I Took a Nap and the Teen Moms Became Celebrities?

By Jo Piazza Posted Oct 8th 2010 04:00PM

The stars of MTV's reality show 'Teen Mom' are gracing the cover of US Weekly again this week as well as the cover of OK! magazine. I must have blinked or taken a nap for a few minutes because I missed out on the moment when the teenage mothers from the doc-style show about women who became pregnant before finishing high school turned into famous people.

I understand that the celebrity news hole is a bottomless pit, requiring more and more reality television stars and mistresses to feed its giant maw, but when I first watched 'Teen Mom' last year, I never imagined that Amber, Maci and Farrah would be as big as Spencer and Heidi.

It's been a long time coming, but reality stars have finally completed their body snatch of Hollywood.

Take a look at the top four USmagazine.com stories from Thursday, Oct. 7.

1. EXCLUSIVE: Angelina: 'Jersey Shore' Stars Put "Olive Oil, Grated Cheese" on My Bed
2. 'DC Housewife' Michaele Runs Out of Room Over White House Question
3. EXCLUSIVE: 'Teen Mom's' Amber Opens Up About Attacking Baby's Father
4. EXCLUSIVE: 'Teen Mom's' Maci Denies Ex's Cheating Claims

'Jersey Shore,' 'Real Housewives,' 'Teen Mom,' 'Teen Mom.' Nary a Jennifer Aniston or Jolie-Pitt in site. Imagine their relief.

So, what's the appeal of the teen moms? I decided to ask US Weekly senior editor Ian Drew.

"The ratings were big before we started covering them and they were hitting a note with our readers. Several of our staff members, including myself, are obsessed," Drew said. "The show consistently brings in around 4 million viewers and that number is growing every week."

Drew insists that the teen moms aren't merely the latest iteration of homely nobodies to become celebritized. He believes they are still real enough to be relatable to viewers and readers.

"There is no artifice with these women. There is no glam. It's one of the few reality shows where their celebrity doesn't encroach on it. I think MTV has been very careful not to make them into celebrities," Drew explained.

And the reason they keep making the cover of US? They're a money maker.

"The sales, of course, have been very high and the response has been great. Everyone knows someone in the situation like this," Drew said.

They do still seem to be almost like "real" or "regular" people, but that can't last for much longer. Amber already did her very star-like weight loss unveiling and it's only a matter of time before someone starts dating The Situation.

All that's really certain is that the people who star in actual movies and make music are off the hook for another weekly news cycle.

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Tags: teen mom

Comments

(56)

Friday 08 October

By JP

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All this show and this media attention is glorifying the situation. In about 9-10 months, there is going to be a whole slew of babies being born to unwed teen mothers. This is making it look cool, fun and making young impressionable women think they are going to get the luxuuries these "teen moms" are receiving. Schools are worried about cigarette billboards by their schools, they should be worried about this garbage on TV as well.

By loveyouhotmiley

These reality shows are sinking to a new low by glorifying girls having babies. No matter that they show how hard it is if you don't have the cash. They are making them into teen celebrities by putting them on the cover of magazines. Poor teens will think this is their shot at stardom. Of course everyone knows people like these and it will just get worse by paying them to be on a show. So sad.

Saturday 09 October

By Pamela

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They also get paid by us, the taxpayers and I object to it. If you want to play, you'd better be able to pay.

By RAS

Sick and sad society we live in when we glamorize irresponsibility

By anguskim

pretty soon we'll be making celebrities out of criminals.

By Lynn

The Situation doesn't "date" anyone.

By Lisa Green

as long as we dont have to look at, or, read about-Kate Gosselin-its all good......anyone but her & her brood....

amber should be in jail & her baby should be taken away from her-that is one violent, out of control little girl there--poor leah & gary--gary needs to get the heck out of dodge & take little leah with him....

By sexymamacita458

I totally agree with you...Gary deserves so much better than the constant abuse he get from Amber. Especially in front of Leah. What would she do if Leah started hitting her. Blame it on Gary. He is the only stabile thing in that little girl's life. He took her for 4 days and all Amber did was cry to her friends about it. Then when he brought her back she started a fight and told him she was dating and could he watch her. So much for caring about her daughter.She may also be Bi-Polar... I think she is on some kind of med. It aint working.

By Jennifer

I became a teen mom at age 17. My husband have been married 16 years now and we never acted the way these girls are acting. We both got jobs and I went to college. We learned a hard lesson and didn't have another baby for 14 years. Girls you need to grow up and the most important person in you life should be the child.

By jenni

Jennifer, I couldn't agree more. I also became a teenage mom back in the early 90's. Pregnant at 17, had him at 18 and got married 4 months after he was born (he is my only child). We have been married nearly 20 years now. It does take a lot of work, effort and family support to make it work. Glad to see you are also a success story. Congrats on a job well done and I wish you and your family the best.

By Liz

Have any of you actually seen this show? If you have then you would see in no way do they glorify being a teen mom. None of these girls live in big, nice houses. They all work and they show that they couldn't go to college like all their other friends. It shows how hard it is! Watching it doesn't make me want to have baby, it makes me want to take birth control.

By AJ

I will not buy a magazine with these teen moms on the cover. To glamorize their situations is ridiculous. They are not celebrities and I have no interest in how they manage their lives. To give them all this attention only minimizes their true problems. I wish they would move on to some other story of the day. But teen pregnancy is not for gossip magazines nor or these kids celebrities.

By jamie

@mike,why are you so angry?

By Jenni

Have watched the last few episodes with my 19 year old son and his 18 year old girlfriend (yes, they have a kid) but what I found most disturbing when I watched the last show was when Amber went off on her boyfriend and was hitting and kicking him IN FRONT OF THEIR DAUGHTER! If this show wants to promote anything good it should have kicked her off immediately and had her arrested. No guy would get away with doing that and these girls need to realize that woman shouldn't get away with it either. Abuse is abuse, no ifs, ands or buts!

By V

I am older my child is grown and I like the show. I think if you look at the show it shows that why YOU DONT have a baby until you are mature enough . Maci...she left her home , the only stable thing in her sweet son's life for some guy who gave up nothing . She did the leaving a MATURE woman would have put her child first and told him if he wanted to be with her he could move but her child needed stability. Amber.......she so needs for child and family services to remove the baby. If she does not quality for domestic abuse and will likely abuse the little girl then we should do away with DHS. If not for the cameras we might not see how angry and out of control things get.
Farrah she is a spoiled trainwreck. She is just not likeable and feels the world owes her a living . Last but not least Carly she had the courage to give her child a chance and seeing how her mom is a mess and how the baby would have been in a horrible life . I think it takes the glamour out of having a baby. Being mature is not a number it is how you handle life as it happens. I hope Amber gets help before she hurts her baby girl.

By SiastaEg

Great, more immature idiots reproducing. Just what the human gene pool needs. In American society, being a wh0re makes you rich and famous so this really isn't a shocker. Poor stupid girls giving their vagina to loser guys who will leave them. I feel sorry for the babies, kids shouldn't be raising other kids.

By Frank

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Prove it Punk

By Mel

I guess next one of 'em will be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars...

By Donna

Tax payers, lets open our wallets now.
Due to this show, that was a terrible idea, there will be a baby boom in about 9 to 10 months.
All born to teen aged girls.
MTV is neglient to do this type of show, it glorifys being a teen mother. All of these young girls on the show, now are famous all for having a baby. There are girls that would love to be in these girls shoes, and will now. Thanks to the total ignorance of MTV..

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