Jamie Lynn Spears

[Deleted]

I don't agree. Teen pregnancy is not a new phenomenon.

The media reaction to Jamie Lynn's pregnancy was not a positive one. Her pregnancy definately wasn't glamorized. I really doubt Jamie Lynn has inspired millions of teenage girls to become teen mothers. Too much weight is placed on celebrity's emphasis on regular people's everyday lives, imo.

[inkster]

As stupid and annoying as the media focus on celebrity pregnancies is, I don't buy that it's encouraging teen pregnancy. I knew plenty of girls in junior high and high school that couldn't wait to have babies so they would have someone who loved them no matter what - and then you can buy baby clothes and toys and they're so cute!!1!

Do not underestimate the stupidity and poor decision-making skills of teenagers (some, not all) - some of us escape our poor choices relatively unscathed, some don't. Even if these girls were inspired by celebrities to get pregnant and raise their kids together, the bigger problem is that they're stupid, unbelievably short-sighted, and have no sense of self worth. Or they have so little hope or ambition for their future that they see the easiest path to fulfillment or adulthood as having a baby - the ones who have gotten pregnant are in for a rude awakening.

I don't see why Jamie-Lynn can't celebrate or be happy about her baby - is she supposed to be in mourning? It seems like that would mess with a kid's head more than having teenage parents, provided they get the help they need to help compensate for their inexperience. If kids are making their family-planning decisions based on the covers of US weekly, then the problem is far, far bigger than the media.

[sugarhigh]

I call the photoshoots and interviews with OK! magazine as glamorizing her pregnancy. It's doubtless that OK! will be sold the first baby pictures.

And no, I don't think there's anything to celebrate or be happy about when a 16 year old gets pregnant. Obviously, she doesn't have to rend her garments and wear ashes.

[biondetta]

I don't think anyone said that JL can't celebrate her baby. But there's a difference between celebrating with your family and friends and celebrating in the media. Because of the age/situation, I just don't think it's appropriate to give it any encouraging/positive coverage in the media. The media may not be the source of the problem, but I doubt it helps any, either.

[Deleted]

Believe me, I don't underestimate the dumbness of young teens-girls and boys(I was one).

That's why I am 100% sure that "Juno", JLS, and the other young, "hawt", cool, rich and glamourous teenagers and very young adults teens obsess over and are more to the point, MADE to obsess over, are a definite impetus for these very girls. One or more of them had themselves impregnated by a homeless man, people-a local, 24 year old homeless guy!
These apparently weren't girls with relationships like JLS who accidentally got preggers--they were all trying their damndest to get pregnant together as a group thing. One big red flag to the high school health office was that when the girls got the news that "well, you're pregnant", they'd be seen high-fiving their friends; if they weren't preggers--"long faces", depression. It's not judgemental to say that's pretty fucked up.

Of course they must have had other serious issues in their lives. What I'm saying is that in our society's attempts to bend over backwards into pretzels lest anyone sound like they're coming down negatively on a 15 or 16 year old unwed girl having a baby, we've created a problem. There needs to be acceptance but there also needs to be open talk about why it's not a fantastic thing to be in that situation for the vast majority of the human child population in the US. Even JLS, after all, wasn't grinning on that cover story but looked pretty damn haunted and serious. Also very pretty and poised. Double message there, again.

I'm party to the problem, I feel-I don't just sit in judgement. And I don't know what the hell to do...because while no girl should be vilified, no child should give birth because she's "lonely" and wants a cool thing going on in her life either.

Let's say it's a combination of our modern american society being very messed up/unclear about sexual issues, period--while at the same time way, way way overdoing the whole "baby as ootsie-poo trendy accessory" thing.

I mean, Jaime-Lynn's sister Britney plainly, totally believed that fairy tale. The reality of a baby is SO not that. Two of my friends have just had them; they have all the assets you could want(but aren't nanny-wealthy)-and of course it's still incredibly hard, really not a lot of "fun"--but hard, hard work. Which is why girls shouldn't just do it because they weren't on BC or were wishing for a fantasy baby.

[SApril]

I don't know why the news is bringing up Jamie Lynn, as if her pregnancy was the catalyst for this baby pact by a bunch of idiot teen girls. From the Time article:

School officials started looking into the matter as early as October after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant.

Jamie announced her pregnancy in December. And while most articles are saying 17 of them got pregnant this year, I've seen on the news that some of the girls have already given birth.

I like the name Maddie. At least she didn't spell it Maddee.

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2008 22:46:48 GMT -4 SApril said:

I don't know why the news is bringing up Jamie Lynn, as if her pregnancy was the catalyst for this baby pact by a bunch of idiot teen girls. From the Time article:

School officials started looking into the matter as early as October after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant.

Jamie announced her pregnancy in December. And while most articles are saying 17 of them got pregnant this year, I've seen on the news that some of the girls have already given birth.

Imagine bringing facts in to a perfectly good "let's blame those Southern white trash Spears' for teen pregnency" meme.

Shocking what those Southern trailer trash girls from Gloucester* are up too.



*What is this you tell me! Gloucester is in sophisticated, well educated, New England and not in the poor, ignorant, Spears spawing South. But I was assured, reading all about those Southern hillbillies, that this sort of behavior was typical of that region.

How my stereotypes have been shattered!

[Witchie]

It isn't just Jamie Lynn. I think they are also blaming Juno. While it might make it seem easy, terrific, and Oscar-winning, we know those girls are in for some tough times. I can't imagine the conversations they'll have with their own kids when they are old enough to read about their mothers' pact.

[Deleted]

Jun 22, 2008 0:45:43 GMT -4 Witchie said:

It isn't just Jamie Lynn. I think they are also blaming Juno. While it might make it seem easy, terrific, and Oscar-winning, we know those girls are in for some tough times. I can't imagine the conversations they'll have with their own kids when they are old enough to read about their mothers' pact.

But in "Juno", the teenager gave her baby up for adoption. She didn't deliberately try to get pregnant, never celebrated how awesome it would be to have a cute baby and never considered raising the baby herself. Instead of killing it through abortion, she chose the mature route of recognizing she was in no position to raise a child & therefore gave the baby to an actual adult to be the parent.

I don't see the similarity in the Gloucester girls' choice and Juno at all.

I do, however, see the similarity in their stupidity and Jamie Lynn. The big difference is that JL has money to take care of a baby (she won't have to put Maddie in daycare while she tries to finish her education AND work to provide a living for the two of them) and those girls in Gloucester don't (unless you count living off mommy & daddy as "having money", which I don't).

I absolutely agree that they're in for some tough times. No doubt about it whatsoever.

[sweetiedarling]

I'm surprised that pregnant celebrities are getting blamed for the situation in Gloucester. I live near Gloucester and I think the situation has everything to do with the city's economic and social backwardness (well, compared to the rest of Massachusetts). There has always been an air of desperation there. It has been falling apart for years.

This is what happens when a high school offers day-care service but no sex ed.