choice” has different meanings in the videos. As Spike in Degrassi High says, it is her choice to have the baby and there is no simple right or wrong answer that applies to everyone. The choice emphasized here is the autonomous decision for one to choose what is the best. In Citizen Ruth, the nurse offers Ruth the choice she has — adoption. The choice of the men is also discussed by many women in Meaghan’s stories as well as in the movies/TV shows. It is evident that the women’s choice is heavily influenced by her partners in many cases. Christina in Grey’s Anatomy booked and did not show up to her abortion appointment because of Hunt’s opposition, which leads to the conversation betwwen Meredith and Hunt in the video clip. However, the choice could often be much more complicated. In Jack and Bobby, Jack’s mother outcries, “you choice isn’t really a choice“, which reflect the complications about the choice hierarchy.
Thank you so much for your insights here, which offer much for us to think about as we discuss Juno. Your review of other movies is well-done and extensive, and you also raise critically important questions about abortion, reproductive politics, women’s sexuality, and cultural context.
Your very important insights here also point us toward further questions on Juno, such as the extent to which the whiteness of Juno’s context/character shapes certain assumptions in the movie. This is a very important lens of critique—thank you for pointing us there.