Although I have not watched every season of “American Idol,” I really enjoy the show when I do. The singing competition often showcases some great undiscovered young singers. However, there are some parts of the show I dislike. For instance, earlier this year, during the audition portion, the show sometimes focused on those who had been rejected. These singers were often crying and tried to stay away from the cameras as they grappled with a harsh reality. If you take those personal moments, multiply them by a thousand and focus on that, that show would be “16 and Pregnant.”
Although I don’t want to compare the challenges of having a child to the disappointment of being rejected from a singing competition, the feeling I had as a viewer watching the rejected singer on “American Idol” and the entirety of “16 and Pregnant” was the same. These are personal moments and stories that should be kept that way and not aired for an audience to enjoy.
I’ve watched a few of the new episodes of “16 and Pregnant,” which is now in its second season on MTV. Each one focused on a unique girl dealing with teen pregnancy. The “16” website noted that every “episode follows a 5-7 month period in the life of a teenager as she navigates the bumpy terrain of adolescence, growing pains, rebellion, and coming of age; all while dealing with being pregnant.”
The first episode focused on Jenelle, a pregnant teenager from North Carolina. After getting pregnant, Jennelle still loved to hang out at the beach and go to parties. At the beginning she was trying to deal with the tension between her boyfriend and mother. The mother disliked her daughter’s jobless boyfriend, who, after the baby was born, got arrested for drunk driving. After that and an argument between Jenelle and her irresponsible boyfriend, Jenelle continued her partying ways noting in voice-over that the baby “doesn’t need me. He’s got my mom.” The show followed Janelle’s life until she eventually realized how hard being a parent is and reached an understanding with her mother about them working together to raise the child.
One of the main problems is the subject matter. The decisions involving having a new baby are often extremely personal. On the show, some of the mothers have to decide whether or not to choose adoption — and if they keep the child, they have to decide how to raise the child. Firstly, one wonders why these people would invite cameras into their homes to chronicle some of the toughest decisions of their lives. Secondly, who would want to watch teenagers struggling with potential parenthood and the hard decisions involved in that? I watched it to review it but I did not see anything entertaining or interesting enough to motivate me to watch the show in the future.
Additionally, one could argue that the show often incentivizes teenage mothers. Some of the friends of these pregnant girls seem excited about the possibility of their friends having a baby. However, the show does showcase some of the difficulties related to motherhood. The teen mothers and their boyfriends have to confront reality and some could argue that the show provides a public service in showing how difficult being a teenage mother is.
However, the show also provides a forum for often irresponsible and disrespectful young parents to get publicity for getting pregnant. So I think that overrules any educational value that the show might have for teens who are having unprotected sex.
Throughout the show, I did feel bad for some of the new grandparents. They’re trying to help their own children understand the responsibilities that come with being a parent. However, I do not understand why they would allow cameras into their personal lives to publicize their children’s pregnancies. Teenage pregnancies are a very personal thing and future grandparents should teach their pregnant children lessons about the responsibilities that come with being pregnant but without the glaring lights of a camera crew.
If only MTV had stepped out of the way and not offered an incentive for such a thing.
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