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Snack 62: Fiction Book Club: The Good, the Bad, & the Make You Mad
Should fertility be a sub-plot?
The prefix "sub" is already a bit problematic, since those going through it often feel it's THE CENTRAL PLOT right now, but that aside, how should we deal with fertility in fiction?
Well, say our hosts, if writers are going to take on the topic, they really could at least (a) handle it sensitively, and (b) do their research.
In this snack, Ruby and Anne look at several examples of fertility "tropes" that show up again and again in drama, and we reckon a lot of them will feel familiar to you. From Phoebe, who could never be a gestational carrier (or "GC") because she's never been pregnant, to "How I Met Your Mother" where Robin has a good life despite never having children, shows run the gamut from insultingly silly to admirably accurate.
Trope #1: if characters want to get pregnant in fiction, they'll have all kinds of problems. If characters don't want to get pregnant, and use eight kinds of birth control, *bingo.* These shows are rife with inaccuracies about human biology and the science of fertility treatments, and for those dealing with fertility journeys of their own, it can be infuriating and painful. (Seriously? Miranda with her uterine issues and her boyfriend with ONE TESTICLE? SERIOUSLY?)
If you're just not ready to be confronted with fertility issues in your media (whether it's accurately represented or not), check out the Infertility Safe Media Database, linked below. The site tells you which books, movies, etc. deal with infertility. Your peace of mind matters, so give yourself the grace to skip this month's Book Choice with your book club or pass on an invitation to a film that might mean risking crying in the theater.
And, as always, check https://thewholepineapple for more episodes and information on our awesome hosts, Ruby and Anne. And don't forget to rate, review, and share to help others find the podcast!
Resources:
TVTropes.og Law of Inverse Fertility Article
Clip - Finding Out I'm Infertile - Hasan Minhaj's Netflix Comedy The King's Jester
Slate Article by Noreen Malone The Fertility Plot is the New Marriage Plot
Infertility Safe Media Database
Infertility on TV: Part 1 - Chasing Creation
View all episodes
By The Whole PineappleShould fertility be a sub-plot?
The prefix "sub" is already a bit problematic, since those going through it often feel it's THE CENTRAL PLOT right now, but that aside, how should we deal with fertility in fiction?
Well, say our hosts, if writers are going to take on the topic, they really could at least (a) handle it sensitively, and (b) do their research.
In this snack, Ruby and Anne look at several examples of fertility "tropes" that show up again and again in drama, and we reckon a lot of them will feel familiar to you. From Phoebe, who could never be a gestational carrier (or "GC") because she's never been pregnant, to "How I Met Your Mother" where Robin has a good life despite never having children, shows run the gamut from insultingly silly to admirably accurate.
Trope #1: if characters want to get pregnant in fiction, they'll have all kinds of problems. If characters don't want to get pregnant, and use eight kinds of birth control, *bingo.* These shows are rife with inaccuracies about human biology and the science of fertility treatments, and for those dealing with fertility journeys of their own, it can be infuriating and painful. (Seriously? Miranda with her uterine issues and her boyfriend with ONE TESTICLE? SERIOUSLY?)
If you're just not ready to be confronted with fertility issues in your media (whether it's accurately represented or not), check out the Infertility Safe Media Database, linked below. The site tells you which books, movies, etc. deal with infertility. Your peace of mind matters, so give yourself the grace to skip this month's Book Choice with your book club or pass on an invitation to a film that might mean risking crying in the theater.
And, as always, check https://thewholepineapple for more episodes and information on our awesome hosts, Ruby and Anne. And don't forget to rate, review, and share to help others find the podcast!
Resources:
TVTropes.og Law of Inverse Fertility Article
Clip - Finding Out I'm Infertile - Hasan Minhaj's Netflix Comedy The King's Jester
Slate Article by Noreen Malone The Fertility Plot is the New Marriage Plot
Infertility Safe Media Database
Infertility on TV: Part 1 - Chasing Creation