i love reality television, especially the shows on VH1 and MTV (i know, i know, i should be watching channels that are more "age appropriate," but i can't help it!). two that i follow throughout pretty religiously is celebrity rehab/sober house and 16 & pregnant. i watch both of these shows because they are entertaining and also SOOOOO very different from my mundane, suburban (although awesome) life. i was watching the season finale of 16 & pregnant this morning, and i got to thinking a lot about dr. drew.
dr. drew is always the voice of reason on celebrity rehab and lends and ear to the teen mothers on the finale shows. but, is he there as an advocate for the addicts and teen mothers, or is he using people's issues as an opportunity to make more money for himself. is he trying to show the viewers that people can get their lives back after being addicted to drugs and alcohol, or is he making a quick buck by selling people's problems as a glamorized version of sex, drugs and rock & roll?
i've talked to my mother-in-law at length about the show 16 & pregnant, because one of her classes focuses on families and child development. we have talked about whether the show glamorizes teen pregnancy, or if the show might help in the prevention of more teen pregnancies. i would HOPE that the show is making teens think twice about things, but i don't know if it actually is. while i think that dr. drew shows the ups and downs, i think that it isn't possible to show how hard it is to have a child, let alone have a baby AND be a teenager.
on celebrity rehab/sober house, i don't know what to think. i think by that show just being on the air, dr. drew is using the celebrities that are struggling to get sober. i mean, what addict is going to watch this show and be like "oh yeah, i should stop taking drugs and drinking to the point where i'm black-out drunk?" at least teens ARE watching 16 & pregnant, and might learn something. but i'm not so sure about celebrity rehab/sober house. i suppose that celebrity rehab/sober house is to show that hope still exists, even when someone is truly at the bottom of the barrel.
so, while i'm not sure whether dr. drew is an advocate or opportunist, i will continue to watch. mostly because like an car accident, i can't look away. i'll just hope that dr. drew is producing show after show for good reasons...to help people, not to exploit them.
I'm a little addicted to 16 & Pregnant. And I do agree with you that it seems to glamorize it a little. I think during the reunion show Dr. Drew tries really had to bring out the negative aspects. But in general, it feels a little like the girls are saying, "We did it! So you could always do it too"
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