Copyright by Lauren Maas Weinzimmer 2014
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Copyright by Lauren Maas Weinzimmer 2014 The Thesis Committee for Lauren Maas Weinzimmer Certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: Living No Girls’ Teenage Dream: Young Motherhood in MTV’s Teen Pregnancy Franchise APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: Alisa Perren, Supervisor Mary Celeste Kearney, Co-Supervisor Living No Girls’ Teenage Dream: Young Motherhood in MTV’s Teen Pregnancy Franchise BY Lauren Maas Weinzimmer, B.A. Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The University of Texas at Austin May 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My interest in MTV’s teen pregnancy franchise began in 2009, right around the time when the first season of 16 and Pregnant aired. In my last seminar at USC, “Youth & Media,” I wanted to write my final paper about 16 and Pregnant but could not find relevant scholarly literature on which to base the paper. My first thank you goes to Sarah Banet-Weiser who indulged my curiosity in the show by allowing me to rely on op-ed blogs to explore the argument that 16 and Pregnant glamorized teen pregnancy. This project would not have become what it did without the guidance of my co- supervisors. The gratitude I have for these two women, each taking on a very atypical advising situation, cannot be adequately put into words. Mary Celeste Kearney helped me develop an analytical framework for this project by introducing me to theories of postfeminism through the courses I took with her and our many conversations. Her pointed feedback on this project continually stretched my thinking and helped me to clarify my arguments. Her generosity with her time, especially over the past year from South Bend, attests to her commitment to her students. Before I met Mary, I did not identify as a feminist; I believed in feminism, but did not see is as a part of my personal, or scholarly, self. Mary has influenced my personal and professional identity in more ways than I can count, but perhaps most importantly has instilled in me that I must always be gentle with myself. Alisa Perren agreed to help me with this project before she officially started her position at UT. She helped me find the key material to incorporate industry studies discourses into my project and, during revisions, had a penchant for finding the arguments buried within my drafts and helped me bring them to the forefront. iv At UT more broadly, I thank S. Craig Watkins for the opportunities to workshop ideas about MTV’s teen pregnancy franchise in my courses with him and to join his research team. Being a part of CLRN has augmented my experience at UT by allowing me to get to know many inspiring doctoral students with whom I otherwise would not have interacted and to develop my critical thinking and writing skills. I also could not imagine the last two years without Marnie Binfield’s sage wisdom, oftentimes outside of the scope of mentoring student athletes. Outside of UT, I have to thank Alison Trope who guided me through my undergraduate thesis. This project went more smoothly than the last, mostly because of the lessons I learned from her. I am also grateful to Abby Kaun who always provided advice and support, especially when things got rocky. I also thank Brenda Weber and Laurie Ouellette for providing chapters of Reality Gendervision before its official publication in April 2014 for use in this thesis. My family’s encouragement has been invaluable over the past two years. My parents have been cheering me on since the day I decided to move to Austin to attend UT. I could not have gotten to where I am today without their emotional (and financial) support. I especially want to thank my amazing mom for her quick turnaround copy- editing and care packages during the final weeks of working on this project. To my siblings, it has been wonderful to share my M.A. experience with you two. While our degrees are diverse, nothing beats the fact that we all went on this journey together and were able to support each other through each step of the process. To David, my twin, you challenge me in the best way possible to be a better scholar. v And lastly, I thank my friends, far and near, for supporting me through the highs and lows of graduate school. My non-academic friends helped me think about this project without all the academic jargon that is far too easy to hide behind. My RTF community supported my work while also encouraging me to be social when my introverted self was perfectly happy staying home. Special thanks to Bailey Cain and Hallie Reiss for their reassuring conversations, homemade food, and endless support. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I extend my sincerest gratitude to Ben Kruger-Robbins, my partner in all things graduate school-related for the past two years. I cannot imagine my time in Austin, or graduate school generally, without his generosity, advice, proofreading, conversations, travel companionship, rationality, and unwavering support. Lucky for us we have lots of technology to keep us close as we go our separate ways for the Ph.D. chapter. vi Abstract Living No Girls’ Teenage Dream: Young Motherhood in MTV’s Teen Pregnancy Franchise Lauren Maas Weinzimmer, M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2014 Co-Supervisors: Alisa Perren and Mary Celeste Kearney This thesis explores theories of postfeminism and discourses of “can-do” and “at- risk” girlhood as they are enacted in MTV’s teen pregnancy franchise, which I define as including 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Teen Mom 2. Specifically, this project examines how MTV frames the young mothers featured across this franchise as what I label “postfeminist failures.” Within its teen pregnancy programming, MTV exploits the shortcomings of the featured teen mothers. These failures include broken relationships, prison sentences, and subsequent pregnancy scares and pregnancies. Furthermore, these failures all stem from the teen mothers’ initial failure to adequately manage her sexuality, as evidenced by getting pregnant at age sixteen. These failures constitute much of the plot of MTV’s docu-dramatic series and have also spilled over into paratexts related to MTV’s franchise. I contest in this thesis that the rhetoric of postfeminist failure, first articulated and exploited in 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Teen Mom 2, is then reproduced in the franchise’s paratextual materials. These paratexts range from reunion shows hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky to tabloid magazine coverage. I also interrogate the celebrity status of MTV’s featured teen mothers, especially those on Teen Mom and Teen vii Mom 2, and problematize publicity and fame rooted in the failure of these girls to adhere to normative standards of postfeminist womanhood. MTV’s teen pregnancy franchise is categorized as reality television, a genre derided by many scholars as lowbrow and devoid of substance. In order to combat these assumptions about reality television, particularly because this teen pregnancy franchise is promoted as educational for its audience, MTV has fostered strategic partnerships with The Kaiser Family Foundation’s “It’s Your (Sex) Life Campaign” and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Through these partnerships, MTV has infused its reality content with pathways to information-rich websites about contraceptives and pregnancy prevention sponsored by each non-profit. Through analyzing these partnerships and cultural discourses surrounding teen pregnancy, I question the assumption by many proponents and critics of the franchise that the content must either be educational for its viewers or purely entertaining programming. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations ................................................................................................ xii INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Object(s) of Study ...........................................................................................3 Research Questions .........................................................................................6 What’s the Big Deal (Re: Teen Pregnancy)? ..................................................8 Analytic Perspective – MTV’s Teen Mothers as Postfeminist Failures .......10 What Has Been Written About MTV’s Franchise ........................................15 Understanding Girlhood and Female Adolescent Sexuality .........................21 Social Understandings of Teen Motherhood .......................................21 “Can-Do” Versus “At-Risk” Girlhood .................................................23 Female Adolescent Sexuality ...............................................................25 Are These Shows Reality Television? ..........................................................29 Theoretical Perspective and Methodological Approach ...............................34 Chapter Breakdown ......................................................................................36 CHAPTER ONE – Toward Understanding MTV’s Teen Pregnancy Franchise as Educational Reality Television .....................................................................40 Review of Industry Studies Literature ..........................................................45 Understanding Viacom’s Public Service Stance And MTV’s Position Within It ..............................................................................................................51 Understanding MTV’s Franchise as