With strong female characters like Princess Leia, Rey, and Jyn Erso, the Star Wars films would have us believe that being a woman in this faraway galaxy isn't all bad. Of course, we never see any of these women try to get a Pap smear. As writer and editor Sarah Jeong pointed out on Twitter, the Star Wars universe is not exactly kind (or realistic) when it comes to tackling women's health care.
Jeong live-tweeted a viewing of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith earlier this week, during which she discussed Padmé Amidala's godawful pregnancy. For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Amidala's baby daddy is the future Darth Vader. And she dies while giving birth to Luke and Leia Skywalker. If that doesn't sound bad enough, check out Jeong's keen observations, in which she points out the film's total disinterest in understanding pregnancy and childbirth, here. For example, why, in this advanced society, was there no such thing as prenatal care?
With any luck, her tweets will plant the seeds for the plot of Episode VII, in which a ragtag gang of space smugglers must build a Planned Parenthood out of the remains of the First Order's Starkiller Base. We'll see you at the midnight premiere.
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