Last night the Secret Life of the American Teenager has it's spring premier which was filled with teenage pregnancies, lots of discussion about STI's and of course plenty of story lines about marriage and sex - not necessarily in that order. I must embarrassingly admit I have been a fan of Secret Life since it began when it was innocently enough just one pregnant teenager who got pregnant after loosing her virginity at band camp. She was trying to figure out how to be a teenager and a mother and all that comes with that. It started out as just a nicer, scripted, less drama filled version of MTV's Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. As the years went on not only did Amy's (the main character) mother get pregnant, so did another girl in her high school, Adrian who got pregnant by Amy's boyfriend. I didn't leave high school that long ago and there were plenty of preggo girls in my class but none of them had the same outrageous drama as these "American teenagers."
The ridiculous story lines this show has created I believe has finally taken it's toll and now in it's third season it is my humble opinion that this show has ruined our next generation. The thought that the average American teenager not only gets pregnant at 15 but her peers accept her and even get pregnant themselves is absurd. This "family friendly" show is not only unrealistic, it could be harmful as well. Understandably the show runs safe sex and preventable teenage pregnancy ads throughout the show every week, but is that the message that teenagers are actually getting?
Yes as a college student watching these teenagers parading around flaunting their sexual escapades is comical but those who are in high school must feel differently. Over the past few years the media has definitely put a spotlight on teen pregnancy. Movies like The Pregnancy Pact and Juno have portrayed pregnant teens in an unrealistic setting and even with "reality" shows such as Teen Mom which claim to portray the real lives of teen mothers their reality is subsidized by a hefty paycheck from MTV - something not realistic for most in that situation.
As Secret Life finishes its third and hopefully final season I hope that they will come around to a more realistic and less ridiculous plot ... until that happens I guess I will just continue betting on which Secret Lifer will get pregnant next and whose baby daddy they will hook up with next.
If you are so inclined here is a preview of next week's Secret Life of the American Teenager.
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