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Opinion: Hey Parents, Teen Pregnancy is Not the Fault of Forever 21
Filed under: Fashion, Opinions
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the parent ranting at the mall? Credit: Getty Images
I cannot believe we are actually having a discussion over whether or not Forever 21 is targeting its new maternity line at states with the highest teen pregnancy rates.
Of course they are!
Has our nation become so narrow-minded that we believe this maternity line, no matter how cool it may look or how targeted it may be, will influence teens to get pregnant?
Forever 21 is specifically marketing this maternity clothing to where it will sell well. This is just a natural progression of the supply-and-demand model in business. Any first-year business student understands this. Heck, even my 12-year-old nephew understands this.
We've become a nation of finger-pointers. Who are we going to eviscerate next? Wal-Mart? JC Penney? Target? Or any other clothing store just because it happens to have its maternity clothing lines in those states as well?
Here's a little jewel of truth. Forever 21 did not make the teens get pregnant nor could they influence such a thing. They are just doing business as usual.
Perhaps we should point our disgust, our disdain, our self righteousness in the right direction. The mirror. These kids are having babies because parents are not watching or are oblivious to what is happening. It's the grown-ups who've abdicated their roles as role models, and way too many have stopped trying. More and more, parents are placing the blame somewhere else. We coddle our kids and protect them from everything except from themselves. When it comes to these uncomfortable topics and tough decisions, the line must be drawn between being a parent and being a friend. We are failing miserably when we pick the role of a friend.
So the next time we decide to expound our utter disgust for a business doing what it does naturally -- make money --we should really take a look at ourselves and see if we have somehow dropped the ball. After all, it's just clothing we are talking about here. The more important fabric is the one between a parent and child.
Related: Forever 21 Launches Maternity Line
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
7-14-2010 @ 8:33PM
Sifrina said...While I'm not disagreeing w/what you are saying (parents are abandoning their teenage kids when they need them the most!), I find it absolutely HILARIOUS that the fanatical religious owners of Forever21 (google them if you want to see what the Changs are all about) are selling teen maternity clothing! I haven't been in the store in ages because I'm opposed to the owners' labor practices and unabashed proselytizing. I guess all that scripture on the shopping bags and prayer aren't keeing the sexily clad teen girls from getting knocked up (wouldn't it be nice if that were the answer?). Just another hypocritical, money grubbing religous person who is doing what benefits them most - making tons of money off of "teenage sin" while proselytizing us all to be religious fanatics like they are. No thanks - plenty of other (more decent) places to shop.
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7-15-2010 @ 4:08AM
vyctoria perez said...its people like this who really ticks me off..its not just the parents fault teens are gettin pregnant.im 17 yrs old and im not pregnant.these teens know what can happen when they have sex as a parent you should educate them on safe sex because that whole save yourself till marriage doesnt help.who are you to put your nose in the air and judge people. and the owners of forever 21 maybe religious but they know that its not ok to judge people and producing a maternity line is a way for business and i know not just teens use that store.what is walmart kmart or target promoting teen pregnancy? i think not. and if you have teenagers you never know what they're doin.so educate them in all manners because threating them with grounding isnt always going to work.my name is vyctoria perez you can look that up on myspace or facebook if you have a problem with i had to say.good day
12-18-2010 @ 1:06PM
Rachel said...what make you think only teenagers shop at forever 21? It is, after all, called forever TWENTY ONE. The store is geared towards older teens and young adults.
7-15-2010 @ 6:08AM
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7-15-2010 @ 11:48AM
Sifrina said...Vyctoria - I know my post sounds harsh and judgmental but it's directed at the hypocritical owners of Forever 21 for being so sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, and then really just looking for a profit off of things they don't approve of (I see this as a conflict of interest). I do believe parents should talk to their teens and be there more. I see way too many whose parents ignore things they shouldn't and don't want to have the supportive conversations they need to with their teens. Yes, some teens do end up pregnant because of this parental neglect. It's sad.
If you knew me you'd know I really don't judge the way you think I do. I am a mom and I definitely, definitely plan to talk to my son (he's 8) about birth control just like my mom did with me - she vehemently disapproved of pre marital sex (in which I engaged) but was realistic and supportive - and very focused on safe sex. She refused to stick her head in the sand and I ended up not losing my virginity until 21 (but I always knew I had her support so I credit her in large part for my waiting and being responsible).
My main point was that I won't shop at Forever21 (I fit in their clothes and actually like some items that aren't slutty) but I won't because they preach one thing (even if I don't want to receive scripture on my shopping bag) and profit off of things they preach against. I know that just because a teen dresses inappropriately doesn't mean she'll end up pregnant, but as a mom, I'm very frustrated with mixed messages that kids get (especially minor girls). Forever21 is contributing to that and I won't support this. Hope this helps you understand where I'm coming from.
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7-15-2010 @ 6:56PM
rahel said...Let me tell you. No matter how much you teach your children one mistake and they are teen parents, Don't think it wont happen to you.
All it take is a natural course teen are fertile and they will have sex protected or unprotected. Some will have an abortion without their parents knowledge some won't for religious purpose. I' must say it did surprise me but I think JUNO did do a disservice for young women in this country.
Don't judge so quickly. It is not as bad as you think is. Whatever the decision a teen makes will have to live with that.
It is a different course in life's path. As hard as it may be, it is what it is
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12-18-2010 @ 3:08PM
Sifrina said...Rachel, Who said only teenagers shop there? I said above I used to shop there and still could (in my 40s) if I wanted to. But you can see in the store that the predominant customer is the high school set (sadly, that's who is spending most of the time at malls these days).
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