Juno and the Culture Wars

Juno and the Culture Wars

Television and films are bursting with stereotypes of women. Whether it is abstinence until marriage or women being unemployed housewives, the stereotypes are apparent and thrive in the media. However, these stereotypes are outdated because society has moved away from these expected social norms. In 2007, director Jason Reitman created a motion picture that challenged traditional values, and it reflects the changing gender issues and social attitudes regarding teenage pregnancy. Reitman’s Academy Award winning film entitled Juno took the public by storm as it presented the struggles of a teenage girl coming to terms with her unplanned pregnancy. Since the movie’s release, numerous television shows have aired including ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and MTV’s “Sixteen and Pregnant” around the central theme of teenage pregnancy. Before this movie, teenage pregnancy was viewed with negative connotations. Juno tackles the issue head on, and accurately portrays societies changing views regarding teenage pregnancy. Juno should be commended as a turning point reflecting the changing social attitudes regarding teenage pregnancy.

The film begins with Juno McGruff staring at a recliner while drinking from a gallon container of Sunny-D juice, narrating to the audience that, “It all began with a chair.” This statement causes Juno to have a flashback to the day she had a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend Paulie Bleeker. The flashback is of Paulie sitting naked in the recliner waiting for Juno as she undressed and sat down on his lap. This is the extent of the sex scene in the PG-13 movie. After the sexual encounter, Juno goes to a convenience store to take a pregnancy test. Judging by Juno’s conversation with the clerk, she is taking her third pregnancy test of the day, and to Juno’s disbelief, the third test was giving the same positive reading for pregnancy as the other two.

After coming to terms with the test results, Juno calls her friend Leah who advises her to abort the child. Juno decides to go to a women’s clinic to get an abortion. Paulie supports Juno’s decision regarding the child because at this point in the film, Juno and Paulie like each other, but do not consider themselves to be dating, let alone ready to be a family with a child. In the parking lot of the clinic, Juno is approached by one of her classmates, Su-Chin, an anti-abortion protestor that tries to change Juno’s mind about the abortion. After sitting in the clinic waiting room, Juno decides against the abortion and meets up with Leah to discuss adoption and to make a plan to tell her dad and step-mom Mac and Bren McGruff that she is pregnant.

Juno informs her parents of the pregnancy, and although they were disappointed they were also supportive. Juno tells them she wants to give the baby to a couple she and Leah found. Mac goes with Juno to visit the prospective parents, Vanessa and Mark Loring. Vanessa cannot have children and is very excited by Juno's offer. The couple's lawyer prepares to negotiate an open adoption where Juno is updated on the child's development after birth. However, Juno had no interest and would rather have a closed adoption. The meeting concludes with Mark and Vanessa agreeing to pay for Juno's medical expenses.

Throughout the film, Paulie supports Juno’s decisions, however Juno disregards Paulie’s support, and instead relies more heavily on her parents, as well as the Loring family. Juno made a few unexpected visits to the Loring’s house, each suggesting Mark’s lack of enthusiasm about becoming a father. During one visit to the Loring’s residence, Mark tells Juno he is leaving Vanessa. Juno is shocked and tries to convince him to change his mind because she wants the baby to be raised in a loving family. As the Loring family discusses their pending divorce, Juno decides that she still wants Vanessa to be the mother. At home, Juno’s went into labor and the family rushes to the hospital. Afterwards, Juno concludes the movie by reiterating that “it all began with a chair, and ended with a chair [Vanessa’s rocking chair].”

        At the beginning of the movie, the initial flashback to the sexual encounter between Juno and Paulie sets the controversial tone for the entire movie. Teenage intercourse which is an ongoing issue around the world, is often neglected in the media due to society’s negative views on the topic. However, the movie depicts sex in such a way that immediately portrays society’s changing view in regards to teenage pregnancy. Showing the teens engaging in the sexual act suggests that casual experimentation between teenagers is a prevalent issue. Teen sex is actually on the rise. The New York times conducted a survey to monitor the increase in teen sex, and the survey concluded that “the number of teens having sex increased by 6% between the years 2007 and 2012” ( man a woman by showing two teens that are not in a relationship having sex. Juno is not condoning teenagers to participate in casual sexual encounters, it is only showing the reality of what is already occurring with teens across the country. Therefore it is showing a change in old social views where teenage sex was frowned upon, to society’s current acceptance with the issue.  

        Juno is a story of an unfortunate teen that actually became pregnant during protected sex. Although numerous teens do have sexual intercourse, contraceptives and other forms of birth control occasionally fail, leaving teens with the harsh reality of an unplanned pregnancy. Showing Juno in the convenience store taking the pregnancy test over and over exemplifies how shocked Juno is that she is pregnant. Juno is almost postponing the reality of what has happened much like any teenager would. This also is reaching out to the teenage audience, in an attempt to put into perspective the reality of birth control failure.