I don't think this is the message they wanted - Scandal - caution Spoiler alert

[Mama Mia]

 If you watch the show Scandal and haven't seen the season finale don't continue to read.

Im posting here instead of distractions, because it's about the issue of abortion and I'm curious about people's perceptions of the episode.

 

For background--The series involves the melodramatic / spy/ action filled intrigues of a prominent " scandal fixer" and her love interest - who happens to be the U.S. president. The main character, Olivia, is a wealthy, healthy mid- thirties professional woman. She and the President, after years of an on- again off- again affair are finally living together openly. 

In this episode there is another plot line where a senator gives a filibuster protesting cuts to planned parenthood. I think that part of the show is excellent. 

But then Olivia is becoming dissatisfied with her new role of White House hostess and near the end of the show is shown having an abortion. We had not known she was pregnant, and she did not tell the father ( the president) of the pregnancy. She then broke up with him.

I think the goal of the episode was to promote reproductive choices. BUT - to me, it seemed like a really, really bad way to do it.  They showed a healthy , thirty something, rich woman, with every advantage, in a relationship with a man who loved her ( and who, presumably, people had been rooting for being a couple )  --- who has an abortion because , basically, she didn't like living in the White House and preferred her lover when he was unavailable. And anyone who watches the show knows they are bound to get back together anyway. It just seems to be more of the stereotype that rabidly anti- abortion people would think is the main reason women have abortions.  No financial pressures, no health concerns, no worries about childcare, not a young girl still trying to get an education, no problems with the fetus, not in an abusive relationship. None of that. Truly, except for all the murder/ melodrama/ intrigue that's part of the storyline -- these are the most privileged people on the planet.  

Doesnt it seem like the abortion ---as part of an episode promoting keeping Planned Parenthood open for all the millions of women who them for healthcare --- is kind of counterproductive? Or is that just me? I don't think the episode would obviously sway anyone who has a really strong opinion on either side of the issue - but for most people, who are kind of middle of the road on abortion -( I think I'm one of those ) - it seems like it would not be helpful in swaying opinion towards being more pro- choice, or convincing people of the necessity of Planned Parenthood.   --- I don't think this abortion was supposed to have happened at a planned parenthood - but with the other plot line being saving funding for pp -- it could give the impression that tax dollars are going to keep abortion services ( I know they don't use federal funding  for abortion ) available for wealthy women who are having abortions because they feel angsty about having to choose which designer gown to wear to a formal gala.

 

[SpoonfulOSugar]

 I don't watch the show, but I read this in the Wa Po after and thought it was interesting:

Despite the heated rhetoric on abortion, arguably the only time it's talked about on a regular basis is when it becomes a national scandal -- like this summer after an antiabortion advocate group filmed Planned Parenthood officials talking about using fetuses for medical research in ostensibly cavalier tones.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/11/20/scandal-just-showed-its-lead-character-getting-an-abortion-heres-why-its-a-big-deal/ 

The reality is - we rarely know other people well enough to really know all the factors that go into such a complex decision.  Is it purely selfish because she doesn't want to bother?  Isn't the corollary to that that the person isn't fit to be a mother?  Is there a long ago trauma that makes pregnancy frightening?  Is not wanting to cede one's body for 9 months "just because" not enough of a reason?  I just think when we get into "right" reasons versus "not good enough" reasons, we have already headed down that infamous slope.

Honestly, from what I've read, this is likely to change few minds.  It's just going to reinforce people's existing positions, regardless of what that is.

[Mum2theRoyalFlush]

Hmmm. I've known my fair share of people who had abortions, and I never, ever wondered if it was OK for them (despite the fact that I had 10 pregnancies to get my 4 kids and COULD have adopted their child). I do not believe that adoption ever trumps a woman's choice to reproduce. I'm pro-choice... and here were some of the choices:

1. One of my students was raped. Her mother had to take her to another state to get an abortion because they were currently not legal in my state.

2. One of my friends was told it would be OK to get pregnant, and by week 12 had kidney failure. It later resulted in needing a kidney transplant.

3. One of my friends had to have her pregnancy reduced--so she could have triplets instead of quadruplets. She still spent months in the hospital.

4. One of my friends discovered her child had chromosomal issues incompatible with life.

I could go on. I don't know of anyone personally who had an abortion "just because it was available." Each time it happens, the woman is in charge of her body and how much she can and will struggle with both pregnancy and having a child. 

Here's what I think about the show: I think that in the writer's heads those 2 things "went together." Oh, hey! PP. Totally current issue. Now, who can we get to have an abortion?? In reality, can you imagine being the POTUS' girlfriend and not getting "found out" having an abortion? That's totally a risk that doesn't seem politically viable. 

My opinion doesn't mean much, but I definitely think women should always have SAFE ways to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a hard, hard thing. To require that someone stay pregnant because it interferes with "your" values seems so inauthentic to me.

I should add I live in a place where abortion is frowned upon--almost universally--and yet I know of many women who've had them and are very quiet about it.

[Mama Mia]

Yea, I know a tv show is hardly likely to change anyone's opinions. Especially if they are adamantly " no abortions ever" or " it's purely the woman's choice - none of my business in any circumstance" .

it just seemed odd to me that they wouldn't work a more compelling? relatable ? sympathetic ? reason for the abortion into the storyline. A health risk, or domestic violence, or having the presidents teen daughter or ex- wife becoming pregnant.....something. Just using a woman who seems to have everything going for her ( aside from the intrigue / spy parts of the storyline ) -- and she basically decides to abort because she's scared she'll be stuck acting like First Lady.......that just seems more like a storyline designed to provoke anti- choice reactions . Especially as most people when polled are for reproductive choice in some - but not all - circumstances.

[crawfishgirl]

Regarding the abortion on the show - I wonder if it was supposed to be a flashback, since it just came out of nowhere.  She was busy helping the filibuster, then she was shown having the abortion, then she went back to the White House to breakup with Fitz.  It just seems too rushed for it to have happened in that timeframe, but of course Scandal is fast-paced so you never know.  The situation may be better explained when the show returns in Feb.  

[apandaaries]

I am just indescribably pleased that they portrayed it on the show in an incredibly open way.  Shonda Rhimes also had Christina from Grey's Anatomy have an abortion, as well.  Just because people are privileged doesn't mean they will make good parents.  There is nothing about Olivia's lifestyle that is baby-friendly.  Nothing.  The same could be said for Christina.  People can and do choose to end pregnancies for myriad reasons.  Shonda is openly showing that on major network television in some of the most vaunted time spots.  Bravo.

 Nothing is more absurd than pretending that women don't have abortions for a variety of reasons, and honestly, it's not really anyone else's business.  If you don't like abortions, you definitely don't need to have one. Period. Some people, for whatever reasons, do not or cannot have a pregnancy proceed.  I am so glad that Shonda's shows are getting that message out there. Everyone I know IRL who has had an abortion is very quiet about it, and that's what helps these attacks on Planned Parenthood -- people don't realize how vital their services are, and take it upon themselves to judge the actions of others without knowing their situations.  Not to mention that abortions are a teeny tiny percentage of what PP does, but that's a slightly different topic.  

[roddma]

A woman on our writer's forum who claims to be pro-abortion, non-religious conservative who essentially thinks women have unplanned pregnancies because they failed to use birth control properly or didnt use it. While I could agree, we should be responsible, she got reminded it takes two to tango and birth control fails. We dont live in a Puritan society where no one has sex out of marriage or has unplanned pregnancies.

Do they not think married women or those who plan pregnancies never abort? Situations change in a heartbeat. It isn't just heathens sleeping around. Is it right all the time? Who knows? I lean toward 'pro-life' but try to find a balanced view instead of saying abortion for every situation or no abortion. And I really hate saying im pro- or anti anything because it means you are biased toward it. Mother Theresa once said when asked to attend a anti-war rally replied"“I will never attend an anti-war rally; but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.” (She may not be the iconic saint as we thought, but I used the quote for a point.)

[Toothfairy]

Don't understand the outrage. Married and women who have careers/money get abortions. Nothing new

[Whoosh]

Honestly, I think this is exactly what Shonda aims for in her shows.  So, if you present an abortion one way - specific people will react in a specific way (although the reaction varies from person to person).  If you present it in another way, many people will have a totally different reaction (again, varies from person to person).  If you serve up an abortion on a blank slate - it makes people think more and talk about it more.  I really think that is her goal with a lot of what she does on all her shows.

[sawasdee]

This plotline reminds me of two books I read a dozen or so years ago by Richard North Patterson,No Safe Place and Protect and Defend. The former deals with a presidential candidate whose journalist ex girlfriend had an abortion without his knowledge, and the second with his SCOTUS nominee who has to deal with a case where the parents of a minor oppose a late term abortion of a non viable foetus. One, one might say, a 'convenience' abortion, the other a medical one. Both interesting novels, with both sides of the arguments pretty well represented and no one demonised, and a side element of the public's (and the press') right to know. Recommended light reading.

[Mama Mia]

The fact that abortions are such a small part of what planned parenthood does is also what I found to be kind of weird about including the abortion in this storyline. The filibuster is about all the ridiculous things the government spends money on, and the importance of contraception and mamograms and health care for women who often can't get these things anywhere else --- but then to protest defunding planned parenthood they throw in a major story about the one controversial service they offer. If the abortion hadn't been part of the defense of planned parenthood episode it would have been entirely different -- but I think all they did -- to people who aren't strongly in one camp or the other  -- is further the idea that  Planned Parenthood = abortion and that women who have abortions due it for frivolous reasons.  I understand why they linked the two - but it seemed the messages they wanted to get across would have been better in separate episodes.

[ShesCrafty]

 Planned Parenthood = abortion and that women who have abortions due it for frivolous reasons. 

There is no such thing as a frivolous abortion. A woman gets to decide what she wants to do with her body. 

As for how a soap opera will sway people's opinions, I agree with the previous poster who said they don't see this having a big effect one way or another. There might be a few articles about it (e.g. Huffpo) but I don't see it making a big splash one way or another. 

[Grimalkin]

Don't understand the outrage. Married and women who have careers/money get abortions. Nothing new

I don't think  mama Mia is outraged. 

I believe in the right to choose, I also think it is an important decision that should be thought through. I know plenty of people who had abortions and never looked back. I also know several women who never had children and are over 50 that had abortions and deeply regret it. That does happen. In the end nobody has to justify it to me. I do hope that it is a decision they are comfortable with in the long run.

        The actress who plays Olivia is strikingly beautiful but only has three facial expressions. It's hard to take the show seriously.

[OperaRocks]

The fact that abortions are such a small part of what planned parenthood does is also what I found to be kind of weird about including the abortion in this storyline. The filibuster is about all the ridiculous things the government spends money on, and the importance of contraception and mamograms and health care for women who often can't get these things anywhere else --- but then to protest defunding planned parenthood they throw in a major story about the one controversial service they offer. If the abortion hadn't been part of the defense of planned parenthood episode it would have been entirely different -- but I think all they did -- to people who aren't strongly in one camp or the other  -- is further the idea that  Planned Parenthood = abortion and that women who have abortions due it for frivolous reasons.  I understand why they linked the two - but it seemed the messages they wanted to get across would have been better in separate episodes.

I found this to be a well written episode which exploits the headline in a balanced way. We had the former First Lady, a Republican, U.S. Senator speak out for PP funding, and women's health in general. It was brilliant. The character who had a termination did so at a private physician's office. Because of her wealth, she will always have whatever care she needs. Women turn to PP for a number of reasons, including affordability.

[Jingerbread]

You can support the right to abortion without supporting the reasons people may choose.  So it's okay to have a problem with someone getting an abortion as a form of revenge for her lover no longer being clandestine.  Even if she wasn't getting an abortion and just plain dumped him for being attentive in the ways she thought she wanted, that would make her a bitchy person.  It sounds like the show is showing privilege in a crass way.  Most people get abortions because they can't afford a kid, are too sick, are not wanting to be tied to an abuser, are too scared or feel unprepared for a kid, the baby has major medical issues, and so on, and then they struggle with how to get the money, and there they show a woman whose reason is that she didn't like being openly loved, and of course she has the money to go get a safe abortion right away.  It might have been more understandable if her reason had been she didn't feel emotionally ready to be a full-time parent, but it comes off as revenge for him being available for her.  We need to be able to identify with characters on the big issues, or else it fails and can upset people.

[OperaRocks]

You can support the right to abortion without supporting the reasons people may choose.  So it's okay to have a problem with someone getting an abortion as a form of revenge for her lover no longer being clandestine.  Even if she wasn't getting an abortion and just plain dumped him for being attentive in the ways she thought she wanted, that would make her a bitchy person.  It sounds like the show is showing privilege in a crass way.  Most people get abortions because they can't afford a kid, are too sick, are not wanting to be tied to an abuser, are too scared or feel unprepared for a kid, the baby has major medical issues, and so on, and then they struggle with how to get the money, and there they show a woman whose reason is that she didn't like being openly loved, and of course she has the money to go get a safe abortion right away.  It might have been more understandable if her reason had been she didn't feel emotionally ready to be a full-time parent, but it comes off as revenge for him being available for her.  We need to be able to identify with characters on the big issues, or else it fails and can upset people.

Olivia's reason was never directly addressed. You can speculate, but neither the writers, nor the actors furthered the narrative beyond the issue that women have the legal right to choose. The point is that we don't need to explain ourselves. It is personal.

[Mama Mia]

You can support the right to abortion without supporting the reasons people may choose.  So it's okay to have a problem with someone getting an abortion as a form of revenge for her lover no longer being clandestine.  Even if she wasn't getting an abortion and just plain dumped him for being attentive in the ways she thought she wanted, that would make her a bitchy person.  It sounds like the show is showing privilege in a crass way.  Most people get abortions because they can't afford a kid, are too sick, are not wanting to be tied to an abuser, are too scared or feel unprepared for a kid, the baby has major medical issues, and so on, and then they struggle with how to get the money, and there they show a woman whose reason is that she didn't like being openly loved, and of course she has the money to go get a safe abortion right away.  It might have been more understandable if her reason had been she didn't feel emotionally ready to be a full-time parent, but it comes off as revenge for him being available for her.  We need to be able to identify with characters on the big issues, or else it fails and can upset people.

I think you said what I was trying to get across.  The episode just seemed to be more of a caricature of the reasons anti- choice people think that women have abortions. Instead of the actual reality for most women who make that decision. 

[Toothfairy]

Republicans just don't want poor women to have access to abortion or even birth control. Why? Keep them poor and in poverty. Keep them uneducated and willing to be cheap labor. The GOP, love the fetus--hate the baby.

And America need to worry about bigger things besides abortion.  It's legal, nothing you can do will stop a woman from getting an abortion.  Goodness we look like idiots bringing up a 40 year law. Move on. Shonda on the other have zero fucks to give. She's making her money.