Birth and the Horror Monster



So I'm sure most of you have seen some Pregnant Comedies in your time. Most come out of Hollywood and follow similar paradigms such as a focus on the ( usually) boyfriend's unpreparedness for a baby, or rather what a baby symbolises about their life. The birth scene usually begins with mum's waters EXPLODING in a shopping mall or somewhere similar and an immediate rush to hospital as contractions are instantly unbearable. But has it ever occured to you how similar these birth scenes are to horror genre films? Think of how the birthing woman looks and sounds.....Red face, sweaty, angry expression, shouting at boyfriend and/or doctors and nurses. SHE IS OUT OF CONTROL. UNPREDICTABLE. SCARY. A MONSTER.


In the horror genre it is often the case that for a female character to become powerful she must become a monster. You cant just be a woman and have power, oh no no no! You have to be craaaaaazzzzzy! Or  masculine. Sometimes both. Of course the comedy ( apparently, although lost on me most of the time) comes from the drama of "the monster" but how does it position the labouring woman  ( except for stranded beatle on a bed position)? As irrational. Unstable, Horrific. And how does it position the other characters? As sane. In control. Rational. Saviours?

There is so much fucking wrong with how Hollywood represents pregnancy and birth that I could rant for days on the topic....SO FUCKING WRONG, but next time you happen to be enjoying (or subjecting yourself to) the delights of a Pregnant Comedy just have a look and a think....do birthing women come out ok in this? And how does the patriarchal medical system look in all this?

It is no fucking accident.

Images: The Descent ( 2005, Neil Marshall)
Knocked Up (2007, Judd Apatow)

Emma Culley-Morgan
Posirive Birth Educator at Awesome Mama Antenatal
AwesomeMama.co.uk

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