On the way to the airport, Katie worries about how John will react to her pregnancy.
About Bump+
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court gave women a choice. Thirty-seven years later, we're giving them a voice. BUMP+ is a provocative web series from Yellow Line Studio that follows the fictional stories of three women facing unintended pregnancies.
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Katie, Hailey, and Denise have been through so much—so much heartbreak. Each journey has been difficult and painful. They’ve made their decisions; and in that sense, each journey is at an end. But now they have to figure out how to live with the choices they’ve made.
I worry for Katie and John. I [...]
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Bump+ The Conversation Continues
To Our Audience -
Bump+ The Show has come to an end – but the conversation it has sparked is just beginning.
When we launched this experiment, the only thing we knew for sure was that the time for a new kind of conversation about the sensitive topic of abortion had come. We hoped that story [...] -
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The creators of Bump+ would like to address several errant media reports. Headlines around the world have said Bump+ trivializes the issue of abortion. Fox News has suggested that Bump+ is an “abortion game show.” It is not. We take the stories of our characters and the choices that lie ahead of [...]
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Lauri Deason – Producer
Lauri responds to the question of creating television shows.
To Our Audience -
Bump+ The Show has come to an end – but the conversation it has sparked is just beginning.
As word about Bump+ spread to 64 countries across the globe, controversy and criticism from people on both sides of the debate followed; but instead of listening to them, you found the courage to listen to each other. Six weeks and more than 125,000 site visits later, your responses not only to our characters, but also to each other has proved to the world what we suspected all along – we were right to trust in the goodness and intelligence of our audience. We are intensely humbled by the stories you’ve shared and the respect you have shown to each other. Your partnership has challenged us to see this debate in new ways, and reminded the world that we don’t have to agree to listen and respond with compassion. Thank you for that gift.
Comments on individual episodes have now been closed in order to preserve what was The Bump Experience as it unfolded. A new comment thread has been opened here to keep the conversation going. Please visit this link to share your story and join the conversation.
This message is for Vi, who suffers with epilepsy and posted her heart wrenching story on Lauri Deason’s thread back on Feb. 8th and Feb. 12th.
Vi, If you are still out there checking in, I have a reply that is meant specifically for you, but I hesitate to post it until I know you will see it. So if you could let me know you are still there, I will go and post it under your original story on Lauri’s thread.
Sorry this message is not responding to Episode 12, although I am working on something to add hopefully soon. I sincerely hope this is not inappropriate or distracting to use the board for something like this, I just really hope to reach Vi.
We have met Jason–he’s portrayed as a self-centered tool who plays emotional headgames with Hailey.
We have met Buzz–he’s a thug who physically abuses Denise.
Clearly, the first two couples have relationships that are largely dysfunctional. They are also both living outside the bonds of marriage.
Now we get our first look at John. We otherwise know nothing about him. The poor fellow, fresh from serving his country, is walking into a scenario where his wife is about to drop a major bomb on him.
As a married man myself, I’m fairly sure I know what my reaction would be in such a situation. Anger, yes. How could a man not be angry when told that his wife is pregnant with another man’s baby? Plus, there would be a huge sense of loss–loss of trust, loss of hope, loss of the sense of the ideal that many men invest in their wives.
But one thing I know for sure–that baby would be born.
Why? Well, for one reason, I don’t believe that two wrongs don’t ever make a right.
And secondly, there is this: There was another man many years ago who found himself in this same situation. If he had insisted that his wife get an abortion, Jesus Christ would never have been born.
I’m taking a different approach, and respond here as if this were an actual reality show, as if a real Katie could actually see what I’m writing. So. Here goes.
Dear Katie,
How brave you seem to me, right now. I know you may not feel brave, but you’ve shown great courage, in the face of great fear. Whatever your final decisions may be, the decision to tell John may well have been the biggest hurdle. And even as a complete stranger, I’m proud of you.
Your story about the watch touched me, and I can see how much you’re trying to be so understanding of John’s feelings, how important his feelings are to you, and how much you want to be fair to him.
But think about this, too… what would you have done if it hadn’t been a watch, but a child from his past relationship?
Whatever you decide, whatever John’s reactions, you’re a brave, brave woman. I thank you for being willing to share this deeply personal part of your world, and I admire you.
Just Jane Doe
Hi Jane Doe,
I like your approach here. In fact, I was trying to explain to Layla on Episode 10 thread why it may seem that our comments seem distant. She said she was frustrated and beginning to resent the rhetoric. I tried to explain that the characters weren’t exactly coming to us (the viewing audience) for advice and we had to unfortunately try to talk in somewhat vague terms or even just talk ABOUT Denise or Katie or Hailey TO someone else. I went on to say that I have seen some posts that talk directly TO the characters themselves, but that is a difficult conversation to have as well, because you know you won’t actually get a direct response from them. Still, it does add a personal touch.
However, I think this experiment is not only about just helping Katie, Hailey and Denise as it is about hopefully connecting with one another in some meaningful way.
By the way, did you see my response to your last post to me on the Episode 9 thread?
I’m interested to see what Jon has to say. We don’t know what kind of person he is yet so we don’t know how he’ll take it. I love that. The woman who plays Kate is a fabulous actress. So believable.
I have a true story to share. I know a man (whom I will call Fred) whose wife left him after many years of marriage. She left him for a guy she had a crush on in high school, and whom she had not seen since. The guy was basically a leech, and took advantage of her financially as well as in other ways. He was the complete opposite of Fred, who had loved her and provided for her for many years.
Fred was devastated when his wife left him. Yet, for at least 2 years, he would have taken her back if she would have recognized her mistake and been really sorry for it and willing to work on the issues. She was never sorry, and never left the other guy, so Fred never took her back. But the point is that he would have. His marriage commitment meant so much to him that he was willing to forgive her incredible rejection and adultery.
The reason I am sharing this is that I have known Fred for many years, and also other men who have been in similar situations. If there are men out there like Fred who take their marriage so seriously they are willing to forgive such total faithlessness in their wives, then it seems very possible to me that John in this story will respond to Katie’s extreme remorse and distress and be willing to work through this with her. My friend Fred’s wife was not sorry. John’s wife IS sorry. That makes a huge difference.
I also want to add that I am glad my prediction from the thread on Episode 9 that Katie would rush off and have the abortion before John came home did not happen. As I said in that thread I think she would have deeply regretted it. I think if Katie really believed abortion was the answer to her problem she would have done it a month ago and never gone on this show.
Producers, I don’t envy you having to wrap all these stories up in 2 more episodes. Whatever decisions these women make will have consequences. Any thoughts about a sequel?
I am glad your prediction was wrong too, but I have to admit the thought crossed my mind also. I agree, however with your assessment that Katie would have aborted long ago if that was an option for her to hide her infidelity, and certainly would never have gone on the show to shed any light on the situation.
It’s entirely understandable and apprpriate for Jon to be upset though. It would be really weird if he wasn’t and well a little bit heartless and passionless but I hope that he can man up, forgive her and accept the baby. But there will obviousy be serious healing and rebuilding to do in this relationship. Let’s not forget that if he wasn’t coming home Katie would maybe have had the abortion and never told him!! What! They need to work on some serious communication and, as I said before, healing.
Two wrongs never make a right!! Katie was wrong and she needs to confess to Jon and ask for forgiveness! But killing a life and then trying to justify it the rest of her days… many choices, but what is the right thing to do?
The watch analogy made me think: that was KATIE’S reaction, not John’s. All this time she’s been projecting her reaction on to him; how he reacts may be entirely different (we hope!) After all, he didn’t think the watch was a big deal, right? But his love and respect for Katie allowed him to dispose of it after learning that it WAS a big deal for her.
I have high hopes for John. And his growing family
I disagree. My take on the watch story was that he was ok wearing it “all the time” and ( perhaps not consciously but still)rubbing it into her face until she ” made” him get rid of it. This doesn’t sound like a “sure honey…. if I knew” sort of thing. IMO It sounds like he doesn’t have the same regard for her feelings as she does his. I predict that he probably will forgive her and that what she has put herself through will be so much more than he puts her through, but I am seriously sceptical of how everyone wants to make him the “good guy”
I hope John forgives her too. But I think at first he will be very upset and angry and he may just walk away from her. But if he really loves her, and it looks like he does, I think he will eventually try to make things work out for them. And just one more thing. Why is it that when a woman cheats on a man, everyone thinks that the man should forgive her? But when a man cheats on a woman, he’s lower than pond scum and doesn’t deserve to live.
you have a valid point. I think that since women are generally more emotional than men as well as traditionally more dependent on men than men are women this double standard just seems to stick.
As far as it not being totally Katie’s fault, I don’t buy that for a second. The other guy didn’t vow to be faithful to Jon, Katie did. It seems as though society is full of passing the blame now a days. If a woman or man puts themselves out there and ends up being unfaithful ( drunk or not) than they need to take responsibility for their actions. I admire that Katie is accepting responsibility and not looking for a way to pass the blame. Even though I realize that this is fiction, I hope that her and her husband work it out as she deserves it
now that was mean you stoped before any thing could happen comeon i wunt more.
I agree!
mean yes, but very good work. Cliffhangers are awesome!
First episode to get me all emotional – very well done. (the audio is a little on the low end though compared to other episodes)
I really hope that her husband forgives her. The doctor a few episodes back was right when he said that someone took advantage of her- its true! Though she did make a mistake in getting drunk in the first place (and putting herself out there), she needs to realise that it was not entirely her fault that the pregnancy happened. It was the other man’s mistake as well.
I just honestly hope her husband’s love for her outweighs the wrong in the situation and he can embrace it for what it is: a child coming into their family.
The priest pointed out that she was taken advantage of.
What disappoints me is the non-realism of the situation, or rather the “reality” you have created. If you really love someone that much, would you REALLY tell them in the airport, after they have been on a plane for only God knows how long,fighting for the freedom of choice (which she incidentally, has utilized fully) in front of EVERYBODY? She has cheated on her husband-the deed is done. Waiting to tell him in private is more compassionate/considerate/caring, don’t you think? What purpose does it serve to hit him over the head with it like a blunt object on camera? You have created this character who’s supposedly not stupid. She knows he’s not going to be happy- that’s the conflict/problem in the first place. So, she meets him, hugs him and then drops the bomb on him? Where is the intelligence in that? Not to mention, she may have signed an agreement, but he hasn’t signed SQUAT. And that in itself is a violation of his privacy, which any true reality producer would know. I really thought this whole “bump” experiment was about “conversation”, not exploitation.
[COMMENT HAS BEEN EDITED]
Sometimes things have to be said like tearing off a band-aid. It feels like lying the longer you wait.
I agree with you I mean come on let him come home take a shower, maybe a nap and then hit him with the news in private. I am sure no matter how loving, caring or compassionate he may be, I doubt he is going to want everyone and their mother to overhear that conversation. Even of he decides to except it and work through things I am sure he could use a minute on his own to process things! It seems to me this character is only interested in herself and how EVERYTHING effects her! Maybe if she had been a little more interested in others she wouldn’t have gone to the bar to drink in excess!
I think she had to tell him right away before he had to say “What’s with the cameras?” and she would have to respond even more awkwardly. I think if I was in her postition I would have made sure he knew before he got home. Maybe that would be cowardly rather than tell him in person but that’s what I would do.
Big Mike -
Thank you for your comments. I’m sorry you’re disappointed in the choices of Katie and the fictional producer. I happen to agree with your opinion on this, but wanted to clarify a few things.
1. In my professional experience, a true reality show producer would absolutely do exactly what this producer did. This is a huge, pivotal moment in Katie’s story, and the producer would never risk NOT capturing it on video. In her mind, John had not signed a contract *yet*. That’s a bridge a real producer would have had to cross when she came to it. She was well aware that he could have decided not to sign a contract or release. If that had happened, and she was unable to convince him otherwise, her professional challenge would have been to figure out how to tell Katie’s story in the most compelling way possible without using that footage. (In a real situation, she probably would have used the footage anyway, and blurred his face or shot him from behind – the legal requirement is that the individual is not “readily or clearly identifiable”.) But to decide not to shoot the moment as it happened was to risk losing the opportunity completely. In any reality show involving an “ambush”, people are invited to sign the releases after the fact. (This is true across the spectrum – from “good surprises” like charity giveaways and home makeovers to “bad surprises” like…well…the one we’re fictionalizing on Bump.) That’s part of the reason we decided to show the producer’s decision to keep filming after Katie asked her not to do so. In fact, one of the takes we didn’t use has Katie saying, “I know I signed a contract, but he didn’t.” If you watch again, you’ll see that the camera man actually hesitates and pulls back…and the producer urges him forward again. For the purposes of this particular story, you can assume that since John’s face was shown, he did sign a release after the fact. (The next episode should remove any doubt about that.)
2. Is that morally acceptable? Can you still make the argument that it’s an invasion of his privacy and, therefore, exploitative? Absolutely. Remember, though, as we’ve stated before on this site – the reality show construct is an important part of the story we’re telling, and the reality show producer is by no means the heroine. I have worked on reality shows (not ones I consider exploitative), and worked for the ultimate reality show (broadcast news) and the “reality” is that it can be incredibly invasive. I can tell you that it is not as easy as you might think to make the decision about what to edit. I’ve had to weigh that decision many times. In the news, the fair use doctrine made it even harder for me, because I didn’t have to get a release signed if a story was in the public interest. It was entirely up to me to decide if I what I was doing was harmful to someone. I can also tell you that, more often than not, people run toward a camera rather than away from it, and can’t sign those releases quickly enough. They rarely read them; and many people (like Katie) deeply regret the loss of the privacy they signed away once the cameras start rolling or the footage starts airing.
For the record, in “real life”, those decisions weigh heavily on me, and on many caring professionals I know. (And yes, other professionals I know are jerks who check their conscience at the door and will do anything in the name of “good TV”.) The producers of BUMP+ (including myself) have stated many times for the record that we would never participate in a “real” show like the fictional one we’ve created.
Again, I’m sorry for the disappointment – but I’m glad the episode raised these questions for you and that you’ve raised them here in the discussion. I think it’s a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation…and shows that you are a person of compassion who cares about our characters. And I can’t argue with that.
Sincerely,
Lauri Evans Deason
BUMP+ Producer
Another reason she might have decided she needed to tel him right away is that she has been so emotional, that he would know something is wrong, and if she would try to say “Oh- it’s nothing, I’m fine, let’s get you home and relaxed and then talk about it”, his mind would just go wild with possibilities of what it might be- does she have cancer and is dying? Is she leaving me? Did a family member die?, etc. She can’t hide that something is wrong, and not giving him the truth about what it is could be more cruel than waiting for a while.
And she did tell the cameras to stay away.
Wow, so well done in so many ways…the camera shots, the editing, the writing….The “watch” was brilliant… a perfect way to get the message to viewers viscerally. Thank you! can NOT wait until Thursday!
Ooooh, good ending! Despite everything, she is my favorite character, and I legitimately want everything to work out for her in a big way. I hope John is strong enough to forgive her, and maybe that forgiveness will extend to her child, too.
I really liked the watch part. It truly reminds you of all of our humanity in these situations. I agree with hating the cliffhanger though. I would have liked to seen how he reacted to the news.
Cliffhanger. That annoys me, especially because I am leaving on a trip on Wednesday where I won’t have internet… I think I’ve started to really care about these characters and want them to do what’s right for them. I don’t know, pro-life and pro-choice are personal decisions, which is why it’s so hard to try to tell someone in a situation like Katie’s what to do, especially when her relationship is at stake. This has definitely been a really good way to discuss a very controversial issue in a manner that is respectful and insightful!