TV Review: 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager'
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Like (LAST NIGHT'S PREMIERE of the teen pregnancy drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (ABC Family) was preceded by a parental advisory message, and immediately followed by a public service announcement encouraging parents to talk to their teens about sex.
Please do have that discussion. But don't even think about attempting it immediately following this program, because by that point both parents and teens alike can expect to be sick of the topic.
Series creator Brenda Hampton told Reuters, "I don't have anything to say about the issue of teen pregnancy. I'm just telling a story about a girl who happens to get pregnant."
Meanwhile, her characters have not yet been afforded the opportunity to express their opinions on the subject, since so far heroine Amy has only confided in her best friends and her pediatrician. But based on the didactic discussions of teen sexuality in the premiere, I'm speculating that both the students of Grant High and their stunt-cast parents are going to have slightly stronger feelings than Brenda Hampton purports to possess about teen pregnancy.
Furthermore, I'm betting they will be discussing said feelings loudly and in surprisingly public settings.
The pregnancy plot is introduced before the opening credits, as 15-year-old Amy Juergens (Shailene Woodley, above) arrives home for dinner after marching band practice. As oblivious mom Anne (Molly Ringwald, left) blathers about her daughter saving time for fun this year, Amy goes into her room and takes a pregnancy test out of her French horn case. The microwave timer counts down the seconds to hot, delicious pot roast, but in reality these are the waning moments of poor Amy's carefree girlish existence — and no slow-cooked meat, no matter how savory, can entirely compensate for that sad truth.
The characterizations demonstrate a similar lack of subtlety, too. All of the students can be reduced to a previous teen cliche, albeit with well-articulated views on the propriety of teen sex. For example, Grace Bowman (Megan Park) is a cheerleader who favors pink cardigans, pageant hair and youth fellowship activities. She spends lunch discussing her new promise ring and the ethics of oral sex with her devoted but conflicted football-playing boyfriend.
Why is he conflicted? Well, full-lipped, indeterminately ethnic-looking temptress Adrian (Francia Raisa) has been provocatively biting apples and advocating for free love.
The ABC Family site describes Adrian's other favored hook-up, Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), as both "the school's resident bad boy" and "a free-spirited rebel" and I don't want to add to the already redundant. Ricky admits to his therapist (Ernie Hudson, now busting skeletons in closets) that his compulsive womanizing stems from serious daddy issues.
While listening to characters deliver speeches such as "I'm a Christian, and I'm a man. I just don't know how to do both" would seem to strain credulity enough, Hampton (also the creator of family drama "7th Heaven") throws in a number of additional bizarre, implausible details, possibly in attempt at injecting levity: a guidance counselor becomes a wingman for a student; the post-game dance features make-your-own chili burgers, and said dance does not descend into a food fight; the cheerleader is anxious to include her brother with Down syndrome on her dates.
The show's one legitimately honest gesture was casting what appear to be actual teenagers. When Brenda and Dylan had a teen pregnancy scare on "Beverly Hills 90210," the impact was somewhat blunted by the fact that both actors were visibly mature enough to deal with the crisis. Shailene Woodley's age alone conveys her vulnerability, even if the actress is given little more to do than look pensive and repeatedly gaze at herself in the mirror. In marked contrast, Megan Park plays the God-fearing cheerleader as broad parody.
But at least the female characters are distinguishable. Bad boy Ricky and neurotic Ben (Kenny Baumann) are played by actors so similar looking that poor Ben is constantly being clad in nerd-signifying wardrobe, including two cardigans, layered one atop the other.
Fans of the similarly themed "Juno" should keep in mind Amy's description of her deflowering to her girlfriends, "It wasn't fun; definitely not like you see in the movies." Unlike Amy's painful initiation, the premiere of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" lasted a lot longer than two seconds.
Written by Express contributor Meg Zamula
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Forget all these stupid reviews. I am in love with the show. I cannot wait until next week. Watch it and see for yourself
By dES , Posted July 2, 2008 1:36 PMi agree. the show was awesome
By ESA , Posted July 2, 2008 4:39 PMduude this show is BOMBB
By merc , Posted July 2, 2008 9:21 PMhahahahahaha "busting skeletons in closets"
...even better when read.
By sean , Posted July 2, 2008 10:23 PMThis review is so good, I want to watch the show - maybe while enjoying some savory, slow cooked meat...
By jared , Posted July 3, 2008 6:22 PMwas one of amy's friends in the show still standing? and the show is prettttty awesome! and i cant wait for next mondays show!
By melanie , Posted July 4, 2008 12:41 PMi luv the secret life of the american teenager! its the best show EVER! i wud luv to be in the show it wud be sooo much fun! keep it up!!! :)
By Kelsey , Posted July 4, 2008 2:47 PMomg omg omg!!
By Juliana , Posted July 6, 2008 2:29 PMthat show was AWESOME!!
i wish it played like twice a week!!
im so anxious for the second episode!! ahhhh!!!!
i love this show! i wish it was on more than once a week!!! i love it so much!! i think its a good show to show teenagers what could happen if they got pregnant and all the effects it takes on them and i think ABC did a good job with the show, so far!! cant wait till next week
By hannah , Posted July 6, 2008 7:41 PMi wish there was a new episode every night of the week. by far the best show ever made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By rissi , Posted July 9, 2008 4:27 PMi wish i could met the cast there alsome
By skylar bragg , Posted July 9, 2008 7:05 PMAre they going to show encore preformances? Our power went out and we missed the second show.
By Alice Havens , Posted July 10, 2008 9:18 AMLove it. (Me and my 16 year old daughter)
This show is amazing really shows everyone what teenagers have to go through and how slutty girls can be and guys how untrustworthy
By Amber , Posted July 15, 2008 9:14 PMThis show is amazing really shows everyone what teenagers have to go through and how slutty girls can be and guys how untrustworthy
By Amber , Posted July 15, 2008 9:14 PMThis show is awesome i cant wait for for the third episode!!!!!
By allison , Posted July 17, 2008 1:40 AMOMG i love this show! its like the best shoe eva!!
By Courtney , Posted July 18, 2008 5:38 PMi cant wait till next weeks!
OMG this is the best show on tv! i record every show and rewatch it over and over! i love guessing what will happen next show and cant wait to see!!!
By ellen , Posted July 21, 2008 9:04 PMBIGGEST SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER FAN EVER!!!!
this is my FAVORITE show! i LOVE it! the 4th episode comes on tonight... I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay! im soooooooooooo excited! i havnt missed one episode yet and i dont plan on it! me and my friends watch it every tuesday! its FANTASTICAL! haha! if u dont like this show then ur insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By madison , Posted July 22, 2008 6:36 PMi love this show so much
By alyssa , Posted July 22, 2008 9:04 PMokay all these reviews that are slamming this show are wrong they were written by stuck up critics anyways. i absolutely love this show and cannot get enough of it
By cassie , Posted July 22, 2008 10:23 PMAMY IS THE HOTTEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By amy lover , Posted July 23, 2008 3:49 PMI love the show. I only wish I didnt have to work on tues now. I wish yall would show full epoisodes on the internet.
By Heather , Posted July 23, 2008 5:00 PMi LOVE this show!!!!!!!!!!! i watch it every week and havent missed one yet and dont plan on it!!! i think this is the best show ever!!! me and my whole softball team watch it every week no matter what!!!! we alll love it!1 :)
By <3thesecretlifeoftheamericanteenager , Posted July 26, 2008 3:28 PMI LOVEEEE this new series! It's addicting! Sure.. some of the acting is cheesy, but whatever!
By Jackie Ostlund , Posted July 30, 2008 9:24 AMI LOVEEEE this new series! It's addicting! Sure.. some of the acting is cheesy, but whatever!
By Jackie , Posted July 30, 2008 9:25 AMthe show is really good!!! personally i think that this review makes it sound a bit stupid and makes the girl thats pregnant seem well not a fun person
By vanneh , Posted July 31, 2008 1:26 AMthis show is soooo cool!!!!!!! i alwayz want 2 watch more!!!! but then have 2 wait a week!!!!! sure the acting is incredibly cheezy, but who cares!!!!! this show rox!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By giulia f. , Posted August 4, 2008 12:02 PMi love this new series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my friend, giubie, and i love to watch it every tuesday and the last episode rocked. it was such a cliffhanger so i really wanna watch more and i wish we didnt have to wait a week. anyway i love the secret life of the american teenager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By jamie r. , Posted August 4, 2008 5:00 PMthis show truly is amazing...and i love molly ringwald...which is why i started watching it and now i definatly cant stop! i love ben and amy!!!
By sara , Posted August 5, 2008 4:16 AMThis show is the BOMB! Keep up the great work! I can't wait until next tuesday.....
By Jessica , Posted August 6, 2008 1:10 AMgreat show. some cheesy acting but good overall. ben bugs me but watever. amy is pretty hot!
By dean , Posted August 6, 2008 1:48 AMOMg i love this show!!! i am so addicted i cannot wait until next tuesday. i just saw the seventh episode it rox!!! but u can also learn so much from this show about how bad it is to get pregnant at this age and to never have sex until ur married.
By sam , Posted August 6, 2008 1:23 PMOMg i love this show!!! i am so addicted i cannot wait until next tuesday. i just saw the seventh episode it rox!!! but u can also learn so much from this show about how bad it is to get pregnant at this age and to never have sex until ur married.
By sam , Posted August 6, 2008 1:23 PMi love this show i love tuesdays now cause i get to see a new one. The suspense kills me until the next show every week. THey just keep getting deeper and deeper into the show and better and better too. I LOVE THIS SHOW SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
By me , Posted August 7, 2008 11:25 AMI lovee it's the best everr i neverr miss it!!!!!!
By Roxanne Guerra , Posted August 7, 2008 6:45 PMha ha ha ha ha ha i luv dis show
By haley , Posted August 8, 2008 12:24 PMomg!!
By elizabeth , Posted August 8, 2008 7:40 PMi llove this show i am so hooked to it!
even though ricky is a bad boy i think he is good at heart and he is HOTTTTT!
i actually hope him and amy end up together
I LUV this show so much.I was waiting a while for the action to begin.I can not miss not 1 episode if i do,I will just go crazy!!!!!!!this is the BOMB.This si the best show im watching so far.
By Shanise , Posted August 12, 2008 12:01 PMthis is an amazing, and true show. i am a single teen mom and this portrays everything i have gone through with my daughter and beinf pregnant. this review is WRONG
By molly , Posted August 12, 2008 9:11 PMthis is an amazing, and true show. i am a single teen mom and this portrays everything i have gone through with my daughter and beinf pregnant. this review is WRONG
By molly , Posted August 12, 2008 9:11 PMThis show is by far the coolest. it is like 7th heaven in ways but this show is even better!!! i have been hooked from the start and I cant wait to see what happens week by week. Rock on Secret Life!!!!
By ashcar1991 , Posted August 16, 2008 12:59 AMHey OMFG!!!! SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER IS EFFING AMAZING!!!!!!! I LOVE AMY AND BEN! ITS SO SWEET HOW BEN CARES SO MUCH FOR AMY!!!! I LOVE IT! i wish a boy cared that much about me. even if i got pregnant =]]. KEEP IT UP YOU GUYS!! THE SHOW IS AWESOME!
*Brittnee*
By Brittnee. MC , Posted August 19, 2008 2:15 PM*Britt*
*Britt-Bash*