Missing out on a "teachable moment"

I am a big fan of the media.

Yes, I'm sure you all knew I <3 TV and I especially love it when I can illustrate some concept via movies, TV, or some other type of media device. I also am a big fan of media for the sake of education: PBS, Food Network, History Channel, Science Channel, etc. You name it, hooray for educational TV.

However, lately I'm a bit perturbed by one particular show that has caught my attention in a negative way: 16 and Pregnant on MTV. Here's what I believe the premise of the show is: find a 15 year old girl and her (relatively) young boyfriend and show how they deal with the struggles of parenthood in an attempt to:
a) how difficult it really is to be a parent at this age
b) downplay the "joy of sex"
c) show how little these kids know
d) show the reactions of parents, friends, and the rest of the family and...
e) shed light on the social stigma it really is

Now, if this show did all of this EFFECTIVELY... you wouldn't see/hear me blogging about it. BUT THEY DON'T. Or, at least this one episode I saw didn't seem to effectively do any of those things.

Maci finds herself dealing with a boyfriend/fiancee who seems to be a loser of a father. Although he has a job and clearly contributes financially (read: the apartment seemed pretty nice and it didn't look like they were "hurting" for $$$ or on some sort of welfare), there were more shots of him going out with his friend and leaving the baby alone rather than showing any type of interaction between him and his "new" family. She resorts to getting advice from friends about what to do (because yes, 16 year olds know better than ANYONE ELSE what she should be doing), rather than talking to her parents or a counselor of some sort... or even his parents for that matter! In the end, you seem to get the idea that she is most likely going to be the one doing ALL the sacrificing and he will still do what makes him happy, even if it forsakes everyone else. The funny thing is that you see his dad try to intervene several times and tell his son to "be a man" and accept responsibility and all that. But, the audience never gets a true resolution to the story, and MTV.com sure doesn't tell you how it all worked out.

And here's where I wonder what the point of this show really is. I mean, the "in-between parts" are all cartooney (a la Juno and what not) and you begin to wonder if ANYONE (parents included) is taking this seriously. Why is there not some type of PSA announcement about practicing safe sex or asking parents to talk to their children about their sexual health? Why is there not a website that links to the National Institute of Health or even references a local health department where people can go if they have questions? Despite the fact you are showing how hard it is to be so young and a parent, you don't hear these girls and boys saying that outright. You don't hear their parents discussing their disappointment in the decision their child has made or even discussing the option of adoption for any of these young women.

And let's face it. THEY ARE YOUNG WOMEN. Why not sit down and show someone asking them what they think is going to happen during the pregnancy and afterwards and then have them meet with someone who is going through it successfully and is NOT on welfare or public assistance, and someone who is doing well (psychologically and physically) after giving their child up for adoption?

I guess this is where the "missing" teachable moment is... there could be some really good lessons passed on here, but instead... these girls still get their 15 minutes of fame for being on MTV's 16 and Pregnant. Whoop dee doo.

Thanks for failing the youth again MTV. Because let's face it... in The Real World, no one is 16 and Pregnant, Run's House is clearly in order, and Alexa Chung will always be more concerned about shoes and celebrities than babies and the babies they are having...