Tracy Clark-Flory has a good piece at Salon on Amber Portwood, one of the subjects of the MTV reality show Teen Mom. Clark-Flory argues that Portwood has displaced Britney Spears as the epitome of a bad mom. (It's just unfortunate that she uses a racially charged and classist word to make her point.)
She's right, though. Portwood is apparently pregnant again, and her first child has been taken away by child-protection services. But it's impossible to evaluate Portwood's role as a mother without acknowledging the role poverty plays in shaping her life.
There is nothing even remotely unusual about her story -- just check the stats on teen pregnancy -- and yet she's making international news. This week she ranks on USA Today's Celebrity Heat Index, along with Kate Middleton, Angelina Jolie and -- oh, looky here -- Britney Spears, who is getting ink because her boyfriend allegedly assaulted her. From the lower-class comedic relief in Shakespeare to late-90s daytime talk shows, we sure do love having some white trash mixed in with our more noble sagas. Well, ain't we classy.
While I agree there's nothing unusual about her story, Teen Mom could serve to personify some of the challenges many teen mothers face, problems that lead to pregnancy and then are exacerbated by motherhood. The show likely serves our Schadenfreude, but I'd also like to say that some of MTV's reality shows, like Teen Mom and My Super Sweet 16, have actually served as really smart commentaries on class, race, and gender in America. If only we actually took that from them.
-- Monica Potts
