Like many popular films, JUNO perhaps enables the audience to explore in fantasy the boundary between the permitted and the forbidden. Does the film end by reaffirming the social status quo? Write a paragraph reflection dealing with your opinion on that. In what ways does the film transgress social norms?
Next, did you identify with the way Juno and Bleeker dealt with the situation? Was there anything that frustrated you in how they handled it? List some of these things, and make reference to Chapter 4 if possible on which writings do you think Juno was most aligned with. Why?
23 comments:
In my opinion to the abortion issues, is that it can be viewed in two ways
[pro's & con's}.
pro's are 1) to save a life. Usually they say after three months it's consider a life. 2)You can always give the baby up for adoption, for people who can't have babies. 3) Sometimes baby can change people's lives for good too.
con's are 1)If a young girl or a woman has been rape they shouldn't carry it if they don't want to. 2)A baby shouldn't be born under the conditions of diseases. 3)If the mother is in danger I think she should abort the baby to save her life, but in some condition as religious aspect to die for someone is the ultimate sacrifice. 4) In some other cases abortion are helpfull because the child might be in danger if the parents from either side don't wanna deal with it.
Now a days people are more accepting, and have more rights to make their own decisions, and that's one of the differences between now and back in the golden days.
On some level I do feel like the movie ended with the return of social status quo. Teen pregnancy is not an uncommon thing these days and I think adoption is still something that teens decide to do. I personally am pro choice so if you choose to have an abortion, it's your body and you can make that decision. I don't feel that any transgression occurred due to the normalcy of teen pregnancy and adoption. As for the way Juno and Bleeker handled the situation, I did not agree with the way they handled the whole thing. I felt that Juno should have involved Bleeker more, and If i where him I would have been mad that I wasn't informed about the birth of the baby.
Kristy Killian
2/13/09
Well, everyone has his or her own opinion about the subject of abortion. I personally feel that it is not right and should never be consider something that is ok. Although, in this day and time I do feel that it is something that should be considered in particular situations. I mean it is not fair for an innocent child to be born with aids, handicaps, mental problems, physical disabilities, abusive parents, a life of poverty, or for a woman to die while being pregnant or giving birth, etc…. But it is something to think about when we have had some really brilliant people born in those situations, example Albert Einstein. http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_0060.shtml It is a really uneven answer that many people question.
With the movie Juno, I felt that this was not a realistic perception of what real life is about and that it spins teenage pregnancy and sex in a fairy tale way. Weird fairy tale, but in a fantasy way. I did not like how Juno and Bleaker handled the situation at all. I mean once Juno found out, yea she was worried a little but acted as if ok this is just something that happens ok how am I going to deal with it. There was no discipline you could say. No remorse about the sadly to say an acknowledgeable mistake that she made. She did show the feelings about how this effects her parents and how good of a role model she ways to her younger sister. I felt that Bleaker should have had an equal participation in the whole event. With the movie leaving Juno to handle everything is makes guys feel as those they have to responsibilities when it come to sex and having a baby whether planned or not. Guys should have a say so as well. I was very frustrated with the was Juno did not inform Bleaker on everything and how Bleaker was relieved that Juno’s parents weren’t going to rat him out, especially since she did have the baby. Having a baby doesn’t just affect the two responsible for the act but also the family and friends involved. I really don’t think that Bleaker parents would be happy to find out that they have a grandchild that they have never meet living as an adoptive child. There are a lot of things that bother me about this movie mostly because it expresses a lighthearted feel to it. With a movie about teenage sex, pregnancy, and adoption I think that there should have been more realistic situation shown. It is nice to see a happy ending on an uneven situation but when you have millions of teenagers going to the theaters to watch it then I think you need to reinforce a fear than fall-la-la-la-la type of approach.
I have to say that although I really liked the movie, it bothered me the sense of detachment with the pregnancy. I think emotions are inevitable when dealing with teen pregnancy and Juno just treated hers like a haircut!
At the same time that detachment may also be a part of been way too young to feel involved with your own life. I mean that at age 16 most of your decisions are being made by somebody else (parents, teachers, media...), so maybe that’s an explanation.
In any case I would have been much more involved in the whole process if I were in Bleeker’s shoes. It bothered me a great deal that the movie treats the pregnancy like something that is only defining in a woman’s life but it completely ignores its impact in the man’s.
I don’t think the movie reaffirms the status quo. If anything the movie is all about changing the perception that teen pregnancy (or the options involved) are shameful, outrageous or the end of the world. Its a breath of fresh air.
I did like the way Juno owned up to it though, even with the notion that “she didn’t know what kind of girl she was”, she didn’t hide it or pretended that she was any different and that, by today standards is a bold transgression of the social norms.
I found the movie somewhat entertaining but i feel like it ended somewhat abruptly. It seemed to me like the pregnancy never even happened, yes it did bring Juno and Bleeker even closer but they were already as close as it gets considering he got her pregnant. As for the issue of abortion i am pro choice, i feel that if she wants to get an abortion then it should be her choice if she wants to get it or not.
My view:
No one has the right to take away someone's ability to choose. What that individual chooses is for them to deal with.
Well lets see... First off, there wasn't really anything that could be considered controversial in the movie, aside from the fact that they were teenagers and they had pre-marital sex. So what? Kids do it all the time, its called growing up. You tell kids not to do something and their natural response is to go out and at least try it, and if they like it, do it some more. Its too much the issue of not properly educating the children. Parents should step up and take that responsibility, and schools SHOULD have sexual education classes that teach kids. I had both, some have one or the other or none. A friend of mine who is 19 now had neither and was highly under-educated. Though it might have been a good thing, in his case, it was still sad.
As for abortion, let it be man. Just let it be. Legalize it, it would be a safer alternative than to have illegal and back ally abortions which can cause major infections and likely lead to the death of the mother. It's the woman's choice and I'll be damned if I, or any other man or woman, has the right to tell them other wise. If you're against it, wake up and smell the coffee, there's nothing you can, nor should you, do about it. Let others decide for themselves, don't play God with their lives. Oh, and killing the babies is just as much as playing God as conceiving, no, letting them live and gain a conscience is just as much playing God as killing them. So, even if there is a God, stop playing him thinking you can make a difference. And further more, if there is a God, then its ultimately his fault this kind of surgery even exists. He gave us free will, did he not? But he doesn't, so yeah. And as far as this status quo bullshit goes, fuck it. Leave it alone. Everyone just back off and let nature take its course. Thats all you really can do, arguing over things like this is just a medium to distract you from the bigger problems in the world. I'm not going to get into that, but I think you can let your imaginations wander for a bit.
Of course, this is just me ranting, you believe what ever it is you want to believe. I for one believe that I see beyond the bureaucratic bullshit and can somewhat see the truth. I don't feel the need to the need to explain myself on that issue, if you don't like it, take it up with me later, if not, again I say "let it be".
Here's a link to my Abortion video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddjCJ6ArDA0
enjoy.
Abortion is not really issue I like to talk about; I can be pretty single-minded when it comes to whether it is right or wrong. I personally believe the only acceptable reason a woman should get an abortion is if she was raped. When you make that decision to have sex there are certain responsibilities that comes with it; the possibility of getting an STD, the possibility of becoming pregnant, and all the feelings that come with having sex. If you make that decision to have sex then you also make the decision to deal with what ever comes with it. I know younger people don’t think about it like that, but it’s about time they did. A friend of mine like Juno got pregnant in high school, however unlike Juno she grasped the importance of the situation. She did not get an abortion, she did not give it up for adoption. She saw it for what it was, it was her decision to have sex and now it was her baby that she was carrying. He is now three years old and she is a wonderful mother, with a wonderful support system. I realize not all girls can be as lucky as she was. However I do think it’s about time girls and guys start taking responsibility for their actions. I know several girls who treat abortion as their birth control, they have gotten several abortions and it just makes me sick. In this movie I thought it was sending a very bad message out to teenagers. Juno and her parents acted like her being pregnant at that age was a pretty normal thing and that it wasn’t serious. Being pregnant at any age but specifically sixteen is a big thing it matters. I also did not like how Bleeker wasn’t involved what so ever, it made it seem like a man has no responsibility if he gets a girl pregnant, which is completely ridiculous, it's just as much his responsibility as it is hers.
I do not believe that the movie portrayed what would have really happened when Juno told her parents that she was pregnant. Both of her parents kind of acted like it was no big deal when, in my opinion it was a big deal. This was a new life she was bringing into the world. And how could she carry the baby for 9 months and not have any feelings towards it whatsoever. I just didn't get that part. Even Bleeker's mother didn't seem to have a reaction about the situation.
As far as abortions go, I truly think it depends on the situation. If someone is using abortion as a form of birth control, I believe that is wrong, but if the mother will be in physical danger or was possibly raped and had to relive that trama everytime she saw that child, who knows how that child's life would turn out. It could be good or bad. The child could end up getting abused too. Every situation is different. At the same time, I would not judge anyone on what they decided to do. Most people have done things in their life that they regret, but dealt with it the best they could at that time.
I personally don't think I could ever have an abortion, because I think I would always wonder how that little being would have turned out.
A lot of women take the miracle of life for granted. There are a lot of women that, for whatever reason, can not have children of there own. And that is a sad thing too. Denise H.
In my opinion, I think abortion is not right because there are other ways to help out a woman that is pregnant in her teens. You can't just throw away an innocent life while it is still progressing inside of the mother and decide to just do it because you don't want to have the child. There are other options. Like in the movie, much as Juno want to have an abortion, but she understands that the baby needs to be loved and if she can't do it because she is still young, she found a way to help her situation. She made a right decision to give up the baby and gave it to a happy couple that can't produce a baby.
Abortion is exceptable if there is a problem with the baby or a woman is involved in a rape. If I was a girl and I'm 16, I would keep the baby and raise it with or without the father. Since I'm in school, I can have my parents help me raise it while I continue my education and I get a job or hire a nanny that I can trust. I don't want to have a nanny take over, just only when I'm in school or work, when I'm home or have a day off, I can take care of him/her.
Bottom line, I guess abortion is both a right and wrong decision. It depends on the situation. The only thing I don't like about abortion is that, people don't like to live as a single parent and they want to give it up right away. They do have a choice to put their baby in for adoption and other couples who can't produce can raise them.
I think Juno was a great movie, but I do think Bleeker should have been more involved. In the movie Bleeker was the age of 16 or 17 and he may have been too young to even realize what was going on. At the end of the movie you could tell that he did care for Juno. Abortion is a tough wall for anybody to face, Juno made the right decision in the movie, but in reality, being pregnant in high school can be a very scary situation. Although Juno’s role in the movie handled the situation of being pregnant in high school, I think in reality things would have been a lot tougher.
i thought the movie was excellent. first of all about the whole abortion thing ,i believe its the persons choice. me personally i wouldn't but thats me. as far as the movie goes and whoever said that it was too "lighthearted" and not realistic doesnt live in the real world. many parents of teenage kids who are pregnant would be thrilled to be grandparents and wouldn't be that mad. Im pretty sure thats exactly how my parents would've reacted if i was 17 and told them i was having kid. you do not need to make teenagers afraid to tell their parents they're pregnant, that's what leads to back alley abortions. juno did a wonderful thing for a family who couldn't have children, even though they didn't stay together.
I believe life is important and should be protected. The live of the child and the life of a woman. And I very much to respect a woman’s rights to decide what is best for herself. Deciding to take on the responsibility of another life is one of the most important decisions any person can make and no matter what they need to make sure it is what they want. I also think it is very ill responsible for anyone to bring a child into the world if they can’t take care of the needs of that child or refuse to do what is necessary to make sure the child is taken care of. I really enjoyed the move Juno and thought that the right decision was made because you are lead to believe that the child got what was best out of the situation. I only wish that Bleaker had a bigger role.
I feel the film did reaffirm a small portion of the social quo; but viewers can't funnel them all into that category.
Some teens are sexually active and get pregnant, but not all teens are sexually active; not all teens that are sexually active are as irresponsible with it as presented in the movie.
I don't blame the director for transgressing the social norm though. If he made a movie about remarkable socially responsible teenagers who are pushing for a brighter future, nobody would watch it. Because he pulled out an extreme in the social quo, he produced an entertaining and interesting film.
I don't feel that Juno made the right or wrong decision, but she did make her decision. Both of the options have their perks and their downfalls, but nothing extreme enough where we should prohibit an individual from the right to choose.
Instead of investing all of our money trying to block out ones right to choose; we should invest the money and educate our children so they shouldn't even be presented with this hard decision.
Danita,
I did an art piece on my support for being "Pro-Life". I believe that a child is a gift from God and that it is a blessing for all women.
Juno is a very well done movie, because it takes a serious subject and blends good comedy in seamlessly. The characters deal with their situations in their own unique way. while the subject of abortion is a delicate one I feel that people need to respect a woman's decision either way. What a woman does with her body is her own business. However I do believe that the character Juno should have gave Bleeker more of a voice on the situation since he was the father, and that Bleeker should have taken more initiative in the final decision.
I feel that the movie was more of an extreme case in abortion. Also i think that it can be looked at in both pro life and pro choice. My reasoning is that at first Juno didn't really think it through and was just going to get it taken care of without even telling bleeker or even letting him know, granite he said do whatever you think is best. Then because of the Asian girl changed he mind with the comment on the finger nails which is good, but i don't think that she should have not let Bleeker be involved was wrong and he should have been more of a man and done his role in a much better and productive way.
i really enjoyed this movie. with me being in high school only a few years ago, i felt that this movie connected with the social norm. the only main difference was that girls from my school ended up keeping thier babies rather than giving them away. however one very connective aspect of real life and the movie is that alot more younger kids are being more sexually active and are having children. i did agree with how juno handled the situation because iffel that was a better decision rather than getting an abortion, and continue having unprotected sex. i really feel bad for bleeker in the situation he was in, because he didn't know what to do and he wanted to make juno happy. i on the other hand, could never have done what bleeker did in the movie. i would of had to man up and take responsibility for my mess up and i would raise the kid as a single parent before giving away my kid. however, in many aspects especially juno's it was a better choice to give away the baby rather than raising in bad circumstances. i am also happy that she had the baby and acted more mature and grown up.
Abortion is a huge issue in todays society and one that hits close to home for me because of situations in my past. When I was 15 i got my girlfriend of 18 pregnant. It wasn't planned and we both were scared of what might happen. I stayed optimistic though because after telling my family, my parents were pissed but openly supportive with the situation. My girlfriend at the time was not so optimistic and refused to tell her parents on the grounds that she thought she would be disowned. She felt that I was too young to raise a baby and we wouldn't be able to support ourselves. She ended up telling her two older sisters and they convinced her to get an abortion in secret and to not tell anyone, not even me. I found out after she had the procedure without telling me about it. I was crushed and was completely against abortions after. A few years later though, a close friend of mine was raped and beating up pretty bad by someone and ended up getting pregnant. The idea of giving birth to the baby was so traumatic because of how it was created bothered her so much, she would have complete break downs and couldn't function. When the idea of an abortion came up, she didn't want to end a life but knew she wouldn't be able to ever let what happen go if she had the baby. In the end she chose the abortion and a few of her close friends and I, may not have liked the idea of the abortion, stood by her and gave her support. My views haven't changed much in the past 10 years, I am still against abortion but won't pass judgement for those who have other circumstances like rape or death. Juno was a cute, hollywood way to spin off teen abortion but young people still need to realize how serious teen pregnancy really is. Hopefully people get the right message from this movie and don't think everything will always turn out ok...
i think that the movie juno was a very cool movie because it adressed the subject f teen pregnancy and abortion and adoption in a way that i personally had not seen before. i think they did an awesome job presenting the situations of the two teeanagers.
i agree with the decision juno made of not having an abortion, i agree on abortion only if it is a natural abortion but under any other condition i believe it is inmoral. However, even though i liked that she had the baby and gave it for adoption i cannot understand how somebody could do that. to have you baby in your arms after carrying it for 9 months and simply decide to give it away? i cant imagine that and i think it is selfish.
maria Gazabon
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