After having a conversation via twitter with one of my fav followers
@MrsValUable about reality shows, I was sort of motivated to do a post.
Now I will not sit here and try and perpetrate like I don't indulge in
the reality show craze. I definitely make sure to catch my weekly dose
of Real Housewives, Basketball Wives (aka Baby Mama's), Real World's,
Love & Hip Hops, Bad Girls Clubs, etc... (I could go on.. I watch a
lot of reality tv). I will agree a lot of these shows are dumb and
majority of the cast members are nothing to praise, but its
entertainment! As a college graduate with a B.S. in Marketing I
understand fully how sex, drama, and crazy antics sell sell SELL, which
is the number one reason why these reality shows have been taking over
tv and doing so well!
Now there are 2 reality shows in particular that puzzle me, and honestly have puzzled me since they started..... 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. From the very beginning when MTV introduced these shows I was giving them the *side-eye* because I couldn't understand for the life of me why would they want to further publicize the issue of teen pregnancy. The issue of teen pregnancy has become more urgent in these recent years, with the number of pregnant teenage girls skyrocketing and groups of friends in 10th grade making Pregnancy Pacts!
I have given the shows a chance and have been a follower of the seasons thus far, believing in the bigger picture that MTV is trying to display with these shows. I truly believe that the intention of these shows was to depict the hardships of dealing with teenage pregnancy to the masses of teenagers out there who need a good warning! However, I am also very sure that the show is not having the "impact" on the masses that was intended. When I go to my local grocery store and I see magazines with headlines such as: "Teen Mom star arrested for fighting", I am irritated. I'm not so much irritated that they have made negative headlines but more so that they are referred to as "Teen Mom star"... when the hell did these chicks become celebrities?? Can someone let me know when the hell having a baby in high school became glamorous ? Why the hell are these chicks even relevant to make a headline on any newspaper, magazine, blog, news feed, etc... And better yet why are these girls getting paid to do this?
The intent of these shows has definitely been forgotten.. Its evident by the still increasing teenage pregnancy rate! The young people who are now watching these shows are not at home thinking "man that girl is dumb" and "I will never be that stupid", they are relating with them. Teenage girls are watching these chicks that are not too much different from themselves being publicized and turned into celebrities for what SHOULD be a punishable! So is it so far fetched to think that they would be looking up to these girls and trying to capitalize in their own lives just how these "Teen Mom Stars" have?
And where the hell are their parents? Who the hell are these people? All the kids that are shown on these shows are ALLLLL MINORS!! MTV has to be getting parental consent from someone in order to exploit the naïve adolescents! I know my mother and there is no way in hell she would give parental consent to go on tv to embarrass myself, her and the rest of my family!! Do these parents not care or is it about the quick pay off? They get a nice lil check from the producers for the exploitation of their children's mistake on tv sets across America, that's sick!
Granted I know babies are not cheap, and any kind of. financial assistance would be great for these young parents but what about that young girl who is TRYING to get pregnant just so she can have her 15 minutes of fame? What about that baby? What is this society coming to when this is just socially acceptable and we all stand back and watch? Over 30 years ago it wasn't even socially acceptable for you to be pregnant out of wedlock, so why now is it ok for Babies to have Babies? Ignorance is running rampant in this country. LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE (and just because) LEARN!
1 comment:
Great post! Like you, I agree MTV MIGHT have had good intentions with the release of these shows, but now, I think they are more harmful than helpful. Several of the teen moms who appeared on the shows have had several of their good friends (who made cameo appearances on the shows) get pregnant. Hmmm...coincidence? Maybe, but I don't believe so. When you know your friend from high school is making 6 figures and doing speaking engagements and is being plastered on magazines for popping out a kid at 16, it can seem glamourous instead of grim. That is not cool.
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