Planned Parenthood, one of the largest abortion providers in the country, has expressed its outrage stemming from an abortion-related scene in the most recent Marilyn Monrow movie, “Blonde.”
The intensely controversial Netflix movie takes strides to humanize the unborn across various scenes and even includes the depiction of an overtly violent and forced abortion that haunts the actress.
“As film and TV shapes many people’s understanding of sexual and reproductive health, it’s critical these depictions accurately portray women’s real decisions and experiences,” stated the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national director of arts and entertainment engagement, Caren Spruch, to The Hollywood Reporter.
“While abortion is safe, essential health care, anti-abortion zealots have long contributed to abortion stigma by using medically inaccurate descriptions of fetuses and pregnancy,” the statement went on.
“Andrew Dominik’s new film, ‘Blonde,’ bolsters their message with a CGI-talking fetus, depicted to look like a fully formed baby.”
Sometimes, media depictions of abortion are portrayed as a simple choice for women with no consequences or even empowering. It is quite rare for the unborn child to be humanized at all, but it is when it comes to “Blonde” — a stance that seemingly infuriates those with Planned Parenthood.
“Planned Parenthood respects artistic license and freedom,” expressed the statement. “However, false images only serve to reinforce misinformation and perpetuate stigma around sexual and reproductive health care. Every pregnancy outcome — especially abortion — should be portrayed sensitively, authentically and accurately in the media.”
“We still have much work to do to ensure that everyone who has an abortion can see themselves onscreen,” exclaimed Spruch. “It is a shame that the creators of ‘Blonde’ chose to contribute to anti-abortion propaganda and stigmatize people’s health care decisions instead.”
As the director of the film, Dominik has staunchly defended “Blonde” from various pro-abortion critics, though, seemingly suggesting the film’s timing is kicking up unneeded backlash, making reference to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“I think the movie is pretty nuanced actually, and I think it’s very complex, but that doesn’t fit — people are obviously concerned with losses of freedoms, obviously they are,” explained the filmmaker to The Wrap. “ut, I mean, no one would have given a s*** about that if I’d made the movie in 2008, and probably no one’s going to care about it in four years’ time. And the movie won’t have changed. It’s just what sort of going on.”
Dominik went on to add that critics are looking at “Blonde” via “this Roe v. Wade lens.”
“They’ve got a certain agenda where they feel like the freedoms of women are being compromised, and they look at ‘Blonde’ and they see a demon, but it’s not really about that,” he stated. “I think it’s very difficult for people to step outside of the stories they carry inside themselves and see things of their own volition.”
