Sunday, November 29, 2015
The Abortion on "Scandal" Trivialized All Women
I watch 'Scandal" every week. During the latest Season 5, I've been struck by how much the lead character Olivia Pope has become weak and victimized instead of the forceful leader she had been in the first four seasons. But, even that knawing subliminal perception had not prepared me for the Season Five final episode : 'Baby It's Cold Outside.' Olivia's abortion was shuddering heartless propaganda, showing Olivia alone and without so much as a hint of thoughtful pre-abortion preparation or evaluation, or discussion with the presumed father, Fitz, and without any plot line guidance for the audience or any plausible motive beyond Olivia's spite directed at Fitz. ~~~~~ Planned Parenthood gave the episode frighteningly mindless applause : “We saw one of our favorite characters make the deeply personal decision that one in three women have made in their lifetime. We applaud [“Scandal” showrunner] Shonda Rhimes...for proving that when women are telling our stories, the world will pause and watch.” The episode was additionally applauded for its storyline about Senator Mellie, Fitz's separated wife, filibustering to preserve non-discretionary funding for Planned Parenthood. It is a Senator's right in American politics and I have no quarrel with the scene. But, the Huffington Post wrote : “Millions of viewers watched a beloved character exercise her right to choose as just one of the things she did that day,” adding that “though nearly 3 in 10 women will get an abortion by the time they’re 45, the topic is rarely discussed in pop culture… [this] perpetuates the myth that the procedure is rare and contributes to the stigma surrounding it.” ~~~~~ "Just one of the things she did that day..." The abortion scene is set on Christmas Eve against a background of "Silent Night" and the voice of Olivia's father intoning : "Family is a burden, a pressure point, soft tissue, an illness, an antidote to greatness. Family...destroys you." The scene is Lady Macbeth sleepwalking while she tries to scrub the blood of her husband's victims, murdered at her request, off her hands. ~~~~~ Putting the anti-Christian attack aside, Christmas is not a celebration of abortion. It celebrates birth and family and the love of God for humanity. And, while Olivia's family is truly disfunctional, she has recognized that but, even armed with self-awareness, she will not abandon the pursuit of power instilled in her by her parents. Having helped Fitz ruin his marriage, she, by aborting, tosses him, them and their unborn child in the abortion clinic garbage pail in order to advance her Washington power career. And, why, we must ask, is she pregnant? She can afford to buy pills to prevent it, or morning after insurance pills - and sleeping with two men, she should have used some preventive. Scandal is watched by 10% of African American women. Is this the message they want to give their daughters - that neither education nor money nor power can save you from powerlessness in sexual relationships and the consequence of unwanted pregnancy. ~~~~~ Dear readers, that is not the role to be held out as normal to any young American woman in 2015. Abortion is not a decision any woman wants. While Americans may be evenly split on the need for legal support for abortion, 75% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong. Shanda Rhimes, the creator of "Scandal" who serves on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, as well as “Scandal's” writers, set out to tell America that abortion is "just one of the things" Olivia did that day. But, instead, the scene trivialized and demeaned Olivia, "Scandal," African American women, all women, and life itself. Abortion is a profound tragedy, for the unborn children whose lives are lost, and for the women who have abortions. If this was the "Scandal" episode that was supposed to show that abortion is normal and easy, that abortion is a great idea, a solution -- it failed. One critic said it showed that Shonda Rhimes may be a closet pro-lifer. Life is too precious to be closeted or destroyed carelessly, even on TV.
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HEDONISM –defined is the pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence, the unlimited and irresponsible self-indulgence, pleasure-seeking, self-gratification.
ReplyDeleteThis is the message that the Producer, writers, studio executives wanted to put forth in the main character of Olivia Pope. Television and movies in nearly every production promotes hedonism among all its viewers, especially children.
The ethical theory of Olivia Pope that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life is the common thread that runs through mass produced entertainment.
I started to watch “Scandal” at the beginning thinking this was a story about power in Washington DC. The show in 3.5 years became nothing more than a message of hedonism and sex, and a message that if it feels good do it without any regrets because bad judgement can always be swept under the rug before the light of the next day is over.
As asked did “The Abortion on "Scandal" Trivialized All Women”? Or did the actors (both male and female) in pursuit of fame and fortune trivialize themselves?
ReplyDeleteWe all have choices, some with much more dire responsibilities than an acting job. But not many with the impact across the spectrum of civility than entertainment do. The sad message in the season ending installment of an already rapidly self-imploding series was that …”do what you what viewers and wash your responsibility down the drain at Planned Parenthood in the morning.
In an already community of teenage pregnancies and births with single parents this was the wrong message to send out to the African-American youths.
Singularly Scandal will never miss my watching next year. But if a million of us fail to tune in next year, maybe then they will return to the original theme of the program.