Attention reality TV junkies: Think you’ve heard all there is to know about the casts of MTV’s most notorious reality shows “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”? Have you watched every episode more than once, perused the tabloids and blog headlines, followed the tweets, and perhaps even Googled paparazzi photos more times than you’d like to admit?
Never fear, you’re not alone. And to amp up your addiction a little more, reality TV blogger Ashley Majeski has joined forces with Sean Daly, New York Post journalist and former TMZ producer, to bring you the book, “Teen Mom Confidential: Secrets and Scandals from MTV’s Most Controversial Show.”
A no-nonsense, tell-all book brimming with behind-the-scenes gossip that cameras didn’t capture, “Teen Mom Confidential” delivers insights about moms Amber Portwood, Jenelle Evans, Kailyn Lowry, Maci Bookout, Farrah Abraham, Catelynn Lowell, Chelsea Houska and Leah Messer that will shock even the most die-hard fans.
From the sonograms to the weddings and breakups, Majeski and Daly have put together a collection of tidbits that give a frank representation of life for teen moms, both on and off the screen.
The 17 chapters of this book also include rather disheartening statistics about the young moms featured throughout the show. For example, 25 percent of the mothers have been arrested and 56 percent of their marriages have ended in divorce.
But perhaps the most striking information unveiled in the book stems from conflicts shared between the cast and television show producers. For example, Kaitlyn Lowry said, “The scene where I tell [my boyfriend] Jordan about cheating on him was re-enacted. That’s why I was so coldhearted. There was a point that I wanted to quit and rip up my contract because of the way they treated me.”
In circumstances like these, readers are invited to take a critical look at the construction of shows marketed as observations of reality.
Heightened conflict increases ratings but at what expense? “Teen Mom Confidential” makes it clear that sacrifices must be made by adolescent parents, yet in this dramatic equation it seems as though the catalyst for the show’s premise is overlooked — the child.
“Teen Mom Confidential” reaffirms skeptical opinions held about reality television while divulging brutal lengths taken in order to satisfy the fluff of mass entertainment.
