Oprah was recently interviewed by Piers Morgan about her formative years. In the interview, she reveals quite a bit; she talks about her sexual abuse, her broken family, and her teen pregnancy. She became pregnant when she was 14, and (it's mentioned elsewhere in the interview) she tried drinking detergent and thought about committing suicide. She attempted to hide the pregnancy, but stress made her prematurely deliver the baby, and the baby died.
Oprah was relieved, and saw it as a second chance. She says of loosing the baby, "I wouldn't have been able to be head of the student council. I wouldn't have been able to be speaking champion in forensics. I wouldn't have been able to be Miss fire prevention. I wouldn't have been chosen as one of the two teenagers in the state of Tennessee to go to the White House conference on youth. None of those things would have happened. The entire trajectory of my life would have been different."
What I think is notable about the interview is Oprah being completely open and honest about her experience. She doesn't try and say, I was happy about this. She doesn't say, With hard work and determination, I could've had the baby and been successful like I am now. There isn't much discussion about these feelings in shows like 16 and pregnant; that is, the feelings of wanting to get rid of a pregnancy so bad, you would risk your life. Babies/pregnancy, I think at least, are always cast in a happy light; women might not expect to have them, but they end up being happy anyways.
The questions I want to ask are: Why do you think shows/media in general ignore these very real, raw emotions about pregnancy? Do you think it really is a matter of hard work and determination to overcome something so big as a child when you aren't ready? What would be the benefits of more people, especially prominent figures, telling stories such as these? Feel free to add any other reactions.
I liked the article. I never knew that Oprah got pregnant at age 14. I thinks shows/media ignore these real, raw emotions about pregnancy because most people usually don't open up to talk about it because its a hard subject for that person to talk about or they just tell the show/media a lie and saw happy things about it. I don't know if it is a matter of hard work and determination to over come something so big as a child when you aren't ready because even if you did have those things it doesnt mean you can over come it. I couldn't believe the things Oprah did to hurt her pregnancy like drink detergent or thinking about committing suicide. Like in the article it said Oprah would of missed out on alot of school things if she had the baby. But since she lost it she was able to do so much more. I think more people should tell stories such as these because you also will learn about what life style they came from. For instance Oprah mom was mad at her and she had to live with her dad and she was also abuse. Then she gets pregnant and doesnt know what to do. After she lost her baby she still ended up being happy and got a second chance in life and did alot of things.
ReplyDelete-Jamie B.
I think the reason that shows/media ignore this issue is because they are scared to give a bad perception of what really goes on. On 16 & Pregnant they never talk about the issue of how the mother truly feels about how the situation of becoming a teen mom can truely change her life. I feel like most teen moms have the same feelings that Oprah had when she found out she was pregnant at age 14. I know personally if I was to find out I was pregnant when I was 16 or even now the thought of my life being completely over would be the first thing to come to mind.
ReplyDeleteTo grow up and become an adult at the age of 16 because you found out you are pregnant would make anyone realize that they are going to have so much more responsibilities in their life. The life of another human being is in your hands and how you raise them is what will determine their life outcome.
I think that if more celebrities came out and told personal stories like Oprah did it would help impact teens. Teens look up to these celebrities and mock their every move. If someone was to come out and truly talk about the issue at hand it might help some teens prevent this ever happening to them.
-Sam F.
Wow, this was an incredibly interesting article. The raw emotions Oprah shared were so real. She was very vulnerable with the magazine about this time in her life. I think these points of view, like how she attempted suicide, are often ignored because that's what society does with unhappy things. People like to pretend that bad things don't happen, unless they have entertainment value, and when they do, they are brushed under the rug. This very real part of Oprah's life clearly shaped her as a person, and it is true that she would likely have a very different life if the baby had survived.
ReplyDeleteIt is likely encouraging for readers of the article to hear that such a celebrity as Oprah would have gone through such a difficult experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't necessarily make pregnancy look like a good thing, seeing as it made her want to take her own life. It is unfortunate that society tells young woman this is one of their best options if they become pregnant.
-Ami J.