We all know GLEE for its countless musical numbers and quirky characters, but it actually brings some serious social issues to light. In case you aren’t a GLEEK, here’s what you missed…. In the first season of the show head Cheerio and president of the celibacy club, Quinn Fabray, finds her whole life crashing down around her when she discovers she is pregnant at 16 years old.
Quinn is at the top of the popularity food chain and quite the stereotypical “queen bee” being the captain of the cheerleading squad and dating the quarterback at William McKinley High School. When news of her pregnancy gets out, however, she is kicked off the squad and treated as a social outcast with slushies in the face to prove it. The only support group she has is with her fellow members of the GLEE club, but the drop all the way to the bottom of the social ladder is a tragedy in Quinn’s mind and we see her struggle with this throughout her pregnancy.
Quinn’s boyfriend, Finn, is told that he is the father of the baby (even though they never had sex, Quinn convinces him that the conception occurred after a precarious hot tub incident) and Quinn pressures him into getting a job so they can afford the medical expenses. The stresses of a reality they are not yet ready to face take a toll on their relationship and that’s when Shue’s (the GLEE coach) mentally deranged wife offers to adopt Quinn’s baby and pay for the expenses. (BACKSTORY: Terri Schuester suffered from a hysterical pregnancy and once she learned she wasn’t pregnant she continued to pretend she was out of fear of losing her husband. When she realized Quinn was pregnant she did the math and decided to adopt Quinn’s baby and pretend it was hers all along… drama, drama, drama!).
Quinn comes from a Christian, conservative family and when they found out she was pregnant her father kicked her out. Finn and his mother take Quinn in, but after he finds out that his best friend is really the father of the baby Quinn is out again and moves in with Puck (the baby daddy). She reconsiders the adoption and gives Puck a chance to prove he can handle being a father, but she is let down by his immature behavior. Quinn ends up moving again, this time to be with her new friend, Mercedes, a fellow GLEE mate. The big day of Regionals comes for GLEE and Quinn’s mother shows up and invites Quinn to move back in, informing her she left her father after learning of his “extracurricular activities.” Quinn went into labor the same day and ended up giving her baby up to the coach of the rival team, Vocal Adrenaline. And that’s what you missed!
Things to Ponder:
1. After reading about the lack of effectiveness in abstinence only education and seeing the irony in Quinn’s involvement in the celibacy club, do you feel that abstinence only education is worth trying at all? Finn was also a member of the celibacy club (along with most of the cheerleading squad and football team… many of which we know for sure are not practicing abstinence) but somehow he thought it was possible that he impregnated Quinn despite the fact that they never had sex. How much sex education do you think they have had from parents or school?
2. Looking at both Quinn’s family situation and Kailyn’s from 16 and Pregnant, how important do you think a supportive family situation is?
3. Had Terri Schuester, despite her craziness, not stepped in do you think Quinn would have gotten any prenatal care at all?
4. Quinn did realize her incapacity to raise a child at this point in her life, but in 16 and pregnant we saw Kailyn say she could never consider adoption. Many young women have this same viewpoint. Do you think this is a selfish decision? Do they feel this way because they think the guilt would be too much to handle? Is it different for teen parents who were adopted themselves; do they want to give their child the biological parents they missed out on?
-Alyssa K.
-Alyssa K.
1. Although it is true that abstinence-only education is not very effective, we also have to realize it isn’t a lot less-effective than its comprehensive counterpart. Studies suggest that neither option is as effective as we would hope. I am personally a strong believer that a comprehensive program works best when taught from both health and moral standpoints. I also feel that for any school program to have a chance, what adolescents are learning outside the classroom must go hand in hand. For example, my high school had a very good science based comprehensive sexual education program that all freshmen were required to participate in. Throughout my four years I knew two girls that got pregnant. Both girls had similar backgrounds: working class family, very young and separated parents who had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and both girls had several siblings from different parents. Although their pregnancies could be due to a lot of different factors, I feel as though if they would have had examples set for them that enforced the lessons learned in the school’s sex-ed program they may have not got pregnant. Having said that, my guess as to if the Glee characters had adequate education both at home and school would have to be no, even though I realize factors like accessibility, cost, and personal beliefs could have played a part in her getting pregnant.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that a supportive family is crucial to ANY new parent. Regardless if the new mommy and daddy are 14 or 40, experienced helping hands are always important. In Kailyn’s case, Joe’s parents offered both emotional and financial support. Without them, she would have struggled to care for her baby Isaac due to Joe’s lack of commitment and support. His parents also helped both parents deal with the stress of a newborn baby by reminding them to be kind to each other and take turns with Isaac.
3. According to statistics, young mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care. The adult stepping in was probably a large part of why the mother got care.
4. I do not think teens choosing to keep their babies is a selfish decision. I think you have to consider your own circumstances and abilities and compare that to the life the child would have if adopted. In some cases, the teen could provide for the baby as much as an adoptive family could. I do believe that not even considering adoption is not smart, and it should always be considered. As far as mothers who were adopted themselves go, if they had a positive experience they would be more prone to choose adoption than if they had a negative experience.
-Cheyane Frizzell
1. I think sex education rather than just abstinence only education is better for people to learn. Teenagers are most likely going to have sex regardless but it is important for them to know about the precautions they can take before they have sex, such as the numerous contraceptives they are in the world. I also think it is vital for teenagers to know about the consequences they may face if they don't have safe sex. Like getting an STD or becoming pregnant.
ReplyDelete2. A supportive family is crucial. They have no idea what they are doing and I'm sure many of them are scared out their minds, so a supportive cast that can help them through their situation is tremendous.
3. I think Quinn would have received prenatal care, otherwise she would have felt guilty if she didn't
4. I don't think it is a selfish decision to keep your baby. A teenage mom has to decide what's best for her AND her baby. If they believe they can handle raising a baby than I think they should. I think the majority of mothers don't give up their babies for adoption because they would feel some guilt towards doing so
-Chris M.
1. Abstinence only programs are not the best solution to combat teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Comprehensive sexual education programs are more effective in that teens learn all ways to prevent stds and pregnancy. In my high school, every student was required to take a sexual education course aka "health" for one semester of freshman year. The only people excluded from this were the students in the gifted program, who I knew were having sexual contact. Students were required to retake this program if they did not pass. However the way the program was taught was not what I would call effective. We had our first pregnancy in seventh grade. The next pregnancy happened in ninth grade. The girls partner had already taken the health course. In my opinion, this health course wasn't effective. Not because of the pregnancies but because of the lack of real education. Maybe it was the instuctor's religion played a part in the education, but a full range of pregnancy prevention was not really discussed. It was somewhat talked about but otherwise left to the student to know about. Now there are at least fifteen girls in my high school who are pregnant. However this also shows a need for sex education from parents as well. I would say the GLEE characters did not have sex education at home. Quinn's parents were very religious and believed she would remain a virgin until marriage. She was even going to a purity ball in which a girl pledges her virginity to her future husband.
ReplyDelete2. A supportive family is extremely important. Quinn was kicked out of her home the minute her parents learned about her pregnancy. All she had to rely on was Finn and the Glee club. Kailyn got some parental/familial support but not really from her own mother. However Kailyn is doing well with the support of Joe's family.
3. I do not believe Quinn would have gotten care. She told Finn to get money however he didn't have a job and she didn't either. Neither person could support themself, let alone another person.
4. I don't keeping the baby is a selfish decision. They just don't want any questions for the child later on in life. I don't think it's guilt but them knowing they can provide for a baby. I don't think a teen parent being adopted plays a part in thier decision to parent. I would imagine their adoptive parents would be more supportive of any decision they made.
Sloane H.
1. I believe that abstinence only education can lead to teens becoming more curious about sex. In my opinion, teens often are rebellious and to repeat earlier, curious about things they don’t know about. I agree with the fact that abstinence is the only positive way to prevent things like pregnancy, STD’s, and STI’s. The fact that Finn believed he impregnated Quinn because of an incidence where Finn and Quinn made out in a hot tub shows that he has very little knowledge of this topic. I believe it is very important for parents and teachers to teach their children at a reasonable age the risks of sex but also that if they choose to have sex how to be safe. I remember in 5th grade learning what sex was, having thought before that it was making out laying down. After learning about sex I was inclined to ask my parents more about it and learned from an early age the risks of sex. In high school there was very little sex education from teachers, leading me to ask friends and get answers that ended up not being true. So, in conclusion I believe it is very important for teachers and parents to preach to teens about not only abstinence but also the decision to have sex and the importance of contraception.
ReplyDelete2.I believe that family support is very important, especially to someone as young as Quinn. Even though religion plays a huge part in Quinn’s family, kicking her out because she was pregnant put her in a worse situation. Kailyn from 16 and pregnant was forced to move in with her boyfriend and his parents, putting more stress on her and causing her to feel detached from her family. I believe no matter what the situation, parents should support their children and help them make a decision that is right for their child.
3.If Terri had not stepped in, I believe Quinn would not have gotten prenatal care. If you have little to no knowledge on pregnancy then prenatal care is not something you would just assume is important, especially in teens.
4.I believe it is only a selfish decision if you believe that you wouldn’t be able to give the child the best life it could have or if you are unable to support the child. I believe the elimination of adoption is partially guilt and also just the thought of their child being raised by another family and never knowing them like they would have if they had decided to keep the baby. I believe being adopted and making the decision to either give your baby up for adoption or keeping it has a lot to do with how they were treated by the family that they were adopted into. Some kids who are adopted grow up happily and live their lives never knowing or searching for their biological parents where others make it a mission at some point in their life to meet their biological parents. So depending on the case, it could have a huge impact on the teen’s decision.