Teens Becoming Pregnant to Get on 'Teen Mom'?
Now that 'Teen Mom' cast members like Amber Portwood are in their twenties,
MTV is looking for a new crop of teenage girls to keep its monster hits 'Teen Mom' and '16 and Pregnant' alive, and [surprise!] industry insiders tell me young ladies are so eager to be on reality TV that they are actually getting pregnant just to score an audition. OK, not much of a surprise. Simply take a spin around the various Internet forums filled with young girls inquiring about what's required to score a role.
"This is yet another example of the desperation of fame," Matt Titus, a relationship expert from
TheLoveConsultants.com, tells me. "The sad state of reality television has created a lowbrow vehicle for untainted train wreck personalities to display their private lives. Getting pregnant to be famous is like eating as many cockroaches as possible in a one minute period."
(Didn't they do that on 'Survivor'?)
Casting any reality show right is essential to whether it is a hit or not. Networks spend top dollar auditioning throughout the country to make sure they get the right mix. However, what makes 'Teen Mom' and '16 and Pregnant' both so difficult to cast is that, thankfully, the "talent pool" of potential stars that are both pregnant
and teenagers is relatively small.
Mommy expert Beth Feldman, creator of
RoleMommy.com, says it would be "horrifying" if teens are actually getting pregnant for a TV show. "Becoming a parent is a responsibility that no one should take lightly, and for a teenager to think that a pregnancy could lead to instant fame and fortune is absurd. Parenting is a lifetime commitment and teens have there own lives ahead of them. Let them grow up before they take the responsibility of caring for another human being."
Rabbi Shmuely Boteach, a friend of the late Michael Jackson and author of 'Kosher Sex,' agrees. "This is out of control celebrity culture. Reality TV first began by exploiting people's problems, assuming they would do anything for fame. The idea of teenage girls getting pregnant to be on television shows that reality TV is going a step beyond exploiting problems. It is now creating the problems."
Anyone who has had a child knows that it is the most serious commitment a person can make. Rabbi Shmuley correctly points out that when young girls begin making this ultimate decision in order find fame, it "shows the moral rot in American society."
"These girls are ignoring the fact that this decision must followed by a lifetime of responsibility," he says.
Maybe my friend Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of the hit HLN show 'Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell,' says it best: "Children should not be having children, period."
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'Teen Mom' Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout, Bristol Palin and Brianda Diaz attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin;Brianda;Diaz
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Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout and Bristol Palin attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout attends The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout and Bristol Palin attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout attends The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout, Bristol Palin and Brianda Diaz attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin;Brianda;Diaz
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout attends The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout and Bristol Palin speak to Dr. Drew Pinsky during " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sponsored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Farrah Abraham;Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin;Dr. Drew Pinsk
Teen Mom Snapshots
NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) CEO of Candie's, Neil Cole, Bristol Palin and Dr. Drew Pinsky attend " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sponsored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Neil Cole;Bristol Palin;Dr. Drew Pinsky
Teen Mom Snapshots
Bristol Palin and Dr. Drew attend " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sposored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. "The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting Sposored By The Candie's Foundation Lighthouse International Conference Center New York, NY United States May 5, 2010 Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage.com To license this image (17257527), contact WireImage.com
Teen Mom Snapshots
Bristol Palin attends " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sposored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. "The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting Sposored By The Candie's Foundation Lighthouse International Conference Center New York, NY United States May 5, 2010 Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage.com To license this image (17257536), contact WireImage.com
Teen Mom Snapshots
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And just how do you determine how much money these girls are paid for these babies? Does it go to the highest bidder? Even in a situation like this you're still paying a teenager to have a baby...it's no different.
What girls are getting pregnant to be on a tv show that makes it seem like it's easy and ok?!?!?!?!?! I'm SOOO shocked!
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I knew this was gonna happen, I freaking called it almost a year ago. Girls would be getting pregnant to be on "zomg MTV!!!" And any girl that wants to be on an MTV show about pregnant teens that bad shouldn't be having kids. Oh I'm not talking about as a teen I mean they should never ever ever have children; weed out the gene pool ya know?
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What ever happen to one day walking down the aisle wearing a pure white gown. Marrying your one true love.
Now it's having a baby, hoping the guy stays with you and if not oh well welfair or get rid of the kid anyway possible.
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This is nuts. Children having children. I live in the DFW area and was recently in downtown Dallas and I saw so many teenage girls with child or pushing a baby or carrying a baby around especially around El Centro the Junior College.
Besides teaching these young children about having babies how about HIV/Aids? Don't they use protection? Maybe its time to dispense protection in the restrooms.
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Should we really be suprised that stupid teens would do this? For a teenager, the best thing in the world is to be on MTV and here's a show that glamourizes teen pregnancy.
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Here's a thought, STOP PAYING THEM to be on the show. Don't make this a "career choice". What's even more worrysome is what happens to the ones who get pregnant to be on the show and don't make it on the show? Are we going to end up with an epidemic of pregnant teens who didn't make the casting call? Having a baby is NOT a joke or "fun". Even being guilty of watching that show myself, WHY would someone want to put themselves through that? They didn't make it look easy, but I don't think they showed the entire truth either.
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MTV should be ELIMINATED, PERIOD! MTV is getting nowhere unlike in 80s where there always different songs and acting which I always like to watch. Until in few years ago and since, MTV is getting dumb and dumber and DUMBEST with reality shows.
ALL reality shows are so DESPERATE. Thank god, I never watch ANY of reality shows.
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agreed! MTV STANDS FOR MUSIC TELEVISION
When is there actually music playing?? it's strictly trashy reality!!!
Remember TRL? Jesse Camp and Summer at the Shore?
Should change the name of the shows to 'Teen Moron' and '16 and Stupid'
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some girls might get pregnant just to get on the show, which is very stupid. im a teenage girl and personally the show shows me that children arent easy. life with a baby is not easy when your just a child yourself. it shows that its very very hard. they all say they should of waited. yes, some girls might watch and get ideas to get pregnant. others, like me, will watch and realize it's a very hard job and they arent ready for that.
-opinion from a teenage girl
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call the show adults and teens with no brain cells
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is anyone really suprised by this article,glamorized teens and really when the media pays them thousands to be on tv,who can really blame them.
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Just another example of the kind of sewer this country has
turned into. Most americans act and think like simple minded barbarins. Oh i forgot. This is a "christian" nation full of
"christians".
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This is what happens when you let tv raise your children.
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The parents no doubt will encourage them to get knocked up. And all of their dysfunctional friends will cheer them on after all the new born kid is nothing more then a new pair of shoes to mindless twits like those who follow the reality slop.
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This is how you get thirty something grandmothers.
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This is not these teens girls Fault. Sorry I know some are going to say WT Hell. Buty we adults need to send letters to the law makers, and demand these shows be taken off the air. and deemed illegal. Bottom line is Teens do not have the brains to make a serious choice of bringing a child into this world.
My Daughter got preg because she seen may of her teen friends having babies. But she was 19, and could not handle it. And me and my wife are now raising my first grand daughter.
She got depressed afterwards, cause she could not go anywhere. With the baby needing to be cared for. So 3 months into motherhood, we had to take legal custody of our grand daughter or she would have been dead before she reached 6 mo,s old.
WRITE YOUR LAW MAKERS> I did write but only one letter will do no good but millions will get attention. So get writeing people.
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Jim, I don't want the government in my life. I won't write to ask them to do anything. They are already regulating to many things they don't have any right doing so. Write to the channel carrying the show. Get a boycott of the show. Don't involve the government.
Stupid worthless skanks, sterilize them and the father's of the babies.
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