The Daily Mail is a little late jumping on to the whole "Juno makes teens want to get knocked-up!" bandwagon, but they're giving it a go nonetheless. Rosie Boycott, she who wrote the fabulous article last week about how feminism is making men feel inferior, is now complaining that Juno is "wholly unreal" as Juno doesn't even cry when she finds out that she's pregnant. Nor does she cry when she tells her family that she's pregnant.
Boycott goes on to complain that this "feel good movie" gives off the impression that ,"Getting pregnant, according to the film, is a slightly annoying event that might cause you to get fat and end up with stretch marks." Right, Rosie. For those of you who have seen the movie, you'll enjoy pointing out all the reasons why Rosie is wrong with me, and for those of you who haven't seen Juno, I suggest you don't read any further.
**SPOILER ALERT**
Let's see, Rosie. Where shall we begin? How about with the whole "hasty abortion" nonsense, yeah? Rosie says:
"Outside, there's a single protester from her school, waving a pro-life banner.Inside are four unhappy-looking women waiting for their terminations. Juno changes her mind and seconds later, she's leaving the clinic.The protester smiles at her. 'God appreciates this miracle,' she tells her."
"This is the only moment when Juno's journey from wholesome, wise-cracking teen-next-door to teen-mum collides with the reality of single-motherhood. For the most part, the tone of the movie is relentlessly up-beat and jolly."
Well, Rosie. I've come to the realization that if women in TV shows and movies don't end up getting an abortion or don't get upset enough making the decision, feminists aren't happy. But here's the thing, sister. If Juno had an abortion, the movie would have been rather short and pointless, non? Just like if that chick in Knocked-Up had gotten an abortion, and in Waitress, and Miranda in Sex and the City.
Plus, if you recall, Rosie, the moment in the abortion clinic is NOT the "only moment" in which she faces the "reality of single motherhood". Juno decides to give the baby to Vanessa, despite the fact that she was getting a divorce from her husband. I believe that would make Vanessa a SINGLE MOTHER, right? Rosie goes on to explain her contempt of the film by saying,
"The final scene of the movie shows Juno and her boyfriend returned to their carefree adolescence, the baby - safely in the hands of his rapturous and responsible new mother - all but forgotten."
Firstly, moments before this said "final scene", Juno lays in her hospital bed weeping after she has the baby. It is heartbreaking scene, and such a sad, sad moment, as in most adoption movies, you don't see what happens to the woman after she gives birth. Secondly, I'm wondering how much time you would have liked Juno to mourn the adoption of her child? Five minutes? Maybe a whole other scene? Perhaps Juno should have become a nun to repent her sin of not getting an abortion, and for not crying enough.
I feel that Juno's critics are forgetting that while the tone of this movie is positive, and the characters have a sarcastic and young vocabulary, it's not like this film is emotionless. Juno does cry. Her family does have a hard time with her pregnancy. Does anyone else remember the scene of Juno sobbing in her car on the side of the freeway after Mark tells her he's going to divorce Vanessa? Or did I just make that scene up?
I suppose what annoys me the most about this ridiculous, stereotypical feminist rant from Boycott is that it's just complete rubbish. She picks and chooses which moments from a film prove her point, and completely ignores clear moments in the film that prove her statement wrong. I find it irresponsible that women like Katha Pollitt are quoted as saying in the article as saying, "A teenager who saw this movie would feel like a moral failure for choosing abortion."
It's a fucking movie, people. A MOVIE. It's actually a quite positive movie, written by a feminist screenwriter, who wrote strong female characters that were played brilliantly by actresses like the impeccable Ellen Page. What is to complain about? When can we stop bitching about things like movies and whining that they didn't take abortion seriously enough? When can we stop making women who take the time to weigh out their options and decide that abortion isn't for them, feel like THEY are they ones who are a "moral" and feminist "failure" for daring to have a child??
Cate Sevilla is the Editor of Dollymix. She's sick of "feminists" who completely miss the point.
