When it comes to my relationship with “16 and Pregnant,” I’ve been anything but a deadbeat parent.
I nurtured the MTV reality series when critics were intent on severing its life support system. I invested time and energy in the show, hoping it would one day mature into the public service tool it promised to become.
I didn’t have a hard time justifying my attachment.
When “16 and Pregnant” premiered in 2009, its gritty episodes were a stark, yet welcome, departure from the opulence that previously defined reality offerings on MTV.
Despite claims that the show glorified teen pregnancy, I found ample evidence supporting its role as a teaching tool. Viewers watched the featured teenagers lose friends, family bonds, financial stability and career aspirations.
There’s nothing glamorous about that.
Plus, there was the elusive promise of a reunion show with Dr. Drew. Even the harshest critics can’t argue with Dr. Drew.
Or can they?
The third season of “16 and Pregnant” premieres at 10 p.m. tonight on MTV. Strangely, my maternal connection isn’t as strong this time around.
Blame that in part on the rise of “Teen Mom,” the “16 and Pregnant” spinoff that follows some of the reality show’s alums as they navigate life post-labor. It, too, boasted tremendous teaching potential -- until cast members began gracing tabloid covers and hanging out with the “Jersey Shore” crew.
A new “16 and Pregnant” season will air amid growing evidence that Leah Messer and Corey Simms -- a couple featured on both “16 and Pregnant” and the second installment of “Teen Mom” -- are headed toward divorce after about six months of marriage. The pair fought over paychecks from MTV, according to some reports.
In its defense, MTV hasn’t dramatically toyed with the formula of an average “16 and Pregnant” episode. I assume the show’s third season won’t shy away from topics like emotional abuse and domestic violence. Even the New York Times pointed to a potential to educate in a recent article entitled “Fighting teenage pregnancy with MTV stars as exhibit A.”
But if you continue to air “16 and Pregnant,” MTV, here’s my request: Don’t let pregnancy programming dominate your schedule.
A single documentary-style series is enough to generate discussion.
Follow up with the characters beyond that, however, and you’re tracking cast members who have inevitably attained some level of celebrity status -- even if it happened unwillingly.
Put a limit on the time that cast members share their life choices with the rest of the world. Otherwise, it will be nearly impossible for viewers to differentiate between the pressures of young motherhood and the pressures of fame.
For more of Sonya's commentary, follow her Walk of Shame relationship blog.
