Selena is pregnant.
This is a character in Casualty, a long running BBC Series for those who don’t know. (I like Casualty, and the partner series, Holby) Not a real person! Now the (fictional) father could be either Nathan - the prostitute using ineffectual Dept Manager or Harry, the ex consultant. I think we might find out next week. Not that it matters really.
So, what will they do next? There’s the obvious "Who’s the Daddy?" plot, but she won’t be allowed to simply have a baby, go on maternity leave and then return a few months later will she? They never are. They did the same with Janice Taylor (character in Holby - partner series to Casualty) She was a paed consultant and got pregnant - cue hubby having an affair, her catching him and throwing him out. I think she actually got to have the baby but after horrendous complications and she never came back. We never saw Otter ward again! Then there’s Connie. She’s portrayed as a strong woman who gets what she wants. That part I like. But why does she have to be so tied to the men in the series? Oh, so she can get pregnant, provide another extreme storyline and probably then leave. She can’t simply be a strong woman who is a brilliant surgeon, oh no, not dramatic enough.
Because pregnant women, or women with kids just can’t hold down a "proper" job can they? I mean, look at Diane, she aborted her baby, then lost custody of her dead sister’s baby. So, as a childless woman she can be a successful surgeon right? Had she kept either baby that would have been the end of her career - I remember her actually saying something to that effect.
Both series are full of stereotypes, as is most television. But the portrayal of women with children and pregnant women struck me over the Selena story. Maggie and Tess have kids. But their kids are pretty much grown and only appear when there’s some trauma or crisis. Useful plot devices.
Charlie and Harry both have kids. Both are single fathers. But do we see their kids? No. They get to hold down a career with no problems - only interrupted when the kids have a crisis.
Yeah, I know, it’s not real is it? Is it though? Is it really fiction? The characters are inventions, the plots are made up for dramatic effect. So in that sense, yes, fiction. But in this portrayal of women? I think not. I know so many women who have been pressured to return to work after having a baby, then pushed into a dead end role - because of family responsibilities.
Not fair. Motherhood is a womans choice, a choice that should be open to all. A choice. Not a societal expectation, not something demanded as part of our patriarchal role fulfilment. A proper choice. My womb is my own, it’s a powerful thing, it creates life, it nurtured my 2 children for nine months each. I love it and it’s mine. All mine.
Someone asked me what job I do, where I work. It was last week. I waved at this PC and said I work from home. "So, who is your employer?" I don’t have one, I run my own business. **raised eyebrow** As if a single mother is completely incapable of such a phenomenal feat.
Go take a look - This is my business. I designed the website myself, with the help of another single Mum who works from home so she can be there for her kids. There are more of us out there than you think. More powerful women claiming their place, making their own way.
