I found this article about how the Candie's foundation, which has as one of it's foci, teen pregnancy prevention, paid Bristol Palin over two hundred thousand dollars for her to be a spokeswoman, but paid much less in actual pregnancy prevention programming.
What do you think about Bristol as a spokesperson for abstinence? Do you think she represents a good story about a teen who choose not to wait? How does her class, race, social location, etc impact her ability to be a parent to her child? How did it impact her choices? Do you think she had the same options as other teens - given who her family was and what they represented?
Bristol's story is complex...there has always been a great deal of media around her, but if we look closely at the actual events - we see a teenage girl who got pregnant, with a very political and influential family - one who staunchly supports abstinence only education and is stridently anti-abortion. What does this really mean for her? Is she being responsible now that she is advocating for other women to wait? What about the commercial she made...what is the message it portends to send versus the realities of her life...is it real? Is it fair?
I think that it is a good idea for Bristol to be a spokesperson for teen pregnancy, but I feel as if she should not be talking about abstinence because she obviously did not believe in it at first. Just the fact she has a kid I think that she should be talking to teens about the consequences of having unprotected sex. Because of her political family I think that Bristol had a better chance of getting through everything financially and having the support from family members. Since her mom is a political figure and has talked about how she is anti-abortion, I feel as if Bristol had no choice in what she wanted to do about getting pregnant.
ReplyDelete-Sam Flores
I think that Bristal's story is no different from any other teenage girl who gets pregnant. Why should her story stand out and why should she get paid more than actual programs that tell better, life changing stories and actually helps teenagers talk about being in control of their own body.
ReplyDeleteI think that she is a spokesperson because her mother is famous. Like I said her story is not any different from other teenage girls, she is just in the spot light. Another example of this is Brittnany spears little sister Jamie Spears. Her story was told thousands of times just because she was famous and 16 years old. I dont think thats right because she is normal like other teenagers. For Bristol her upper class, white houseold in Alaska made it somewhat difficult to raise a child because they have to take airplanes to the store. I feel like it was hard for Bristol to raise her child in those conditions but not an excuse to make her so much money. I think that since her family was in the spot light and everyone watched their every move. I feel like this was another way to break out as a teenager. Im not saying she got pregnant on purpose but like any other teenagers, she is going to party and have sex. Her pregnancy was just glamorized. Bristol's commercial on the other hand was kind of dark. It made it seem like teenagers having a babya young age is going to automatically in future years become poor. I agree babies are expensive but upper and middle class teenagers have babies too and are able to provide for them. Not everyone fails.
-Kara Ramsey
I Think that Bristol as a spokesperson is hypocritical speaking out to teens telling them to wait and abstinence is the best choice. Because she had a child though, and is now dealing with the life of being a mother, I think she understands more what it means to have a child and the amount of work and responsibility it requires. I don't think she is a good example of a teen who choice to wait because she was 18 years old and had a child. With Bristols mother being in the political department, and being from a wealthy upcoming, Bristol will have no problem raising her child financially, and physical wise. One of the reasons Bristol was chosen to speak was because "she's had the highest-profile teen pregnancy of the year in 2009". Bristol denied claims that her mother's pro life views influenced her decision to give birth to and raise her child, stating, "It doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision. I think now that it has been two years since the baby was born, Bristol is getting her life together and back on track with what she wants to pursue career wise. This isn't what she had planned, but in the end it all worked out for her.
ReplyDelete-Breanna Russo
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1896815,00.html
Transcript: What if I didn’t come from a famous family? What if I didn’t have all their support? What if I didn’t have all these opportunities? Believe me, it wouldn’t be pretty. Pause before you play.
ReplyDeleteUhm. Wtf. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. I'm a slightly appalled. In my opinion that is the most classist thing I've ever heard of. I understand that she is trying to deglamorize teen pregnancy and parenting but in my opinion it just looks hypocritical and ignorant. Research shows teen mothering does not mess up your life chances much compared to the life chances you start out with based on the socio-economic status of your family. What this commercial says to me taking that fact in mind, is that it isn't pretty to be poor. Period.
On another note, I do think she is a good example of a young woman's family and social position creating the 'choices' she has available to her. I think that her choices, although she has been given plenty of opportunities by her family's status, she was also robbed of being able to make a decision on her own. I think that this is the reality of choice that most young women face when pregnant. However that is not what people focus on, they don't focus on the fact that due to her families view on abortion regardless of what she wanted abortion probably wasn't even a choice for her. Instead they focus on her as an example to tell young women not to follow in her footsteps. The message I get is not don't get pregnant it sucks and is really hard, the message I get is don't get pregnant, you'll be robbed of all your autonomy and choice.
That's just my opinions.
-Emilia Mense
I think Bristol Palin is a poor spokesman for abstinence. Sure she is an excellent example of what could happen to one if they are not abstinence, but she doesn't generalize or represent majority of the teen girls getting pregnant. Most teen moms aren't coming from super wealthy families who are in the media. Bristol Palin more than likely has access to resources and support that a lot of teen moms don't because of her class and ethnicity. Who knows, she probably got this opportunity because of her class (upper class and race. I think it's hard to take someone seriously about an issue like abstinence and teen pregnancy when they aren't exactly relatable. I think it's awesome she has done well for herself and is a good example of teen moms who lives don't go down the drain per say, but I think a spokesperson should be someone who the target audience of the spokesperson can truly identify with.
ReplyDeleteAshley Boyd
From my perspective it is a good idea for Bristol to be a spoke person for a teen pregnancy prevention organization. Bristol not only comes from a very conservative family but has gone through teen pregnancy herself. She was a teen mom and had all the drama we see on 16 & pregnant, times two. There are alot of teen agers out there who look up to her and I think she has a really different perspective to offer. I mean coming from a family who supports anti abortion and abstinence only education she got pregnant. I cant say if all of her stories are real but the fact that she went through pregnancy and she has a vast fan following I think people are more likely to listen to her and get the "real" idea about teen pregnancy.
ReplyDelete--Disha Jetani
I don't think Bristol should be a spokesperson for abstinence because she didn't practice it. She got pregnant and had a baby. I don't think she is a good representation of a teen who choose not to wait because it is expected at our age to have sex. Her class, race, social location, etc impact her ability to be a parent to her child because she comes from a very wealthy family that is involved in some kind of government. She also had the support from her parents. I think this impacted her choice because if she got an abortions everyone would of looked at her and her family as being for abortions and that could of hurt her mom running for whatever it was. I don't think she had the same option as other teens did due to who her family is. I think she is being responsible now but what she is advertising now, abstinence and not talking about safe sex I think is not right. Because these days teens need to know more about safe sex then anything else and diseases that they can get. Teens are going to do what they want and me personaly I don't know too many people that are practicing abstinence. Teens need to know what can happen if they have sex.
ReplyDelete-Jamie Brueggeman