Countodwn to Bristol Palin's "due date"

[Ravi]

Perhaps "attack" was too strong a word to use. I would say they reported the story in a slanted and biased manner, as if her pregnancy was something that ought to shame and embarrass Palin because her daughter was underage. Yet, the stigma against teenage pregnancy, (somewhat of a misnomer, as most children of teenage mothers are fathered by men over age 20), is somewhat misguided in itself, as this researcher has noted previously.

Ah, attacking Sarah, that's a different story. I agree the stigma against teen pregnancy is misguided. I believe the problem was Sarah's viewpoint...sex before marriage is bad. So it was a bit of an issue when her viewpoint turned out to be so far off-base that her daughter turned up pregnant. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if they had been upfront about her pregnancy from the beginning instead of shrouding it in shame...keeping it a secret and then pulling Bristol out of school when the news got out. If people quit acting like having a baby is somehow shameful this wouldn't be an issue.

 

[FistyTheBadger]

The mass media unjustly vilified Bristol Palin on account of her youth when it was her mother that deserved it, for so many other things.

Of course, the right-wingers who protested this had no problem vilifying Jamie Lynn Spears, so they have no consistent objection to anti-youth bias in the media. Case in point: Bill O'Reilly.

I see you watched Jon Stewart.

 

[GHook93]

I'm afraid Sawwah is the one who won't go away. If she did, people would stop talking about her.

That said, I couldn't really give a toss about her daughter. I feel sorry for her because it was her MOTHER who used her to sell herself to the "pro-America" right wing christian sorts.

you betcha.

WRONG! The left wants to keep her around, because they are praying she will run in 2012, because there is so much dirt on her, she is such an easy target and her stupidity runs so deep it that the D's would kill her! Honestly I think the media and the comedies what to keep her around and hope she runs in 2012, if nothing more to have matter and help the ratings!

 

[Agnapostate]

Ah, attacking Sarah, that's a different story. I agree the stigma against teen pregnancy is misguided. I believe the problem was Sarah's viewpoint...sex before marriage is bad. So it was a bit of an issue when her viewpoint turned out to be so far off-base that her daughter turned up pregnant. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if they had been upfront about her pregnancy from the beginning instead of shrouding it in shame...keeping it a secret and then pulling Bristol out of school when the news got out. If people quit acting like having a baby is somehow shameful this wouldn't be an issue.

But again, is there really any evidence that she shares her mother's views? The treatment that you described essentially treats her as an object or toy of her mother that is a reflection of her mother's beliefs, not an independent person with beliefs and thoughts of her own.

I see you watched Jon Stewart.

No, I didn't. O'Lielly's double standard was covered by others.

 

[xsited1]

T minus 4 days. Wonder if we'll hear anything about it or hope it just quietly disappears from the media in lieu of Bogoyavitch, the transition, the auto bailout, etc. That is if Bristol was pregnant during the campaign at all, or if it was made up to make the idea of her being pregnant with Trigg impossible. Only time will tell....

I can think of a couple people who care and you're one of them. Could you please inform the rest of us when you have the latest verifiable information? Thank you for taking the lead on this.

 

[Ravi]

But again, is there really any evidence that she shares her mother's views? The treatment that you described essentially treats her as an object or toy of her mother that is a reflection of her mother's beliefs, not an independent person with beliefs and thoughts of her own.

Perhaps. But that is how her mother presented her. As far as I know Bristol herself has never offered an opinion.

 

[Agnapostate]

Perhaps. But that is how her mother presented her. As far as I know Bristol herself has never offered an opinion.

And I still stand by my contention that the media never considered the fact that she may have the capacity to, but regarded her as an appendage of her mother, and a shameful appendage, at that. I won't say that the media openly attacked her, but there are certain perspectives and subtle biases that the media is intent on sliding through.

Have you read Manufacturing Consent?

 

[jillian]

WRONG! The left wants to keep her around, because they are praying she will run in 2012, because there is so much dirt on her, she is such an easy target and her stupidity runs so deep it that the D's would kill her! Honestly I think the media and the comedies what to keep her around and hope she runs in 2012, if nothing more to have matter and help the ratings!

Really? How many interview shows has Palin been on since the election? That was by HER choice. She could have said no.

But she is an easy target.. .and her stupidity does run deep. But ultimately, it's "the base" that loves her.

 

[Ravi]

And I still stand by my contention that the media never considered the fact that she may have the capacity to, but regarded her as an appendage of her mother, and a shameful appendage, at that. I won't say that the media openly attacked her, but there are certain perspectives and subtle biases that the media is intent on sliding through.

Have you read Manufacturing Consent?

Um, like the current laws or not, she's a minor and as such would be off-limits to questions from the press.

 

[Agnapostate]

Um, like the current laws or not, she's a minor and as such would be off-limits to questions from the press.

Current laws? There are no laws that I am aware of that prevent the press from speaking to a minor in such an instance.

And for the record, she isn't a minor at this point. She hasn't been a minor since October.

 

[Ravi]

Current laws? There are no laws that I am aware of that prevent the press from speaking to a minor in such an instance.

And for the record, she isn't a minor at this point. She hasn't been a minor since October.

Okay, that's probably true. But normally the press doesn't interview minors. If she's been 18 since October then I would imagine it is her choice to stay out of view.

 

[Agnapostate]

Okay, that's probably true. But normally the press doesn't interview minors. If she's been 18 since October then I would imagine it is her choice to stay out of view.

Then that's precisely my contention. That "normal practice" treats her as a non-thinking appendage of her mother's. The same is true for so many teen parents. And contrary to the common claim that the media "encourages" teenage pregnancy, the arm of the media intended to disseminate information and issue commentary has never promoted teen pregnancy; they have always harshly condemned it. The "entertainment" component of the media has done the same, though to a lesser degree and with more subtlety.

 

[Ravi]

Then that's precisely my contention. That "normal practice" treats her as a non-thinking appendage of her mother's. The same is true for so many teen parents. And contrary to the common claim that the media "encourages" teenage pregnancy, the arm of the media intended to disseminate information and issue commentary has never promoted teen pregnancy; they have always harshly condemned it. The "entertainment" component of the media has done the same, though to a lesser degree and with more subtlety.

I can't really disagree with this except to say not interviewing her is not the same as attacking her.

 

[DavidS]

I can think of a couple people who care and you're one of them. Could you please inform the rest of us when you have the latest verifiable information? Thank you for taking the lead on this.

Name one 17-year old girl who doesn't show PLUS a mother who is about to become a grandmother for the first time is flying all around the lower 48 instead of staying put in Wasilla with her daughter. Any parent wouldn't even leave the zip code when their daughter has their first baby, especially when it's been covered so massively like this.

Bristol Palin isn't pregnant. She hasn't been pregnant for a long time. The last time she was pregnant, she had Trigg.

 

[Sunni Man]

DavidS why would any normal person care about all of this?

Sorry, I think I just answered my own question when I included the word "normal".

 

[strollingbones]

there is no low that's too low for a liberal to go!

and yet conservatives still have to look up to see them

 

[DiveCon]

and yet conservatives still have to look up to see them

like hell

 

[Silence]

Name one 17-year old girl who doesn't show PLUS a mother who is about to become a grandmother for the first time is flying all around the lower 48 instead of staying put in Wasilla with her daughter. Any parent wouldn't even leave the zip code when their daughter has their first baby, especially when it's been covered so massively like this.

Bristol Palin isn't pregnant. She hasn't been pregnant for a long time. The last time she was pregnant, she had Trigg.

 

[Agnapostate]

I can't really disagree with this except to say not interviewing her is not the same as attacking her.

I'm not sure we can agree on the definition of bias, because I'm assuming that the lack of an inclination to interview her indicates a lack of a belief that she is an independent entity capable of forming her own thoughts and feelings on this matter. They certainly didn't promote that image.

 

[DavidS]

DavidS why would any normal person care about all of this?

Sorry, I think I just answered my own question when I included the word "normal".

Normalcy doesn't exist. It's just a median between extremes.