Sunday, January 19, 2014

Leftist TPM Upset With Shaming of Teen Mothers

Talking Points Memo is upset in with MTV's show "16 and Pregnant":
Teen and single mothers have long been framed as shameful, irresponsible moochers. From President Reagan's racist "welfare queen" trope to President Clinton's proposal of a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy in a legislative effort to reform welfare, teen mothers have long served as a political tool in neoliberal efforts to dismantle the welfare state. By commodifying teen mothers as cautionary tales, shows like "16 and Pregnant" and its spin-offs have a place in this narrative, as well. They commodify teen mothers as shameful objects of social scorn and they partner with some of the very campaigns that perpetuate the neoliberal myth that teen motherhood is a burden on welfare and causes poverty.
You've got to love the last sentence , " the neoliberal myth that teen motherhood is a burden on welfare and causes poverty." What would socialism be without denying evidence?