
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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this is why I debate this issue with my husband. He thinks the shows are educational. I think that these shows are so wrong they aren't educational at all. They just influnce girls to get knocked up to get on TV. Children are not pawns to get famous.
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my cousin got pregnant because her dad wouldn't let her get a puppy!!! She was 15! It's a tragedy
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Kids having kids. Sad.
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wow
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Was a time that a young girl would be shamed if she got knocked up as a teen... i say its time to bring that attitude back. It disgusts me these young putas think nothing of getting knocked up and guess who is paying for their out of wedlock kids.... I want to stress I have No will feelings againts these innocent children..but real annoyed at their a-moral mothers.
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The whole thing is a joke
Ok, what is the most obvious sign that getting pregnant to land the opportunity for "instant celebrity" is a bad idea?? The fact that once you hit 20 you're no longer interesting, maybe? The next 4 years or so may sound like forever, y'all, but it's NOT. Some of these girls are now too old to qualify. You will be, too -- all too soon.
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So wait, I'm confused... is this article about how bad this would be if it were actually happening? And not suggesting that it is happening, right? I'm not seeing a lot of evidence presented that this is even happening at all....
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MTV is exploiting our children. Children having children is extremely difficult on the children as well as the grandparent's. What we can do is block MTV so these kids cannot watch it all. I believe we grandparent's take care of the children, the grandchildren, and all of the household expenses.
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TV isn't as much of a problem is the parents who use it as a babysitter for their kids. Without proper modeling or even attention from parents these kids will glamorize anything on TV and look up to reality stars (conversely, those who spend a bit more time with their parents who are involved and talk to their children tend to be a bit more grounded and thus won't necessarily think getting pregnant is a solution to a problem). I've seen the show, and I don't see a whole lot that's glamorous about it.
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i think it is a natural disgrace that this tv show that is on MTV is aiming for young teens (GIRLS) to get involved in this show by being or getting pregnant! Just look at how "MTV" already has looney tunes on the show now. Look at amber!I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS SHOW SHOULD ENCOURAGE THESE TEENS TO TRY TO GET ON TV THIS WAY.
ENCOURAGE THE TEENS TO KEEP THEIR LEGS CLOSED!
becky
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