The MTV television show “Teen Mom” has become a huge hit nationwide, especially among young girls. The show was originally created to show young girls what it was like to be a teenage mother dealing with all the struggles that it entails. Unfortunately, the second season of teen mom sent controversial messages when Amber Portword, 19, punched her boyfriend Gary Shirley in the face threatening to push him down the stairs. What kind of message does this send to the millions of teens watching this?
I was completely outraged at MTV’s irresponsibility to take action in this situation. MTV was absolutely insensitive to the emotional and mental distress that Gary went through. The episode ended without even a public service announcement (PSA)of violence or abuse. Gender roles in this episode are completely stereotypical. Had the roles been reversed, and Gary hit Amber, the entire aftermath would have been different. I feel that MTV should have used this type of domestic abuse to show men who are abused that they are not alone. They should not be ashamed or embarrassed to take action against their abuser. Abuse is abuse, regardless of who it comes from and I believe MTV did a poor job of showing that.
The purpose of Teen Mom was to set an example but is failing to do so in my opinion. People find it more entertaining to watch, rather than watching for example. It’s almost as if MTV aired the domestic violence to gain viewer, making “good television”. I think the domestic abuse is one of the most real things about the show. Most typical teenagers with children are not able to move out on their own and drive brand new cars like the teen moms in the show due to their large paychecks from each episode. The domestic abuse IS something real and does occur. MTV should have made this an example of shown America that this is not acceptable and the proper ways to deal with it. I think self-esteem is also an issue surrounding the relationship between Amber and Gary. The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower says it perfectly; “We accept the love we think we deserve” (24). I think that even a PSA about self-esteem and domestic violence held after the episode would at least be a start in setting the right example for teens.
I am happy to hear that Amber is being charged with domestic violence. According to OK magazine online Amber is being charged with “felony domestic battery and child neglect”. Thank God that the law is taking action and hopefully getting their poor baby out of her custody for good. Ultimately, I think that MTV could have done a much better job in showing that domestic abuse of any kind is not okay and proper action should be taken immediately. After all, this is a highly influential show for young people and because of this, Teen Mom needs to be careful what type of image they portray.
