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S06.E06: Episode 6


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I'm attributing Trixie's reticence to the times they were living in. As "open" as we are today about so many medical issues, 50 years ago was quite different. Alcoholism would definitely have still been seen as a personal failing, and likely moreso in a woman. Heck, we still struggle with that notion even today.

I don't think it really has to do with the times.  I've had a friend who has gone through this.  He says it is something that is very personal, and while he would never be dishonest about it, it is not something he would volunteer to someone he had just started dating.  What he does is, if alcohol comes up, he just tells the person he doesn't drink, and if the relationship continues and he feels comfortable, he opens up more about the reasons.  Otherwise, it's not their business.  

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(edited)

bourbon, i really don't think the story meant to imply that it's "OK", nor to frame the society as  pro-woman.  I think the intention was to portray how the women of that culture feel about it from their own POV, why they do it willingly, and even consider it an important rite of passage - because in their perception, it is entirely a "women's thing".

Of course, in reality, we know that it's just one more sickening thing men do to subjugate and control "their" woman (as if a woman is an object to be owned. feh). But to the women brought up in it, it was "traditional" and "women's business"; to them it's a normal part of life - and I think that's along the lines of what the script was intending to portray.  Sad. Disturbing and sickening. And worst of all, it STILL goes on today.

For anyone wondering about the "famous supermodel from Somalia", that would be Waris Dirie, and her book is Desert Flower. Apparently there's also now a movie made from the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Flower-Extraordinary-Journey-Nomad/dp/0688172377

Edited by CathyS
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8 hours ago, bourbon said:

What the actual hell was that? I'm so confused. Are we actually supposed to even remotely think it's OK what happened to the Somali woman because it was done to her by a woman? That it's OK because Somali society is matriarchal? Because no no no no no no. And the fact that this show wasn't willing to take an even stronger stand against the genital mutilation of children (by women for the benefit of MEN) is and wrong and irresponsible. Gah, I know this show bends over backwards to be non-judgey and PC, but even framing the society that practices female circumcision as even remotely pro-woman because the woman is allowed to keep her maiden name is gross. More worried about offending someone than taking a stand, I guess. Blech. 

I disagree. Valerie basically yelled at her, which midwives aren't supposed to do, even when they disagree with their patients.

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I can't see how anyone could take from this episode that 'they' (the writers/the characters?) were okay with FGM. Although some efforts were made during the colonial period to ban the practice it remained a huge taboo and the majority of people outside the cultures where it was/is practiced had no idea. This has only changed since the 1990s and even then - after several decades of feminism - it was hard to gain attention and rally support. That's why it's still practiced today.

The show takes place in the 1960s where attitudes towards the female body and female sexuality were still far from what they are today even in western culture. The midwives and doctors were appalled but there was very little they could have done beyond that. To have them go into an excessive rant about the practice for reasons beyond the medical problems it causes would be anachronistic. And to have them yell/condescend/preach to the woman that she's insane would also have got the show into hot waters because that's a slippery slope down racist stereotypes of white people knowing better.

FGM is a problem caused by patriarchy but if you want to abolish it that's not going to help much - it's a theoretical viewpoint that hardly matters to people who are still caught in social structures that have been practiced for centuries. On the ground the people doing the cutting and often asking for it are women because the tradition is so deeply ingrained in their minds. There are harrowing stories of fathers who decided that their daughters should not be cut after having been in contact with the campaigns to abolish it but once they left to go to work the mothers ordered it anyway. It's a difficult situation even today after years and years of struggle 50 years later.

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The show takes place in the 1960s where attitudes towards the female body and female sexuality were still far from what they are today even in western culture. The midwives and doctors were appalled but there was very little they could have done beyond that. To have them go into an excessive rant about the practice for reasons beyond the medical problems it causes would be anachronistic.

I think in this case the midwives recognize their duty is to treat the patient they have, not the patient they would want.  Valerie was clearly horrified and angry, but there was nothing for her to do except try to educate about the danger.     

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(edited)
1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

To have them go into an excessive rant about the practice for reasons beyond the medical problems it causes would be anachronistic.

What *the characters* do, and what *the writers/producers* do are two different things. The writers can still have the *characters* act and speak in ways that are period appropriate and still make a stand about something. While there isn't a lot that the nurses could have done to save Deka or sway Mrs. Farah about the wrongness of her surgery, the *writers* could certainly have made much more of a point that the surgery was awful and to feel worse about Deka than a throwaway Vanessa Redgrave line and a shot of Deka waving cheerily from the deck of the ship.  Instead, there was this weird half-commitment. Yes, the surgery is awful, but it was her choice. Yes, she was botched, but we need to respect her rights to want it. What. Wait?

On top of that, we get that ridiculous speech from Mrs. Farah about how liberated Somali women were because they don't use their husband's names. And no, I don't think we were meant to accept that speech ironically. I think there was meant to be a certain amount of head-hanging on the viewers' part that the West isn't somehow as enlightened. Not to mention Nurse Crane's line about how cliterectomies were performed on Western women for "mental health" reasons. Yes, it was done. In the past. To a small, tragic minority. As opposed to the 92% of Egyptian women, or something equally horrifying, that are still being mutilated.  I'm not sure what the point of all that was, except to remove some of the accountability from the cultures that do it because, gee, we used to do it, too. 

It's fairly standard in this show that makes such an effort to be so hyper-inclusive of all viewpoints, all cultures, so nobody is right or wrong about anything. They had an opportunity to unequivocally condemn something, and I don't think they did for some fear of offending someone.

Edited by bourbon
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I understand wanting to see a little more outrage from the characters, but the total lack of judgement about anything, has been the show's hallmark from the beginning.  The show surely wasn't approving incest, but the young midwives got a bit of a lecture from the older ones when they were showing their shock over the old brother and sister couple who grew up in the workhouse. Another nun was frustrated by the sheer stupidity of a single teacher allowing herself to get pregnant by a married man, and she got a stern lecture for feeling that way, something I thought was sort of unfair to the nun.

  This time the younger sister going merrily off on a ship to her own doom,  reminded me of the orphan children going off on a ship to Australia and Vanessa Redgrave's voice telling us "Of course we know now that many of these children were abused."  Gah!  It's rough to watch, but it's lack of either sugar-coating, or lecturing, are   things I like about the show. 

 At least, they did show how terrible childbirth can be after the surgery and how shocking it appears to Western eyes, so maybe that will linger in the minds of some viewers who were thinking of having it done. 

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(edited)

Yes, the show has time and again approached harrowing subjects without resorting to characters acting as surrogates for a modern audience and making harsh (and sometimes anachronistic) judgements. Another example was the story of the young man who had to face prison/chemical castration as punishment for acting on his sexual orientation. Or when Jacob was shipped off to a life in another nursing home without his consent - a place where he was 'out of temptation' and where his sexual needs would be denied like those of the other inmates due to the taboo placed on the topic.

There are more examples but the base line is that in order to provide as much help as possible to an individual you can't judge and lecture the same time. The main characters are nurses/midwifes/caretakers first and foremost and as such they need the trust of the people in their charge - that's not going to happen if those people feel judged. Doesn't mean they're not feeling pain and anger and I would say there was plenty of that in this episode.

I get the point that certain aspects of the episode can be viewed as attempts at cultural relativism but I would not go as far as seeing the show making an argument that FGM is acceptable. I also don't think we are supposed to accept Mrs Farah's argument about the freedom of Somali women. Nevertheless it reflected a viewpoint/mindset that people objecting FGM had to and still have to address since many women living in regions where FGM is practiced object to the view that they are victims. In order to change that you first have to listen - otherwise you'll be viewed as patronizing or worse.

Edited by MissLucas
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58 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Yes, the show has time and again approached harrowing subjects without resorting to characters acting as surrogates for a modern audience and making harsh (and sometimes anachronistic) judgements.

Loved your entire post Miss Lucas, but particularly the bolded part.  I struggle in my book club to explain why I don't like some of our historical novels, I plan to steal that line. :)

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1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

I get the point that certain aspects of the episode can be viewed as attempts at cultural relativism but I would not go as far as seeing the show making an argument that FGM is acceptable. I also don't think we are supposed to accept Mrs Farah's argument about the freedom of Somali women. Nevertheless it reflected a viewpoint/mindset that people objecting FGM had to and still have to address since many women living in regions where FGM is practiced object to the view that they are victims. In order to change that you first have to listen - otherwise you'll be viewed as patronizing or worse.

This. To change a culture you have to understand the culture.

I recommend reading Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker (part of the Color Purple series) which is the story of a girl who undergoes the surgery due to pressure, and how it affects her in later life. It is not a pleasant read, and is definitely anti FGM, but it is well worth it.

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The show's writers consulted a leading anti-FGM activist and FGM survivor, Nimco Ali, when writing this episode. Whether you think the show succeeded in its goal or not, the intention was absolutely not to present the practice as acceptable, but to place it in the context of the times. Here are some articles: this one (from the Telegraph in the UK and published just before this episode aired there) is written by Nimco Ali. This one is more recent, published before the PBS airing of the episode, and it mentions Nimco Ali as well.  

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19 hours ago, Brattinella said:

What really pisses me off on this subject, is the imbeciles who call it "Female Circumcision".  It is NOT THAT.  Not even close!  Two different organs. This is a power play FOR MEN that is done TO WOMEN.

Also, I think there are some actual medical/heath benefits to male circumcision, but that could not be said for FGM. 

15 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't think it really has to do with the times.  I've had a friend who has gone through this.  He says it is something that is very personal, and while he would never be dishonest about it, it is not something he would volunteer to someone he had just started dating.  What he does is, if alcohol comes up, he just tells the person he doesn't drink, and if the relationship continues and he feels comfortable, he opens up more about the reasons.  Otherwise, it's not their business.  

I think Trixie did the right thing with "I'm on call" as a quick cover, but she's going to have to tell him some version of the truth if she wants to continue the relationship. Maybe she can ask someone at her AA meeting. She can't be the only one in the group who wants to date and have a social life. 

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13 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:
21 hours ago, bourbon said:

What the actual hell was that? I'm so confused. Are we actually supposed to even remotely think it's OK what happened to the Somali woman because it was done to her by a woman? That it's OK because Somali society is matriarchal? Because no no no no no no. And the fact that this show wasn't willing to take an even stronger stand against the genital mutilation of children (by women for the benefit of MEN) is and wrong and irresponsible. Gah, I know this show bends over backwards to be non-judgey and PC, but even framing the society that practices female circumcision as even remotely pro-woman because the woman is allowed to keep her maiden name is gross. More worried about offending someone than taking a stand, I guess. Blech. 

I disagree. Valerie basically yelled at her, which midwives aren't supposed to do, even when they disagree with their patients.

 

12 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Wow.  I totally agree with bourbon's comment.  Are you seriously in favor of this practice?

You misunderstood my comment. I disagree that the show approves of FGM, or did not show strong disapproval. Valerie, as a surrogate for the writers, spoke very sharply to her patient, which I'm sure the midwives are forbidden from doing.

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I understand wanting to see a little more outrage from the characters, but the total lack of judgement about anything, has been the show's hallmark from the beginningThe show surely wasn't approving incest, but the young midwives got a bit of a lecture from the older ones when they were showing their shock over the old brother and sister couple who grew up in the workhouse. Another nun was frustrated by the sheer stupidity of a single teacher allowing herself to get pregnant by a married man, and she got a stern lecture for feeling that way, something I thought was sort of unfair to the nun.

Yes.

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4 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Also, I think there are some actual medical/heath benefits to male circumcision, but that could not be said for FGM. 

I think the "benefits" of male circumcision have been called into serious question of late, but I agree that it's wildly unfair to try to equate that practice with FGM.

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I think the "benefits" of male circumcision have been called into serious question of late, but I agree that it's wildly unfair to try to equate that practice with FGM.

I agree they aren't really the same.  One may have medical benefits, and the other is apparently just leaving some kind of hole where a woman's genitalia was at one time. 

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11 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I agree they aren't really the same.  One may have medical benefits, and the other is apparently just leaving some kind of hole where a woman's genitalia was at one time. 

To my understanding, there is no milder form of FGM that leaves a woman capable of feeling sexual pleasure, unlike male circumcision. From what I've read there are degrees of FGM depending on the culture and location, ranging from the "merely" horrifying clitorectomy to the unbelievably horrifying like the Somalian woman, with variations in between. 

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I saw a couple of references to the book, The Handmaid's Tale. If you don't know, it has been made into a mini series airing on Hulu. I haven't begun watching yet, but it's supposed to be excellent. 

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(edited)

It's been nearly a week since this episode aired in my area, and the horror is still fresh in my mind. I knew about the practice, but didn't know most of the details. I am wondering how she was repaired? Obviously not the tiny hole, but what would they have been able to do? Just leave a larger opening?

When Valerie and I realized Deka was off to have the surgery I gasp-wept. I don't know if that's an actual thing, but that was my reaction. The story felt organic, but obviously a writer created her be an adorable little girl who was smart and loved searching for knowledge, whom we came to care about, and then, Boom! It made the horror feel personal.

Edited by Beezella
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On 5/8/2017 at 4:42 PM, sigmaforce86 said:

Did anyone catch the sign on the lawn of the house they bought?  I think the price was 2,995 pounds, which seems to be equal to a little over 42,000 pounds today.

I did notice it and looked it up before seeing your comment, but this site says 2,995 GBP in 1962 would be 61,398 GBP today (which is 79,265 USD).

On 5/8/2017 at 1:56 PM, AZChristian said:

As someone who can actually remember life in 1962, I will say that things were really different then.  I lived in Baltimore, and at the age of 12 was riding the city transit buses all over the place with no adult supervision.  It really was safer then.

I won't address safety, but Baltimore city middle and high school students who live a certain distance from their schools get passes to ride the public bus. Only the little kids get dedicated school buses.

Trixie, don't sleep in your eye makeup! In Trixie's absence the nurses seemed to be enjoying their in-room cocktails, so I hope that's not a problem for anyone, her or them, now that she's back.

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I think it handled the Somali woman's psychology pretty well, even regarding the sister. That's how this stuff perpetuates, because when there's cognitive dissonance about terrible things your parents/family have done to you, sometimes the only way to make everything okay is to adopt the mindset that made it possible in the first place. If it makes you respectable and pure and a noble wife, then you aren't a victim, you're just doing what needs to be done, and the people you care for most in the world aren't monsters, they're just doing their best to ensure your happiness.  That's human nature.  It's also human nature to adapt over time given new information, which she did.

 

I don't drink, not for addiction reasons but because I never cared for the taste, and even in the early 80s in college I would hold a glass and not drink because I didn't want people thinking I was an alcoholic. Because even then, 20 yrs after this show, the assumption was that not drinking = PROBLEM, and I didn't want to launch into defensive "just don't like it" explanations. Within a few years enough people drank or didn't that nobody cared, but I imagine in the 60s declining a drink for anything but professional reasons would have been a red flag.  And to be honest, I don't know that a couple of sips of wine would have been out of the question for somebody on call hours later, either. Reason for refusing a second glass, sure, but probably not the first.

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10 minutes ago, Diane M said:

How did she get pregnant?  Did he have a tiny penis?

It wasn't that her vagina was stitched closed.  Her clitoris was removed and she was sewn up in a way that would allow for menstruation, (painful) intercourse, and problematic childbirth.

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On 5/8/2017 at 11:13 AM, Ohmo said:

Can I come if this also applies to Shelagh? "Cuz you can take out "Sister Mary Cynthia" and substitute "Shelagh," and that's how I feel.  I find Shelagh to be insipid and whiny, and the breathy voice that Laura Main uses in character annoys me.  "Oh Patrick..."  Blech!  Dr. Turner could have chosen much better, in my opinion.

I agree.  I've never seen the actress is anything else, so I don't whether that's the way she usually acts.  Even when she's sad, she has this funny smile on her face.

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