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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

Totally. Patriarchy at work. Thank you for your support & enthusiasm <3

Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

Quite a contrast to Hollywood's liberal reputation. Anyway, if you want to read more, our paper is open access and has a lot more (shocking! fascinating!) detail:

academic.oup.com/ccc/article/...

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

Others told us that network execs would tell them that they love the idea of the project, but for some reason, just couldn't do it:

“The response I’ve gotten has been, ‘Wow, we love this so much....We love the tone, we love these characters (…) We just can never make a show about abortion.’”

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

18 participants described gatekeeping practices at TV networks related to receiving approval for an abortion storyline -- they were repeatedly questioned about the necessity of abortion to the plot and if the abortion plotline might negatively affect the network’s business.

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

As Shonda mentioned, the pushback wasn't just from other writers, but from execs:

"You have bosses telling you, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Like we’re getting political here...and then it seems like we’re taking a stance and we have to...appeal to the most number of people possible." (Writer, comedy)

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

I thought this was a really succinct way to summarize the dillemas tv writers face in writing these stories:

“The challenge (…) is how do you tell a story that normalizes [abortion] and treats it like no big deal while also telling a compelling dramatic story?” (Writer, drama series)

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

Others shared that they had to explain why the *way* they depicted abortion was important:

“The women [writers] wanted to show a non-dramatic experience because we felt like either ourselves or women that we knew have had this experience…men were wanting to see the drama.” (Writer, drama series)

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

Some writers told us that they had to explain why it's important to show abortion at all:

"What I hear from [some] male writers, like, ‘I can tell the best story.’ They just push back against anything even resembling responsibility.” (Executive producer, drama series)

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 2d

So interesting to hear Shonda Rhimes talk about what it took to get Olivia Pope's abortion and Cristina Yang's abortion onscreen.

When I interviewd 46 tv writers/showrunners, they echoed these experiences & frustrations (more below).

www.usmagazine.com/entertainmen...

Shonda Rhimes Recalls Pushback for Olivia Pope's Abortion on Scandal

Shonda Rhimes revealed that she received some pushback ahead of Olivia Pope's abortion scene in 'Scandal' season 5

www.usmagazine.com

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 3d

I hesitate to say, but I am hoping against hope we can say

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

May the war really be over, may the hostages really come home, may the suffering in Gaza really end, may the healing finally finally begin. #ZmanSimchateinu

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Reposted by Steph Herold

Amy Spitalnick @amyspitalnick.bsky.social · 4d

After two years it is so hard to believe anything. And yet if you care about Israelis and Palestinians having any semblance of a future, there’s no choice but to hope and pray this moves forward.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4d

BREAKING: Hamas will release all 20 living hostages this weekend, AP sources say, as Israelis will withdraw from majority of Gaza.

Israel, Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting, release hostages, Trump says

President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first Phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

bit.ly

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 6d

Love it! Here’s our very modest NYC backyard sukkah #zmansimchateinu

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 6d

Zman simchateinu? Hopefully. Chag sameach 🌿🍋

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Reposted by Steph Herold

ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 6d

Abortion bans hurt everyone.

Abortion bans and restrictions create cascading effects that extend far beyond reproductive health care, compromising the quality and effectiveness of medical care across reproductive and non-reproductive specialties.

Cascading Harms: How Abortion Bans Lead to Discriminatory Care Across Medical Specialties - PHR

Our research highlights how abortion bans and restrictions create cascading effects that extend far beyond reproductive health care, compromising the quality and effectiveness of medical care across…

phr.org

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 8d

Q1 I am really drawn to and taken with this image of God as a nursing mother. Very different from the stereotype of the fire and brimstone God. #parshachat

Rabbi Ruti Regan @rutiregan.bsky.social · 8d

32:13 He had them mount on the high-places of the land,
he fed them the crops of the field;
he suckled them with honey* from a boulder,
with oil from a flinty rock;

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 8d

Q0 Hi! I was reading the parsha last night and was very puzzled by it, looking forward to insights this week. #parshachat

Rabbi Ruti Regan @rutiregan.bsky.social · 8d

Q0: Introduce yourself! Anything about you, your week, or your interest in #ParshaChat that you'd like to share.

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Reposted by Steph Herold

T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights @truahrabbis.bsky.social · 10d

Baruch Dayan HaEmet. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the two people killed in a horrible antisemitic attack at Yom Kippur services in Manchester. We pray for refuah shleimah for the wounded.

We stand with the Manchester Jewish community. No one should fear violence when they gather to pray.

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Reposted by Steph Herold

Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 12d

The basic infrastructures that allow women to be participants in public life—birth control & abortion access, no fault divorce, childcare access & affordability, civil rights law in employment and public accommodations, the minimal efforts to mitigate sexual and domestic violence—are all crumbling.

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 12d

New research finds that state-funded anti-abortion programs called "alternatives to abortion" seem to be associated with...increased abortion rates 🤡 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Do state-funded “Alternatives to Abortion” programs reduce abortion rates? A longitudinal analysis

During the era of federal protection of abortion rights in the U.S., many majority-conservative state governments sought to oppose abortion by impleme…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 12d

“Antisemitic conspiracy theories and hate that were once fringe have been wholly normalized – amplified by X’s failure to live up to its own policies."

Thank you @amyspitalnick.bsky.social, @thejcpa.bsky.social & @counterhate.com for this important research. www.cnn.com/2025/09/29/b...

Musk’s X is ‘go-to platform’ for antisemitism, study finds | CNN Business

The new year-long study found that X’s content restrictions are not having much effect on antisemitic content.

www.cnn.com

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15d

Please keep me posted! #parshachat

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15d

In my continued search to understand this parsha and this part in particular, I found this passage in Talmud - mascheket Chagigah 5a18 that seems to be saying - if you haven’t experienced God’s hiddenness, you aren’t really Jewish?? Which tracks but also 🤯 #parshachat

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15d

That does make more sense. Also in the context of exile, too? #parshachat

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15d

Actually was so stressed by that that I emailed two different rabbis about it before Shabbat 😅 #parshachat

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15d

(Deleted to repost and add the hashtag!)

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