The young moms of the MTV series Teen Mom OG, Teen Mom 2, and even the short-lived Teen Mom 3 live very public lives, and in spite of their wishes for and attempts at privacy, they still face criticism and attacks for even the most innocuous of things.
“Laziness”
On the most recent season of Teen Mom OG, Catelynn Lowell openly struggled with anxiety and depression, and more than once, we saw her struggling with getting out of bed, which led some viewers to accuse her of just being lazy. If you’ve ever been depressed or anxious, you know that getting up in the morning can be impossible and terrifying. To accuse someone who’s struggling with depression or anxiety is not only ugly, but it perpetuates a dangerous stigma around mental health issues.
Getting pregnant again
When Maci Bookout announced she was pregnant with her third child, people jumped on the opportunity to lambaste her for not only her unplanned pregnancy, but for having a baby so soon after the birth of her daughter, Jayde. It’s considered acceptable to attack young parents for deciding to expand their families, as though they’ve somehow given up their rights to their own reproductive choices.
Having another kid after placing one up for adoption
After Lowell and Tyler Baltierra announced that they would be having another baby, this one planned, they faced criticism once again for their decision to place their daughter, Carly, for adoption.
Tattoos
Several of the moms have tattoos. Bookout gave MTV a tour of her ink back in 2014. Lowell has tattoos in honor of her daughters Carly and Novalee, and Jenelle Evans recently covered up some tattoos she got when she was dating Nathan Griffith. The cast of Teen Mom 2 also got matching heart tattoos when the show first started. Kailyn Lowry has definitely been criticized for having many huge tattoos and not covering them up. It’s not uncommon for people with tattoos to be judged for having them, but it’s likely even more intense when you’re such a public figure.
Mental health issues
Leah Messer, Amber Portwood, Evans, Lowry and Lowell have all sought help for mental health issues including anxiety, depression and addiction. They’ve also all had the validity of their diagnoses questioned and their parenting abilities debated, strengthening the stigma around mental illness and addiction.
Not being married
All of the young moms have been faced with the pressure to marry the fathers of their children (well, maybe not Chelsea Houska and Evans), but most recently, Bookout’s Instagram was crowded with people demanding to know why she and Taylor McKinney — the father of her daughter Jayde Carter, and her unborn son — weren’t married. The two are currently engaged, after speculation that McKinney wasn’t serious about committing to Bookout. Given the less-than-stellar track record of marriages on both Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, it’s a surprise that fans are so eager for more weddings.
Going fishing
When Houska posted this photo of herself and fiancé Cole DeBoer with their catch of the day, some of her Instagram followers called her a hypocrite for fishing and being a pet owner and animal lover, claiming she could only be one or the other.
C-section shaming
Teen Mom 3‘s Mackenzie McKee has documented her health issues (she has Type 1 diabetes) for her fans, as well as her commitment to strength training and most recently, fitness modeling. There’s been a barrage of sexist comments in regard to her muscles, with people claiming that she’s “gross” and doesn’t look feminine. McKee reposted one of the photos of herself at a competition and took on her body-shaming critics, including those who attacked her for having a C-section, since her scar is visible in the photo. “I hate more than anything to see moms bash each other over how they had their kids,” McKee wrote on Instagram. “If you pushed a baby out of your crotch… Wow that’s amazing and that’s awesome. That’s beautiful and I couldn’t imagine. However we c-section [sic] mommies aren’t ‘weak’ and it wasn’t a choice.”
Bathing while pregnant
Yes, bathing while pregnant. When Teen Mom OG‘s Lowell was pregnant with her second daughter, Novalee, she photographed herself taking a bath. The post prompted a multitude of hand-wringing from people who shamed her for taking a bath, claiming that it was dangerous to the fetus. Actual health-care professionals who also followed Lowell weighed in, clarifying that it was fine and also reminding people that since this was Lowell’s second pregnancy, she probably knew what she was doing.
Having a website
Back in February 2016, Houska announced that she would be launching her website, chelseahouska.com, soon. Fellow Teen Mom 2 castmate Evans accused Houska of copying her idea of launching a personal website, which resulted in a Twitter feud that Evans eventually removed herself from.
Getting plastic surgery
Recently, Teen Mom 2‘s Lowry underwent some pretty intense plastic surgery. She’s hardly the first of the moms to go under the knife; Farrah Abraham, Evans, Briana DeJesus and others have also had breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, labiaplasty, etc. Fans (and trolls) have had quite a bit to say about the young women’s decisions to change their bodies, but it remains their choice to do so, and shouldn’t be up for debate.
Body shaming
This photo of Lowell enjoying her honeymoon brought out the fat-shaming trolls (as well as those whose sense of humor doesn’t depend on misogyny). Lowell has been consistently attacked for her weight, as have Lowry, Messer, Evans and basically every woman on Earth.
Publicity
Because they’re public figures, the Teen Mom cast members are often asked to advertise products on their Instagram accounts. Weight-loss products, beauty products, teeth whiteners, jewelery — you name it, a Teen Mom star has posed with it in a photo, which often elicits complaints from Instagram followers as to how they’re “selling out.” It’s called money, people. I hear it’s a popular means to gaining access to goods and services.
What their kids are wearing
When Houska, Aubree and DeBoer attended a Children’s Miracle Network event, Instagram followers pounced on what Aubree was wearing: boots, a fur vest and what looks like a tank top and sweatpants. What could Houska have been thinking? Why didn’t she stuff Aubree into a dress, instead of letting her choose her own clothes like an autonomous human? Surely, Aubree’s outfit must be a sign of terrible parenting. Houska’s defenders pointed out the exhausting nature of dressing children and the importance of picking one’s battles.
Nails
Anger about young moms getting their nails done is one of those things that are ubiquitous on Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. Shouldn’t that money be going to child care? It’s a waste of time. Where are these moms’ priorities? What is wrong with them? The accusations go on and on, and the motivation behind them couldn’t be clearer — these moms have to be shamed for everything because they had a kid in their teens. They’re not allowed self-care or any kind of indulgence, or to make decisions about anything other than their kids.
Pets
There could be a spinoff about the pets of Teen Mom, which I would watch. Many of the moms have multiple pets, including a pig, and there’s inevitably criticism about how many pets the moms have, how they’re taking care of them and questions as to if they understand the responsibility of owning a pet (as opposed to a child, which is not at all a huge responsibility).
Hair
Much like nails and plastic surgery, the moms are criticized for what they do to their hair, as though they should not be allowed to change anything about their bodies after becoming moms. Houska was attacked by critics in 2014 for putting temporary hair dye in her daughter Aubree’s hair, because apparently that’s not allowed, either.
Behaving sexually in any way
The idea that teen moms have lost their rights to their own sexuality is predominant, and it’s based in misogyny, stigma around teen parenting and fear of young women’s sexuality. When Evans posted sexy pictures she took with then-boyfriend Nathan Griffith, Teen Mom fans went crazy. While Evans and Griffith’s relationship was and remains a total disaster, the backlash against the pictures is certainly rooted in the belief that since she has kids and is a young mom, being publicly (or privately) sexual needs to be a thing of the past, and she should be ashamed of it.
Talking
If you look at the Twitter feed during any episode of Teen Mom 2, you will find a cavalcade of complaints about Houska’s voice. It’s infinitely ridiculous, and fans suspect that this has everything to do with the fact that haters have nothing of substance to criticize about Houska or her relationship with //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” target=”_blank”>DeBoer.
Wearing “too much” makeup
People jumped on Lowell’s photo of herself and Baltierra on their wedding day, accusing her of wearing “too much” makeup. Lowell’s by no means the only Teen Mom who’s been criticized for this; the same sexist ugliness has also been leveled at Houska, Messer and Evans.
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