This video, called “Maury: Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day - Baby Boot Camp”, is a clip from a talk show hosted by Maury Povich. The show entails Maury attempting to “stop” three teenage girls from getting pregnant.
.Maury Povich is the host of the Maury show, which has now run for 14 seasons. Povich earned a degree in television journalism from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. He was the host of The Maury Povich Show (1991-1998), which covered controversial topics such as transsexuals and sex change, teenage drug use and pregnancy, and abusive relationships. The show was then taken over by a different company and the name was then changed to The Maury Show in 1998.
In this episode, pregnancy is portrayed as a desire of teenage girls. The girls who appear in this show display no knowledge of what it takes to raise a child. They are shown on camera talking about dozens of sexual partners, multiple miscarriages, going on welfare to pay for the child's’ needs, and even taking money for sex.
Click on the link below to view the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBCAloxCKII
It is the first time ever that hears about teenagers having a desire to pregnancy and to have a baby. Even I myself put stigma on those teenagers wander why and what kinds of upbringing cause them to have that kind of thought. It that lived a family that is to lonely, their parent didn’t care about them too much or other reasons. I don’t know. But after hearing one of the girls said that she just wanted to show the love to children. Or maybe she does not really want to have a baby, but just want a baby to love her. But I still believe that at that age, themselves still are children, they even can not take care themselves. At least for me, maybe now I still can not take care of my self completely, do not to think about having a baby. To be a parent is not that easy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jie. This is the first time I've heard of teens trying to get pregnant on purpose. Most of the time, teen pregnancy happens on accident and the teen moms fall into it. I would why this young girls would want to have babies, when they have their whole lives ahead of them. I feel that it is a good thing that the girls changed their minds about trying to have babies because it would it have a negative outcome on many people. Having a child at that young of an age would greatly affect the mothers life, but also would put the child in a bad postion. I am glad that the teens learned how difficult it is to have babies and changed their minds.
DeleteI think everyone will generally agree that having a child while being a teenager is a bad idea. I think the interesting part of the video is how the "guests" are portrayed. For example, Maury says that "he will do anything to stop them" from getting pregnant. Also whenever the girls appear on stage, they are immediately "boo"ed by the crowd.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Maury say "stop them" instead of "help them"? And why is the reaction of the crowd hatred instead of disappointment or shock?
Teen pregnancy has risen in the past year and is becoming a major issue in the media. The way Maury phrases, "I will do anything to stop them" is way to attract viewers and teenager who are potentially wanting to become pregnant too. This also might be the reason why he stopped the crowd from booing. He want the viewers and the teens to think that he cares for them. The clip relates how teens are desperate to get pregnant. Also, relate the reason they want to get pregnant is due to family issues or some from of violence.
DeleteRory's questions have raised my attention. As an authority in television journalism, the host Maury uses the word "stop", which is usually used when someone is going to do something extremely hazardous to him/herself or to the society. Cases of teen pregnancy will certainly lead some other possible girl to the same way, and because teenagers usually cannot even take care of themselves well, teen pregnancy is considered as the wrong thing. But, the show uses the word "wild teen girls", and "wild" has meanings of "lacking regular order or arrangement, disarranged"," occurring, growing, or living in a natural state, and not domesticated or cultivated". In such way, the guests who are already hatred by the audience are depicted as foolish and rude girls. By showing one guest's experience of having sex with 20 different guys, the guest is portrayed as crazy and lascivious girls because people can usually relate sexuality to leching and unaspiring personalities. In these way, the show successfully portrayed the guests as bad girls who deserve to be "boo"ed and hatred by the audience, and as a result it proved the girls are wrong, but The Maury Show is correct.
DeleteLet's steer away from a discussion of whether teenagers should try to have children. Again, focus on the primary source. Analyze how the Maury show is making its argument. What assumptions does it make about teen pregnancy, what rhetorical appeals and techniques does it use and how. Use the blog project assignment sheet prompts to guide you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, challenge your beliefs and assumptions: check out the article on what may seem like a more "justified" reason to have a baby as a teenager: http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-me/Diethylstilbestrol-third-generation-des-pregnancy. But don't focus on this article in the blog, just let it push you to think differently.
This show makes many assumptions that teenage girls are incapable of raising a child. Although I do agree with this mostly, I think this stigma is wrong a a generalization. Yes, teenage girls that get pregnant are faced with harder consequences usually, but not always. They are more likely to have miscarriages, more sexual partners, and some have sex for money but I believe that this is also a result of a lack of support. Girls with a supportive family behind them that can support them financially and help them out are more likely to not have such a hard time. I do think that getting pregnant at such a young age is wrong, but I don't believe that every girl lacks the knowledge they would need to raise a child.
ReplyDeleteThe clip opens up with the outrageous statements made by the teens about their sex life and wants to become pregnant. Then Maury emphasizes on their age and wants to become mother. This initially attracts viewers.
ReplyDeleteThis issue relates to last week’s topic about "young blood" and how the younger generation is immature and more likely to immerse themselves in deviant things. The clip stresses the age and their decision together quite frequently. This makes the teen seem as if the acting “immature” and “stupid,” and places an additional stigma, of “immature young teenagers.”
Later in the video a teen states the only reason she want to have three children is because she is lonely at home. This may form link between teen pregnancy and family issues. The linkage of those two can make people assume that teen moms come from an unhealthy background.
I agree with Amy about the last part of her post.
DeleteOne of the top comments on the youtube page by musclestache98 states:
"I feel bad for the thirteen year old. I don't think she really wanted a baby so she could love it, I think she wanted a baby so it could love her."
This quote demonstrates that another viewer also thought that the teen was lonely at home and having a baby may provide her love and comfort.
It appears that this video is set up to appeal to people's emotions. The ending of the video uses an excellent technique to accomplish that in which the one on one interviews seemed "heart wrenching." It is also accompanied with depressing music.
I believe the stereotype of teenage girls incapable of raising a child is mostly true, but I agree with others' post about not having much support at home. Often the teenage girls are hated by their parents after getting pregnant, which I think is wrong. The parents should be disappointed that their daughter got pregnant at such a young age, don't get me wrong, but kids make mistakes. They should just accept the fact that they are pregnant and help their daughter in a time of need.
ReplyDeleteOutrageous, is the best descriptor of most topics that are covered on shows such as this Maury episode. Stereotypes or social stigmas about teen pregnancy are not fully exhibited, only a very sad disturbing and unusual situation. Although teen pregnancy is an important social issue that is somewhat addressed in this show it is a large leap in logic to say that this type of show, which is based on sensationalism, legitimately advances stereotypes about the female teen population as whole. Throughout the entire episode these teens are portrayed as strange and the video does not ever compare these six teens as a average sample of the teen population.
ReplyDeleteI think the show stigmatizes pregnant teenagers to all being as the ones in the Maury show were -- extremely ignorant and irresponsible. Maury is a show that likes to take people of certain extremes and put them on air because they will be entertaining but doing so also makes the viewers who are, by majority, those who don't actually act anywhere near in manners those in the show do. This leads the 'normal' people who watch it at home to stereotyping certain types of people in the show. Being perfectly honest, stereotypes aside, the majority of people on those shows are of minority ethnic background or of a 'hillbilly' background and I think the show does that to lead viewers into creating those stereotypes against all of the same background as those on camera acting in ridiculous manners.
ReplyDelete