Like Mona, I always seem to see movies like an embarrassingly long time after everyone else. So, in that spirit, I have some thoughts in my pretty little head about Juno.
At first, I almost shut it off. The whiny hipster speak, along with the precious indie soundtrack was a leetle, um, I don’t know, UNDERGRAD, for me. Although I was won over by “Honest to Blog?” and I thought Michael Cera was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, and the casting of Juno’s parents (JK Simmons and Allison Janney) were absolutely prefect.
So what eating me, you ask? It’s the pro-life groups “claiming” this movie as their own. OMFG this is SO missing the point. Juno CHOSE to continue her pregnancy. She CHOSE adoption. Can’t we be pro-choice and still choose to give birth?
Except for the 10 year age difference (I was 26) and the snappy comebacks (I have NONE), my situation was quite similar.
My pregnancy was *ahem* unplanned. Like I just signed a lease renewal on a studio apartment 40 miles away from The Highlander unplanned. Sure, we’d talked about marriage, but we figured there was plenty of time for that, because we’d only been dating three months.
Then BAM! comes 2 pink lines. I was scared shitless. And I was in a pretty OK place, relatively speaking. I was 26, had my own apartment, a job, a stable relationship, not addicted to drugs, etc, and yet I still thought, “What have I done?”
I’m willing to admit that I considered abortion. As afraid as I was, I knew I didn’t want to. But I forced myself to think about it, and I kept coming up with the same answer. I chose to continue the pregnancy. The Highlander and I chose to raise her. I knew then that if I hadn’t made those choices I would have regretted it the rest of my days. I”chose life”. But that doesn’t make me a “pro-lifer”. I don’t pat myself on the back for it either. It was a selfish choice. I followed my heart.
Leaving aside the political rhetoric, yes, I have nothing against “life”. Unless those lives grow up to annoy me. (Just kidding). I don’t go around wearing “I Heart Abortion” T-shirts. Likewise, I don’t assume that MY choice is the ONLY choice. If a friend chose an abortion, I’d drive her. I’d likewise throw a baby shower if she chose to raise the child.
I have respect for other’s beliefs. I can still be your friend even if you don’t believe in a flying spaghetti monster. And I TRY HARD to respect peoples choices in all things. And being on the internet as much as I am, I do read about a lot of different choices. Some make me nod my head in agreement, and some make my yell at my computer screen, but that’s as far as it goes.
Except if your clothes are ugly or you act like a total dillhole, all bets are off, I let the expletives fly. 
17 responses so far ↓
Tessie // May 2, 2008 at 10:17 am
I am SCARED of this movie, since the opinions on it swing WILDLY. I remember one blogger saying that tons of people were bawling their eyes out in the theater, so it must strike a chord either way.
Sam // May 2, 2008 at 11:25 am
Great post, M. I agree with you about the lingo at the beginning of the movie…made my skin crawl.
But it got better.
Thanks for sharing your story. I am in your camp regarding choice. Choice means lots of options. Hence the name.
Rebecca // May 2, 2008 at 11:32 am
A-FUCKING-MEN, SISTER!! Stupid Anti-Choicers. I don’t know if I could terminate either, but then again, I’m almost 26, not 16. I think abortion is sad, but I always respect a woman’s right to choose it.
Juno is a pro-choice movie. She was able to make the decision that was right for her because she had a choice!!
It’s kind of like uh, that one guy who’s name I can’t remember: “I may not like what you have to say, sir, but I will defend to my death your right to say it”
No one LIKES having abortions, COME ON. I hate that anti-choicers go around acting like people get pregnant on purpose just so they can have abortions. GRrrrrrr!
Anyway, you’re a warrior. I’m almost 26, and I can’t imagine seeing “2 pink lines.” All I know is if that happened, that there is a certain pharmaceutical company that would be getting a NASTY NASTY letter from me!! (That is assuming I were alive to write one, the bf might kill me first!)
Okay, I’ll quit ranting.
And BTW, I’m an adamant pro-choicer, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED JUNO. Okay, I also have a little bit of a crush on Michael Cera.
banana // May 2, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Speak it. I agree completely - choice is just that. I have no right to decide how another family should live and that extends to the decision of having babies.
Procrastamom // May 2, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I don’t know why pro-life groups have grabbed onto Juno in support of their message. The movie actually makes fun of pro-lifers, what with the girl outside the clinic shouting “babies just want to get borned!”
I loved Juno, from the teen speak to the music. I guess maybe because I was closer to her age when I saw those two pink lines (18!). I also call penises “pork swords” now, thanks to Juno.
Oh and I’m pro-choice and I totally believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but my clothes are ugly and I’ve been known to act like a dillhole once or twice in the past. Can we still hang?
tracey // May 2, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I am of the thought that abortion “is” murder… but don’t shut me down just yet. I believe that abortions ARE necessary, in the most extreme of situations. I truly, TRULY wish that there was more support for young and unwed mothers or women without aid. I don’t believe that adoption is a cure for unplanned pregnancies. I don’t believe that abortion is ever a choice made lightly, by ANYone.
Mainly, abortion needs to be legal. It needs to be an option for women that is safe, clean, and has counselling available, no matter what a woman decides. Birth control and sex education needs to be so extremely commonplace that only rare cases of birth control failing or forced intercourse is what results in unplanned pregnancies.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that I believe life starts at conception. I believe there IS a soul in a tiny seedling of a child. My heart hurts for every woman who ever has to make that decision…
Michelle // May 2, 2008 at 1:53 pm
You know I’m with you on the pro-choice stuff. I hate that pro-lifers seem to think that making the choice to not have an abortion means you are pro-life. I had an oops pregnancy at 31 (yeah, think I would have heeded those ‘antibiotics may interfere with the effectiveness of this medication’ stickers after all of those years). I had only been with my hubby for 5 months. I was scared to death. I reviewed my options and decided that I personally couldn’t terminate - but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think every woman has the right to make the decision herself. (Nature decided to spontaneously end my pregnancy.)
LOVED Juno. I related on a couple of levels - as an adoptive mom and as a newly pregnant chick.
Cheri // May 2, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I pretty much loved Juno, and I agree with you it is totally about choice, as it should be. If you believe in life, choose it. Duh. And, now that we’re at it, I don’t even like the words, “Pro-Life,” because it infers that to disagree is “Pro-Death,” which does not describe either choice for the pregnant woman.
Cheri // May 2, 2008 at 3:14 pm
P.S. If I ever act like a dillhole, I’ll count on you to tell me.
LOL.
Alleen // May 2, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Amen. I still haven’t seen it… I want to, but gee, come to think of it, I’ve only been out without a certain little one like 3 times in almost 2 years… ugh, I need to find a good babysitter.
Megan // May 2, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I loved Juno, but was totally prepared to be annoyed by the “undergrad” of it all. And, seriously, I had no idea that it was being so embraced by Pro-Lifers. Did they see the movie? Do they not have a sense of irony? At any rate, I am totally with all your thoughts on this–choice is just that, a choice. There doesn’t need to be a “right” or “wrong” way to proceed with such a personal situation, and I’ll be damned if someone ELSE gets to tell me what to do with MY uterus, thankyouverymuch.
HabeshaChild // May 2, 2008 at 9:25 pm
LOVED that flick, and have no idea why pro-lifers think it is doing them any favors.
I couldn’t agree with you more. On all of it.
Gibb // May 3, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Okay, I just saw this movie too. Count me in on the “always see the movie way after the rest of the world” list. But I loved it. Everything about it. Didn’t know pro lifers were claiming it as their own. I guess you grab whatever you can to try to spin your point of view.
loren // May 4, 2008 at 11:44 pm
I can’t believe someone said “flying spaghetti monster” and I actually knew what they were referring to! ;0)
Juno had its moments, which surprised me because, like you said, the beginning was a little odd. My favorite line was from the dad, “Next time I see that kid, I’m gonna punch him in the weiner.”
MizFit // May 5, 2008 at 11:30 am
love the movie
and always love GEORGE MICHAEL.
Kelly // May 5, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Loved Juno. I am with you 100% on the pro-choice stuff. Peace out
Kevin // May 9, 2008 at 12:53 pm
It’s a post like this one that keep me coming back to read.
Thanks.
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