Updated at 12:20 p.m.*
Let me say right off the bat that I think MORE teen moms need to be offered speaking gigs to share their story.
Instead of being pushed to the shadows, teen moms could help change the public perception that all teen moms are stupid, promiscuous brats who have ruined their lives and that of their offspring. Of all the teen moms I know, I’ve been nothing but awe-struck by the strides they’ve been able to make in such a short amount of time.
So, that said – I don’t begrudge the fact that Bristol Palin is making a bunch of money from speaking engagements.
In her latest engagement, she’ll be at Washington University for its Sexual Responsibility Week (what a great idea). Also on the panel will be representatives from Planned Parenthood and Catholic Student Center (sounds like it could get ugly). The purpose of the week is to expose students to a “variety of activities to provoke dialogue about safer sex.”
Bristol got pregnant at 17 with her high school boyfriend Levi Johnston. The couple split up when their son was three months old. After a brief reconciliation last year (like so brief that if you sneezed you missed it), they’ve gone their separate ways and Bristol has continued to be in our faces whether or not we like it or care about her. Dancing With The Stars, an appearance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and a continuous presence as an ambassador for the Candie’s Foundation.
From the Candie’s Foundation website:
Bristol plays an important role by helping other teens understand the incredible challenges teen parents face, and encouraging them to wait until they are socially and financially independent to start their families.
Ok, I can see that (although what does it mean to be “socially independent”?). Wait until you’re ready. Gotcha.
What I don’t understand is how her 15 minutes of fame have suddenly ballooned into 2+years? What has Bristol actually said or done that is changing the way people view teen pregnancy or the support of programs that do so?
Bristol talked about her work in an Facebook note to Keith Olbermann (former MSNBC personality) who called her speaking engagements ridiculous:
“Mr. Olbermann fails to understand that in order to have credibility as a spokesperson, it sometimes takes a person who has made mistakes. Parents warn their children about the mistakes they made so they are not repeated. Former gang members travel to schools to educate teenagers about the risks of gang life. Recovered addicts lecture to others about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse. And yes, a teen mother talks about the benefits of preventing teen pregnancy. I have never claimed to be perfect. If that makes me the “worst person in the world” to Mr. Olbermann, then I must apologize for not being absolutely faultless like he undoubtedly must be.
I admire her passion and taking the spotlight and running with it, but what are these organizations getting when they shell out $15,000-$30,000 per appearance? Besides increased publicity and/or turnout?
Take this clip from The View when Bristol appeared last May. When Sherri Shepard asked her a (kinda silly) question about how she planned to stay abstinent until she was married, her answer was weak at best (forward to :35 mark):
You’re going to abstain from sex for years and years and years because….you’re a single mom? Her logic doesn’t hold water when you look at the rates of repeat pregnancy among teens – 25% will have a second child within 24 months of the first. That points to the fact that even if you’ve been down that road, even if you KNOW what the consequences of unplanned pregnancy are, it is still not easy to resist the temptation. We need a new approach here.
*It turns out the student body at Washington University had the same qualms I did and so Bristol is being replaced by Dr. Katie Plax, head of adolescent medicine and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine. She is also medical director of The SPOT, a teen health center at Washington University Medical Center. Sounds like a much better deal for students.
So someone explain it to me. Besides the Palin name – what else are you getting?
You already said it..they get the increased publicity & turnout..which is what they’re looking for.
I think its no longer about Teen pregnancy and how to prevent it or how hard it is or any of that. I think now its about ratings and for some reason, people still want to watch her. I for one, I’m over her.
Alex
I always wonder what the big deal is with her as well. Really? And while i don’t disregard the fact that she might have struggled, her experiences are nowhere near the rest of the teen mother population. In my opinion, with her visibility and uh…”reputation”(?) she should work hard for making a positive name for young mothers, who like her, want to be successful and positive role models.
Also… in her reponse to Keith Olbermann, is she comparing her child to gang life? Or drug addiction? In order to have a coherent point here, Bristol, you have to make it sound as if your son is this horrible trial that you’ve had to endure. Really?
Oh, and you’re not talking about prevention, you’re talking about abstinence. Hypocrite.
Why is Bristol Palin still relevant? This my friend is the million dollar question. I found out about her speaking engagement at UWashington earlier this week and since then have been watching countless videos of Bristol on Youtube on The View, ABC, Today Show. Talking about how she now chooses abstinence and how teen parenting is hard. As a former teen parent, I think that bringing more awareness and education to the topic of teen pregnancy is imperative! But, just like you say what is Bristol bringing to the table?
She does not interview or speak well and she avoids basic questions, and SHE is the voice of teen pregnancy. She doesn’t represent me or any of my other former teen parent friends. But people are latching on to her like a newborn. She is not inspirational or motivational. But still she is making something like ½ my salary in 1 speaking engagement? Come on! She’s stale, dull, and the only reason people are paying attention to her is because of her last name. She wants to throw around all these statistics about teen pregnancy, shed some light on that, NOT go onto Dancing with the Stars. In my eyes there is no direct representation of what teen pregnancy really looks like in the media. Are you surprised? I’m not. The media wants you to see what they want you to see. We are all pawns, and we can choose to be sucked into Bristol’s world or we can choose to understand that she is not the right spokesperson for teen pregnancy! Yes she had a child as a teen, yes she has struggled, and this is not a competition, I’m not saying that my struggle is harder than her struggle, but why not shed light on what teen pregnancy is really like from the eyes of ordinary teen parents!
I completely agree – she is NOT the face of teen pregnancy. She is dull, boring, and I can’t relate to her on ANY level.
Great post!