Entertainment

Teen Mom 2 is back and all of us can be thrilled to have Jenelle Evans, Chelsea Houska, Leah Calvert, and Kailyn Lowry back on our small screens. But the MTV show is never as simple as it seems and the girls are just as crazy as ever, even as they -- and their toddlers -- have evolved a lot over the years.

Obviously, Evans is the most screwed up of them all. Having just returned from rehab, Jenelle was ALREADY smoking pot on this episode while she is simultaneously applying for a job (with children!) and trying to stay clean. Yeah. Good work there.

Seems like few things have changed overall. Houska is still in touch with Adam, trying to work it all out, Lowry is still trying to get back with Jo, and Calvert (whose name isn't Calvert at this point) is still trying to figure out where she and ex-husband Corey stand.

Their lives are complicated and difficult, but not impossible. The beauty of so many seasons of the show (this is the third) is that we see the way things fall into place. A lot has been written about the shows in the past -- some say they cause more teen pregnancy by “glamorizing” it, others say it’s bad for these girls. But there is another element.

The more we watch these women grow up and change and care for their children, the more stereotypes about teen moms fly out the window. Sure, Evans is a stereotype, but my guess is she would have problems even without Jace. Clearly she has bipolar issues, family problems, and an addictive personality. But the other girls are all trying and they are doing as well as any other mom in the world.

I won't pretend for a second that I think it's a good idea for girls to have babies as teens. It isn't. But seeing some of these girls raise their babies and love them the same as I do and basically be MOMS regardless of age does sort of dispel some stereotypes. It doesn't glorify teen pregnancy or make it look like fun, but it does make the girls look real, like moms, like people I could be friends with.

That’s kind of a cool service. I know I will never look at teen moms the same again and maybe that's one big benefit of a show people love to hate.

Looking forward to the new season!

What did you think of the first episode?

Image via MTV