The internet was buzzing yesterday with news of Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy. News that I glossed over as it popped up again and again as I moved around the internet. What do I care if Britney's younger sister is pregnant? She is Britney's sister so did we expect anything less out of her? Britney has not exactly been an ideal role model for her. Or for anyone.
But like everything in life there are other issues involved here. For one Jamie is only 16. Another teen pregnancy. At least she has money to be able to take care of her child. How many pregnant 16 year olds can say that? Not much was mentioned about the father of the child. Who apparently is either 18 or 19 depending on the source. So an adult shacks up with a minor and gets her pregnant. Being a celebrity this will probably go unnoticed by law enforcement officials. Or at least the laws will not be enforced most likely. Yes, an adult having sex with a minor under the age of consent is against the law. A little fact that Jamie's million of young fans will probably not know.
We live in a society of celebrity worship. Actors, musicians and athletes are paid astronomical salaries to entertain us. So it is not surprising that some celebrities let their fame get the best of them. History is littered with their scandals. Today's 24/7 365 days a year coverage has only magnified their slightest missteps. So something like a celebrity getting pregnant out of wedlock is nothing new. What is disturbing is it has the makings of a new trend. That is the trend of Disney and Nickelodeon making stars of these young girls and then not giving them the support they need to handle their celebrity status. I look at how Lindsey Lohan has handled her life after achieving stardom thanks to them. I look at Vanessa Hudgens sending suggestive nude pictures to her boyfriend naively thinking only he would see them. Now I see Spears getting pregnant at 16. These actresses and the shows they star and starred on have audiences of millions of young girls. What kind of example does this set? And how much responsibility does Disney and Nickelodeon share? Times like these make me happy I am not a parent. I do not know how I would be able to explain to a tween that her favorite star, who is only a couple of years older, is pregnant by an even older person. I am so glad I am not a parent...
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2 comments:
TV shows like Gossip Girl are pandering teenage sex, what a nice trend, huh? It's tough to be a parent these days, I have to say.
I'm so glad I never idolized anyone as a young girl, I couldn't give a crap about pop music back then. I guess there's something to be said about growing up with a hard rock mind instead.
Um, wow, I've been to your house...how could I not notice that it was apparently under a rock? Are we naive enough to actually think that teen pregnancy suddenly stopped being a reality ot a problem in the last decade? And that 16 year olds stopped having sex? Pandering teenage sex? Ever seen the movies Meatballs? Or any of a slew of other movies that implied or directly stated that high-schoolers were drinking and gettign it on? It's odd that you single Gossip Girl out when a movie like Super Bad is being lauded for being a return of the slapstick raunchy teen comedy...
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