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1. There are reports that dumbass girls are intentionally getting pregnant to audition for 16 and Pregnant and become overnight sensations. Amber certainly thinks she's a celebrity so I guess that stupidity has spread to other girls. I have a darn good idea of the demographic that this phenomenon has hit and that's been discussed in this thread already.

2. Each episode is a reminder of how lonely pregnancy and single parenthood can be. That includes how even getting child support doesn't completely buffer the impact of being abandoned by the other person. I firmly believe that females are not biologically more mature than males and it isn't about testosterone versus estrogen, etc. Females are said to mature at a different pace than males because, socially and across cultures, females have often had to mature more quickly than males. This show is another example of many of these girls having to grow the hell up while many of these boys are enjoying their childishness under the guise of "boys will be boys." Some of these boys have said they no longer want anything to do with the girl and the baby--big surprise. Think about that, girls in #1 who want to get pregnant for this show.

And that type of gendered response follows us until the day we die.

One of the best qualitative research on gender and childrearing being social rather than biological are observational studies (or observing those you know) of stay-at-home or single-parent/full-time parent fathers. These men are doing what needs to be done to be primary caregivers (some of whom with deadbeat "baby mamas" who don't even pay child support) because they HAVE to do it. Not because of a biological predisposition towards nurturing OR being particularly excited about having to raise a child. These men are simply viewed as the exception rather than the rule because the majority of men don't have to be nurturers and childrearers.

Anyway, that's my 16 and Pregnant-related rant. More back-to-back episodes.

I feel that if you think you are mature enough to have sex then you need to woman up and learn to bear the consequences. I cannot fathom the idea of being pregnant, 16, and have no support but you need to do whats best for you but mostly the baby. I, personally, am pro choice and had a close friend who had an early abortion. Granted she was 23 and it was with a long term boyfriend but still. It peeves me to no end that these girls think that these boys who are still children because ladies we all know how long it takes men to mature, think that they will help out with the baby. Getting pregnant takes two to tango but boys dont see it that way. They feel that just because they dont have the baby physically that they dont have to play any part in the support scenario of having a child.

Hell, I have two dogs and thats more than enough for me. I saw a girl at the campus bookstore with what looked to be her child, and I thought to myself good for her. She's getting her education while with a child. But I thank god pregnancy isnt contagious.

What's really been ticking me off are the girls who DO have guys that are trying to help take care of the baby and are working and trying to make a better life for them yet they are still complaining. There have been at least 2 episodes this season like that. I dont have any kids (thank God for small miracles) yet so i can't say i understand how hard it is, especially as a teen, to take care of a baby but it seems like theres a lot more complaining and a lot less appreciation than should be going on with some of these girls.

Based on the bolded, boys aren't the only ones who think that they don't play an equal part because they aren't the ones who carry the baby. That is perpetuated by boys/men and girls/women. Ever heard that we make things a reality when we keep saying it and believing it?

Teen girls and teen boys are all children who are extremely immature and shortsighted. These kids look stupid most of the time because their reality is a child's reality, even with a baby. That's why the adults in their lives have to be as involved as they are.

"Teens should not have genitals."
~ Bravo's Andy Cohen talking about 16 and Pregnant

I agree DrPhil. Although I do feel that the show portrays the males to look like they don't play an equal part or take responsibility. Thats what I meant. They're all equally as guilty for making the careless mistake of having unprotected sex in the first place. Chelsea Lately was talking about this last night how girls were intentionally getting pregnant to audition for the show 16 and prego. Having a child as a teen DOES NOT MAKE YOU COOL by any measure. I'm sorry.

The problem is that it can be hard to make teenagers really understand the concept of consequences. Making them understand that sure, being on tv is cool, but it isn't worth a permanent life change can be difficult.

MTV should've made teen pregnancy a True Life episode instead of doing 2 reality shows (Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant).

But then they wouldn't be doing what MTV does best, making money from reality television. Damn shame that when I was a teen MTV was best known for MUSIC television.

Agreed and agreed DrPhil and Alumiyum.

And I dont know if it was just me and my genetic hard-ass-i do it my way-stuborn-ness but I was never easily influenced by things such as music, video games, and especially tv. Unfortunately not everyone is built that way.

They actually did make one way before this show started. In the beginning I thought it was doing a good job of focusing on the hardships that teen parents go through, but naturally it's snowballed into something totally different. Especially with the magazine coverage. Part of me just wishes US magazine etc. had let well enough alone since these girls didn't reach "celebrity" status until then...IMO that's when the danger of copycats became very real.

I've noticed they have a new one, Baby High, which focuses on girls attending an alternative school for teen moms/soon to be teen moms. This one does what 16 and Pregnant started out doing, but better. They don't show a bunch of baby showers and they pick women who are mostly single parents and who are desperate to finish high school and go on to college. Showing how difficult it is=good. Turning it into a soap opera with newly minted reality show stars=bad.


I think a lot of us have been more influenced than we realized, especially those of us who have grown up around computers/video games/MTV/VH1 from the get go. (I'm 24 and I think that includes my age group, but is especially true starting with those about two or three years younger than I). I understand that teenagers now are far more bombarded by electronic influences than even I was as a teen...BUT STILL. I can't get my head around making huge, life changing decisions based on tv etc.

I just thought of another point...so many of these kids say they didn't use any form of birth control. Why aren't they focusing more on that? As we all know you can get pregnant no matter how careful you are, but why in god's name not at least reduce the risk? Not to mention how dangerous it is to have sex with someone without a condom these days due to disease.

I find it extremely sad that kids are so easily influenced and what saddens me even more is that they have no idea how edited things are and how staged it can be. I'll be 23 in June so youre not that much older than me. Even in our age group we had our fair share of electronic influence but I kept myself in sports and I'm just wired different. Me and my boyfriend were talking the other day that if / when we have kids we wont shut them up by sticking an Ipad or tv infront of them. If were riding in a car there will be no tvs on behind the head rests unless we're on a long road trip. My parents and I played verbal games, we talked, they educated us. I fully intend to do the same with my family. I'm not going to stick a video game in front of my child to keep them happy. And I totally feel that people turn out the way they do because of their upbringing. There are exceptions to every rule but things are not what they seem on tv or in magazines.

You know I've seen Baby High. I tend to switch the channel but Ive caught a few episodes here and there. I really think its great that these women have an outside form of support and help and those girls seem to be a little more motivated to get their lives together than those on Teen Mom and 16 and preggo.

No this isn't about "wiring."

This is about socialization patterns and the central one is parenting. Your media influence still existed but it was partially buffered by the influence of your family.

My siblings and I never played a video game until I was in high school...at least not at our parents' house. They weren't allowed. They also restricted our tv use heavily and had only one computer in the house (and in the most used and least private room). I didn't get to see Titanic with all of my friends when it came out because it was PG-13 even though everyone else my age (11-12) did. (And I now know I wasn't missing out, but I remember it being the biggest deal ever to me back then). But I'm still not naive enough to think that pop culture didn't make its way into my brain. I think most people understand that reality tv isn't reality, but kids have a different perception of what's normal now that's shaped by tv. That being said, it's important not to blame tv for stupid decisions. I think there's a connection, but for normal people, that isn't alone enough of a motivation.

I wish they'd just stick to running Baby High from now on...these girls at least seem to be realistic about their hardships but are still motivated to get an education. I watched an episode of Teen Mom the other day with a girl from Centre, AL who had a lot of family support as well as a dad who is extremely interested in having them work as a family. I'm glad for her...but I always wonder if those stories make it look easier than it actually is, even with support.

I think legally you shouldnt be allowed to have a child at a certain age.

Chicago88, I'm sure that made sense to you. LOL. The reality is quite different and that's for a very good reason.

Hence why I began the statement with "I think..." I know something like that would never be. Im aware of the reality of our government and politicians even though I think its all crap.

I dont dabble in politics. I think its all a crock of shit personally.

You think the fact that the North American government can't restrict the age at which people can have children is crap (beyond child abuse and statutory rape regulations)?

Does this mean that you do not know the "for a very good reason" that I was typing about?

I thought you were being tongue-in-cheek but I guess you were serious.

No, I meant I think government as a whole is crap. Not certain laws, rules, or regulations. Our government is there to protect us and I believe that they have good intentions I just dont have much faith in a large, centralized government. I think that if there were to be a restriction against certain age groups having children, there would be a whole heck of a lot less saddening situations but I have to remind myself its almost 2011, not 1940.

Would you consider it a "saddening situation" if pregnant 16-year-olds were forced to undergo abortions at gunpoint? Or perhaps if 100% of pubescent females were forced to get regular depo-provera shots at gunpoint, starting at age 11? Or are you proposing that the government rip teenagers' children out of their mothers' arms at birth in order to give them to older couples? Because those would be the only ways to enforce the law you propose. I wouldn't want even an ideal government doing any of those. Talk about saddening.
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MyPuzzyStoryxxx

That would be a scary North American existence.

Amber is pregnant with her second child. Does she expect to be on another TV show to have money to support the kids?

http://www.popeater.com/2010/12/15/a...wood-pregnant/

:rolleyes: :eek: :mad: yet we already know the high probability that unwed and teen mothers will get pregnant again.

But this really isn't about the topic of teen pregnancy but instead about the ability for these girls to go on an MTV show and become celebs. Amber not only lost weight but turned orange (tanning) because she thinks people should care who she is now. Now she's on the cover of a magazine looking like an Oompa Loompa with headlines of promiscuity and so forth. That's the same system of privilege that allowed the teen pregnancy pact girls to "shock the nation" and get a Lifetime movie. Meanwhile, this topic isn't new to the rest of us and Amber and those other young bitches can go to hell along with the people who see THIS phenomenon of teen pregnancy as "different" than what's been going on in communities for years.
/vent

http://www.mtv.com/videos/?id=1654282

Teen Mom 2 trailer is up (with new moms from previous seasons of 16 and Pregnant).

I'm interested in seeing how the Janelle v. Mom for custody thing plays out.

From everything I've read about her, she just needs to give that poor child up for adoption. She had already given Leah to the baby's daddy b/c she couldn't take care of her (although I think she got her back), who knows what she'll do with this one. How sad :(

I came across the FB page of a friend's cousin. She recently turned 16 and already on her second kid. I think the oldest is 2 or 3. I was thinking "man she was the age of my students when she was pregnant." How sad :(

Has anyone seen the previews for the new teen mom? Looks even worse with new mothers.

More Amber drama
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/goss...e-battery.html

Anyone watch the reunion(s)?

During last night's episode, Dr. Drew mentioned a similar statistic that was much higher--something like 60% of teen moms will become pregnant again within two years?

Speaking of last night's episode--did anyone see it?

The woman that used to watch my children was 23 and on baby #3. She asked to have her tubes tied, but the OB told her that she had to be 24 to get her tubes tied (practice policy). She's now 24 and on baby #4. She's getting her tubes tied this time.

Gross! My sister was 26 with two kids and her doctor also refused to do the surgery. Her explanation was that 5-10 years later, my sister could be remarried to someone else and they'd want children.

It's 10 years later...she's not remarried and they still don't want any more children.

I wonder if it would still be "practice policy" if these women were 22 and already had 2 sets of triplets or something.

This is the mom. Real class act.

Yep, Whitney's mom...Whitney is the one that had the baby with the liver problems :(

Is there a "Teen Mom" thread that I couldn't find?

I'm watching the new episode of "Teen Mom."

My favorite part so far (I forget names):

Bentley: *baby ramblings*
Mommy: Do your feet stink? *smells his feet*
Mommy: OH MY GOODNESS! His feet really stink. Seriously, smell his feet....
Boyfriend: Nah, I'm good....

I hate calling them this but the "big couple" has gotten back together. She's annoying because she was all over the news.