Whenever someone starts moaning about Teen Mom and how the MTV reality series "glamorizes pregnancy," I heave a deep breath. And when they finally stop ranting, I lean over to ask just on question: "Have you actually watched it?" Because as one of the show's moms, Farrah Abraham, said herself this month, there's nothing as "un-glamorous" as teen pregnancy.
It's depressing. It's sad. And that might make for good television, but that doesn't make it pretty, folks.
As Farrah Abraham recently admitted while promoting her involvement with the show:
I’ve learned since becoming a teen mom is that life is unpredictable. I’ve felt all kinds of emotions through this journey such as sadness and stress. I’ve had horrible relationships, and felt a lack of support at times.
If your kid is looking at that as glamorous, folks, you have more problems than just the possibility of being a grandparent! This girl got scammed out of her car. Her boyfriend died. She had to call the cops on her mom. It was not easy or happy!
Heck, it's pretty brave that she's stuck with the show and let people see just how "un-glamorous" it is. Abraham screwed up -- a lot -- during her years on the MTV. At first, to tell you the truth, I couldn't stand the petulant teenager and every foul thing she yelled at her mother. "If that was my daughter," I would think, shuddering and unable to finish the sentence. As time has marched forward, she's grown, and grown on me. I look at her more fondly through the eyes of a mother: I see her growing up.
And that's just it. When I watch Teen Mom, I think, "That could be my daughter." As cheesy as it may sound, the ordeals these kids go through empower me as a parent not to fall prey to the temptation to put off the sex talk or pretend that kids don't have sex because it's "icky" to think about.
There are four moms on Teen Mom. There are four more on Teen Mom 2 and another four slated for Teen Mom 3. Those are 12 teenage girls who got pregnant. Kids do have sex. And kids do end up pregnant. Whether you're watching the show or not, the message it's throwing in your face is that teen pregnancy is not something we can just pretend doesn't exist, because that isn't going to stop it.
Just watch an episode of Teen Mom and ask yourself: Do you want that to be my kid? Because Farrah may have made money off of MTV, but she doesn't want it to happen to HER kid. And I don't want it happening to mine.
Be honest: What the heck is "glamorous" about teen pregnancy?
Image via MTV
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Comments 10
I don't think it glamorizes teen pregnancy in the least. Guess what, years ago girls were supposed to have babies in their late teens, early twenties. Now, you have a baby at 17 and again at 20, you're a slut and you're going to hell. I'm sorry, but I'm am amazing mother, and my parenting abilities and my ability to provide for my kids was in no way affected by my age. I can't get a college-degree job? Who the hell can afford college OR get a good job nowadays? That doesn't have any affect on my kids - I don't have to be raking in dough for my kids to be happy. They always have food in their mouths, clothes on their back, and everything else they need. My age has nothing to do with it. I'm a better mom at 20 than most people are at 30.
I saw her dad was on here i just want to say who cares how much money she gets paid she needs to learns respect for her parents especially you micheal I am sorry maybe she is different or your blind to her attitude but she is an ungratful brat and is in no way showing her daughter good behavior. makes me sick to see how she is with you and your wife. i wish i had parents as helpful and with the resources you have to help her i would be forever gratful and show it. I only had help from my dad and my now husband and I would never talk to my dad the way she talks to hers. I was 17 when I had my son. And I know first hand how hard it really is.