I find it to be rather hypocritical of the media to come down so hard on teen pregnancy while neglecting to point out the problem of glamorized teen sex?! And, boy oh boy, does Hollywood do a fantastic job of glamorizing teen sex or what? Can we agree that teenage sex in reality is just NOT glamorous. (I've just grossed myself out trying to form that sentence...I wrote it out in so many different ways!) Anyway, the point is that we should be more threatened by the message delivered by media about sex than the message about pregnancy.
If teens don't have sex, they won't get pregnant. And if you're going to make the argument, "Well, they're going to have sex anyway." Then, go ahead and glamorize pregnancy. Make it look like a beautiful choice. That's actually what it is. It's a better choice than having an abortion. And, if you think about the amount of teen sex that is most likely happening, then at some point, you should let it occur to you that you are simply not seeing enough teen pregnancy. You're seeing more post-abortive girls than you can fathom.
Sad reality. So sad.
Lastly, Jamie Lynn, you rock. You kept your baby. I know you read this blog regularly like it was the best sex you ever had. So, I hope you feel encouraged.
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HUGE thank you for this entry, Jenna. One of the writers from TIME magazine did a one page article in June on that very point (I think it was in reaction to those gals who made the pact). They were so severely critized yet no one was realizing that these girls actually took responsibility for their actions instead of killing their babies!!!! I was thrilled and stunned that this article was even printed!! Miss you LIKE CRAZY!
Amen! I love your awesome insight (and awesome humor).
Sara
I don't even know exactly how I got here, but I couldn't help but read this blog - and stare agape at your opinion of teen sex.
Are you ... seriously thinking that every teen that has sex ends up pregnant? Because that's what it looks like. And it's the opinion that they shouldn't be taught how to be SAFE about it that gets them pregnant in the first place. Yes, the media glamourizes quite a few things it shouldn't. I'm not sure if teaching kids about safe sex is terribly glamourous, though. I remember my sex ed being rather embarassing and eye-opening to it all. Certainly didn't make me any more eager to go run around and find out how great -rubber- felt on my insides, let me tell you. The only thing that's making sex mystifying and secretive (see: alluring) to teens is shoving it in the closet and telling them they can't have any until they are 'old enough' or get married. Great way to make your kids listen mom. Tell them something that grownups can have but they can't, and the first thing they're gonna want to do is try it out to be a grown up themselves.
thanks for stopping by! i think i'd like to be friends with you, too!
Aya,
you wrote:
"Are you ... seriously thinking that every teen that has sex ends up pregnant?"
nope. I don't think that every teen who has sex gets pregnant.
Jamie Lynn is a perfect example of a kid who knows full well about "safe sex" and didn't have it. Or maybe she did and it just wasn't as "safe" as some would like to believe.
And I didn't say anything about sex ed classes.
you wrote:
"The only thing that's making sex mystifying and secretive (see: alluring) to teens is shoving it in the closet and telling them they can't have any until they are 'old enough' or get married."
the **only** thing?? really?
nobody in my life shoved sex in a closet. not my parents, not my friends, not my public school. and i found sex to be incredibly alluring because it *is* amazing and wonderful. and it so happens that it is only appropriate within the confines of marriage.
Blessings to you. Thanks for the challenge.
I was checking out at the grocery store and I picked up that copy of Ok! magazine and said to my wife "She's going to turn teen pregnancy into a fad! She's talking about how effortless her pregnancy was, and teen girls are going to follow her right into it. But unfortunately for them they do not realize that her family has enough money to make teenage pregnancy effortless for her." I fear her pregnancy may cause some abortions. Girls are going to flock to it and then quickly realize that it's not as easy as Jamie makes it look.
I hear your point, John.
A question and a thought:
1. Are you suggesting that teen girls who have the conviction to not engage in sex will then decide to have sex just to get pregnant and be teen moms? Or are you saying that girls who are having "safe" sex will decide to have "unprotected" sex just to get pregnant?
you wrote:
"her family has enough money to make teenage pregnancy effortless for her."
I am of the opinion that no amount of money can make pregnancy effortless.
Jenna,
I think that it is most likely to be the "safe" sex girls who will be foolish enough to get pregnant on purpose. However, I think that it will give all teenage girls more of a reason to at least give thought to the idea, and instead of thinking "There's no way I could do that so young", they may think "If she can do it, maybe I can. A baby would be fun!"
"I am of the opinion that no amount of money can make pregnancy effortless."
Sorry if it sounded like I was saying that pregnancy could ever be effortless physically & emotionally. Genesis and the experience of every woman who has ever been pregnant clearly disproves that. My wife has had a very rough time with her pregnancy thus far. However, in as much as pregnancy in its circumstances can be made effortless, the Spears family has the money to do it. Examples would include the fact that she had the financial ability to go to the hospital any time something was amiss. She probably had the best doctors money could buy the whole way through the pregnancy. She didn't have to work a manual labor job when she was pregnant. Nor will she have go back to work after. In fact, her family can afford to pay someone to watch her baby whenever she would like to get away. Also she probably has some type of trainer and/or dietitian to get her back into shape after the pregnancy. Not even to mention the numerous costs that come with having a child: the furniture and toys and diapers and bottles. None of these things is guaranteed to a teenage mother. Take it from the son of a teen mom.
I can't imagine teenage girls copying Jamie's pregnancy like they might copy her haircut or outfit. I think teenagers are smart enough to understand the responsibility of having a child and it scares them.
Good post Jenna! The implication of the article is "Jamie should have had an abortion." Otherwise it would have read "Does Jamie Lynn's OK! cover glamorize teen sex?" The problem isn't that she had a baby, it's that she had sex outside of marriage.
I think this kind of attention has more of a positive impact (the already pregnant teen thinking twice about an abortion) than negative (teenage girls jumping in the sack to score a bambino).
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