Small Screen/Big Picture: Religion, Gender and TV (Part 5 of 10)

The Knight Chair's lecture series Small Screen/Big Picture: Television and Lived Religion kicked off on September 11, 2008 with this panel discussion on Religion and Gender. Panelists include: Sheila Briggs (USC), Anthea Butler (Univ. of Rochester, Harvard Divinity School), Heather Hendershot (Queens College). The respondent is Sarah Banet Wiser of USC. The panel is moderated by Heather Osborne-Thompson of CSU Fullerton.

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[Bab5Blake7]

I am a big fan of Dr. Hendershot's work, but I think here she simplifies how television portrays abortion. Yes, no series has the guts of Maud, but many series embrace their pro-choice credentials by promoting a vision of crazed pro-lifers (I'm thinking of Law and Order). Abortion is too complex an issue to be reduced by TV into blind stereotypes of pro-lifers or pro-choicers. Having talked w\both sides, I have found convincincing arguments for both. Denying this fact is disingenous.