Planned Parenthood | Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

 
by Emily

Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

When news broke that Jamie Lynn Spears (16-year-old sister to Britney) was pregnant, I was sure it was a joke. Months ago, we had similar media rumors swirling that teen star Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) was pregnant.

Turns out, Jamie Lynn is pregnant. And watching the fallout from this news is an interesting lesson in our country's attitudes toward unwed, teenage mothers.

To summarize: Our country's attitude is messed up.

Within hours of the news, I began to search Spears' names and on various blogs I heard her called:

—"Stupid slut" (actually the title of message board topic on imdb.com)

—"Whore"

—"Bitch"

—"Trailer trash"

—"Promiscuous"

It's an interesting conundrum, isn't it? And it's certainly not limited to Jamie Lynn. On my own blog, I reviewed the movie "For Love of the Game"  

The documentary tells the story of a High School junior basketball player, Darnellia. She drops out of school to have a baby girl and when she comes back, she is barred from playing (because she dropped out).

That's understandable I suppose. However, Darnellia sticks around to become a fifth year senior but then is barred AGAIN from playing—this time by the WIAA ( Washington Interscholastic Activities Association). Their rationale: You can only play as a fifth year senior if you missed time due to a "hardship."

Apparently an unexpected teen pregnancy didn't meet "hardship" criteria. According to the WIAA, "It wasn't a hardship; she made her own choices."

During the Jamie Lynn fiasco, I've thought of this movie often. Our culture is seriously confused when it comes to teen pregnancy.

I worked at a women's clinic that provided abortions. Every time any woman walked in, protesters would harass them. Many anti-choice people I've spoken with try to convince me that the old argument of "no options" doesn't hold up. A few years ago, a teenage pregnancy was something a girl could get "sent away" for.

I would agree that consequences of teenage pregnancy (here in America) have generally become less dire. But even today, it can mean losing a shot at college (b-ball player Darnellia counted on sports to secure her a scholarship), losing your job (in Jamie Lynn's case, her TV show) and losing your reputation (from role model to "trailer trash whore" ).

That's a whole lot of loss. Yet our message is—- we want young women to keep unplanned/unwanted pregnancies but we're not going to give them respect, decency or even a great number of options.

Nickelodeon released this statement:

"We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being." 

Notice they use the word, "responsibility." Does that mean if women engage in sex, they have a moral obligation to bare children even if they don't want to or can't?

Jamie Lynn stated this was something she decided on her own. And every woman has to make that choice. Perhaps for Spears, abortion wasn't the right choice. But as Jamie Lynn is no doubt learning, choosing a "responsible" decision doesn't guarantee keeping the morality police at bay.

I talked about this with a friend and was shocked when she told me, "She better be fired from that show!" When I asked, why, she said, "Because she's a role model!"

Perhaps she is. But she's also a human being. Is it so unreasonable to think that a 16 year old might have a sexual relationship when she's a working actor and treated like an adult in so many other aspects? Why does Spears lose the right to her job because she's pregnant? Is that any better than what happened to Darnellia?

Side rant: Our culture sells sex and we definitely sell it to young people. Jamie Lynn Spears is not immune to this any more than other girls her age. Many 16-year-olds are sexually active. And rather than give them options or real discussions, we give them bumper sticker slogans: "Just don't do it."

Even Jamie Lynn says of premarital sex: "I definitely don't think it's something you should do; it's better to wait."

Sure, she's right. If you wait, then you don't have to agonize about raising a child or facing the difficult decision of abortion. You don't have to "come clean" to your parents (some of whom may not be as understanding as Mama Spears). You don't have to tell your employer/basketball coach/pastor/friends/or Nickelodeon that you've made a mistake! You also don't have to deal with the inevitable ridicule that you're a "stupid slut" and you've "ruined your life."

We can all agree that teenage pregnancy is nothing new, so can we find common sense middle ground between "slut-bashing" and "don't do it"? Could we please talk about the obvious? Birth control! Sex education! And forget reducing girls to "role models" - teenage pregnancy is an issue so much bigger than one 16 year old girl. If we want to send better messages, we need to start from a broader cultural standpoint that frankly discusses reproductive functions and consequences. Because let's face it, no young girl's world is G-rated anymore.

And trust me, we aren't doing young women any favors by crucifying their former idols as "sluts."
 

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