Teen pregnancy is not something that’s gonna get you a t.v. show or the cover of a magazine.
I’m busy covering the World Junior Hockey Championships this week for Hockeytalk, so I’ve asked a few of my friends to help me out.
You all know my friend, Jennie, A.K.A. Nucking Futs Mama. She’s one of my Magnificent Moms and one of the coolest bloggers I cyber-know. I asked her to help a brother out and she was more than willing. Thanks Jennie!!!
Can we just talk a damn minute about the jack-asinine phenomenon of glorifying teenage pregnancies? (Sorry, but I need to climb back up on my soapbox for this one, y’all.) I understand the need for the media to add to their overflowing pile of cash, but come on! The last thing this country needs to see is a bunch of horny, knocked-up kids on the boob tube each and every week.
Of course we can all thank MTV for coming up with the brilliant idea to create a reality show based on pregnant high school chicks. Cause who isn’t sitting on the edge of their seat to see what Macy and Lacey and Spacey are doing with their douchebag boyfriends on a regular basis? Now, I, myself, have never watched the stupid show. I guess it’s my own way of protesting the whole concept. Unfortunately, though, it seems to be ridiculously popular, and people can’t seem to get enough of the drama. Which says a whole hell of a lot about our society, now doesn’t it?
And even though I’ve made a personal choice not to tune in, I am still subjected to these idiotic girls almost every flippin’ week. You see, the publishers of Us Magazine apparently get their rocks off by featuring one of these train wrecks on the damn cover, and I want to spit fire when I see their mugs staring at me in my mailbox. One week, someone’s facing felony charges; another week someone’s losing their kid. News flash: I don’t give a rat’s ass about these girls! I don’t know about you, but I could think of about a million other more worthy people to place on the cover of a magazine.
Just think about how this show feels to someone who’s going through infertility or someone who’s lost a child. It’s like a total freaking smack in the face. So, don’t glamorize it, for crap’s sakes. Teen pregnancy is not something that’s gonna get you a t.v. show or the cover of a magazine. It’s stressful, painful, and heart-breaking — three things that certainly don’t involve fortune or fame for most people. And more importantly, do we really want our own teenagers to think this is at all a reality? I sure don’t.
The idea of this show makes me want to seriously consider assassination for hire. The dipstick who thinks that this show in ANY way will deter teen pregnancy is completely out of their minds.
We live in a culture where EVERYONE wants to be famous. Don’t believe me look at what people will put on Youtube or write in a blog for the “shock and awe’ value.
I have never watched this show and will never allow my kids to watch it.
It’s disgusting.
Interesting comments. “Whatever” needs some kind of cruelty filter coming from her fingertips. Jennie is awesome, but seriously? US magazine lol. You wont watch the show but read US? Sorry for the giggle at your expense. I am not a parent. Cant have them because of a fucked up uterus. BUT, maybe use the show as a TOOL?
PS – I am old school. Last time I watched MTV was when it actually played music videos. Why do they still call it MTV is my burning question. The M is still for music right?
I have never watched the show either–the little time I have to watch TV I’d rather go with well-written drama or comedy rather than stuff like this. So, I can’t say what the show does or doesn’t portray, but I agree with Jennie on the part about the magazines. Every week they are on the covers of magazines, tabloids, so they are, in fact, famous now. And while I can see a lot of teens being turned off by the idea of pregnancy, I can also see a lot wanting to get pregnant just to get on the show. If… Read more »
As a woman who lost a full term baby, I feel your comment was dead on when you said a woman staring at those Us magazines would feel like they are being slapped in the face. A week after I lost my son to stillbirth, I met a 15 year old girl with a 1 month old child. All I could do was think “why does she get to have the child? Where’s the fairness in that?” I have seen the Mtv show and they do make attempts (albeit weak) to tell these teens how hard their lives will be… Read more »
Wow. I’m sorry to hear your story. I’m glad you educate your daughter and I guess I need to watch the show too.
Whatever — I really wasn’t trying to ruffle any feathers here. It’s just MY opinion cause I’m so tired of seeing these girls on the cover of magazines nearly every week — I really do think that sends the wrong message. I specifically said that I’d never watched the show, and I don’t intend to. Reality t.v. has gotten so out of control — again, that’s just my opinion. I still watch a fair amount of reality shows, but it is out of control. I certainly hope I don’t lose any followers over this cause that was never ever my… Read more »
Also…if you watched the show, you would know that at the end, every single girl cries and says they wish they had waited to have kids. In 99% of the episodes, the babys dad ends up not being around. If a teenage girl thinks she can have a cute baby, finsih school, and play house with her boyfriend who just loves her sooo much, then I think they should watch this show. Bc in reality, the boyfriends act like idiots, leave the girls, who end up loosing most of their friends, they struggle to finish school or drop out, and… Read more »
If you read her blog you would know that she had to have help concieving! I read her blog and actually enjoy it, but this post was completely ignorant and I completely disagree
I’ve read her blog and knew about her trouble conceiving. I wasn’t sure you had. I’m sorry you found it ignorant. Hopefully you won’t find the rest of my shit isn’t ignorant…
I think you are biased in your opinion bc you could not concieve easily, and yet these young irresponsible teenagers could. Your comments about how do they think people who lost children or can’t convieve feel….well they are not thinking about that bc that’s not the goal of the show. I have watched the show, and I never have once felt like they were glorifying teenage pregnancy. In fact, every single episode shows so many struggles these girls face. Until anyone has actually watches the show, then its completely ignorant for them to make comments like you just have.
“Whatever”,
Interesting comment. I went back and read the post a couple more times and I can’t find anything that would indicate she couldn’t conceive easily. I know for a fact she has two children. I’m curious to know what she said that indicates she had a hard time with that. My guess is that you’re just talking out of your ass, but I’m not really sure.
In my view, as someone who creates TV, the phenomenon of “reality TV” is rather irresponsible on the part of producers and broadcasters. But my opinion aside, here’s an observation: our deep fascination with reality TV may be indicative of a kind of worship of the banal, peculiar to our times. Almost as though celebrity has become saturated and has turned itself inside out.
One may argue that teen pregnancy is anything but banal. But remember that it has been a part of human existence since the dawn of man.
On another note, shows like this don’t ONLY effect teenagers. Our county school for teen moms is now School Aged Mothers because the youngest person to be there was in 5TH GRADE…FIFTH. She was like 11 years old. They don’t see things the same way older kids do, so we also have to think of what images are being projected to not only teens, but even younger children as well.
Thanks so much for all your comments. This is obviously a touchy subject matter. As I admitted in my post, I purposely haven’t watched the show, so no, I don’t know exactly what is highlighted. However, what I DO know is that these girls are CONSTANTLY on the cover of magazines, which, in my opinion, sends the absolute wrong message to other teenage girls who live in our fame-obsessed society.
this is rosefrompa…. I like this and I agree this is the wrong way to teach the kids.
theres got to be a more of a to get the message to the kids but not this way.
My husband and I (we don’t have kids) watch this show regularly. The reason we watch is because they’re such train wrecks and it… is kind of interesting to see what happens next with each person – bad decisions and all. If the families who watch (parents AND children) are level-headed and smart enough, they will realize that is definitely what they don’t need and the stories of those teens will be sterilization for them. I never wanted kids before and I definitely don’t after watching that show. The whole going through birth thing with the newer 16 & Pregnant… Read more »
ok i have watched the show and umm i am a little torn first if i was a teenager girl(i was)i would be intrested in the show and at some point i would have thought hmm preg tv show money even though it shows the ups and downs on the show it also says hey if you get preg you get a show i know its an all time low for teen pregs but also think about it we might just not hear about all the teenagers that are i mean i know in highschool we were having sex it… Read more »
Yes, they may show that they are trainwrecks on the the show, but putting them all over magazine covers and everything is NOT helping anything either. Yes, there are those teens who will think, “WOW, being a teen mom really sucks!” after watching the show. There will also be a lot of teens going, “WOW, I can get on TV if I get pregnant too!” Bringing it into a TV show form is NOT the answer to the problem. That is why this show makes me angry. Parents talking with their children, and maintaining an open communication/trusting relationship with their… Read more »
I havent watched either, but this year has been the lowest year for teenage pregnancies. A lot of it has to do BECAUSE these girls are such a train wreck. (or so they say, they being the media)
Lore, Cassie & Melissa, Thanks for your comments. I have a 13-year-old daughter and I’ve always thought I was a pretty cool dad, but I have to admit that until Jennie wrote this, I had no clue this show even existed. I’m off in a few minutes to scan MTV and set the DVR to record it so I can catch it. It’s amazing what passes as good TV these days, huh? Of course, this is coming from the guy who sat on his couch two weeks ago and laughed my ass off at a midget on stilts as I… Read more »
I’m kinda torn on the issue – watching the shows in the beginning I thought they were a great tool to open up eyes to the reality of teen pregnancy and the issues that they face – I mean how many of these girls are still with the daddy? How many of them are struggling? How many of them are happy?
However, I have heard rumors of teens talking about getting pregnant so they can be on tv which is terrible.
Well said.
Sighhhhhhhhhhhh . . . I keep hearing this A LOT, the interesting thing is – The People Who Say It Glorifies Teen Pregnancy and Parenting Have Never Watched the Show. I am not a regular watcher, it is on sometimes as I am about my late night chores or blog reading, but Amber(felony charges and jail, that’s right, both her) Amber aside, there has not been a single episode(that I have seen) where it isn’t pointed out how hard life really is for a teenage Mother. The point of the show is to turn kids OFF teenage pregnancy, and supposedly… Read more »
As a father I am appalled by this- it is the wrong message.
Jack, I haven’t seen it yet, but from what I have been told, it’s absolutely the wrong message. My daughter is 13 and stuff like this scares the living shit out of me. I respect your opinion, so if you tell me I should be appalled by it, consider me appalled.
Great stuff as always! THIS is why I asked you to guest blog and why you have an open invite to write for me any day of the week!!!