Sixteen and pregnant? How about 22 and graduated? Or 25 and successful, or even 16 and still a virgin?
16 and Pregnant is an overly popular MTV series that documents the trials and tribulations of girls who
got pregnant during high school, and how they cope with their pregnancies and life after giving birth.
It seems unfair that these girls are given the spotlight for something that may have been unplanned and
is a life challenge, while other young girls, who are working hard to achieve their goals, get the shaft.
MTV insists that their show is aimed to promote safe sex and to avoid teen pregnancy. But the appeal of
becoming a celebrity and have your life highlighted for a few minutes each week is essentially what the
show has become.
But if these shows were doing their job, as MTV claims, then why is the series still going into its fifth
season with more over-the-top situations? It has become less about prevention, and more about
creating drama.
Recently, The Huffington Post released an article about Farrah Abraham, one of the stars of Teen Mom,
a show that chronicles the lives of the same girls from 16 and Pregnant, as their kids grow up. She
recently filmed an adult film with porn star James Deen, and tried to pass the video off as a leaked sex
tape, to gain some publicity.
Jenelle Evans, from Teen Mom 2, is another popular girl from the series, known for taking drama to a
whole new level. According to TMZ, Jenelle was arrested just last week for allegedly assaulting her ex-
husband with a piece of furniture. She was also arrested for drug possession, which she claims she had
no idea was in her house at the time.
This is the same girl, who on camera in front of millions of viewers, after violating her probation, casually
told her parole officer that she could not go to jail on a certain set of dates due to a Ke$ha concert. It’s
apparent that she was given too much responsibility before her time.
This simple fact not only reflects the attitude of Jenelle, but it also shines a light on those who consider
themselves fans of the show.
Being sixteen and pregnant is hard enough without adding the stress of a camera crew, but it’s hard to
feel sorry for them when we’re 4 seasons in, and the girls are still filming. Their child should come first
but instead, these poor kids have to watch their mothers go through a downward spiral. The kids are the
ones who suffer the most.
Everyone makes mistakes. It’s not about how you get knocked down, it’s more about the steps you take
to pick yourself back up. It’s not a crime that they got pregnant, it’s a crime that they didn’t use the
opportunity MTV gave them to achieve something positive and change their lives for the better.
Caitlin Kupiec can be reached by email at kupiec.record@live.com