This post is in response to Candyce Jones's most recent post "Too Real?" on her "Dont Watch Me, Watch TV" blog". Reality television is one of my guilty pleasures, so I must admit that I was a little salty that I didn't think of the idea first. *jealous* Candyce is doing a great job though! In response to the post, I am one of the faithful viewers of 16 and Pregnant and Teem Mom. I know the mothers, their babies, and their boyfriends by name. I know, I know. I'm a TV junkie. I remember the very first episode I watched of 16 and Pregnant about two years ago. I was shocked and saddened by how these young girls' lives were changed so quickly and drastically due to unexpected pregnancies. What I noticed most from the show wasn't a glamorization of teenage pregnancy. It was the stress of dealing with an on-again, off-again "baby daddy", trying to make ends meet with little more education than a high school diploma, if even that much, and parents who were barely able to support themselves, let alone their daughter and her newborn. The show is just. . .sad. Though I continue to tune it every week because it is a source of some type of entertainment, the main fact that stands in the forefront of my mind is that it [sex] was all fun and games until the baby came along and life got real.
Take Leah for instance. She and her fiancee Corey can barely afford to take their daughter Lea to the doctor for MRI and eye examinations to find out what her health issue is. The producers aren't pitching in to help her pay for her medical visits. It's their job to simply document her day-to-day life. But beyond that, there's nothing glamorous about having a child with special needs without the monetary ability to adequately care for her.
Parents keeping quiet about probable outcomes of premature and unprotected sex didn't do much to keep these young women from getting pregnant, so why must the finger be pointed at MTV for merely showcasing the consequences of irresponsible teenage sex? Yes, part of MTV's job is to garner ratings, and they've done a good job throughout the years by implementing programming touching on risque and taboo topics that many other networks don't. However, I believe that part of 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom's purpose is to inform other young girls that "if you're not careful, this could be you."
What's glamorous about that?
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