Posted on 07/26/2008 10:54:57 AM PDT by wagglebee
"Many teen moms and the adults who deal with them are glad to see a conversation about teen pregnancy out in the open," Newsweek explains, "But they say that big parts of the story are being glossed over: how that baby bump came to be in the first place, and just how hard it'll be for a teen to raise a child."
Jane Brown of the University of North Carolina asserts that the Hollywood version of the teen pregnancy storyline lacks commitment, contraception, and consequences. Critics complained that the movie Juno mentioned condoms "only" twice. The assumption is clearly that teenagers simply will have sex, and the best parents can hope for us that it be "safe" sex.
Beyond that, "commitment" is the word one uses to avoid using "marriage." Waiting until marriage to engage in sexual intercourse is, for Hollywood, an unthinkable presumption. Teens are encouraged to establish "committed relationships" before sex. We can only wonder what kind of commitment would please Hollywood and its critics.
As for consequences, Hollywood generally abandons reality when it claims to present "reality" programming. The celebrity cult is even worse. The OK! magazine cover makes teen motherhood look positively glamorous. But, as one young woman responded to the OK! coverage, "I had a baby at 16, it was NOT easy, I did NOT look radiant and beautiful."
Then again, that kind of honesty probably wouldn't sell many magazines. Hollywood and the entertainment industry are selling their version of normal teenage expectation. Teen moms are, as Newsweek explained, "a hot plot device." Parents, you have been warned.
The problem is that most parents don't seem to care.
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Using something as a plot device is automatically endosing it? Has Jamie Lynn Spears ever actually been in a movie?
The Hollywood crowd has become an American Aristocracy where family connections, ability to dominate and manipulate a compliant media determines membership. The aristocrats are shielded from much of the "unpleasantness" of being teen moms. Money is usually not a problem, they just have to pander to the press and occasionally forget their underwear. Usually there is no merit or intelligence involved in being an aristocrat. Their political and charity connections show that.
She was the star of her own teen show on Disney. At least she has enough money to keep the kid in diapers and formula herself, unlike most teen mothers.
“and just how hard it’ll be for a teen to raise a child.”
It will be a walk in the park for Jamie Lynn.. she probably won’t have to touch the baby more than is necessary for publicity photos.. she has handlers, nannies, hangers on, etc to actually do the real life things involved in baby care.. she’ll never have to decide between baby food and doctor bills, she’ll never have to figure out how to put the landlord off for a few more days, or who’s going to watch the baby when she gets called into work a double shift because she needs the money. Those are the things no one in Hollywood talks about.
The child is alive in the air world. For that I give thanks. The child is loved and there are sufficient resources to care for the child. For that I give thanks. The alternative to this is the murder of the child sometime between conception and birthing. The alternative to all of these is greater value on moral choices, which of course ‘Holly weird’ is never going to embrace else they would have to forfeit the billions they make on pushing immorality and human indulgence sans spiritual consequences.
It’s great! Especially with all that money around so all you have to do is just live life as usualy and change a few diapers. Too bad most teenage mothers don’t have that luxery.
I don’t let my kids watch Zoe 101 anymore. I told them she might be perfect on that show, but I didnt’ want them to think she was a rolemodel either.
Yes, I used ‘bastard’, and for a reason. It is the English word for what this behavior begets, and is not a pejorative of the child itself, who remains just that, a child. It is, however, a pejorative comment (how judgmental!) on the “parents” (partners in lust) and the parents’ thoughtless, careless, selfish actions.
It is something that was seen as a shameful act, but now thanks to Hollywood & the NBA, there is no shame, except the Left’s shaming of those of us who lament the passing of shame & morals.
The only way to take back the lost ground is to relentlessly publicly shame the publicly shameless.
Point & laugh, rather than celebrate the shameless.
They have a lot in common with Congress at this point.
Explains why I plan on not having children until I don’t have to worry about the issues you brought up. I have grad school to get through first ;).
Too bad there aren’t more people as sensible as you out there, if there were, less children would suffer.
I’d chalk that up to family influence, My father waited until he was 30 and set in a good field with good skills, my eldest brother waited until he was 31 with an MBA and a solid career.
well kudos to your family then! Being surrounded by nimrods makes one appreciate the sensible ones on this earth.
I have mixed feelings on this-at least she didn’t get an abortion, and the kid will never have to want for anything, due to the family money.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.