Teen Momism on MTV: Postfeminist Subjectivities in 16 and Pregnant

Abstract

The cable channel MTV developed the reality series 16 and Pregnant and its spinoff, Teen Mom, to educate young viewers about the negative consequences of unplanned pregnancy. I argue that these series construct a postfeminist, neoliberal subject position through discourses of individual choice and personal responsibility, the incorporation of a maternal role into adolescent identity, and the internalisation of gendered social expectations of “successful” female adolescence and parenting. The episodic formula of 16 and Pregnant works to individualise the experience of teen pregnancy and positions each teen girl subject as a success or failure based on her ability to adapt to motherhood. Within both of these series, the responsibilities related to bearing and raising children become part of a larger fabric of educational and social achievements associated with feminine adolescence.