came across the following very interesting articles today while i should be studying :)
this article on slate discusses how 'knocked up' is just a little bit sexist. and it exactly describes how i felt after seeing the film...it was hilarious but i felt a little squeamish about how different the fun loving ben was portrayed as opposed to the straight laced alison or the shrewish debbie. i think this article raises a critical point...with every story that is told, you have to look at who is doing the telling. in this case, judd aptow is behind the camera and it's ben's story he's telling, its him that you're rooting for in the end. i think it becomes problematic when you assume that it's THE story being told. it isn't. it's ben's story, and aptow does an OK job at putting a little bit of alison's story in. but his portrayal of alison's story has nowhere near the subtlety and humor of ben's. so my point (yes i have one) is this: when watching something it is critical to keep in mind WHO is doing the telling, because that affects the story told. who is behind the lens, and who is in front of it?
this article addresses how alison never really considered abortion as an option. fascinating, actually, considering she barely knows ben, doubts his commitment to adulthood, and is financially dependent (living with her sister).
and this NYT article is an offshoot of the above, i found it interesting. it is from 2004 and discusses how 40% of women have had an abortion, but no one talks about it. i guess it hides in the same space as miscarriage, which is also very common but no one talks about in the public sphere. i'd even venture to say the silence is worse regarding abortion, because of the value judgements involved: miscarriage is passive, whereas abortion is active.
2 comments:
I can't say that I've seen the moving, primarity because I think a frustrated infertile like myself would be up for the cost of a new cinema screen from all the popcorn damage.
I must admit that I get snarky when people try and polite out and say I had a m/c. Nope. I had to choose, and it sucked. But you're right, neither is really ever referred to in public.
J
Sometimes I feel ironic in being pro-Choice while TTC and having had m/cs (D&C = tragic, but elective abortion = important empowerment for women)...but, I do find it noteworthy that you have to go all the way back to Fast Times at Ridgemont High in the early 80's to see a character actually go through with an abortion.
I have seen an article discussing how in "Juno" at least the main character goes to an abortion clinic, at least acknowledging that a young teen would consider it.
And, as you point out, who does the telling makes a difference. Maybe that's why I refuse to see KNocked Up but plan to see Juno (Juno seems to be about the girl).
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