Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-3-2015
Abstract
As Oscar Wilde once said, "life imitates art far more than art imitates life", but there is a reciprocal relationship between the two. The more society talks about an issue, the more we are going to see that issue present in television, which then spurs even more discussion on that topic. Today, we use the media to understand what is important and popular in our society. Conversely, the media uses society to capture polarizing topics, such as abortion, to attract viewers. Media critics often argue that television has too large of an impact on developing societies perspectives. However, the viewpoint could be the opposite. I am making the argument that as societies understandings and viewpoints on abortion have evolved over the past decades with changing regulations, laws, and attitudes, the portrayal of abortion in the media has reflected that development. With studies done to find that three in ten women will have an abortion by age 45, we see how prevalent abortion is in our society, with about 21% of pregnancies ending in abortion1. By showing how the media's portrayal of abortion has reflected the transformation of societies views, we can see how the media and society have created a symbiotic relationship and how television mimics our reality. The media reflects societies current thoughts, and when portrayed equally this generates a greater understanding and discussion for both views on the issue. By knowing this relationship, we can use media as a way to produce healthy dialogue and explanations on certain topics that are currently significant to society.
Recommended Citation
Shain, Meghan, "Finding Common Ground: Abortion, Television, And The Changing American Culture" (2015). Pop Culture Intersections. 1.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/1
Included in
American Popular Culture Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, Nonfiction Commons