Unplanned Pregnancies And Celebrities

I continue to be amazed by the number of unplanned pregnancies in the world. Assuming everyone knows how a baby is created, how can one be unplanned? I’m not talking about the pregnancies where birth control failed or about medical anomalies. I am addressing the pregnancies that are “Oops!”--the ones that occur through sheer stupidity, carelessness, or indifference.

I was watching Ellen DeGeneres’ Mother’s Day show where she had a high profile pregnant celebrity on. Ellen asked her if she was shocked when she found out she was pregnant. Paraphrasing, the celebrity replied yes. Clarifying, this celebrity went on to say she believed that even when the pregnancy is planned every mother-to-be is shocked. From the answer she gave, I was 90% sure her pregnancy was an accident. It even seemed as if she was justifying her unplanned pregnancy. On top of all of this, she is not married and doesn’t seem to have any plans to do so.

Young ladies who are celebrities are role models to young girls, whether they like it or not, want it or not, or acknowledge it or not. That is part of the territory with fame. What message are they sending to these young girls and society? Do they even care? Are they too caught up in what is trendy (pregnancies, planned or not, without being married) to care? Are they living up to their personal moral values?

Moreover, an unplanned pregnancy for celebrities has completely different ramifications that the average girl in high school. Most have the financial resources to take care of their baby. They can hire a nanny and continue to work. They have a roof over their head and the bills paid. They never have to worry about having the money to buy food and necessities. Furthermore, the father of the baby also has means to support the child and wants to be in the child’s life. Is this true for the majority of teen pregnancies in the United States? No. Most young girls who find themselves in this predicament will struggle every day with their baby. They will struggle emotionally (a baby is no walk in the park and some will not have support), financially (where will the money come from?), and spiritually (what does God think?). A lot of girls may even question their love for this little being who has caused so much chaos in their lives (even though the baby did not ask to be a part of this world).

The sad fact of the matter is that a lot of these girls who look up to celebrities will end up on welfare, being taken care of by the state and federal government (i.e. the rest of us taxpayers). They may not finish school and all of their dreams for their future shall vanish. Their futures will dim when they realize being a parent is not at all like what they see on TV.

This article however is not about any particular celebrity. It’s about what is acceptable in society today. Wasn’t it not long ago that pregnancy out of wedlock was considered taboo? Now, it seems they are embraced and celebrated. Was it so long ago that you got married first and then had a baby? When did it become have a baby first and then maybe get married if it is convenient?

Instead of fighting for who gets the first pictures of these babies, maybe someone should ask the parents how they feel about the precedent they are setting. Maybe someone should ask them if their parents ever talked to them about unprotected sex when they were kids. Maybe someone should ask them what they would do if they were a poor, teenage girl who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant and how they would feel. What advice would they give these girls?

What it comes down to is we as society have accepted these changes in our culture and nothing will change until we do. Only when we put the focus back on where the priorities should be (family values, marriage, morals, and covenants) will anything change.

Then again, maybe we don’t want it to change. Maybe society prefers no boundaries or beliefs. I can only pray this is not the case. Nothing is more beautiful or sacred as bringing a baby into this world the way God designed it—in a loving, nurturing environment with two parents in a covenant marriage who will devote their lives to these precious beings. It is one of the most profound experiences a couple will have in this fleeting world of ours that is so full of emptiness, dissatisfaction, and material desires.

It is my hope that more and more people will do the right thing, not the ‘convenient’ or ‘feel-good at the time’ thing. It is my prayer that more responsibility will be taken by people for their mistakes and do the best they can with the situation at hand. It is also my desire that those who are role models will at least talk about their beliefs and mistakes for what they are so others (particularly impressionable young fans) can learn from them and not just emulate them. I would love to hear a celebrity say, “I had unprotected sex, I got pregnant, and that was dumb. I am dealing with this situation the best I can and am now embracing this baby. I could have made different choices and I hope you will in your lives.”