Into It with Sam Sanders
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(She wrote about her research last yearfor the Los AngelesReview of Books.)
They also acknowledge the limits of onscreen portrayals, and what happens when fiction falls far from reality.
Read excerpts of those discussions below.
First, there was this general perception that there arent a lot of abortion plotlines on TV and film.
And thats actually not true.
Theres a long history of abortion on film, going back all the way to the early 20th century.
Really?SH: Yeah, there were early silent films.
Which silent movie?SH: Oh, there are actually quite a few.
The earliest one that we know about is from 1916,Where Are My Children.
Its this super-racist, very anti-abortion film that loosely follows the trial ofPlanned ParenthoodfounderMargaret Sanger.
That sets the tone for all future silent abortion movies, of which there are a couple.
They can just get it if they want it, when in actuality it aint that simple.SH: Exactly.
We found something like 66 percent of characters who have abortions onscreen dont encounter any barriers at all.
When they decide they want an abortion, they can kind of walk into the clinic and get one.
Often, the barrier that we do see is protesters in front of the clinic.
Thats kind of a mainstay.
We dont expect it to, right?
Where Does the Abortion Thriller Go From Here?
From May: Theres nothing subtle about the abortion thriller.
Which is it?SH: Its hard to get at the truth.
But the reality is a lot more messy in a lot of different ways.
Its very challenging to expect one or two shows to have this giant effect on the entire population.
But it seems like Americans have made their mind up on abortion.
Marriage equality is like,You love who you love.
Immigration?You know somebody who comes from an immigrant family.
Those issues are very much about who people are, and loving them no matter what.
But abortion is something you do, its not who you are.
Even when it comes to portrayals of abortion onscreen.
Often, when a character has an abortion, its one piece of their story.
Its not their entire story.
Its not the entire TV show.
And who would you write it for?
Tell me your pie-in-the-sky abortion plotline.SH: I think honestly I would want a whole abortion TV show.
Do you think thats … a thing that any studio would pick up?SH: I dont know.
Thats what I want to watch.
I am loving this.
Keep going.SH: I think we probably have some kind of fun, passionate abortion-providing team.
Maybe theyre seeing people who are protesting their clinic.
I think there are many, many possibilities here.
Like, what about involving the people being pregnant and providing this care at the same time?
You know, there are so many possibilities.
Can you get this green-lit, like?
What would you call the abortion horse in your show?SH: Id probably call him Lil Miso.
So people know whats coming.
I like that.It sounds very cute.
Its funny were having this conversation about TV and movies.
When I think of Gen Z, theyre watchingYouTube, theyre watchingTikTok, theyre watchingSnapchat.
How does that affect the way to approach the message around things like abortion?
Its really about having as many different kinds of stories in as many different venues as possible.
And its a different world.
When youre talking about reaching lots of different audiences, were not trying to change peoples minds about abortion.
And on shows likeER.
And on whatever the modern-day medical version ofERis.
We actually found that when people watched that plotline, their knowledge about medication abortions significantly increased.
That was really fascinating to see.
Shonda Rhimesteaching the children.SH: Yes.
But on the other hand, their support for abortion didnt change at all.
So that, again, complicates this idea that TV and film can really change everything.
Its just a small piece of the picture.
We are taught over and over again that visibility and representation mean so much.
You didnt think that?KH: Absolutely not.
And yet boom were in a different America.
I wanted people to look back at season two and almost feel like it was a historical document.
One of the characters says, Pregnancy is life-and-death for us, and that was very powerful.
You know, I actually was pregnant at the time that we were filming this episode.
Really?KH: Mmhmm.
Very big and swollen.
It is absolutely, absolutely life-or-death for us.
Is it ethical to do it?
Because once you decide you want one, theres the logistics.
Or a 24-hour waiting period?
Roehas been overturned, and that was not the case when you wrote this episode.
You dont even know sometimes in six weeks.KH: Yeah.
Most women have no idea that theyre pregnant at six weeks.
To get on a plane?
Thats a whole nother episode.
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
