Media Meditation #4: "22 and NOT Pregnant....Where is That Show MTV?" - Casey Norton

Recently while browsing the channels on a rainy day, my roommate Casey and I were shocked at the line up on MTV for that exciting evening.

MTV Logo: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/03/the-converging-of-cultures-mtv-and-youtube-part-one.html

The Line up was as follows:

7:00 pm: Baby High (the newest baby momma show)

MTV's Baby High: http://www.examiner.com/sex-education-in-national/mtv-tackles-teen-pregnancy-and-parenting-with-baby-high-and-new-season-of-teen-mom-video

8:00 pm: Teen Mom (season 2)

MTV's Teen Mom: http://www.momblognetwork.com/pregnancy/teen-mom-season-2-continues-tonight-last-week-s-recap

10:00 Pm: 16 and Pregnant

MTV's 16 and Pregnant: http://www.examiner.com/sex-relationships-in-tampa-bay/16-pregnant-reality-documentary-or-shortcut-to-fame

Here is a trailer from the latest season of Teen Mom...which follows the same girls from the last season of 16 and Pregnant.




"What the hell" I said out loud "Whats up with all the baby momma shows?"
"I know for real! I'm 22 and NOT pregnant...where's my show MTV?" replied Casey in a frustrated tone.

After I finished laughing at her outburst, I thought about it. What is the obsession with Teen Pregnancy? And why are there so many shows about it on TV? Not just on MTV, but everywhere. Lifetime movies like "The Pregnancy Pact" and ABC Families "Secret Life of The American Teenager" are all shows about Teen Pregnancy targeted at young high school age girls. Isn't this the audience we are trying to prevent from getting pregnant? Is bombarding these girls with TV shows about teen pregnancy sending a mixed message?

I would not say the shows are necessarily glamorizing teen pregnancy, as can be seen in this clip from the latest season of Teen Mom.



I am sure that there are plenty of girls who watch these teen pregnancy shows and it makes them more cautions about getting pregnant which is a positive aspect of the show. At the same time I think there are many girls who watch these shows and think that if they get pregnant they are going to get this kind of attention. Not only from the media but from the rest of the people in their lives as well. This type of thinking is being breed into the minds of our generation with all of these reality TV shows. If you do something enough you will get on TV.

The Cast of MTV's Jersey Shore: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/12/09/jersey-shore-sparks-controversy/

I think that TV channels that target young teen audiences have to be careful about what messages they are sending to all teens. Teens do not think clearly, I know, I spent the the entire year I was 15 grounded for doing stupid stuff. After reading the fourth chapter of Censored 2011 which talks about positive news stories not highlighted in the everyday news, I think that MTV and other networks that are popular with teens should spend more time creating programs that will inspire teens to do good things for themselves and other people.

Also maybe these teen mommy shows should have a warning similar to the one that they show at the beginning of every Jack Ass show...

Jack Ass WARNING :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jackass-title.jpg