Diabolical Motherhood

To reflect on the fourth anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Emily C. Hughes invokes another event, now 50 years past: the release of the horror movie The Omen. Hughes uses the famous film—and its prequel, which was released after Roe’s demise—to interrogate cultural depictions and political expectations of female bodily autonomy. This is an urgent essay and smart film analysis in one neat package:

The ability to get pregnant, in our society, means that for the duration of your fertile years, you’re seen with double vision, like a ghost of yourself superimposed over who you actually are. You are yourself, of course: a human with desires and opinions and wants and needs, who likes stupid action movies, who wants to learn Italian someday, who would rather eat lo mein than General Tso’s, who prefers this route to the grocery store over that one. But you are also a vessel for potential offspring, Schrodinger’s uterus awaiting a tenant. You are constantly reminded of your expected duty: to bear a child, regardless of your feelings on the matter. Friends, family, doctors, and even total strangers pass judgment disguised as advice through pursed lips on everything from tattoos to dietary choices to careers: But what about when you get pregnant? The aggregated message is that you, yourself, are not enough. The fact of your personhood isn’t sufficient. Babies take priority, while birthing parents are disposable. The actual must bow its head to the potential.