Hollywood’s Response to Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy got a “bump” from the film industry in the winter of 2007 into 2008, thanks in large part to the Oscar buzz surrounding Ellen Page in Juno. During the film, Page, as the title character, sought answers to questions about growing up, acknowledged having sex with her friend - leading to pregnancy - because she was bored, and focused on finding adoptive parents.

In the primetime television show debuted on the ABC Family network, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the life of a pregnant teen is chronicled and real life teens and their parents - mothers mostly - are watching from week to week.

But don’t think that teen pregnancy is only a subject looked into in the evenings and in movies that are geared towards high school students, college students and adults. In addition to The Secret Life of the American Teenager, ABC has included a story line about teen pregnancy in the popular soap One Life to Live. Drawing on the experience of a young mother - as well as the emotions and difficult decisions that she had to face - the plot line gives an accurate portrayal of a pregnant teen, including thoughts of having an abortion before considering adoption.

There is a wide variety of ways in which teen pregnancy has been handled in film, in primetime and daytime TV. Rather than focusing on a teen who is pregnant, during the summer NBC chose to approach the topic with a show called The Baby Borrowers. Teens who thought they would be able to handle becoming parents had to “parent” infants, toddlers, pre-teens, younger teens and, to mirror caretaking for aging parents, senior citizens.

On one hand, some people are outraged that teen pregnancy is coming up so often as entertainment. Some critics suggest that by showing that the teens who get pregnant are just “normal teens” facing every day decisions and challenges, the producers involved are somehow glorifying teen pregnancy.

On the other, there are organizations that want to help parents talk with their teens about sex and pregnancy who applaud the effort - but not because of the plot lines. Instead, their focus is on the fact that, when parents watch these shows with their teenagers, the plot lines give parents a view of what a teen’s life is like and give them talking points. The shows help to encourage conversation and education.

Regardless of where you weigh in, it seems as though there is an increasing trend by directors and writers to acknowledge teen pregnancy.