Haven't not seen tonight's Nip/Tuck (I'm still catching up with first season eps), I can't comment on it, but while this was the only abortion on American TV this season, this was not the first time it has happened. In fact, one of last season's major story arcs on Six Feet Under dealt with a character having an abortion, which IMO was handled beautifully on every angle. They showed the potential mother's grief, but also made it clear that her decision was the right one for the simple reason that it was her decision. In a very touching scene, the character is taken on a tour of the afterlife where another character, who had recently died, was holding her baby. While some interpreted this as the show confirming that it does believe that life begins at conception and that a life was taken, I don't think this was the intended interpretation at all, particuarly knowing how liberal a person the creator of the show is. Instead, this dream sequence brilliantly used a pro-life symbol (the soul of the unborn fetus) to argue a pro-choice message, turning the tables on it, in a manner of speaking. The mother was not punished for "killing" this baby, or told that she made the wrong decision. Instead, she is told that the baby will be well taken care of, by this woman, in heaven, and that she, the mother, has no reason to worry about her actions. The scene argued that even if one were to believe that life does begin at conception (and this being a dream, Alan Ball could play with this idea, without proclaiming that this was his belief), it is still the mother's right to choose whether she will bring the life to completion, and any choice she makes is the right one for her at that time in her life, and she should not feel guilty or ashamed.
The whole story arc was one of the boldest things I'd ever seen on televison, particularly in how unflinchingly and unapologetically it dealt with such a controversial subject, and so firmly held its grounds in its beliefs, while still treating the pregnant woman's experience with the proper amount of gravity. It was not depicted as an easy decision, either before or after the procedure.
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branchandroot
Re: Nip/Tuck
Date: 2004-08-12 09:33 pm (UTC)The whole story arc was one of the boldest things I'd ever seen on televison, particularly in how unflinchingly and unapologetically it dealt with such a controversial subject, and so firmly held its grounds in its beliefs, while still treating the pregnant woman's experience with the proper amount of gravity. It was not depicted as an easy decision, either before or after the procedure.