Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
I hypothesize a few reasons, including but not limited to:
1) Most of the viewers are white.
2) Nonwhite teen parents holds a different connotation therefore the critics and viewers would respond differently.
3) They may feel pressured to address different issues if they showed nonwhite teen parents, such as the correlates of poverty and family background for poor white teen parents and most Black and Hispanic teen parents.
4) With all of the above, it's more "fun" for everyone involved and the viewers to focus on their parenting, relationship troubles, and Farrah's mom.  However, I get clues from a couple of the kids showcased that they are from working class or poor families (as are many of the viewers).
Even delving into the topics of Farrah's mom, the US magazine cover, and why some think this show downplays teen pregnancy is surprisingly a lot more intense than discussions of this show tend to be. Some people really want to treat this show as The Jersey Shore or The Real World. |
I agree. I think MTV was going after a specific target audience (white girls from the burbs) for this show plus the fact that teen pregnancy in white upper-middle class America is still highly stigmatized and looked down upon. I haven't seen all of the episodes but from what I have seen these moms are the only ones in their respective social circles who are teen moms.