Diary of an Unborn Child
Diary of an Unborn Child is the title of an anonymously-written article which was published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in the May 22, 1980 issue of its Awake! magazine. Written in the first person, it is formatted to read as the "diary" of a fetus, chronicling the process of fetal development from an in-utero perspective, beginning with conception on October 2 and ending in an induced abortion on December 28. The piece is intended to make readers reconsider their position on the morality of abortion.
The article was adapted into the song "Diary of an Unborn Child" by Mark Fox released on his album Lil' Markie Volume 1. The chorus (words and music) at the end are written by Rick and Rosemary Wilhelm. The song is sung from the point of view of a male fetus in utero, from its conception to its abortion. In between, the fetus' character chronicles its development. The fetus' character expresses, among other things:
- excitement to see the real world
- a desire to be named "Andy" (with comments that the parents, not knowing the gender, are probably using the name "Barbara")
- a desire to meet its mother
Reactions to this song have been divided. Some in the pro-life movement use the song, or minor variations of it, as justification for their policies. However, the song, and Fox's work in general, has arguably gained most of its recognition in the pro-choice blogosphere, where people often post it as an unintentionally amusing form of black humor or camp. The Diary of an Unborn Child has also been played as a recurring audio clip in comedy podcasts, such as Distorted View Daily.