I dint watch the show through choice, and to be honset I think a lot of people would have done the same, it would be interesting to know the viewing figures.

Funnily enough I watched a program the other night about how many complaints adverts get and why they get banned, and it really doesnt take a lot of people complaining for them to be banned.

I watched My Foetus, and was impressed. It was even handed, and the images, nasty as they were, were also essential. They made me feel physically sick, but programme maker Julia Black was right when she said that demystifying them was essential to honest debate of the issue. Censorship must fuel the feeling of anti-abortion groups that society is in denial, and that was one of the issues dealt with. I feel that just about anything should be allowed on TV if it's responsible, and this was.

I've commented on my journal(s) already.

I don't get the whole complaints thing. If it's gonna offend don't watch it. Do people watch things like this *just* to complain? Would be interested to see exactly what they were complaining about. I turned away when they showed the operation 'cos I don't particually want to see things like that. I'd seen the images before when I did a project on abortion at college so I wasn't too shocked. I hate the way pro lifers think they can shock/ scare/ humiliate women who choose to have abortions.

I'm not gonna get started on this one 'cos I remember other similar threads

Thought it was a good way to educate people. I believe in free choice. I think its pathetic to complain after something that's already been on . People just don't like watching the realities of today, yes people "kill" a human being when they have an abortion, so deal with it. It happens all the time, so its better to be educated on the subject.

I'm often confused why the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are used. Implies that women who have abortions are anti-life, which is absurd.

Should be simply pro-abortion or anti-abortion in my view.

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by Byron
Should be simply pro-abortion or anti-abortion in my view.

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I dunno.............. I'm not pro abortion but then I'm not anti abortion. Personally I couldn't do it, but then I've never been in the situation where it's even been a consideration. When I was pregnant with my two I knew that I'd be able to cope and that I had a fantastic family support behind me. Then I can see why some women have to go through with it.

If I got pregnant again I couldn't honestly say how I'd react. At this moment I have two little boys who don't want for anything. We have foreign holidays every year (except for this one when Mummy & Daddy are going to Hawaii on their own - hee hee). They have the latest toys and wear nice clothes. I've thought about if I had another baby would I have to compromise what my children already have. I would NEVER compromise for them.

I'm drunk and dunno what I'm saying. Will be back in the morning for a follow up

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by Teresa
I don't get the whole complaints thing. If it's gonna offend don't watch it. Do people watch things like this *just* to complain?

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Perhaps that's why there are so few complaints for this. Enough people would have read the articles/seen the ads regarding the programme beforehand to know that it was going to show the *actual* operation. I forgot it was on, but I'm sure I would have looked away anyhow.

I imagine that complaints for adverts is a different thing as you don't know what random selection you'll see during whatever you watch. Some of them have made me shudder in the past, but not enough to complain about them

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by Samphirette
(quotes)Perhaps that's why there are so few complaints for this. Enough people would have read the articles/seen the ads regarding the programme beforehand to know that it was going to show the *actual* operation. I forgot it was on, but I'm sure I would have looked away anyhow.

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I didnt see this programme, but there is an awful lot of irrational people, people usually would watch the prograame specifically to complain about it or even not watch it at all and complain.

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by Byron
I'm often confused why the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are used. Implies that women who have abortions are anti-life, which is absurd.

Should be simply pro-abortion or anti-abortion in my view.

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by Teresa
I dunno.............. I'm not pro abortion but then I'm not anti abortion

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I don't think that Byron was using 'pro-abortion' in the sense of it being a good thing. I don't think anyone considers that having an abortion should be a positive moment in someones life. Rather 'pro-abortion' would signify that you are in favour of women being able to have abortions if they feel it is necesary (as opposed to the por-life/anti-abortion lobby who would restrict this choice so that a woman would not have the right to make that decision).

You can be 'pro' something even if it is not necesarily a course of action that you would want to follow yourself (eg. being in favour of legalising drugs doesn't mean you would instantly start taking them if they were legal).

I prefer the terms pro-choice and anti-abortion. As someone who is pro-choice, I'm not saying I think abortion is a grand idea. I'm just saying that women should have the choice to have one or not, depending on their personal beliefs and their situation.

Abortion is such a hot-button topic, you can't have a rational discussion about it with most people. Frankly, I don't even think a program such as the one you described would make it onto a major network in the US. There would be hell to pay from anti-abotion activists (a relatively small group but very vocal and very organized) who would take some issue with the show and then deluge the show's sponsors with threats of boycotting their products. The sponsors would pull out under threat. The network would be deluged with hate mail. People would be protesting outside network headquarters. No network would chance having that to deal with, so they just wouldn't show it.

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by Byron
I'm often confused why the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are used. Implies that women who have abortions are anti-life, which is absurd.

Should be simply pro-abortion or anti-abortion in my view.

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From what very little I know (big surprise! ), that's apparently an intentional emotive technique used specificaly by either side: pro-life by anti-abortionists, with "pro-choice" used as a nicer sounding alternative to "anti-life". Isn't emotional blackmail (and having to avoid it) a wonderful thing?

From the really tiny bit of the documentary I caught (anybody got it on tape?) namely the shot of the 21-week old foetus (sp?) and it made me feel really uncomfortable and almost a lttle ill. But then again, wasn't that the idea?

(Edited by Alan 22/04/2004 16:13)

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by Avenger
(quotes)

(quotes)

I don't think that Byron was using 'pro-abortion' in the sense of it being a good thing. I don't think anyone considers that having an abortion should be a positive moment in someones life. Rather 'pro-abortion' would signify that you are in favour of women being able to have abortions if they feel it is necesary (as opposed to the por-life/anti-abortion lobby who would restrict this choice so that a woman would not have the right to make that decision).

You can be 'pro' something even if it is not necesarily a course of action that you would want to follow yourself (eg. being in favour of legalising drugs doesn't mean you would instantly start taking them if they were legal).

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Got there first, that's *exactly* what I meant. Pro abortion being a legal option; not thinking that abortion is a good thing, but sometimes a necessary one.

(Edited by Byron 22/04/2004 16:13)

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by Alan
(quotes)From what very little I know (big surprise! ), that's apparently an intentional emotive technique used specificaly by either side: pro-life by anti-abortionists, with "pro-choice" used as a nicer sounding alternative to "anti-life". Isn't emotional blackmail (and having to avoid it) a wonderful thing?

From the really tiny bit of the documentary I caught (anybody got it on tape?) namely the shot of the 21-week old foetus (sp?) and it made me feel really uncomfortable and almost a lttle ill. But then again, wasn't that the idea?

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I suspected as much, but I wasn't sure of the origin of either word. And I think that was very much the idea.

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by Avenger
I don't think that Byron was using 'pro-abortion' in the sense of it being a good thing.

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I got that.

as a male who has first hand experiance in the whole thing. i'm pro-choice. i dont think its 'killing' as it all depends on when you think a 'life' is such. a collection of cells isn't a life in my opinion and i think that alot of pro-life propaganda about babies being sucked out etc etc is just designed to cause offence. as these 'third' trimester abortion they so adamentally go on about are ILLEGAL.


as i said i beleive in choice, if their was no professionally run centres to carry out such procedures, people would get them done else where and they'd be unclena and dangerous, like back lane abortions....


but hey thats just my view

I can't understand why some women wait so long for their abortions. I realise that sometimes there is no choice if a severe disability is discovered late on etc, but surely once you make a decision it's best to get it over and done with. As I've said before I've never walked the walk so I can't really comment on how these women are feeling but surely it has to be less traumatic earlier on in the pregnancy?