“You think being in school sucks? You know what sucks a whole lot more? A baby…”
That is seriously one of the print ads for an anti-teen pregnancy campaign from The Candie’s Foundation that has been getting some conservative/pro-life attention because Bristol Palin is one of its spokespersons. Here’s her ad, which is not much better:
First of all, let me just say that babies don’t suck. New life is always good and beautiful, even when it comes under less than desirable circumstances. And I just have to ask, what does this “babies suck” message say to those girls who do get pregnant (and aren’t fortunate enough to “come from a famous family”)? I suppose it could say adoption is a better option than teenage motherhood, but something tells me another “A” word is more likely to come to mind instead. In fact, several people I have talked to about the ad see it promoting abortion more than abstinence.
Look, I’m all for discouraging teen parenthood and promoting abstinence, but this campaign just isn’t a good way to do it, IMO. It is, as a friend of mine put it, so “shortsightedly negative.” There are better ways to encourage kids to abstain from sex than just trying to scare them into obedience with the horrors of teen pregnancy. Sure, they need to know the risks of sexual immorality, but, let’s face it, if there’s one thing teens like to do it’s take risks as they, for the most part, tend to think they’re invincible. Thus, they also need a good, positive and convincing reason to remain pure.
Oh, and about that “abstinence promotion”: I’ve seen this referred to as an abstinence campaign and even saw one person call Palin’s ad a “Chastity spot.” While the commercials are vague enough to be interpreted as such, that’s not exactly the message of the Candies campaign, which promotes both abstinence and birth control as a means of “avoiding pregnancy.” From the website:
The overarching message of our campaigns is ”…Pause Before You Play”: pause to think about your future; pause to think about consequences; pause to evaluate your relationship; pause to delay sex; pause to get a condom; pause to ask “why now?”
I hate to be such a “Debbie Downer” (did I just say that?!?!), but, while I suppose it’s nice to see the secular world NOT glorifying sex for a change, I’m still not impressed.
5 Comments on “Don’t Have Sex, Kids, Cuz Babies Suck!”
Not only does the PSA come across as anti-baby, but there’s something classist about. There’s an implication that only the wealthy should reproduce. That’s how it struck me, anyway.
Bob, you’re absolutely right! Sanger’s “more from the fit, less from the unfit” attitude still lingers in our society!! Might have to do an update & point that out – thanks!!
My thoughts exactly, Chelsea. What kind of message will this commercial send to Bristol’s child years from now? Meanwhile, what about other people today who are the result of an “unplanned” pregnancy? Their lives were a disruption, a mistake? But what happens once a person reaches mature adulthood? It’s all about whether a person inconveniences another! Why is it so hard for people to see that one baby grows into someone’s friend, employee, caregiver (a taxpayer, a musician, an artist) etc. These campaigns irritate me like the insurance billboards in the area that claim they can be “The family we choose.”
When I first saw the Palin ad I thought it was a misguided attempt to combat any teens wanting to have a baby cause Bristol did and Bristol is cool (although I can’t imagine many doing that). The ad that babies suck is far worse and you’re right, it’ll just push more young women into getting an abortion.
What we need are campaigns to tell the young that they do matter, they are loved and that sex won’t fulfill them. Tell young women that if they say no they’re not a prude. Tell young men that being a man involves doing the right thing even when it would bring more immediate pleasure to go too far. Tell both that there is a far more beautiful thing waiting for them if they choose to embrace who they are now by refusing to be a slave to their passions.
As you said, what we need is Theology of the Body 😉
At my job now, 90% of my unit has patients on welfare. Our “typical” patient mom is around 27 and has 3-5 kids, some of whom live with her and some that live with relatives, taken by the state, etc. We have had quite a few moms who were 18 and working on their 3rd babies (I am not kidding). We even have had moms come from Mexico specifically to have their babies in the U.S. (and the delivery and care of those babies can cost up to $800k!). Having a child is nothing to be done without some thought.