Choice 3: Write a 2-5 page essay that assembles powerful evidence to analyze a particular aspect of the dominant social practices around pregnancy & birth. Post it on your blog with an MLA works cited section. Due Wednesday, April 6 at 8pm.
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"This comic benefit was supposed to be for the benefit of children in Africa, but Brad and Angelina seemed to have adopted them all...." As the comedian on TV rattled on, I wasn't the only one who snickered at the ill humor. During years of Angelina Jolie and her adopted children getting mentioned in gossip column after gossip column, seeing her face slapped on the face of the National Enquirer in my grandmother's house, I never paid her much mind. In school, I still paid no mind to her in relation to 'curve the bullet' jokes I made no sense of until she was mentioned in a documentary we were watching in history class. The documentary was The Business of Being Born and on screen was a mother commenting on the high rates of Cesarean births in hospitals instead of at home. In the next moment, a midwife was shown adding on that if fashionable, popular celebrities like Angelina Jolie were to have home births, or midwife assisted births, more middle and low class women might opt to follow the 'trend' instead of the 'order your baby, pick your delivery day' option. This was advertised in some magazines after Britney Spears and other famous women opted for it and were interviewed on their method on giving birth. The Business of Being Born went on to announce that in some hospitals, mothers can also have a tummy-tuck just after giving birth while their on the operating table to lose the weight. "We need celebrities to endorse what we do," the midwife concluded. It was what she claimed would solve the current and literally largest problem of the birthing business.
99% of births occur in a hospital setting, as of the 21st century. "Whereas in 1900 almost all U.S. births occurred outside a hospital." (Marian F. MacDorman 17-23)
Bibliography:
Marian F. MacDorman , Eugene. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care. 1. 38. Hoboken, NJ: Blackwell Publishing, 2009. 17-23. Print.
Lake, Ricki, Prod. The Business of Being Born. Dir. Abby Epstein." Perf. Barnett Tracy, Julia, Louann Brizendine, Michael Brodman, Patricia Burkhardt, and Tina Cassidy. 2008, Film.
Vincent, Peggy. Baby Catcher: the Chronicles of a Modern Midwife. 1st ed. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2002. Print.
I was hopping to read about postpartum depression but this post was interesting as well, I think its gross that the hospitals are trying to use celebrities to convince expecting mothers to do what they want. One of the things I found most interesting was the quote by a midwife,
ReplyDelete""We need celebrities to endorse what we do," the midwife concluded. It was what she claimed would solve the current and literally largest problem of the birthing business."
It shows that midwives aren't all about holistic births and being one with your body, they're also about the money. Its seems like both doctors and midwives have different intentions then we thought.
Your post focused on how if celebrities such as Angelina Jolie were to have home births, then more Americans would follow the trend.
ReplyDeleteI valued that you took a different approach to your exploration, by this I mean that most people focused on subjects that we already had quite a bit of information about.
This project matters to me because I think if celebrities were to use their ability to influence the nation in a positive way, it would take attention off of who is dating who, and who is wearing what.
I think you have great ideas and I want to hear more, next time try to go into more depth in regards to your topic. I was also a bit confused because your presentation and your blogpost were about different ideas, however I found this to be interesting, good job.