Thursday, February 20, 2014

ONE OF MANY COMPLAINTS FOR LOVE CHILD.


I tuned into the the first episode of 'Love Child' during this week.



I was, first of all, disgusted that true experiences worthy of a Prime
Minister's apology, a Premier's apology and several Archbishop's apologies
could possibly become a topic / plot for a soap opera - how disgustingly
insensitive!!



I believe this television series sets about portraying the girls at the home
for unwed mothers as  'rebels' & promiscuous (since the early scene shows
the main actress having sex in a car while reading a book!!) - this I could
not believe could be the introduction to the first episode - what a picture
that paints of any birth mother!!.



The series is set in 1969 - which is referred to many times as the 'sexual
revolution' - I could not help noticing scenes with couples huddled in
corners kissing, throughout in subways, on street corners etc which only
shabbily re affirmed the obviously generalised picture they sought to
portray to their television audience of general promiscuity.



How dare they be soo careless and totally insensitive I thought!  How dare
they take such a traumatic time in the lives of so many people choose to
judge and generalise and summise and then whatsmore press 'send' so to
speak!



Does ALAS  Qld have any idea if any formal research has been carried out in
relation to this series?  Has there been any other feedback from birth
mothers/children? ( God forbid),  has this television company had access to
our personal submissions?


(Name supplied)

ALAS has had many complaints about this program and for all the reasons you have mentioned. Our submissions can be found on line if you agreed to make it public.
You may look at the website from the inquiry and send them an email direct.
ALAS was not contacted about this program and sent many emails and members rang to even make channel 9 aware of their duty of care fo their viewers. Their reply about the program was, "it is fiction".
ALAS also believes that many mothers and children will be re-traumatised by this series.
You could also email channel 9 yourself to voice your complaint.
Many, myself included did not watch the program but I must say, personally, I wondered if I would have been better to watch as, while I knew this was showing, I relived my own personal experience instead.
Thank you for making contact with us.

2 comments:

Margaret Oakhill-Hamilton said...

While I have been watching the previews for this show since December last year, I couldn't bring myself to watch Love Child.When the previews first started, I thought, "at last someone will show the truth of what happened to us." As the previews continued,I saw that the producers of Love Child were portraying us as wild girls. To say I am offended by this show would be an understatement. St Mary's Home in Toowong Brisbane would NEVER have allowed such behaviour. You didn't sneak out as you would have had to leave on the spot,no buts and if's. As for drinking, that would never have happened. Not because it wasn't possible but because the girls I was in the home with were nice girls from good families. Not like the girls depicted in that show. I myself did not watch it but at the time it was shown I re-lived my own experience of having my son taken from me.I did not need a show like that to watch. It in some ways brings what happened to us to light but it also depicts us as irresponsible. Not one girl in St Mary's Home with me had an experience like that. Mine experience was certainly not like that show. It was not illegal to be unmarried but it was illegal all the practices the churches and government did to mothers and our babies. A lifetime of trauma and loss for all who lost through illegal forced adoption.

Anonymous said...

this show should be banned people dont need to be reminded of how fucked this country was........ disgusting