I was just wondering if you have noticed that ER seems to balance out its storylines lately. I am really noticing it with these abortion storylines. In "Viable Options" a woman has a choice regarding abortion and she chooses to keep the baby. In the forthcoming episode there is a woman with a choice and she, it seems, decides to have the abortion. Both women make the choice without their husbands and both babies are bringing "hardships" on the mother. I wonder if they are doing this because the topic is so controversial or what. Actually, I don't like it when they do abortion topics. They are so explosive and really no one is going to change their mind either way, so it just alienates half of the audience. Any thoughts?

-- Rachel (rachelrr@ivillage.com), April 12, 2000

Answers

I do not like it either when ER (or any other show) does controversial topics like that. It depends on how they do it, though. If they present it as a believable storyline, where it is something that could really happen in a hospital, then it might be okay. But sometimes on TV shows, you can tell they are just trying to get some politically correct point across, like they're trying to get the audience to believe a certain thing, and the show is just being used as an outlet for the producers and writer's opinions. I hate it when they do THAT!

You're right though - most of us are adults who already have our own opinions on such issues, and something that happens with TV characters probably won't change our opinions. I guess it will depend on how they do this storyline.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), April 12, 2000.

If ER can portray the abortion issue in an honest, realistic, non- judgemental way, even if no one changes their opinion about abortion, at least maybe they'll take into consideration that someone else can be entitled to an opposing viewpoint. That's what's so important about any controversial issue...to allow people to have their own opinions and make choices relevant to their own lives for themselves. If ER can educate us, make us realize that abortion is out of the question for some people but an option for others, maybe there will be a little more understanding in the world. I realize that's asking a lot of a TV show, but if they're trying to do their part to educate a bit, we can't fault them for that. In fact, you could argue that it's ER's attitude toward controversial issues (AIDS and employees, patient's rights vs. caregivers' rights, dying with dignity, etc) that makes it such a compelling show.

-- nancy (ntc72@mailcity.com), April 13, 2000.