Drinking,Sex,Scandal-Oh my!

A family friend of mine made a cameo as a background extra/singer in the new pilot of “90210” which premiered last night on the CW Network, so I had no choice but to tune in! I already decided I wouldn’t allow myself to get wrapped up in yet another TV show in the fall season. I like Shenae Grimes (of Degrassi: The Next Generation), and as excited, as I was to see my friend, I did not enjoy watching the two-hour episode, only to see her on screen for less than 3 minutes.

I became turned off halfway through the show because there seems to be a trend in creating programs about over-privileged teenagers. (See: 90210,The Hills, Gossip Girl, and Privileged) It’s funny that three out of four of these programs listed are airing on the CW network. Shows like these center their plot points around gossip, drama, scandal, sex, partying, the “in crowd”, designer duds and doing unthinkable things to get you there.

It seemed only a few years ago that the emphasis for prime-time shows had plotlines centered around college life including Felicity, Dawson’s Creek, and Gilmore Girls. The new focus has transitioned to high school.

I went to a performing arts high school in Manhattan as a musical theater major, so I know my time in the classroom didn’t mimic my peers at a “typical” high school. My friends and I didn’t party – Instead we would hang out at Starbucks talking about auditions, bands we liked and of course, boys.

In high school, I remember watching the O.C. (executive produced by Josh Schwartz of Gossip Girl) and thinking to myself, that it’s 8 o’clock at night and yet they are able to show some teenager doing lines of coke at an out-of control party during primetime hours. I expect the new season of 90210 to follow suit by airing something that is equivalent during their first season.

Question: Why does the television culture present shows with characters who are underage are able to get into bars and also show them slipping small bottles of alcohol into their drinks in public at cafes?

I have enough wherewithal to know that underage drinking occurs in real life, but why is it be embraced and acceptable to watch? Maybe my cause for alarm is an early maternal instinct or simply that I don’t enjoy hearing about people younger than me heading down the path of corruption. I prefer to hear about children that haven’t lost their innocence, and enjoy jumping on a trampoline or laughing with their friends.

Alcohol:
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “about 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 years in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.” That’s an alarming statistic.

In future programming, I hope to see young people who are happy being sober and enjoy activities that don’t require getting drunk. Instead of that seeming “square” to society, it would be nice for those children to be embraced for their healthy choices.

“Let’s talk about sex, baby.”
We know kids are having sex at younger and younger ages and winding up pregnant (See: Juno, The Secret Life of the American Teenager). Jamie-Lynn Spears had a baby at age16. She was blamed for a pregnancy pact at a high school in MA where they have had more teen pregnancy cases this year than ever before. Bristol Palin, daughter of Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin is 17 and pregnant. I read Jamie-Lynn is sending her over a gift for support and to welcome her into the club. Of course I can’t speak to the role modeling that either of these girls have had.

There also are more twenty-year-old celebrities having babies too. They seem to be everywhere these days! It’s a little less shocking to me having children in your twenties because at age 18, you are legally an adult and old enough to accept responsibility for your actions.

According to James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth in an article in the Detroit Free Press he says today “The U.S. has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the developed world, because we refuse to get real when it comes to young people and sex. In a nation where 95% of citizens have sex before marriage, our official government policy on sex education is “abstinence-only-until-marriage”. The Bush administration has pumped over $1.5 billion into these programs over the last eight years, despite an exhaustive congressional evaluation showing that they have “no impact on teen behavior.”

ATTN: Bush Administration: IT’S NOT WORKING!

Kids are going to have sex anyway, especially if you tell them abstinence is the only option. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says “that over 34% of all teens have had sex by grade 9.” Sure it’s the beginning of high school but these students are only 14 and 15. Their bodies haven’t even stopped developing from puberty yet.

My high school had comprehensive sex education, which meant the school received no funding from the government. Conservatives believe that comprehensive sex education encourages promiscuity and sexual relations. If you have a course that is “abstinence only” and the students decide to have sex, they haven’t been informed about condoms and other forms of contraceptives to protect themselves and many end up using incorrect measures as a fail-safe.

You can compare this debate to that of the Clean Needle Program. When a clinic offers clean needles, it doesn’t mean everyone is suddenly going to want to shoot heroin! If you choose to engage in risky behavior, you will be doing it safely whether its condoms or needles.

When it comes to drugs, sex and alcohol, parents need to be involved in their children lives and talk to them about these issues so that family values and attitudes are made clear. To think that you can avoid confronting these issues or hoping your children will do the right thing is living in denial. I find it shocking when parents are completely unaware of these situations.

Regarding the content of these shows: I don’t want to sound like the Parents Council whose negative review of Gossip Girl got added as positive marketing fuel to their print and outdoor campaign ads.

Naturally these shows provide us with a world where we can escape. The programs are not the direct result in causing these behaviors in teens around the nation; They are a mere reflection of the current reality mixed in with the fiction generated for purposes of content.

I hope that young girls don’t try to emulate the behaviors of these idealized characters. Parents need to encourage their kids to be smart and to not succumb to peer pressure. Perhaps next season the “trash” can be replaced with “class” because adding more positive programming to the networks would be a welcome change.

“All we care about is talking, talking only me and you”

1996- Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole: When I was in the 5th grade, I remember my teacher lecturing the class about the presidential election in hopes of instilling the importance of government and how it affects our lives.

2000- Al Gore vs. George W. Bush: Entering 9th grade, not yet old enough to vote! As I listened to the news and buzz surrounding the election, I felt frustrated knowing that adults were making decisions for my generation and that we had no control in choosing a leader.

2004: John Kerry vs. George W. Bush: I was a college freshman and I’m excited to vote for the first time. Suddenly politics is now on my radar. My first chance to vote was by absentee ballot, but I still was proud to participate in the process.

I was a member of the Democratic club on campus for two years. At first I enjoyed the company surrounding me, and looked up to the older members for being smart and knowledgeable on the issues. Later I began to lose interest because it seemed that this select group felt what they were doing was important, although many of the people on campus were uninterested.

I didn’t have a television in my dorm to watch as the election results were coming in. I remember constantly refreshing my computer as I watched the states turn red and blue and the devastating disappointment that I felt when I found out who won.

I watched my dreams of having a Democratic president elected in 2004 get shattered and can still recall the dread in my gut knowing I would have to face yet another four years with “W.” At first I was crestfallen and numb. Then I felt angry at my friends who didn’t bother sending in an absentee ballot, or assumed that they didn’t need to vote because “there’s no way Bush can win.”

Many of my peers would preach about how much they disliked Bush and his policies, but when push came to shove, their actions didn’t follow their words. There was no desire to rush to the polls and express their point of view. Instead, they were apathetic and believed it was already too late and out of their hands.

In 2004, there were approximately 41 million eligible voters ages 18-29 which made up one-fifth of the voting population. Of the 41 million, 28 million were age 18-25. According to the U.S. Census Bureau for 2004, 57.6% of 18-24 year olds were registered to vote, while only 46.7% actually did.

Those four years surely have flown by. Now I’m at the age of 22, and we are already on the eve of a new election. In 2008, our country is messier than ever, due to the repercussions from living in a post 9/11 world. This country has the choice either to improve or to continue on its downward spiral.

I must admit that I was a Hillary supporter at first. I wanted my future daughters to know that a woman could become President and reach new heights regardless of the challenges. When I voted for Hillary in the primary, she won in my state and I felt hopeful for the future.

During the height of the Democratic primary, I was preoccupied with completing my college degree during my last semester. I was disappointed when Hillary stepped down, but I accepted it and moved on. I proceeded to learn as much as I could about Obama and was surprised to realize that he offered constructive solutions for the issues that were important to me. (Check out http://www.barackobama.com for more information on where he stands)

After hearing his speeches and acquiring more information about him, I came to the conclusion that Barack Obama has the capacity to turn this country around. I immediately was won over. I find him to be an eloquent speaker (quite a contrast from “Smoke them out of their holes” Bush) and a humble, passionate, and sincere man. While it will be a difficult and challenging road to recovery, I honestly believe his plans for the future can (and will!) make a difference. It’s inspiring how he has instilled hope in the nation again which is significant and not be taken for granted. Government is supposed to be “by the people, for the people.”

I want to live in a world where my rights as a woman are protected. Sarah Palin is not going to help out in this department. In addition, no self-respecting female who embodies Hillary’s feminist values would vote against her party for a woman who is anti-choice and sports a 90’s prom updo!

I want to be rewarded for my hard work and be able to earn just as much as my male counterparts.

I want the war to end quickly and have the troops come home safely.

I want to be able to afford to buy a home and not worry about the slumping housing market.

I want my future children to have college cost less, since it’s increasingly prohibitive to afford to pay for an education.

I want to see our planet become efficient and green and less wasteful. I often see my Dad picking up litter – if everyone in the world picked up just one piece of litter, the world would sure be clean!

We live in America, the land of supposed freedom and dreams. Sadly, the last eight years it’s been nothing but a moronic dictatorship lead by a puppet and his circus crew.
Gandhi said, “Action expresses priorities” This post is my urgent plea to my fellow 18-24 year olds NOT to be apathetic this time around and instead PARTICIPATE. We have the power to take this election by storm and create the outcome we choose, but you can’t do it when you sit on your tuchus complaining and wishing things were different.

I have provided some links below on where to get absentee ballots and other voting resources. (Also check out http://www.rockthevote.com/) Please feel free to pass this information along to your friends. For your viewing pleasure, I have also included a video montage that features Ari Hest’s song, “Reason to Believe” (Album: 52). Ari Hest says the lyrics (which was written around July 4th, 2008) “attempt to convey a sense of triumph, pride, and resolution.”

I hope you vote for Obama but if you want to vote for McCain, that is your prerogative. Regardless of whom you choose, participation in the political process is necessary to ensure that our peer group is represented so that the elected officials become an accurate representation of the will of the voters. My wish is that this post will inspire other young people to formulate an opinion and take a stand. If I can get even 10 people to vote that wouldn’t have otherwise, then I have successfully done my job.

Check out:

http://action.barackobama.com/page/s/volunteer/

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter

http://www.longdistancevoter.org

http://www.votefromabroad.org/