The Secret Life of the American Teenager

With the success of films like Juno, the spiked ratings of television drama series 90210 with the pregnancy of one of its lead characters, the very real stories in the news about the pregnancy pact in Gloucester, MA, and the shots of Jamie Lynn Spears with her hunk of a boyfriend and balloon of a belly – it should really be no shock that a television series tiled The Secret Life of the American Teenager might be a good market to hit.

ABC Family’s newest series tells ‘the secret life’ of Amy Juergens, a 15-year-old french horn-playing band geek, the loss of her virginity to the drum-playing not-so-much-band geek, and the discovery of her pregnancy because of it. In the opening scene, we see her sneak a pregnancy test into her country home with the big back yard, past the pot roast that her mother, played by Molly Ringwald (the epitome of the American teenager back in the day) made her.

Created by Brenda Hampton, also the creator of the WB’s ever-popular 7^th Heaven, The Secret Life of the American Teenager decides to focus on one specific issue or obstacle (pregnancy) underlined by religious tones – instead of a different one each episode.

While the television show may create an audience by its intriguing titles, or the return of Molly Ringwald to the screen – it cannot go unnoticed that the series is basically an anti-intercourse lesson.

Every character, regardless of their stance on sex, is miserable because of it. Pregnant leading lady (ehem, girl) is pregnant because of it, and in turn, her two best friends are completely stressed out. Amy’s sudden love interest, Ben, (Ken Baumann) is miserable because he can’t find anyone to have sex with. Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), the father of her unborn child, we abruptly discover, is miserable because of his sexual abuse from his father as a child. Christian “jesus freak” Grace (Megan Park) loses her boyfriend in the pilot episode because she had made a promise to abstinence (Jonas boys, anyone?), and her jock boyfriend is miserable because of simply thinking about it.

Facts like 25% of 15 year old boys and 20% of 15 year old girls are having sex, 29% of girls ages 15 – 19 have partners that are 3 – 5 years older, and that 46.8% of high school students are having sex, are not so cleverly thrown in there; as well as the proper steps to take if your pregnant, being echoed by Amy’s two best friends in the bathroom scene where she takes multiple pregnancy test, just to be sure.

While I do applaud the show’s attempt to be both informative and entertaining, the general audience of 15-year-old girls will see right through it.