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.
I am not a fan of Teen Mom because of a lot of the reasons you stated. This biggest reason of all is I think MTV tries to advertise the show as an "example" of why teens shouldn't get pregnant but in reality I believe its causing more teens to want to get pregnant because of the fame that surrounds these teen girls. You also make a very good argument when you talked about the domestic violence being completely one sided. MTV had a prime example of a female abusing a male and they chose to use it to get ratings instead of using it, like they say, as a teaching tool to young teens in that situation. When I read your blog I got mad at MTV but I was very relieved to hear that the law is taking the situation seriously.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting when you said "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", because I never thought about this aspect. I could not agree with you more about the show and the celebrity status these girls now have. It is no wonder teen pregnancy rates are so high. I also agree with your statement "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 would consider myself one of the viewers who just watches for entertainment instead of to learn from these girls mistakes. Now I have a better understanding and a different outlook on this show and how MTV poorly portrays the struggles, instead making these girls instant celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with everything you are saying Taylor. I think the show Teen Mom’s is a joke. They don’t take anything seriously, like you said abuse is abuse. I don’t think it matters who hits who, somebody needs to be punished for what they did, especially, with a child involved. Everything about this show is serious. I think a lot of what Amber did on the television show was just for attention. First, she wanted to get married to Gary and then the next day she wants to push him down the stairs. She got what she deserved. These young couples have babies to deal with in their lives now, and don’t need cameras around to show everything going on in their lives.
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