Is The Secret Life Of The American Teenager Too Real?
Every now and then, a media phenomenon comes along that divides generations. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians can all be placed in this category, along with The Secret Life Of The American Teenager. The show deals with teenagers, parents, sex and high school (which most of us get to know all too well over those tumultuous four years between junior high and the real world). The main character, Amy Juergens (played by Shailene Woodley), becomes pregnant in the first season and she and her friends end up dealing with the consequences of sex and relationships while still just trying to figure out who they are.
Amidst claims of skirting the issue and producing a show which masquerades as family television while showing and glorifying premarital sex, Secret Life has drawn ire from the likes of the Parents Television Council. However, having seen this show on a few occasions (only when I was seeing a young lady who watched it), I have to say it is the most accurate depiction of the American high school experience I have ever seen on television. The issues, dialogue, peer pressure, etc. It all brings back memories of linoleum floors, lockers and tardy bells.
However, critics still…well, criticize the show. In one show, the word sex was spoken 70 times. Don’t take our word for it, though.
Okay, so 70 times in one episode might be a bit much. However, the thing that probably really gives parents and critics pause about this show is that it was created by Brenda Hampton, who is also responsible for the popular, long-running series 7th Heaven. Because that show dealt with the wholesome family of a preacher and how family members dealt with their respective issues and mostly stayed true to their values, many probably expected the same type of show from Hampton this time around. Also, it’s on ABC Family. That’s enough to raise a few eyebrows.
However, as I said earlier, I find the show closely resembles the high school experience minus the violence and criminality. It would seem a great deal of the outraged parents and critics have not been to their children’s high schools. Remember that school in Memphis with 90 pregnant young ladies? Secret Life has the potential to bring things up for discussion so that the proper lessons can be taught and learned (assuming anyone actually watches TV with, talks to, or spends time with their kids anymore). Those who are offended by this show should deal with the issues addressed instead of changing the channel.
Secret Life airs on ABC Family on Mondays at 8 pm EST.
“Those who are offended by this show should deal with the issues addressed instead of changing the channel.”- Real talk.
I feel as if sometimes people are offended by things that they would rather keep hidden. Sometimes even things inside themselves.
No human being has ever gone through those years without thinking about sex or wanting to act on it. The only difference between older generations and today is that to older generations certain things seem uncouth, so those thoughts were looked down upon, especially if acted upon. But they need to wake up to reality. Times have changed.
Life and the situations therein can’t be swept under the carpet and ignored or they will continue to perpetuate themselves. If indivduals have a problem with shows that depict real life then they should deal with real life, not entertainment that makes them face it.
This show is horrible. It presents teen pregnancy as just a minor irritation at the best or a great way to catch a guy at the worst. There is no financial difficulty or real relationship issues. The baby is never seen as more than an accessory and the new pregnancy. Adrian and Ben are just so happy and the parents are encouraging the two to get married.
People complain about MTV’s Teen mom but at least it presents an accurate representation of the trials and tribulations that teen parents face. It doesn’t work out with free childcare and guys fighting over you and everyone being super excited.
This show glamorizes teen pregnancy. Get pregnant at 15? No problem. Two years later you’ll be with the baby daddy and madly in love. Oh, and the baby daddy WILL be part of your kid’s life. Really? Because statistics show differently. They show that the baby daddy will likely NOT be involved, that the mom likely won’t graduate from high school, etc. It was bad enough when it happened with Amy but now the second one is going to get married and have it all work out perfectly. I’d rather watch Teen Mom and get a REAL dose of what being a teenage mom is like.
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This article is so ridiculously stupid that it’s not even funny. An accurate representation? Are you kidding me? I don’t know what school you went to, but this is hardly typical of the experiences of a high school teen mother. Also, the obsession with sex that these teens have is so stereotypical and overplayed in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Yes, we get it, they want to have sex. Now f**king drop it already!!! Not to mention that all the actors are terrible and play wooden and shallow characters. I know this because I have had to endure several episodes of this garbage. The critics are correct; this show is a flaming piece of crap.
I love the show personally and if you don’t then you haven’t accepted that your kids might be doing everything in the show. I remember all this happening in High School. Every one isn’t perfect we are only human. I think instead of hating the show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, parents need to watch it and get serious about talking to their kids about sex. Now my daughter is only 4 and I know I have a long way to go but this show has all the questions in mind that I should ask her when she grows up. The more I watch the more I want to protect my daughter but also know that she is her own person. The new season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager is coming soon and I can’t wait to watch it. I have the Sling adapter with DISH to I can watch it LIVE everywhere I go on my phone. Parents if you want to see the show but your not home on time. As a DISH customer and employee I highly recommend the Sling adapter. It is free until the end of January with DISH, so get it today so you can have LIVE TV everywhere.