Review: The Secret Life of the American Teenager
I have just wasted one hour of my life. One hour, mind you, that I can NEVER get back. I tried so hard to view the debut of the new ABC Family Channel series, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" through objective eyes. I promise, I did. Before the show aired, it was touted as the next 7th Heaven (produced by the same creator, Brenda Hampton), so I thought, hmmmm...., maybe just maybe this is an alternative to the trashy Gossip Girls series which has garnered a large teen girl following. Um, not so much.
Within the first five minutes, I wanted to throw up. Bottom line: If I were a teenager, I would be highly insulted by this show. After a decade spent in the trenches of teen culture, either those crafty teens pulled the wool over my aging eyes about their "secret lives" or Brenda Hampton is completely and totally out of touch with teen culture. My guess is the latter since one scene actually showed one of the main characters receiving a phone call from a boy on, are you ready for this? The home phone!! It may as well have been a rotary dial phone because seriously, teens today couldn't recite their closest friends' home digits if you offered them a cash prize. They carry their entire address book in their jean's pocket. This sort of irrelevancy will not fly with true high-schoolers.
The show painted a picture of teens consumed by nothing else other than sex. Unrequited sex. Soon-to-be-had sex. Summer camp sex. They talked about sex in the hallways. At their lockers. At the lunch table. At the school dance. In the counselor's office. During a prayer in the huddle before the football game. At the dinner table with mom and dad. If I had a nickel for every time a character said the word "sex," yeah, I could buy the Blackberry I've had my eye on as of late.
The first episode centers around one of the main characters (a good girl of sorts) and her shocking discovery that she is pregnant after a one night stand at summer band camp. Way to go, ABC Family Channel for further contributing to the "Juno effect" that glamorizes teen pregnancy! The only thing worth applauding is that the show didn't write in a visit to an abortion clinic in the first episode.
Now, don't get me wrong--I know teens think a lot about sex. But 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? C'mon, I give teens far more credit than that. Seriously, if the show wasn't so offensive with its clear implication that every teen is a walking, breathing bundle of hormones looking for relief, some of the scenes would be laughable. In addition to the scene with the call to the home phone mentioned above, here are a few other scenes that might have caused me to laugh out loud had it not been for the fact that I was also fighting a bout of nausea:
*A scene where another main character confides first to his friends and then to THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, that he wants his schedule changed to band so he can try to bed a cute girl he just saw in the halls who is in the band. He further tells the counselor he's a VIRGIN and then asks for a CONDOM on the way out. Because, yeah, that happens EVERY DAY in your average high school.
*The portrayal of the "Christian couple" (cheerleader, football player) and a scene where she explains her "promise ring" symbolizing a virginity pledge she made the night before to her parents. She goes on to say, "since we're both committed to abstinence..." Um, news flash to the writers: Christian teens don't sit around and use buzz words like "abstinence" over the lunch table. But wait, it gets worse. She then uses the phrase, "true love waits..." I'm pretty sure I threw up a little in my mouth during that scene.
*Another character who, upon overhearing the above-mentioned Christian couple talk about their pledge to abstinence, spends a few minutes alone with Christian boyfriend. She basically implies that she is a willing party should he decide that true love can't wait. While telling him this, she seductively bites into....an apple! No, please make it stop!! At least her name wasn't Eve!
*There were so many scenes dripping with over-the-top, sappy Christianese lingo that I can't begin to list them all. It left me wondering if the creator, Ms. Hampton, doesn't have a story somewhere in her past of getting beat out for the cheer squad by the nice Christian girl and is writing the scenes in as payback.
Honestly, it was hard to come up with many redeeming qualities to this show. However, in an effort to be even-handed and objective, here are a few:
*Bravo for including a character with Downs Syndrome in the cast.
*Ditto to having a well-rounded multi-cultural cast.
*It was nice to catch a glimpse of Molly Ringwald (as the pregnant girl's mother), however it made me feel old since the last time I saw her on screen she was the same age as her on-screen daughter.
*I did appreciate the fact that one scene frankly acknowledged that "oral sex is sex." Even if it was delivered through one of many cornball lines.
*I also appreciated the fact that the main character candidly tells her friends that the sex she had on her one night stand "wasn't fun and not like what you see in the movies."
Does this mean that the good outweighs the bad and I endorse the show? Oh mercy, no. Unless of course, you want to waste an entire hour of your life each and every week all the while fighting off alternating bouts of nausea and hysterical laughter. This show will only fly with a younger audience (tweens to middle school)...which begs the question--why are they watching it?
In fact, I just checked some of the comments rolling in on the YouTube trailer and I feel safe to say that they reflect a very young audience (which is even more disturbing). Here are a few examples:
i just watched the first episode and i am only 12 and i can't wait for the next episode....it is a great show...my favorite character is amy.
EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK! I'm SO excited!
OMG, me and niki just watched it and i loved it! i really cant wait until the next episode!!!!!
nooooooooooooo Amy and Ben 4life!
Did you happen to catch the show? If so, what did you think?
UPDATE: I am hearing from some saying that this is reality that teens are obsessed w/ sex 24/7 and others that claim it was way over the top and not realistic. I mentioned in one of my comments that I think the location (non-Bible belt vs. Bible belt; rural vs. urban) has a lot to do with our teens' high school experience. Here is a great site where teens are weighing in on whether or not they thought the show was a realistic portrayal of their high school experience: Click here
40 comments:
Holy mackarel. I have three girls, 13, 11, and 8. I found your blog by looking for Christian reviews of the show. I was horrified by the whole thing. What about the conversation between christian football loverboy and the easy girl? He actually asked her to pray with him! Are you kidding me? Very after-school-special with a touch of Jesus Camp mixed in. I watched it with my two older girls, and we won't be letting the show suck another hour of our life away. The girls enjoyed the characters and the drama of the whole thing, but it's so stereotypical and cornball, I just can't trust it to give a message I would approve of. Thanks for the awesome review, and I have added your sites to my favorites list so the girls can check it out. Come by and visit our blog! Sarah Zitny
ABC Family....."A new kind of family????" Please explain to me how anything on that channel is "family oriented." We have it blocked from our cable among many others. That is one "family" I don't want my 13 year old to be a part of.
This show is just one of the reasons that the abc/family channel is not viewed in my home. Even the commercials for this program were offensive to me! My 12 year old daughter has better things to do than sit around watching entertainment created for "a new kind of family" (the slogan of abc/family).
My teenagers and I saw the trailer and all rolled our eyes. It's not something we'd watch, but we're wierd.
Which brings me to my question for ABC family..."A new kind of family", what's wrong with the old kind of family?!
We just moved and didn't pack our TV. It's been two months and this affirms one reason why I am so greatful that we don't have one! My kids are 4 and 2 so they don't really know what they are missing yet!
Thanks for your honestly and willingness to tell the media's true colors!
~Lori
The Bargain Shopper Lady
"A New Kind of Family"?? No thanks, I'll stick with the family I have. Sorry you had to endure digestive angst to confirm what I am sure you already suspected. Thanks for the review.
I didn't watch the show, but caught a preview on TV several days ago. At first, I was hoping that the main character was not talking about having "sex", but all to soon realized that was exactly what had happened. The very first preview was all about sex, and as you reported that was basically what the whole show was about. I too am afraid for the impressionable young girls and boys that will be influenced by this show, however little.
I also have been bothered by the catch phrase that ABC is a "new kind of family"... I am not sure this new kind of family is helping our families today. Thanks Vicki!!!
Thank you so much for your review of this show and for your ministry. It is such a blessing to me. I did find this video this morning that helped me to find something positive to think about - Mom Jonas talks about the importance of family and sticking together. http://www.imom.com/brewing/articles/index.php?id=86
I'm 26 and not that far removed from public high school. It was NOT like that for me, there ARE some good crowds there and although I knew these "sex-obsessed" kids were out there, it's pretty easy not to get involved with them. I hate it when TV and movies make the Christians seem like such out-of-touch dorks. I have two little girls now and have considered many times getting rid of cable altogether, since the only decent things for them are on PBS anyway. But, I would miss the HGTV :)
I didn't and I'm so glad. Didn't really feel the need to and I'm glad you filtered it for us! I'm glad my girls didn't see any of it. Thanks so much for what you do!!!
Yes I did see it. Yes that slogan, "a new kind of family" makes my skin crawl. That is very bizarre indeed. Plus another thing is that ABC is affiliated with Disney. I am just sickened by all the stuff out there trying to vie for our young ones attention.
Seriously about the show, I was glad about the things you were glad about and I do hope that anyone who did end up watching it will take that out of it. God did have to use a donkey once to speak! :) But yes it was sex obsessed and all I could say was seriously is that how it is? Because if it is that extreme I am just way off and out of touch as well. I had a hard time believing it. But I am in the Belt buckle of the Bible belt here but still.
Thanks so sharing about this. I was very interested to see if you posted on it and yeah you did!
MUch love,
ANg
Seeing the trailers was more than I needed to see. I felt the same way you did... "Juno effect". We definitely fall into the weird category. We don't watch, play, or listen to what "everybody" else does.
i couldn't agree with you more, vicki. i don't have any kids, but wow...the way they portrayed the christian couple was overly cliche...the point where i was talking to the TV saying "are you kidding me?!" i'm glad you posted about it. i couldn't believe the sex-obsessed storyline...truly, i understand i was a naive high school student very involved with my youth group, but i was with it enough to know that was not the norm. and i graduated from high school only 9 years ago.
I was surprised to see that in your list of positives about the show, that having the Christian persceptive offered by some main characters was not mentioned (even though it was done in a sappy way).
Shouldnt we at least give credit that there is a show that is willing to even bridge and openly discuss Christian beliefs...I dont know of many other shows that are willing to do that...........
Oh the horrors! Too funny! No way would I or my "real" teens watch it.
We stopped watching 7th Heaven after it turned to major drama's of teen sex every episode. I found it to be way more than I wanted my family to see. Not to mention...it was not Christ-like nor a true reflection of a pastor's home/family.
TV is not a place to find Christ....or values to live by. But you would think....someone...somewhere would realize people want to see good wholesome entertainment on tv.
I'll stick with FOX news & HGTV.
Oh....and the home phone thing....what a laugh! I don't think my teens even know our home phone #. Der!
anonymous, you make a good point and I agree that it's hard to find shows that will even acknowledge Christianity. My reason for not listing it as a positive is that I fear that the representation was more of a mockery of our faith that could in the end, turn people off. Maybe that was not the writers' intent. Only time will tell.
I am watching (alone) the DVR'd show from last night. I am so glad I read your review before watching it with my daughter. Watching the previews I thought it would be a little sweeter, not the opposite.
I need to have an honest conversation with her about why I don't want to watch it with her.
Thank you for all you do - I am sooo grateful to have an resource to go to when I need an "honest" opinion.
I want to start off this comment by stating who I am. I am 24 years old (not that far off from high school)I have a beautiful 19 month old baby girl, and have been married for 4 years to my husband, who is a Youth Pastor. I have been involved in Youth Girl's Ministry for about 7 years now, and currently head up the Youth Girl's department at our church.
Anyway, I say all that because it influences my opinoin on this show. Last night, my husband and I sat down to watch it together. We often watch the "teen" shows to be in touch with the culture and what they're seeing. It enables us to see what's out there and also answer questions that they sometimes have about the media.
This is what I gathered...First, I think it's difficult to make a hard and fast judgment on just one episode. These storylines could go many different ways. I have to say, I hope it's not like 7th Heaven! My dad was a pastor, and I remember watching that show in high school and he and I commenting about how the "pastor" and father would go have a beer with other church members! I really think that sent a wrong message about what Christianity is, especially appauling since this was labeled "the Christian show." Also, the pastor and his wife were constantly fighting with each other. Don't even get me started on the latter episodes when the daughter becomes a "pastor." 7th Heaven was no better than any other teen shows and really cast a negative or "corny" light on Christians.
Second, teens thinking about and talking about sex 24/7...is completely truthful! Many of you are looking at this as parents. I was in high school not that long ago, and yes we all talked about sex, a lot of the time. And, now my husband and I work with students, believe me sex is on their minds 98% of the time. IF they're being honest, which teens are more likely to be with someone other than their parents. Parents are just naive if they think that teenagers don't think and talk openly about these things often.
Third, kudos to the writers being realistic about the girl explaining her "first time." I can remember one of my best friends giving a very similar description of losing her virginity. All other teen shows portray a very unrealistic approach to sex. They completely glamorize it.
Last, I do agree that the Christians are portrayed somewhat "corny." But, I did think it was good that there was at least reference to prayer, purity, and Jesus as a SAVIOR. The Christian boy also showed conviction. It is a struggle for even the best Christian guys to stay pure, they are not immune to thinking about sex and temptation.
All this to say, yes the show was unrealistic (ie, using the home phone). But, there are no REALISTIC teen shows. I am interested to see what the show will do, how they will portray Christianity. At least there ARE "Christians" on this one! I'm not saying that I am an advocate of this show, but I don't think you should count it out yet. It is closer to reality than you think!
My daughter (now 17) and I faithfully watched 7th Heaven for years, even tho it did go down hill after a few years, and I was skeptically optimistic about this show when I heard it had the same producer. After watching it (my daughter didn't) I really was not impressed and totally agree with Vicki's comments; 7th Heaven always had a theme for each show and I tried to justify the consuming sex theme because of that, but come on! I couldn't quite decide whether or not the very open christianese talk was a positive thing, or subtly deflammatory against christianity.
I am a Youth Pastor who has been in ministry 8 years - 5 of them full-time youth ministry. Admittedly, I don't have "decades" of youth culture, but I will say that every church I've ministered at has had "sex-obsessed" teens. They don't talk about it 24/7. They stop talking about it when Mom and Dad are around and when they are in church. No wait, they still are pretty candid with me about it at church, especially my boys. And when I peeked my head in a girls discipleship class tonite, what did I interupt? Girls talking about sex.
I refuse to give my stamp of approval on "Secret Life" just yet, but I see far more positives than negative. Look at these positives:
1. The Christians are corny? How about this - when the Christian couple first entered (before we knew they were Christians), my wife and I immediately stereotyped them as the popular couple. Guess what? They were Christians and popular. Corny lines or not, an attractive friendly girl and a star football player were the Christians, not the dorky kid who talks to his guidance councelor about sex.
2. The show encourages students to talk to parents. What a novel concept! Immediately Amy's friends want her to tell her parents.
3. About the parents - imagine a family that supports modesty and talks about it openly with their daughter! I wish our parents would support modesty more!
4. Abstinance is seen as a GOOD thing! What other shows place abstinance in a positive light? And I loved the statisics that one girl shared - only 15% are "doing it"
5. Teens may not talk about it as candidly as they did with the guidance counselor and/or a therapist, but I wish they would! The more kids talk truthfully about sex, the better it is.
6. And of course, the "sex isn't all it's cracked up to be" talk from Amy's first time. How true. I need to find the source, but I read a stat that more than half of girls didn't want to have sex the first time, but felt pressured and forced.
If nothing else, this gets kids talking about sex - not the glamour of it, but the consequences of it. I hope Christian families watched the show together and talked about sex with their kids. If the target audience is tweeners, good! The earlier the better.
I have a feeling the show will turn south - I can forsee the Christian girl having sex and the story lines becoming a soap opera. But kudos to a show that is open about the dangers of sex. Corny? A little, but mostly for dramatic effect. Unrealistic? Not as much an many of you think.
By the way, check out the stayteen.org website. It's not one I would share with all my teens, but it has some good stats and figures. I would point teens to the abstinance section of the site. At least there is a site that shares it as a realistic option.
My 13 year daughter was VERY offended by the previews, felt they did not accurately portray her generation at all. We, of course, did not and will not watch any TV show with such a negative influence.
I did watch the show with both of my daughters. I did not find it corny or offensive because of the reality of it all.
We live in a small town where there are about 50 kids in each high school class. Out of that number, we had 5 pregnant teens walking around in our school last year. This is not counting the single ones that recently graduated. I believe last count was about 10 unwed mothers in our very small community, 19 and under.
So, as we were watching it, we found it to be very true. Teens are not just constantly talking about sex, they are finding a way to hook up.
I was glad to see a Christian girl on campus. At first I thought it was a little sappy, but then went whoa, what is wrong with a Christian being "peculiar"? As my Bible Study said this week, if my goodness through Christ is hidden, I become NORMAL, just like everyone else.
And the "true love waits" part? My daughter is a senior this year and proudly has conversations about her ring she wears.
So maybe I am missing something, but I found it to be full of the reality my kids are living in today. I really am anxious to see how it plays out.
Trey, I appreciate your comments. You sound like a caring and engaged youth pastor. Honestly, I just can't decide if the hokiness factor behind the Christian couple/family is worth over-looking in an effort to expose our kids to some of the stats that were mentioned. Where we see totally eye-to-eye is that parents should be engaged and having ongoing conversations w/ their tweens and teens about sex and what they are being exposed to in the culture. I feel that if more parents were doing this, we wouldn't need to lean on shows like this to do it for us.
My main concern is the audience demographic for this show. Even though the main characters are high-schoolers, there is no mistaking that it will garner a younger audience. I would have no problem with my sophomore son watching the first show with me. In fact, maybe that would make a good blog post! However, I don't think middle schoolers and older grammar aged kids have the cognitive ability to break-down the message. That's where mom and dad come in.
Deb, you did point out something I was not considering when I wrote the post that is very much worth noting. Some areas (like yours) are experiencing much higher than normal rates of teen pregnancy (ex: Gloucester). In fact, I have a lake cabin in a smaller more rural county that has a very high teen pregnancy rate. I am often stunned by the number of young girls I see at the only grocery store in town with babies in the cart. I am very concerned about the current glamorization of teen pregnancy and the impact it will have overall. However, I worry that since this show portrays a pretty and somewhat "cool" girl getting pregnant--who I am guessing will be launched to instant popularity in future scripts, it will send the wrong message. Fortunately, you are watching with your girls to break it all down...
Last of all, I didn't want to sound like I was poking fun at the True Love Waits program. I am a huge fan of TLW. My nausea was over the way the line was delivered. Again, I felt it was a mockery of sorts. Maybe they will prove me wrong.
Thanks for weighing in!
I am so glad that we have 6 channels on our one little TV. Even on those major networks it's hard to find something decent and wholesome to watch. (So it's usually just turned off.) Still, some friends of my 13 and 11 year old girls have millions of channels on their huge TVs and I will be asking them if they've heard of this crazy show. Thank you so much for the review!
I have a 13 year old girl who is excited about the show. Since she was buzzing about it I watched it myself as well. She thought it was great. She was excited that they did not glamourize sex and showed the consequences of it. She is a virtuous young woman herself and sports her own purity ring and is ready to tell anyone about it who asks. I really thought the show talked a little to much about sex and was a little unrealisic. I think the writer is a little out of touch with today's teens and the stereotypes triggered my gag reflex. The cheerleader, the football player, the easy girl, the bad boy, BARF! Why not your normal sporty girl who plays basketball and has a lot of friends but is not your home coming queen, or your average Joe at school. That is today's teens. I think that the majority of teens will skip this and watch something else with a little more realistic characters and a little more drama. And since not all teens are thinking about sex constantly why put it in their head? Could they focus on something else? I hope this is not what it is all about.
I have two girls, 11 and 7. Could not believe my eyes and ears. On the Family Channel at 8:00pm. Both girls are still up and could have heard plenty about oral sex. My seven year old would say, Mommy, what is oral sex? ... I'm not ready for those conversations with my little one, let alone the 11 year old. We've gone over the basics with the 11 year old but she goes to Private Christian School for a reason.
This show was terrible, except for the last excerpt when she came out and said abstinance is the only way to prevent pregnancies. I'm telling eveyrone about this trashy show out there!
Christine, Nokomis, Florida
I do need to tell you that I feel like our small school is allowing the teens to glamourize their pregnancies because most live with their parents and continue on with their everyday routine once the baby is here. There are no real consequences that these kids are facing and it is scary for the younger ones coming up after them. I also did not feel you were poking fun at the TLW, just wanted you to know that the girls I know do talk about it because they are asked often about their rings and what it means.
I really appreciate you and the owkr you do with the teens and love your blog.
Keep it up!!
I hadn't even heard of the show until now! After reading your posts, Vicki, and then reading all the comments, I am very intrigued. I might just have to waste an hour of my life to see what I think.
After bringing up Juno, what do you think about it?
No, I am NOT for teen pregnancy, but I do however think it sent a good message for adoption. I'm not gonna lie, I did love Juno. Part of that is because I thought it was hilarious! But, just curious!
Lindsee
This show was good. My teen daughters 13 and 17 liked it. The 13 year told me everybody at her school talks about sex. I guess its everywhere maybe I should put both of them on birth control.
Thanks for the lengthy review. My oldest two are 12 and 14 so I'm headed right into the teen world.
Of course, at this point we are dealing with a 11 year old. It's always something, eh?
Duckabush Blog Dh wrote a long post about our 'tomato-staking' parenting. Stop by when you have time. :)
I agree with most of what you are saying, but the part about cell phones. I'm 18 and it is the cell phone numbers I have the trouble with. The home phones are easy as pie. ... Just saying.
Ok, so I am a teenage girl, 17 to be exact and I certaintly enjoyed this show. Not that the commercials triggered something in me that made me o-so-excited about it but the reality of it did. I loved the fact that the christian couple was a jock and cheerleader because in most schools they have a lot of people who look up to them and in my school they are the ones with the not so good reps. I also liked that the guy asked her to pray with him. Corny, yes, but it was also brave. And yes, we do sit around the lunch table and use words like "abstinence" becuase its something to be proud of. We have an awesome testimony with our TLW rings and I liked that the girl was willing to say she was gonna wait. Ya, she may have been a little "high on her horse" but aren't we as christians suppose to be different? set apart?? I thought the show really touched home where I live since in my high school there are many teens younger than myself who are pregnant. And teens talk about sex alot more than parents would think they do... you just gotta step into the high schools and look around. Teens aren't ashamed to share their weekend because they don;t see the risks of something like pregnancy happening to them. The show was great!
My own personal experience as a teen and young adult to the age of 25 (back in the dark ages)---we were all obsessed with sex 24/7. When God found me at 25 in a bar---became obsessed with HIM and the rhetoric shrunk. I didn't have to do sex any more; I wanted to honor HIM. I've been a high school teacher for the past several years. In the Christian schools, sex isn't talked about very much at all, but it's there, even teachers with their students. Yes, it did. In the public schools in our city, I would constantly have to try to stop conversations like Sex on Prom Night and where they were going to have sex: dance floor, br, car, etc...seriously. The sex topic came up daily in some way or another---I never was with the same class as a visiting teacher all over the district. So it was a sampling. My niece tells me that the trend is for teen couples (yes Christians)to spend the night together ALL NIGHT at lake houses in large groups after their dates as long as ONE ADULT is there. MY SON WON'T BE THERE! And if the parents won't let them, they'll just sneak and do it anyway. So sad that these parents have relinquished their calling as a parent! How can a boy and girl lay next to each other all night w/o violating each other in their minds and bodies?? I couldn't. Wonder what God really thinks about all this?? I didn't see Secret Life...I hope all of us don't live with secrets but rely on God's plans for our teens for His Eyes roam the earth...roaming the classrooms, lakehouses, summer camps---looking for those who will be HIS and He will strengthen them in all their needs. Psalm 141:2---thank you Vicki for being a taste, a smell of a better Way, the only Way.
I'm with you...a wasted hour of my life and if I was a tween...and my parents found me watching this show...I would have lost my TV viewing privilege's for weeks...
I'm right there with you, I didnt'watch the show the previews were bad enough. When I saw them I told my 13 year old that under no circumstances was she to watch it. She said that she wasn't even about to (after watching previews) she wasn't interested in that kind of junk. Thank God for her good Christian views. (She is a gospel singer) I pray every day that she keeps the values that she has.
I watched the first two episodes, and I will watch the third tonight. Why? Well, I want to see where this is going. I've been utterly repulsed in the first two episodes, and like you, wish I could get cash every time the word sex is used. But, I do want to know what is out there with my teenagers and literally KNOW what it represents. I am honestly thinking that before long the Christian girl will falter and have sex. It seems inevitable in this show.
Good blog.
OK, I have tortured myself THREE HOURS watching three episodes of this show trying to find ANYTHING positive from it. My daughter is 13, she claims that she is really interested in the "Grace" character and wanted to see how she handled the peer pressure of having sex. After each episode, I would sit her down and ask her to tell me one scene that did NOT involved sex. She would try, but I would point out how it wasn't true. This past episode just infuriated me beyond words. They mocked religion, they mocked God, and while little Miss Grace publicly apologized for what she'd done wrong and how she should have listened to her parents, the scene was completely ruined by Jack showing up with the school "tramp" to make Grace jealous, then Ricky showing up to make himself appear interested in her beliefs when we all know that there is something bad just waiting to happen here.
Yes, kids hear about this stuff at school, I get it. Yes, they do talk about abstinence, but how many of the characters are going to actually stick with it, so far only Ben and Grace? Why is it necessary for the other parents to make fun of the Christians in the show. It's just awful, and praise the Lord my daughter was FINALLY offended and we have blocked it from our TVs. ABC Family has GOT to find a different slogan, OR find actual family themed shows that match up to their slogan.
Just an FYI for anyone stumbling upon this post and reading the comments..
ABC Family was purchased Fox who purchased it from CBN...
Long story short, the contract requires that the word "Family" stay in the name to keep their "spot" in the cable channel lineup.
There is more info out there, but the point is that ABC has NO DESIRE for this to be a true "Family" network!!
What a joke! A " new kind of family". I was initially thrilled to see that ABC had a family channel and had been allowing my 11 year old daughter to watch this channel freely and at random. Imagine my shock when I tuned into the " Secret Life"....show. This is NOT a family friendly show for most families that I know. In fact the material was far deeper and sexual than most PG 13 movies we have watched together. While this show seems to think it is providing good messages to young people, I have found the writing and acting to be very insulting to just about everyone. Teenagers, chrisitans, parents, etc. All these characters think about and talk about is sex, sex, sex. It is also insulting how they have treated the " christian " characters in the show. They too seem to not be able to hold onto their beliefs for very long. One minute the Christian football player is saving himself for marriage and the next he is recieving Oral in the car on his way to church.
This show and channel are very disturbing as a way to speak to young people about some very serious issues. It will be blocked from our household permanently. How can concerned parents get a message to ABC and its sponsers??
I've been back and forth on what I think of this show. The girls in our youth group love it and refer to it as SLAT which kind of sounds like SLUT when they say it (appropriately). The first episodes were pretty bad like when a girl said she'd go to church but secretly wanted to make out with the boy she was going with first. HOWEVER, the more episodes I have watched the more good I've seen.
The parent's are really supportive of making sure Amy knows her options and that she can raise the baby and continue in school. They have showed her unconditional love and the baby's dad is starting to take responsibility. I think it's worth watching a little more to see how it all turns out. There might be good messages that are just taking some time to come out. I say as adults we should give it a chance. I'm not a parent so I don't know if I'd let my kids watch it or not but there migth be something good there.
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