Is it completely crazy that I think breastfeeding should at least be brought up in shows about raising a baby?
Hubby and I decided to try out the new show “Up All Night” on Hulu tonight. It looked cute and I love Maya Rudolph, so we gave it a whirl, knowing that everyone’s idea on how to parent is different and we wouldn’t agree with everything.
Before you ask, I do know the show’s a sitcom and I do have a sense of humor. Most of the time 😉
The pilot episode started with a couple, Chris and Reagan, finding out their life is going to change with the arrival of a baby. It then jumps ahead about a year to their life after the baby’s born and Reagan (played by Christina Applegate) returning to work. I’m assuming their baby is about three months old then.
One of the first conversations they have, as Reagan is off to work, is about their upcoming seventh anniversary. They lament over their need to get out and drink, smoke, and have the freedom to “be idiots” again. Then, soon after that, is a scene where Reagan tells Eva, her boss and, seemingly, best friend – played by Maya Rudolph, that she’s the same person she was before the baby and can participate in the office-wide body cleanse.
They do live a very different life from ours, but what I really didn’t understand was the complete absence of breastfeeding as even a topic of conversation. It was as if, just because she was returning to work, obviously, the baby takes formula and now she can finally abuse her body again. Woo hoo!
I wish television and movies didn’t completely discard the idea of breastfeeding for the first year and beyond, like no one does it. It would have been perfectly reasonable if they mentioned a failed attempt at breastfeeding and/or pumping or even a privacy issue at work, so it wouldn’t seem so much like she cared most about the ability to do/consume what she wanted.
But, maybe I’m blowing things out of proportion?
In any case, I think I’ll still give it a second chance. I mean, they did cover the very relevant point that regular cheese is no where near the fancy cheese in the super market and that can be very frustrating and confusing! That, and I love that the dad gave up his law career to be a stay at home dad and he rocks at it. Plus, still love Maya Rudolph. Ultimately, the parents love their baby, know it’s important to be a dependable part of their daughter’s life, and place importance on weekend family time.
I feel like I spend a considerable amount of time walking a fine line between wanting to be all Lactivist and not wanting to offend people, but no one can tell me that the absence of breastfeeding in mainstream television and movies doesn’t contribute to the negative stigmas surrounding breastfeeding in our country.
I feel myself getting all soapbox-y, so I should probably stop myself before I get carried away. 🙂
Miranda recently posted..Justice is (not) served
I can completely relate. I love breastfeeding and I know how great it is, but I also know that things don’t always work out as smoothly for others as they did for me. That and not everyone is aware of the benefits before they have their baby.
I agree with what you said on FB. It really doesn’t help the already negative connotations around breastfeeding when it’s never even mentioned on TV.
I met this woman at a play place the other day and she assumed I used formula with LM because she had. She didn’t think she consumed a healthy enough diet, so she just gave up. It’s such a shame that people think it’s healthier to make the formula switch so their child gets the “right” nutrition :/ rather than nursing, no matter what they eat. It’s called vitamins…
Ok, I’m done now too 🙂
I was curious, so I watched it too. Husband and I couldn’t making fun of it. Not just because we make fun of everything, but because, like you bring up, it wasn’t terribly accurate. First of all, that baby looks like it’s a good six months old and probably sleeping more than they imply. No breastfeeding mentioned, and the couple looks at least a decade older than me. We’re in our late twenties and don’t get the urge to party all the time. Are you telling me these people were really dying to go to that house party?…LOL and let me add an extra hahahahahahaha
Paige Kellerman recently posted..Like Strands Through The Hour Glass: A Missing Hair Stylist Mystery
Um, yeah! You totally hit the nail on the head with that comment. I love your perspective.