Just Lie to the Children!
If you haven't heard, Jamie Lynn Spears, kid sister of Britney and star of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101, is pregnant. Lots of 16-year-old girls have been pregnant, as 16-year-old girls tend to have that capability. Now, parents just don't know what to say to their adolescent daughters. I find this worry ironic, since it's Christmastime, and Mary was probably like 12 when she gave birth to Jesus. But we'll celebrate that!
Anyway, like I said, parents are wondering what they should tell their daughters about this particular 16-year-old getting pregnant. I find this stupid for two reasons. First, I was a fan of all those rock bands back in the 90's when I was a kid -- Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blind Melon, Sublime, etc. Nobody's parents asked "What do you tell your children when Kurt Cobain/Hillel Slovak/Shannon Hoon/Bradley Nowell dies of drug overdoses/bullet wounds while they're high?" Nobody asked that! That's because drug use is, unfortunately, a fact of rock 'n' roll life. So why are parents having a fit about what to tell their daughters regarding Jamie Lynn Spears' teen pregnancy, when pregnancy is a fact of life? The second thing that bugs me, as a feminist, is that people are only talking about what parents should tell their daughters, not their sons. Lost in this story is the fact that Spears became pregnant by her 19-year-old live-in boyfriend. The actions of the adults in this situation (the boyfriend and Jamie Lynn Spears' mother) are not being criticized at all! The youngest person in the situation is expected to take most, if not all, of the responsibility.
But back to what parents are afraid of. The above article cites some comments made by regular folks on blogs and message boards about how they're going to deal with this whole Jamie Lynn Spears thing. Here's a good one:
I'm telling the kids 'Zoey 101' has been canceled. I hope Nickelodeon does the right thing and cancels the show. She is a role model for young girls. Looks like she's following in the footsteps of her sister.
So this parent is going to lie to their children. Because lying to kids works so well, especially when it comes to sex. That's why abstinence-only education is so much more successful than comprehensive sex ed. Oh, wait.
5 comments:
There's some interesting comments online about how JLS has betrayed Dixie (ie the South, or more specifically, Louisiana, where she is from.)
You gotta love the stereotype of the "good Southern girl" - some people are now pinning their hopes on Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
Re parents: the real world is a lot less progressive and liberal than a feminist blog - people who become parents in particular tend to become a lot more conservative after they have kids.
I've noticed that JLS has been getting most of the heat. It's crazy. It's also crazy how people seem shocked that Jamie Lynn wasn't impervious to pregnancy. I guess everyone assumed that she had an iron hymen like she was supposed to have, but I think that's kind of ridiculous considering the times, the fact that she had a live-in boyfriend, etc.
Also, all of this hand-wringing about "OMG what about her being a role model blah blah" is absolutely ridiculous. She's pregnant, not a cokehead. But oh my goodness, a woman who fucks can't possibly be a good role model for the kids!
The reason nothing bout parents talking to their sons is because its highly very rare that she is a role model for boys.
people who become parents in particular tend to become a lot more conservative after they have kids.
It definitely seems that way. I remember Arianna Huffington saying that on Bill Maher a few months back.
Anonymous, Jamie Lynn Spears doesn't have to be a role model for boys or for anyone. You can't talk about a woman getting pregnant without talking about the man who impregnates her. It would be a good idea for parents to tell their sons that they have to be responsible with their sex lives and not to sleep with underaged girls.
And to always use protection. None of this "I just don't want to" shit.
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