Fictional Film and Television Representations of (in)fertility Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes: Restitution Narratives and the ‘Faulted Female Body’ Myth

Abstract

This manuscript analyzes films and television (TV) portraying (in)fertility, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. A qualitative thematic analysis revealed that television series and films narratively resolve (in)fertility utilizing myths. Findings indicate that all TV shows and films in our study presented at least one derivation of an (in)fertility myth. We identified this overarching infertility myth as “the faulted female body” (FFB), with three derivations: structural failure (e.g., t-shaped uterus), mental failure (e.g., “overthinking” about conception) and hyperfertility (as a racist construct). The utility of FFB in allowing restitution of story arcs is not reflective of off-screen experiences for viewers dealing with (in)fertility issues. The manuscript unpacks the FFB myth with Silverman’s (2015) method of consciousness raising (CR) to correct popular media representations of embodied reproductive myths.