Women argue - rightly - that they have the right to control their own bodies. But they also say this when they are clearly not in control of it. A rash of movies this past year have focused on the idea of unintentional pregnancy (note that I didn't say "unwanted; ' that would be a horrible thing to say about a little kid), glorifying it through the simple act of making a film about it.
Troubling is that these films are aimed at youth. Are they the new "date" film? Are they the new role models for highschoolers?
And I'm not even addressing the Girls Gone Wild spate of films.
Murphy, Juno, Jamie Lynn and Bristol - Yahoo! News: "Several movies released in 2007 revolved around unwanted pregnancies. In “Waitress,” Keri Russell portrayed a small-town restaurant employee whose abusive husband plies her with booze before getting her pregnant. In “Knocked Up,” another drunken interlude leads to a one-night stand in which glam gal Katherine Heigl becomes pregnant by stoner goofus Seth Rogen. And at year’s end, “Juno” saw a small-town teen hipster quickly dismiss thoughts of abortion and opt instead for a private adoption."
So if women and girls have the right to control their own bodies, one could argue that they should also recognize the responsibility they have to their bodies, to themselves, and to the children that they can bear. Politically and culturally, male behavior is often used as the standard: "If it's good for a man, why not for a woman?" A stupid argument. Men and women are different. And often, by our nature, males do stupid things.
Using male sexual behavior as a model is a very bad thing for girls to do (usually bad for boys, too). Men and women - males and females - are different in so many ways that arguing for a unisex approach to sexual behavior simply doesn't address the differences and ramifications. Young men will bed down with just about anyone; like it or not, it's in the anthropology. But it's the girls who will bear the cost if they behave in the same manner.
Girls need a reality check; It's very important for young women to remember what they are - females, not males. They're physically, biologically, and emotionally different, and behavior should follow.
In the final analysis, I feel genuinely sorry for the children of women who don't have enough sense to control their own bodies. In the broader picture, I feel bad for the culture that unwanted children will produce. In this manner, girls can control the future culture.
Women have so much more power than they know. Girls should demand better of themselves.
UPDATE: The Pop Tarts Speak:
FOXNews.com - Pop Tarts: Hollywood Stars React to Sarah Palin, Daughter’s Pregnancy
"LOS ANGELES — The 'Juno' effect is the talk of Tinseltown, and it seems every star and starlet has a different opinion of John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, and whether her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy will affect their campaign."
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