"The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu

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Indigo_Cardinal said:
The author of the book drew part of her inspiration from what happened to women in Iran after the revolution of the 1970’s.

Prior to criticizing the book, perhaps you should read it. The author does not paint all of Christianity in a negative light–the book mentions Quaker safehouses, Baptist resistance cells in the Appalachians, and some other examples.
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Fair enough. I’m not spearheading any boycott campaigns. 😛 Just pointing out why some people may be wary of it. It’s good to hear that the book balances out the portrayal of Christians.
 
SyroMalankara said:
What’s so bad about it? The storyline is a fundamentalist Christian world – kind of like the Amish, but with legal and judicial theocracy. Catholics are outcasts, gays are sentenced to death, etc.
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Yes, that’s it.

What would happen if the Vision Forum folks or the Christian Reconstructionists take control of society. These people basically advocate for taking the vote away from women, establishing Old Testament type of punishment such as stoning, and outlawing other religions except being Reformed Baptist. I don’t hold much hope for the fate of gay people or Catholics under their regime.

I have read the blogs of these folks and I can understand where Margaret Atwood is coming from.
 
Given the success (so far) of the Hulu television show I wonder why more people aren’t watching ‘The Man in the High Castle’ (or maybe they are but aren’t discussing it?)?
 
tomarin said:
Given the success (so far) of the Hulu television show I wonder why more people aren’t watching ‘The Man in the High Castle’ (or maybe they are but aren’t discussing it?)?
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Thanks for the tip; I’l be adding this to my watch list. I did a search for dystopian shows on Amazon and I don’t recall this one coming up.
 
The disturbing part is how many Catholic references there are, like they greet the handmaids with, “Blessed be the fruit of your womb” etc. Also, the handmaids look like Catholic nuns in their habits. Just makes my stomach sick.

BUT I found some humor in it. Had to laugh when the handmaid was “inseminated”, it was far from sex, when she laid between the husband and his infertile wife. The husband and wife only looked at each other when it happened and ignored her like she wasn’t there. Creepy but the way they did it was ridiculous to the point of comedy. I was laughing, not sure if the author thought that would be the reaction.

“The Giver” movie was better because the women in that movie were inseminated artificially, no ridiculous scene, just all sterile lab work. I would think the actors had a hard time getting through such a ridiculous scene without laughing.

When all the handmaids kicked the rapist to death I thought this is a modern feminist’s dream. I don’t know anything about the author but she thought up some morbid stuff about men and women in this trash.
 
possible spoiler ahead
oneofmany said:
The disturbing part is how many Catholic references there are, like they greet the handmaids with, “Blessed be the fruit of your womb” etc. Also, the handmaids look like Catholic nuns in their habits. Just makes my stomach sick.
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Handmaids greet with, “Blessed be the fruit,” and the reply, “May the Lord open.” That isn’t Catholic. This is a radical fundamentalist group so not a Catholic reference.
BUT I found some humor in it. Had to laugh when the handmaid was “inseminated”, it was far from sex, when she laid between the husband and his infertile wife. The husband and wife only looked at each other when it happened and ignored her like she wasn’t there. Creepy but the way they did it was ridiculous to the point of comedy. I was laughing, not sure if the author thought that would be the reaction.
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I find it disturbing that you don’t recognize what is going on. It is rape. Handmaids are raped monthly. It’s not funny or even “creepy”; it’s demeaning, demoralizing. Handmaids commit suicide because of the repeated assaults. And you didn’t pick up how uncomfortable the wife was. She can’t stand it. Some wives know it is rape and it’s probably why some try to escape Gilead.
“The Giver” movie was better because the women in that movie were inseminated artificially, no ridiculous scene, just all sterile lab work. I would think the actors had a hard time getting through such a ridiculous scene without laughing.
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This interesting part of dystopian stories is that they are based on someone’s idea of utopia. Also, consider the possible outcome to that insemination. If the child isn’t perfect it’s euthanized and they are blissfully unaware that it’s wrong because they are drugged.
When all the handmaids kicked the rapist to death I thought this is a modern feminist’s dream. I don’t know anything about the author but she thought up some morbid stuff about men and women in this trash.
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Your disdain for this might be closing your mind to what is really happening. First, the handmaids are just told that he was a rapist but he was probably a member of the resistance. And the reason that he was so brutally murdered is because they were told that the baby the handmaid was pregnant with died. That a baby was lost is the ultimate crime. Handmaids that don’t produce children are exiled to a place where they will suffer and die because of how toxic it is. And, in the story men are never sterile, it’s always the woman’s fault. Women are blamed for not getting pregnant in scripture (and they ask the Lord to open their womb);women are still blamed today if they give birth to a girl instead of a boy. The author doesn’t have to dream up that much that doesn’t already happen.
 
Joe_5859 said:
What strikes me is how unlikely a scenario it seems. There seems far more danger in secular fundamentalists seizing control and creating a dystopia where Christianity is outlawed. 🤷

Also, what seems troubling to me is the possibility that such a work will only further stir up animosity towards Christians in our culture. People may read or watch this and make negative generalizations about all Christians. It reinforces the negative stereotype that Christians are hypocritical, uncaring, and simply want to control everyone else’s behavior. Even though I’m sure a discerning person could view this and make the distinction between fictionalized fundamentalist Christians and the vast majority of actual real-world Christians, I think many people won’t make that distinction.

But I haven’t read the book nor seen the movie. I’ve only heard about the general premise. So I don’t know how much these concerns are warranted. That’s just my best guess from what I’ve heard about the storyline.
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Hollywood lacks self-awareness.
The only reason there’s a TV adaption of this long forgotten novel is because of the rise of Trump. I frankly despise that petulant egomaniac but I can’t figure out how the hysteria from the Hollywood elite will help.
As others have mentioned, there are dissenting Christians but they’re easily forgotten. I don’t know if this adaption will even feature them.
 
Bruised_Reed said:
First, the handmaids are just told that he was a rapist but he was probably a member of the resistance. And the reason that he was so brutally murdered is because they were told that the baby the handmaid was pregnant with died. That a baby was lost is the ultimate crime. Handmaids that don’t produce children are exiled to a place where they will suffer and die because of how toxic it is. And, in the story men are never sterile, it’s always the woman’s fault. Women are blamed for not getting pregnant in scripture (and they ask the Lord to open their womb);women are still blamed today if they give birth to a girl instead of a boy. The author doesn’t have to dream up that much that doesn’t already happen.
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In addition, the epilogue at the end of the books states that these “Executions by Handmaids” happened primarily because the masters of Gilead were smart enough to realize that if the Handmaids couldn’t ‘blow off steam’ somehow, they could end up with Handmaids turning on them. Sacrificing a political prisoner to the Handmaids 1.) Deflected the Handmaids rage (remember, these were women who had been living their own lives with the right to read, vote, go to the movies, whatever, and had it ripped away from them), and 2.) Conveniently got rid of political prisoners.
 
Well, I did assume all that but I think it could have been handled better. Like in “The Given” plus I do have a morbid sense of humor. Like in don’t mess with me with details or I will laugh. I knew it was rape but it was so creepy. Don’t make rape anymore creepy than it is just for shock value. Like jumping the shark. Nothing to laugh about I know but it was just over the top crazy.

Thanks for clarifying the welcome they say but in my Catholic mind I guess I just filled in the rest of it. I knew were they were going.

I wonder why the men are never sterile if they all came from such a toxic place as well? Another fact that is over the top. Seems to just be a man’s world and women are trash. A modern feminist idea of what is happening.

Maybe her next book will be on the real facts on what is happening in Muslim countries to women right now. We can talk about a real dystopia happening in the world at the present time.
 
Indigo_Cardinal said:
In addition, the epilogue at the end of the books states that these “Executions by Handmaids” happened primarily because the masters of Gilead were smart enough to realize that if the Handmaids couldn’t ‘blow off steam’ somehow, they could end up with Handmaids turning on them. Sacrificing a political prisoner to the Handmaids 1.) Deflected the Handmaids rage (remember, these were women who had been living their own lives with the right to read, vote, go to the movies, whatever, and had it ripped away from them), and 2.) Conveniently got rid of political prisoners.
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Yes, I got that as well. Makes me wonder about the Muslim women today who had such freedom until the Ayatollahs came into power.😦
 
ATraveller said:
Hollywood lacks self-awareness.
The only reason there’s a TV adaption of this long forgotten novel is because of the rise of Trump. I frankly despise that petulant egomaniac but I can’t figure out how the hysteria from the Hollywood elite will help.
As others have mentioned, there are dissenting Christians but they’re easily forgotten. I don’t know if this adaption will even feature them.
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Precisely. I agree.

Well I won’t despise Trump when he is makeing religious freedom front and center as he is doing.
 
oneofmany said:
I wonder why the men are never sterile if they all came from such a toxic place as well? Another fact that is over the top. Seems to just be a man’s world and women are trash. A modern feminist idea of what is happening.
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There are sterile men but no one is allowed to say it in the novel.

I will agree it is a man’s world and women are treated like trash (for example pornography). But how to fix it is where I disagree with mainstream feminism. What Atwood seems to think is pornography is a good thing or at least disagrees with anti-porn feminists because she sees them as useful idiots for social conservatives. I sense Atwood equates continence and chastity with oppression at times.
 
ATraveller said:
There are sterile men but no one is allowed to say it in the novel.

I will agree it is a man’s world and women are treated like trash (for example pornography). But how to fix it is where I disagree with mainstream feminism. What Atwood seems to think is pornography is a good thing or at least disagrees with anti-porn feminists because she sees them as useful idiots for social conservatives. I sense Atwood equates continence and chastity with oppression at times.
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You would have thought continence and chastity would have been lauded by feminists, especially as it shows women exercising the choice between having sex or not having sex.
 
tomarin said:
Given the success (so far) of the Hulu television show I wonder why more people aren’t watching ‘The Man in the High Castle’ (or maybe they are but aren’t discussing it?)?
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I’ve watched this, its on Amazon as someone already mentioned. It is ok, in my opinion, not the best script. The female lead seems too naive and able to manuveur too easily, while oblivious in many ways.
 
SyroMalankara said:
I’ve watched this, its on Amazon as someone already mentioned. It is ok, in my opinion, not the best script. The female lead seems too naive and able to manuveur too easily, while oblivious in many ways.
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I’ve been watching the second season recently; the things that bother many critics about the show (the leads) don’t bother me as much; I think their lightness is compensated for by the solidity of Tagawa and Smith, the ostensible ‘bad guys.’
 
oneofmany said:
What demented minds thought up this trash? What do you think of it?
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This book was written by an ardent feminist who deliberately sought to discredit and ridicule the principles of Godly womanhood and the patriarchal Christian family by turning the Christian moral principles of modesty, submission and openness to the gift of life in marriage into symbols of misogynistic oppression.

The devise of society wide infertility and the rape / fornication of handmaid and husband combined with the encumbent humiliation of the wives is all part of that narrative.
 
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