Lupo Fiasco Giving birth to a cult of motherhood

Author: Kate Lupo

A cult of motherhood is emerging in American culture today. Even in our own sleepy town of Middlebury, the chic store Rainbow Room on Main Street features three shirts in its storefront window that read "Mother of 1, 2, 3." Instead of reading the traditional news, young women are reading articles in teen magazines about "Brangelina's Baby Bump" or "Christina Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss Regimen." It makes me wonder: is the media reflecting a rise in pregnancies within the American population or is it actually perpetuating them?

Perhaps this trend began with Jamie Lynn Spears. Spears brought the topic of teen pregnancy into the national spotlight. Just when we thought that Britney's family drama had reached it lowest point, her angelic 16-year-old sister became pregnant. Jamie Lynn's pregnancy sparked a veritable storm of media attention, bringing teen motherhood to the forefront of the American psyche.

Over time, the media seemed to create two ways of looking at Jamie Lynn's story: either it marked the tragic end of a young actress' career and promising youth, or it represented a noble portrayal of a brave young woman poised for motherhood. At first, they dwelled on the dysfunctional Spears family and the tragedy of their daughter's pregnancy, but over time stories began to circulate that painted the situation in a positive light. Sensing the public's insatiable curiosity, magazines began to give us joyous accounts of what types of clothing Jamie Lynn was buying for her baby and who would attend her baby shower. Jamie Lynn's pregnancy made her more famous than she had ever been before.

In the past year in a half, we have also paid money to see Juno and Knocked Up in theaters. Jamie Lynn's story combined with these portrayals of young, unwed mothers have de-mystified and glamorized a topic that used to be one of uncomfortable shame.

Ever since, American popular culture has been infatuated with the idea of the pregnant mother, both the teenager and adult. One cannot enter a gas station, supermarket or convenience store without being bombarded by racks of magazines which seem to always feature pregnant celebrities gently holding their growing stomachs and smiling cheerfully.

The trend has run rampant in Hollywood where celebrities like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie orchestrated an amazing publicity stunt with the birth of their twin babies. Angelina Jolie was paid a higher amount for giving birth (People Magazine allegedly paid $14 million) than she usually gets for making a movie (average salary: $10 million). The day the photographs of the Jolie-Pitt twins were revealed, there was an absolute frenzy. The attention demonstrates just how obsessed the American public has become with the cult of motherhood.

Pregnancy has also workd its way into politics this year, especially in the everlasting debate on abortion. One could also argue that the political climate in the past eight years has encouraged the idea that bearing a child, even if you are unwed and unable to support it, is a noble and just thing. I find it really interesting that Sarah Palin, John McCain's running mate and mother of five, expressed her views against abortion just days before announcing that her own teenage daughter, Bristol, is expecting a child. Bristol Palin's story adds to our theme. Within the past year and a half, the pregnant teenage mother has emerged as a heroine.

So what does this mean for American women? I think it means that we need better role models and less attention paid towards the recent glorification of teenage pregnancy. Thankfully, there are now some very powerful female politicians in the national spotlight that demonstrate the idea that a woman can have a successful career as well as a family. While this is a good start, let us hope that even more female professionals will emerge and inspire the younger generation to achieve their goals and plan ahead for the future. Planning ahead also means practicing safe sex. In the end, I think we can all agree that motherhood should not and must not be the only option for young women in this country.