Celebrity Baby Craze and Its Influence on Teens and Society

Celebrity Baby Craze and its Influence on Teens and Society

These days the media exposes in great detail the lives of celebrities. Every aspect of celebrity lifestyle is exposed from whom is in rehab, which celebrities have eating disorders, love scandals, and the most recent craze; who is becoming a mother. There are several magazines dedicated to celebrity dirt, and the past year these magazines have dedicated their pages to expectant celebrity mothers and their newly born children. Celebrity fads and crazes are known to spread like wild fire, and much of the population is influenced by these celebrity habits. But how much of an influence do celebrities really have on society namely teenage society? Teenage girls obsess over the latest trends and fashions, and the latest trend is motherhood.

Like most girls my age I keep up with the tabloids not only to get the latest dirt but also to check out the latest styles and crazes. The latest craze that has caught my attention is the celebrity baby boom. This celebrity obsession with parenthood has caught my attention because it was not too long ago when celebrity mothers were hard to find because it takes valuable money-making time out of their careers, for models especially. And now it seems like everyone is sporting a baby bump. Celebrities are popping out babies like there going out of style!

The celebrity baby boom has increased visibility for pregnancy and in turn, started trends across the board. Whether its strollers, maternity clothes, or announcement stationary, all eyes are on these famous expecting parents (Even Celebrities Have to announce). There is so much emphasis on these pregnancies that the baby’s first photos have magazines paying enormous amounts of money just to publish pictures. People Magazine shelled out a reported 4.1million dollars for the north America exclusive of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt ( Qtd. in Even Celebrities need to announce). And OK! Magazine paid a reported one million dollars just for the story on the pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears (Celebrity Magazine, Pregnancy is a Bonus).

Along with the trend of having becoming a mother, is becoming a mother out of wedlock. If celebrities have the power to influence our figures, wardrobes, along with an extensive list of others, is it not possible that their baby-making craze is spreading amongst those in our society who are not amongst the rich and famous? These celebrities further influence those teens that look up to them as role models. The celebrities make being a mom look glamorous; so glamorous that a baby is almost like the latest fashion accessory to date. Who loves to accessorize more than a teenage girl? Instead of a spy bag at hand there is an infant at hip.

In schools, shopping malls, and around the dining room table, the subject of teenage pregnancy and sex was suddenly and uncomfortably in the air as mothers, daughters and fathers talked about or tried not to talk about the pregnancy of sixteen-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears. She plays the perfect, well liked and, it is understood, virginal teenage girl on “Zoey 101” on Nickelodeon (TV’s Perfect Girl is Pregnant; Real Families Talk). Jamie just so happens to be the younger sister of Britney Spears who ironically is a divorced mother of two. Could this be pure coincidence or mere sisterly influence? Jamie though only a “tween” star has the celebrity status and power just like another celebrity to influence her fans, the only difference is that her fans age begins as young as seven. I think it’s obvious to say no parent wants his or her seven-year-old child to think that it is okay to have a child so young.

Jamie Lynn was viewed by society as the good sister in the Spears family. Has this unexpected pregnancy hurt or helped Jamie Lynn? Has she lost her place as a role model; or has she found a new seat as a role model to the hundreds of thousands of scared young girls who find themselves in the very same place every year? Think that it couldn’t happen to you? If you are a sexually active teen of any age; I would advise you to think again. Forget the moral preaching; I think that Jamie Lynn Spears should be taken as a wake-up call for sexually active teens of both genders.

The unexpected pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears has sparked a lot of sex talk among many families (TV’s Perfect Girl is Pregnant; Real Families Talk). I do not believe that it should take a teen star getting pregnant in order for parents to talk to their children about sex, contraception and the reality of the situation. I am a freshman in college and to this very day my parents have not brought up the issue of sex. I would say in my mothers view it is a do not ask do not tell situation. But is that fair? I sure don’t think it is, but I know enough to know better. In no way am I knocking my parents parenting skills, they are great parents and have raised me well. I think it is important to tell first hand that some parents avoid the situation, and I know that I am not alone in this matter.

What keeps parents from talking to their children about sex? Sooner or later every child learns from school and the influence from others about sex. It seems more logical that a parent would want their child to hear it from them, rather then from uneducated friends or worse by themselves. This is one of the many reasons why young girls feel so alone and confused when it comes to the issue of sex and pregnancy and turn to celebrities for role models. On the flip side there are those parents who do talk to their children about sex, and give them purity rings. A purity ring promises between parent and child that the child will not have sex until he or she is married. More often then not these rings are not lived up to their expectations. I feel that it is better to have the sex talk it helps teens feel like they can talk to their parents about sex, contraception and things of that nature if be necessary.

Perhaps the news of Ms. Spears’s pregnancy should not have been surprising in what has seemed to be the year of the unwed mother in popular culture. Whether or not the average teen thinks unplanned pregnancy is fashionable, there are numerous celebrity and pop culture examples of hip, unmarried moms. The MacLean’s article pointed to Nicole Richie and Jessica Alba as examples. Both of these socialites are in relationships with the father of the baby but have no wedding ring to show. When did it become okay to become a mother out-of-wedlock? In the past this was highly looked down upon and now it is not so bad. Society is not as strict and ridiculing anymore. Though they are rich and famous and pretty much can do whatever they please they have an impact on our society. The true reality is that these days many women don’t end up marrying the father of their child. Furthermore TV hit shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, and Degrassi: The Next Generation feature episodes where teens face the possibility of being pregnant (Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?)

2008 has brought a lot of attention to parenthood and the beauty of being a parent. Not only has it brought pregnancy and parenting to the spotlight but with it the previously taboo subject for a movie on teen pregnancy. Shedding light on this topic is the Oscar winning movie “Juno”, about a sixteen-year-old who weighs out her options and refuses to become another victim of her circumstances. The character looks at her options like abortion, raising the child as a single teen parent, or adoption. These movies may act as reinforces for the baby craze, but also a realization that unexpected pregnancies can and do happen. I feel as though it is about time that these pressing issues come to light, because the reality is that it does happen. Not only does unexpected pregnancy happen, but the girls it happens to often have no where to turn for comfort or support. I feel it is comforting for these teen mothers to know that these situations can and happen to anyone famous or not! Celebrities are human! Juno is truly a classic! I loved every minute of it, I thought it was great the way they portrayed Juno and how she grew as a character. The movie definitely deserved to win the Oscar!

Surprisingly even with the knowledge of sex and readily available contraceptives teen girls are continuing to become mothers. Research says that between 1991 and 2005, our country experienced a 34 per cent decrease in the birth rate among females aged 15 to 19 (Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?). This statistic took a turn in 2006, that somewhat steady decline was reversed. Unexpectedly, among fifteen to seventeen-year-olds, the rate was up three per cent to twenty-two infants per 1,000 females, and eight-teen and nineteen-year-olds jumped four per cent to seventy-three births for every 1,000(Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?). According to the article “Teenage Birth Rate Rises For the First Time Since 91’” it is found to be that most young women who became pregnant were highly educated about contraceptives, but simply wanted to have a baby. But why would they want to have a baby? This in my opinion is alarming, what unwed teen girl wants to have a baby? Though there are many possible answers most being personal choice, I feel it is possible that there is an influence from the recent baby craze. I think you would have to be naive in the extreme to think celebrity culture doesn’t shape trends.

It looks as though the stigma of teen pregnancy has diminished. Not only has the stigma diminished but now more than ever teen pregnancy and parenthood has become more accepted. In my opinion this is good because for too long there were teenage mothers left alone to raise their children. The thought of a teenage mother was so looked down upon not only had the fathers left the mothers alone to raise the baby but their own families most often provided no help or support either. A Denver high school is considering implementing a four-week maternity leave for students so they can recover and get used to the baby without penalties for missing class (Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?). Along with this schools are offering more flexibility for teen mothers and with this there are fewer dropouts. It has also been recognized that offering support to pregnant teens does not mean that it’s being encouraged or praised (Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?). Quite frankly I believe this is the greatest answer for teen mothers who would like to finish school. It was previously thought that if a teen girl got pregnant she couldn’t finish high school, let alone go to college. Who’s to say just because a teen gets knocked up that their life ends there? This program should be offered in more than just these locations.

Though there are many other influential aspects in our society, I feel that celebrity finesse does indeed have an influence on teen girls becoming pregnant these days. These girls not only want to follow the lives of celebrities, but are finding motivation and purpose in the role of motherhood through their star power(Teen Pregnancy is Cool?). There is a new sort of empowerment these days about teen pregnancy, in the past the young mothers often had no choice in many important decisions in the lives of their child. Today unplanned pregnancy no longer automatically means that girls must have a undisclosed abortion or put their baby up for closed adoption taking Juno into consideration. Nor do they automatically have to marry the father of their baby taking knocked-up into consideration. It is a blessing to have a child and it should be treated as so. I feel it is good that teen pregnancy is finally being given the attention it deserves. I also do not believe that since babies are in every teenage girl is going to go have a baby, but there are some who are. It is important for teen girls to realize that motherhood gives a beautiful new meaning to life but is not a trend that goes away.

Erykah Aponte

Dr. Pollard

WRT 204 Popular Culture

DOC. Style MLA Format

06 March 2008

Works Cited

“Even Celebrities need to announce their Babies’ Arrival.” 2004-2008. West Chester University. 21 Jan. 2008. .

Fortune, Mary. “Birth Rates Booming Again.” MSNBC. 24 Jan. 2008 .

Gardiner Harris. “Teenage Birthrate Rises For the First Time Since ’ 91. NewYork Times. 21 Jan. 2008 .

Gulli, Cathy. “Teen Pregnancy is Cool” MacLeans. 20 Feb. 2008 .

Plant, Tim, et al. “Pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears Giving Up Her Baby.” Star 04 February 2008:49-51.

Rimer, Sara, “TV’s Perfct Girl is Pregnant; Real Families Talk”. New York Times. 21 Jan. 2008 .

Stelter, Brian. “For Celebrity Magazine, Pregnancy is a bonus. New York Times. 21 Jan. 2008 .

Cited: West Chester University. 21 Jan. 2008. . Fortune, Mary. “Birth Rates Booming Again.” MSNBC. 24 Jan. 2008 . NewYork Times. 21 Jan. 2008 . Gulli, Cathy. “Teen Pregnancy is Cool” MacLeans. 20 Feb. 2008 . 21 Jan. 2008 . 21 Jan. 2008 .