Drama series may produce ‘Werther Effect’ 2.0 ~ The weekly rewind

Television phenomenon, “Teen Mom,” is banking high ratings for media mammoth, MTV. But this may come with a price: harsh criticism.

The show, which was first aired in June of 2009, depicts the lives of four teenagers struggling to maintain their finances, relationships and school work with babies in tow. Needless to say, the going gets tough.

The girls, often caught on camera at their most vulnerable and terrifying of moments, have recently been glamorized in magazines, effectively raising their plighted circumstances to that of celebrity.

Because of this, critics of the show assert that its premise of spreading awareness about teen pregnancy is merely a façade. Some go as far to say it actually encourages sexual promiscuity.

In fact, the Daily Mail reported in January that, at a Memphis high school, approximately 90 students have become pregnant or recently given birth in the past year.

Kim Kardashian, a reality star herself, is also offended by the show.

“Does the show Teen Mom disturb anyone else?” She tweeted on Jan. 19. “I can’t get this Memphis Story out of my head. This should not be trendy!”

But fans of the show won’t budge or change the channel. In fact, they defended it, pointing out the Kardashian, once the star of her own sex tape, is no angel herself.

“How many times have we seen Kim Kardashian naked? Is that a good influence on teens?” said Facebook user, Brittany, on an MTV forum.

Cheesesticks, another MTV forum member, agreed.

“I understand what she is trying to say, but she is the last person who should be making that point. She became famous for less than modest reasons, and that’s an understatement,” Cheesesticks said. “Do you think that young girls don’t look at how famous Kim is and think, ‘Wow! Maybe I should make a sex tape too!’?”

Others believed the Memphis students were just looking for someone to blame.

“Those girls in Memphis didn’t get pregnant just because of ‘Teen Mom’,” ilikehoney said. “Seeing the show [has] helped me realize that I don’t want to have a baby till I [have] some money.”

So, are people responsible for their own actions?

Your mother would tell you, “Yes, of course they are,” but she’d be wrong, according to David P. Phillips, a professor at the State University of New York at Stoney Brook.

Phillips published a article that proves the more publicity devoted to a suicide story, the larger the rise of suicides in a community thereafter. This, he says, is called the “Werther Effect.”

He created his theory’s name by looking extensively at Wolfgang von Geothe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther.

Written nearly 200 years ago, the romantic novel depicts Werther, the hero of the narrative, experience the pain that is unrequited love. Overcome with grief, Werther commits suicide at the novel’s finale.

Sorrow’s controversial ending suggested to critics of that time period that Geothe himself promoted suicide, a topic as controversial back then as it is today.

Perhaps they reached this conclusion after witnessing the suicide rate reportedly skyrocket after the novel’s publication and popularity.

Needless to say, the book was promptly banned in several areas, including Italy (no surprise there with the Vatican), Leipzig and Copenhagen, according to Phillips’ report.

Its prohibition also raised the question as to whether other literary works and even works of art should be banned in an effort to shield society from supposedly harmful ideas, like suicide or, in “Teen Mom”’s case, like teen pregnancy.

What do you think?

Personally, as a journalist, I’m quite fond of the first amendment, our inherent right to express our feelings in just about anyway we please.

I hate to cry, “It’s a free country, and I’ll do what I want to!” at the cost of possibly raising the teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. But I have to.

It’s not that I don’t doubt that a young girl’s viewing of the drama that is teen pregnancy every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. normalizes the phenomenon and even numbs her to it.

(I think "Law and Order" and "CSI" have been doing the same thing to their viewers for ages. Where is that outcry?)

I won’t argue that some people who read the Sorrows of Young Werther in the 1700’s read the novel and thought, “You know, ending my life might not be such a bad idea.”

Simply put, people identify with literary characters, people find themselves through the arts. I think that’s why Twilight is apparently so popular.

To limit this freedom of expression simply because some people can’t think critically (or choose not to) or take things with a grain of salt would be detrimental to society as a whole.

The world should be living, breathing plethora of ideas, both good and bad. It’s up to us, as individuals, to decide what clothes we want to buy, what shows we want to watch and what path we want to take.

Related articles:

Tabloids glamorizing teen pregnancy by putting teen moms on cover?

Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Game' Down, But Still Leads Night + 'Teen Mom 2,' 'Tosh.0,' 'Southland,' 'White Collar,' 'Lights Out' & More

The influence and suggestion on suicide: substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect

‘Teen mom epidemic’: 90 teenage girls pregnant at one Memphis high school

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