New Adoption Storyline Planned on MTV's True Life Series
Do you remember Fox's reality show, Who's Your Daddy?. I believe it came from the pit of all that is unholy. Who's Your Daddy? premiered in January 2005, and featured an adoptee and 8 potential “dads.” The adoptee had to figure out which of the 8 men was her birth father. Well, MTV is highlighting a new subject as part of their True Life drama series, I'm Placing my Baby for Adoption!. YIKES.
I'm Placing my Baby for Adoption! is not supposed to be a reality show and will not have a narrator or host. It's supposed to be told through the eyes of 3 or 4 expectant mothers as they explore adoption. The National Council For Adoption is a supporter of the show. The producers of MTV's successful True Life drama hopes that the show will "de-stigmatize" adoption and allow viewers a chance to see the emotions that a birth mother experiences as she chooses adoption. The NCFA feel that these goals coincide with their new iChooseAdoption campaign which is supposed to:
“create a more pro-adoption culture in which everyone, including women facing unplanned pregnancies, can consider adoption freely without fear, bias, or misunderstanding” and to “promote a culture that respects and appreciates birthmothers, honors their decision-making process, and supports their choice of adoption.”
OK, I know it's not supposed to be a reality show and it's supposed to be all "ethical" and such, but I'm still having a problem with this concept. Someone explain how this is not going to place pressure on these young women to place their children for adoption and not choose parenting? What boundaries are placed on the show? Will they be in the room during delivery? While she spends her last moments with her child? While she signs the papers? I'm thinking, "yes." Because that probably makes good TV. What about birthfathers? Where are they in this decision process? (This point brought up in the ChildLaw blog by James. R. Marsh.)
I love good TV. I love reality TV. I love documentaries. But, I'm not loving this idea. What do you think? Is this part of real life no one's business or should this part of the adoption story be told? How could this bit of reality impact adoption?
SOURCES
- National Council for Adoption - Web site
- ChildLaw - James R. Marsh blog
Comments
In theory, this is a great idea, and needs to be addressed. There are all too many babies literally (and figurativly) being thrown away in dumpsters, garbage cans, hospitals, etc.
My concern is how MTV is going to present this. Are the birth parents going to be presented as crackheads and trailor trash?Maybe rich bitch girls whose parents are sweeping the baby under the rug (OMG, what will the neighbors say)? Or, are they going to be presented in a more positive light, people whose birth control failed, or the young mother whose husband died tragically, and doesn’t have the resources or the courage to raise the child on her own?
How are the adoptive parents going to be present? Look at how wonderful I am by adopt-ing this poor helpless orphan, or I can’t conceive and I’m entitled to be happy raising a child. Or will they be presented as people who are truly concerned and want to make a positive difference in the child’s and birth parents lives?
One thing I didn’t mention before, this would probably be presented better by the Hallmark or the Lifetime Networks. I imagine they would be more tactful and tasteful than MTV. Time will tell, though.
OK, having lived through the adoptive parent side and faced 2 failed “open” adoptions and then successfully adopting my son in a closed adoption, I can’t imagine either side wanting to go through this on camera. It is very traumatic for both sides. No matter what the decision of the birth mother, it is traumatic for all involved. I was not angry with the birthmoms who backed out and took children away from me, but I can’t even imagine the devistation of going through this and then having it watched on cable television. There is already a show called “adotion stories” that covers the documentary type stories. A reality show? Yikes! The tv execs need a reality check! (My son will be 8 years old in 1 month & I remember the events like it happened this morning!)