Comments on: 5 Thoughts on Teen Mom http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2010/02/04/5-thoughts-on-teen-mom/ Responses to Media and Culture Fri, 12 Feb 2016 19:35:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5 By: Elise http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2010/02/04/5-thoughts-on-teen-mom/comment-page-1/#comment-27502 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:34:49 +0000 http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/?p=1521#comment-27502 I for one, am so happy to finally have teen parents portrayed as something other than poor, uneducated, leaches of society! I became a mom in 11th grade, a single mom. I graduated highschool and then worked two jobs to pay for daycare and college. I bought my first home at the age of 25, have a Master’s degree, and am a well-respected teacher. My son is now 19 years old and he has had everything any two parent family could have offered him. Yes, it WAS harder, but very possible! It’s about time they show the other side of teen parenting – those of us who don’t become welfare recipients, don’t blow cigarette smoke in our kid’s face, and can actually form a complete sentence correctly. I have learned through the years that there are many out there like myself, but because we hold our own in society, we aren’t as interesting! I love this show because I relate to it. I see the immaturity I used to have (as any teenager does)and I also see the drive in two of the girls that I had to be successful. Hopefully, it shows teens who stay on the bottom that it doesn’t have to be, and SHOULDN’T be, that way. I hope it encourages them to step it up!
Let me also say how sorry I feel for poor Catelyn and Farrah. Their moms SUCK! Proof that age doesn’t make you better at being a mom!

]]> By: Jennifer Stevens Aubrey http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2010/02/04/5-thoughts-on-teen-mom/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:52:34 +0000 http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/?p=1521#comment-387 Thank you for this post — I too was fascinated by the show. On #3, I might add that the show’s premise took an abrupt turn to preachiness with the reunion specials hosted by Dr. Drew (both for 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom). The questions he asked were along the lines of: “how much does being a teen mom suck?” “How much do you cry yourself to sleep?” “How much do you regret your decision to not use a condom?” I’m exaggerating, but I felt that these specials really took on a different tone than the weekly episodes.

My other thought on the show is that there was such a preoccupation on defining what being a “good mom” means. Not much attention went to being a good dad, maybe some emphasis on being a good boyfriend, but the show defines parenting as a woman’s role. Anyway, thanks again for the provocative comments!

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