Rather than glorifying, I think Teen Mom does the opposite. I think that by showing viewers what it is like to have children (though I am sure the show is very distorted, I mean come on, I would hope girls are a bit wiser than these ones) it deters the women from wanting to get pregnant in their teenage years. It shows that having a child isn't all fun and games. I have said, many times, that the best birth control for me was when my sister had her children. I think that for the bigger population of America, watching Teen Mom can have the same effect. I think that the show makes an example of these women, so that other people will think twice about making the same accidental mistake.
In addition to all of this, I think that Teen Mom has rhetoric involved because it brings discourse into teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy has been a taboo: no one talks about it. It is treated as if it does not exist. But it obviously does. We all KNOW that it does, but people up until this point refused to talk about it. Then 16 and Pregnant, with its branch Teen Mom came along. It announced to America that yes, this is a prevalent problem, and yes, we do need to talk about it. I think the best way to prevent a problem is to recognize and talk about it. Now that teenage pregnancy is out in the open, I believe that discussion over it will lead to a decrease in the amount. Even in the show, there is ads that offer advice for teenage pregnancy and sex. It gives a website for information. It shows that it is ok to talk about or seek guidance on this topic.
In the end, I agree with Miss California. Whatever message people may think that Teen Mom is trying to send, it is up to the individual to be responsible for his or her own actions. I just hope that people will learn from watching this show and think twice before they decide on having a child or not.
The interview I mentioned previously is in this clip, from 4:27-5:23. I got this from YouTube, and it is from the 2012 Miss America Pageant.
Teen Mom 2 image is from http://teenmomtalk.com/teen-mom-2-season-2-debut-announced/
I agree with you completly. Watching the struggle that these girls go through to make ends meet and the reality of giving your life up so that you can raise anothers, this allows for everyone to see that it's not all fun and games. The show does not glorify teen pregnancy, nor does it condemn it, it simply shows the reality of the situations and allows you to draw your own conclusions.
ReplyDeleteMost reality shows today are the product of cheap and easy rhetoric; the profits amount in the millions, and there really is not need for a plot, experienced actors, or even much funding (We've all seen Jersey Shore). However, I do believe this show in particular is like a big red warning sign that screams "be responsible!" It's ultimetely up to the cast memebers how rhetoric is portrayed, but the main message that comes across allows viewers to see their hardships day to day.
ReplyDeleteI always thought of teen mom to be a show that portrays the difficulty of what it means to be a teen mom. Yet, you have also opened up the idea to me of it expressing rhetoric by means of allowing America to open up and discuss teen pregnancy. In a class of mine we discussed that the reason America has a high rate of teen pregnancy is because its often not seen as ok to talk about, and I completely agree with you. This show not only says "talk about it", but also gives teens a way to learn about sex in terms of pregnancy and STDs. The rhetoric is truly apparent within this show.
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