MTV and Teen Pregnancy: Critical Essays on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom

by Letizia Guglielmo (Editor)

Overview

In 2009, 16 and Pregnant premiered on MTV, closely followed by the spinoffs Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2. Because of their controversial portrayals of teenage mothers, the shows have received ongoing media attention. While some argue that the programs could play a factor in reducing the number of teen pregnancies, others claim the shows exploit young women and glamorize their situations. Among these debates, there have been surprisingly few in-depth discourses that discuss the roles such shows have on teenage audiences.

In MTV and Teen Pregnancy: Critical Essays on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, contributors from a variety of backgrounds and expertise offer potent essays about these programs. Divided into four parts, the book tackles the controversial representations of teen pregnancy from various disciplines. Part I explores gendered social norms and the shows’ roles as either educational resources or idealized depictions of teenage motherhood. Part II prompts readers to consider the intersections of race, class, gender, and the social and cultural power structures often glossed over in these programs. Part III focuses on teenage fathers, the portrayal of masculinity, and “good” vs. “bad” parents. Part IV draws from TVs representations of reality to discuss the impact of these shows on the viewing audience. This section includes a narrative from a teen mother who argues that the shows do not accurately reflect the life she leads.

As the debates about 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom continue, this collection provides a valuable critical discourse to be used both inside and outside the classroom. Those engaged in courses on gender and women’s studies, as well as media studies, social work, and family and childhood development, will find MTV and Teen Pregnancy especially insightful—as will those involved in community outreach programs, not to mention teens and young mothers themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442256187
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/15/2015
Pages:	276
Sales rank:	776,907
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Letizia Guglielmo is associate professor of English at Kennesaw State University. She also teaches in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program and serves as the Assistant Director of Composition for the English Department. Her research and writing focus on feminist rhetoric and pedagogy, multiliteracies, digital media in the writing classroom, and the intersections of feminist action and digital communication.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Introduction: Teen Moms and Baby Daddies: Interrupting the Conversation on Teen Pregnancy Letizia Guglielmo vii

Part I Feminist Interventions or Tired Narratives? 1

1 Teen Momism on MTV: Postfeminist Subjectivities in 16 and Pregnant Caryn Murphy 3

2 16 and Pregnant and the "Unvarnished" Truth about Teen Pregnancy Letizia Guglielmo Kimberly Wallace Stewart 19

3 Teen Moms Negotiate Desire: The (Re)Production of Patriarchal Motherhood in MTV's Teen Mom Anastasia Todd 35

4 Othering the Mothering: Postfeminist Constructs in Teen Mom Jennifer A. Fallas 49

Part II "The Personal Is Political": Teen Pregnancy and Hegemony 65

5 "100% Preventable": Teen Motherhood, Morality, and the Myth of Choice May Friedman 67

6 Teen Sex: An Equal Opportunity Menace: Multicultural Politics in 16 and Pregnant Clare Daniel 79

7 Sensationalizing the Sentimental: National Culture and Futurity Melanie Anne Stewart 93

8 Pathological Motherhood, Parental Relationships, Expert Counseling, and Heteronormativity: A Framework of Anxiety and Reassurance through MTV's Teen Mom Martina Thomas 109

Part III Making Room for Daddy: Images of Teen Fatherhood 123

9 16 and Pregnant, Masculinity, and Teen Fatherhood: Reconciling or Reinforcing Stereotypes? Jennifer Beggs Weber Enid Schatz 125

10 Teenage Fathers: The Disruption and Promotion of the Heterosexual Imaginary Andrea M. McClanahan 141

11 What's a Baby Daddy to Do?: Fathers on the Fringe in MTV's 16 and Pregnant Laura Tropp 161

Part IV Is This Real Life? Mediating the Whole Story of Teen Pregnancy and Motherhood 177

12 "Having an Abortion Is Not Uncommon, but Talking about It Publicly Is": Exploring the Potential for Positive, Feminist, Pro-Choice Portrayals of Young Women's Experiences with Abortion in Mass Media through MTV's "No Easy Decision" JoAnne Gordon 179

13 "I'll See You in Court": The Collision of Legal Drama Frames and Public Policy Alison N. Novak India J. McGhee 193

14 The Young and the Pregnant: Edutainment, Reality Television, and the Question of Teen Pregnancy Prevention on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom Margaret Tally 207

15 Isolated and Struggling: A Real-Life "Sixteen and Pregnant" Narrative Allison Bass 219

Episode Bibliography 235

Bibliography 239

Index 255

About the Editor and Contributors 261