S04.E01: Kids Having Kids

[Guest]

Air date December 20, 2020

Quote

A pregnant Jenna wants a car for her birthday; Myrka's mom kicked her out for getting pregnant; soon-to-be-grandma Jessica tries to salvage the relationship between teens Reanna and Taron.

 

[jacksgirl]

Oh my gosh! Where do they find these couples? So sad for Mykra. Her mom is evil and looks way old. Jenna getting a car, HA! And Reanna is way too immature, childish and petulant to parent. I smell a huge trainwreck.

[Pepper Mostly]

I'm watching now. Hoo boy. That little princess who wants a "luxury car" is in for a rude awakening.

[RoxiP]

First of all, can we talk about Myrka's mom?  What a huge narcissistic piece of crap that woman is!  She basically just left Myrka to raise her younger son and then she just kicks the girl to the curb when she gets pregnant!  I just can't....just can't!  I wanted to punch her mom in the throat!

That girl wanting a car...I sincerely hope dad holds his ground but I suspect a huge part of her entitled attitude is he never has before.  Of course she came and lived with him in 8th grade - he was the fun parent.  Well honey the fun part of your life is over now because you are about to meet a human being who is more selfish than you and it will come in the form of 8 pounds of baby!  

Reanna is 15 - unfortunately she hasn't realized that you can't get what you want in life through sulking and blocking people.  What is up with her mom trying to push Taron on her - I get that he's the baby daddy and if he wants to be involved he should be, but she shouldn't be trying so hard to get them back together.

I like Tyra.  She is determined to improve her life and not repeat the mistakes she has made in the past and apparently what is her family pattern (do I remember correctly - her younger sister had a baby before she did?).  I wanted to cheer when she said she was definitely avoiding getting pregnant in the foreseeable future.

I can't help myself - I really like this show.

[Chris Knight]

I like this show too but the stupidity of these children is positively mind-boggling. The girl who is so excited about her birthday and the car, OMG - forget your dang birthday and snap out of it ! You have a baby coming ! How are you going to pay for it ?!?! Good lord. Her plan to be a "domestic engineer " is ludicrous. 

I also like Tyra. She seemed a little smarter than the rest of the girls. Her sister and cousin and mom, were all teen moms. This is a constant theme - generational teen pregnancy. Almost all these girls are repeating the cycle.

I cant remember Lilly's 1st boyfriend. Shame that she's not focusing on her education and future.

 

[Treehugger9]

Man, TLC has really outdone itself. Jenna and her boyfriend may be the dumbest people I've ever seen on a reality show. I actually recorded the part where she said that he told her that she can't get pregnant if he(!!) isn't ovulating and sent it to several of my friends who don't watch. They have all now set their dvrs. 

[RoxiP]

His name was James and he wore a stupid stocking cap most of the time (or at least that is how I remember it).  He seemed pretty checked out of the whole relationship/pregnancy thing to me.  Of course I think their definition of dating was probably more like hooking up so a long term commitment was probably not what he was planning on.

That ovulating thing...I had to run it again to make sure what I was hearing...do these parents not talk to their children...well, I guess some do but getting the kids to listen (one set of parents said they had talked to their son about condoms repeatedly but he said they only used them one time...SMH!!!).

 

[AhFillAck]

3 hours ago, Treehugger9 said:

Man, TLC has really outdone itself. Jenna and her boyfriend may be the dumbest people I've ever seen on a reality show. I actually recorded the part where she said that he told her that she can't get pregnant if he(!!) isn't ovulating and sent it to several of my friends who don't watch. They have all now set their dvrs. 

I was thinking the exact same thing!! The absence of functioning brain cells has reached a new level. I gleefully texted my friend about the "obulation" conversation, and let us not forget....

....the blue smoke bomb INSIDE the house. 

[Pepper Mostly]

4 hours ago, Treehugger9 said:

Man, TLC has really outdone itself. Jenna and her boyfriend may be the dumbest people I've ever seen on a reality show. I actually recorded the part where she said that he told her that she can't get pregnant if he(!!) isn't ovulating and sent it to several of my friends who don't watch. They have all now set their dvrs. 

Now you need to tell them about PTV! 

 

[LibertarianSlut]

I’m glad this show is back—it’s so much more organic than what MTV does with its “teen” moms.  I’m also so glad they scrapped last season’s cast, save Tyra, because that avoids the quandary and boredom of “professional teen moms.”  I also like that these casts are quite young. I’m not sure that it’s television-worthy when 19 and 20 year olds have babies.  

Jenna & Ayden—I hate when couples say “we’re pregnant.” I hate it with an avid passion. The mother is pregnant and the parents are expecting a baby. That’s it.  He is stupid; she is dumber than a box of hair and clearly embracing it.  There’s something extra scary about the idea of someone with braces on their teeth giving birth.  I mean, can’t they do Invisalign after middle school?

 If Jenna’s dad had such high, high hopes for her future...why didn’t he have the talk with her about sex and monitor her behavior?  I’m not really sure I feel sorry for him.  He’s talking about “tough love” now?  A day late and a dollar short.  Also, she stole the pet-sitting money, but dad wants her to get a job?  Mwhawhawhahaha—that dog don’t hunt.  Dad’ll find out soon enough that he’s probably looking at the second coming of Kayla. 

Myrka & Ethan—I get a pretty strong vibe off the bat that he’s gay.  He also seems really stupid.  I feel bad for his parents.  I don’t know if it’s legal, but I don’t have a problem with a parent kicking their kid out of the house if they get pregnant.  Parents are tasked with raising their children, not their grandchildren.  I think Myrka wanted out of that house—her mom probably hates her and they’re poor, and Ethan had a really nice house with two nice, normal parents.  I think there’s a good chance she got pregnant on purpose.  Also, what’s with the mumbling, Myrka?  I wonder why a producer couldn’t tell her once or twice, nicely, like, we can’t pick up what you’re saying and can you enunciate please?  

Holy shit, Myrka’s mom is only 38 and not 58??  Good God.  But I kind of agree with the mom.  If the rule is no unprotected sex and the teen has unprotected sex, there have to be consequences.  It’s so interesting how people like Myrka talk about getting pregnant in the passive voice, as if it’s just something that happened to them.  It sounds like both partners had ample knowledge about birth control and chose to dispose of it, so they have to live with the consequences.  They are not—at 16 and 17–too stupid to understand what unprotected sex leads to.  Those excuses can be saved for 11 and 12 years old.  

Tyra & Alex—Alex’s family clearly watched the show last year, and they upped their image, which is welcome.  Tyra is using two forms of birth control; what’s Lucy’s excuse for getting pregnant again?  

Reanna & Taron—Reanna’s mom is a pice of work not wanting to “talk down on her situation,” as if it’s more important to be nonjudgmental than it is to keep your damned kids from having a baby at 15!  This feels like Tyra from last season—it was like she was expected to get pregnant so young, because every other damn woman got pregnant that young.  If my mom, my sisters and I all did time, would I expect my daughter to turn 15 and get arrested and go to jail?  Hard no.  Taron, are you sure you are the dad?  Because he sounds about as sure as Anthony (of Rilah and Anthony) last season (although Anthony did turn out to be the dad, it was touch and go the whole season).  

While I didn’t enjoy the vomiting (during my lunch, no less), Reanna is probably the best example for young viewers as to why you don’t get pregnant at 15.  The pregnancy has made her kind of physically ugly, compared to the pictures of her they showed from before the pregnancy.  Maybe some teenaged girl somewhere will see this and make a better choice.  Taron seems like a guy who wanted to knock up his girlfriend in order to mark his territory or some other dumb shit, and now, like Matthew last season, he is realizing this is not all fun and games.  

Reanna’s mom seems way too involved in making this relationship work.  There is this sick cycle where a lot of teenage moms are happy or at least have mixed feelings when they’re daughters become teenage mothers, because they look at it as a way to redeem themselves, and I am seeing shades of that here. 

They’re all so stupid and backwards, but it is a fresh cast to hate, and I have a grudging respect for that.  🙂

[nytonc]

OMG these kids are all so fucking stupid! 

I hate to tell you what I would have done if my daughter had ever dared to put me in the position of having to sit on a couch to tell the camera, “I’m 35 years old and I’m going to be a grandma.”  (I was 34 when I had her but you know what I mean)  Do these parents never have that conversation with their kids? Don’t they give a shit? 

I despise Myrka’s mom for naming her Myrka. There. I said it.

 
 

Edited December 21, 2020 by nytonc

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, nytonc said:

I despise Myrka’s mom for naming her Myrka.

I haven't seen the episode yet (but eagerly anticipate it!) and have no idea how this name is pronounced. Is it "Merk-a?" "'merica? " "Meer-ka?" "My-ARK-ah?" 

[IvySpice]

I can't tell you how excited I am for a fresh season of this trainwreck. TLC, you have outdone yourselves. It's...mwah.

The fact that someone like Jenna is reproducing makes me weep for the future. Spoiled isn't genetic, but stupid is. You can't diagnose personality disorders in a teenager, because, well, teenagers are often pretty narcissistic and dramatic, but Jenna really came off like she's going to be a piece of work long term.

Myrka's mom...damn. I mean, I snark on low-income pregnant teenagers for fun, so I have no claim to moral high ground. I'm also an abortion enthusiast who thinks most of these girls would be a million times better off if they'd made that choice. But Myrka's mom is not offering judgment or tough love. What she has on tap is cruelty. Not to mention illegal abandonment of a minor. You DID sign up to feed and house Myrka for 18 years, and there's no rule she can break that lets you off of that hook.

[jacksgirl]

2 hours ago, IvySpice said:

 But Myrka's mom is not offering judgment or tough love. What she has on tap is cruelty. Not to mention illegal abandonment of a minor. You DID sign up to feed and house Myrka for 18 years, and there's no rule she can break that lets you off of that hook.

She's an evil vile person. Her daughter is sitting next to her on the sofa gutted by her mother's words and mom doesn't give AF. 

I'd be pissed, sad, angry devastated, annoyed, and scared if my teen child was going to be a parent, but I would still love them. Meryka is lucky to have Ethan's parents. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

10 hours ago, Chris Knight said:

This is a constant theme - generational teen pregnancy. Almost all these girls are repeating the cycle.

I find it sad, very perplexing and a little bit infuriating.These grandmothers-to-be know that teen sex occurs because they experienced it, yet they don’t do anything about making sure their daughters are on birth control? Why are they so complacent about their daughters’ futures? If I had been a teen mom, I’d have done everything possible to make sure my teen daughter had an easier life and a brighter future. Life is difficult enough as a teen and young adult without adding a baby into the mix. Mostly I think the girls are desperate for someone to love them and having a baby seems like a good option. 🤷‍♀️

7 hours ago, RoxiP said:

do these parents not talk to their children...well, I guess some do but getting the kids to listen (one set of parents said they had talked to their son about condoms repeatedly but he said they only used them one time...SMH!!!).

Doesn’t just about every middle school and high school have a mandatory sex ed class along with discussions about LGBTQ? I’m sure that’s part of the curriculum these days. What about information (and condoms) from the school nurse? Does anyone ever talk to the expectant teen mothers about adoption? 

[IvySpice]

19 minutes ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Doesn’t just about every middle school and high school have a mandatory sex ed class along with discussions about LGBTQ? I’m sure that’s part of the curriculum these days. What about information (and condoms) from the school nurse?

In big cities in blue states, sometimes. Elsewhere, hell no! There's still a ton of abstinence-only "sex education" happening in this country, if there is health class at all. It is not even legal for school staff to give condoms to minors in most school districts. In tonight's show, we saw kids from Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and bumfuck Pennsylvania. I'd be very surprised if any of them had a day of real comprehensive sex ed in their lives.

[nytonc]

1 hour ago, IvySpice said:

In big cities in blue states, sometimes. Elsewhere, hell no! There's still a ton of abstinence-only "sex education" happening in this country, if there is health class at all. It is not even legal for school staff to give condoms to minors in most school districts. In tonight's show, we saw kids from Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and bumfuck Pennsylvania. I'd be very surprised if any of them had a day of real comprehensive sex ed in their lives.

You must be my long lost snark soul sister. What you said in this post and the one above it is sad but true. I grew up on Long Island in the 60s and I can recall wanting to die of of embarrassment in sex ed classes. My mom had cousins in Ohio who couldn’t believe they taught that “filth” to children.   I’m sure I learned more in those classes than these kids learned from all their sources combined.  

Myrka’s boyfriend’s parents seem to be decent, caring people who tried to instill some common sense in their son but history is repeating itself in their family despite their efforts. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by nytonc

[StatisticalOutlier]

You know that music they play when setting up segments?  I can't ever understand the words, but had the captions on and the words to the first one, introducing the couple discussing not getting pregnant unless the man is obulating, were "Restless and young, reckless and dumb."  You go, show!

Also, anybody else watch Saturday Night Live?  Heidi Garner's teenager characters during Weekend Update always seemed over the top, but I swear, she's channeling Jenna, who even twirls her fingers in the laces on her hoodie. 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by StatisticalOutlier
It's obulating, not ogulating. I'm such a moron.

[StatisticalOutlier]

16 hours ago, nytonc said:

Myrka’s boyfriend’s parents seem to be decent, caring people who tried to instill some common sense in their son but history is repeating itself in their family despite their efforts. 

So far, I'm not a fan.  I highly suspect that they were a big part of Myrka's refusal to have an abortion.  At least for once, the people discouraging the abortion will suffer the consequences by raising the baby. 

But if that's what happened, then Myrka's mother lost all leverage she had in influencing Myrka's decision, since her strongest card was kicking Myrka out, and Ethan's parents made that into a non-consequence.  Might Myrka have agreed to the abortion if instead of getting to play house with her boyfriend in a nice pad, she'd had to bounce from friend's house to friend's house, staying until each friend's parents said she'd been there long enough and needed to figure out something permanent, and she realized she's 15 and unable to make a life of her own?  We'll never know, because Ethan's parents gave her a soft place to land instead of being faced with the reality of being pregnant at 15.

I don't really love Myrka's mother at this point and doubt I will grow to love her, but apparently she'd told Myrka that she's out if she gets pregnant, and as she said, Myrka chose to be sexually active knowing the consequences.  In fact, it sounds like she was quite sexually active, and I have to wonder if it was because she was out there looking for love, which would be a real shame, but the bottom line is she chose to not only have sex, but to have unprotected sex even though her mother had said she'd be out on her ear if she got pregnant.  I don't remember exactly how her mother put it, but it was something like "Myrka kicked herself out of the house when she got pregnant."  I agree.

 

[RoxiP]

I suspect that Myrka and her mother (if not her boyfriend's parents) are Catholic. I would seriously doubt abortion was ever an option.

[Auntie Anxiety]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

I suspect that Myrka and her mother (if not her boyfriend's parents) are Catholic. I would seriously doubt abortion was ever an option.

They could put the baby up for adoption. I missed Season 1, but I don’t recall anyone ever even mentioning the word in the seasons I have seen. Abortion isn’t the only option.

[lovesnark]

23 hours ago, Giant Misfit said:

I haven't seen the episode yet (but eagerly anticipate it!) and have no idea how this name is pronounced. Is it "Merk-a?" "'merica? " "Meer-ka?" "My-ARK-ah?" 

It sounds like the R is silent. To me, it sounded like they called her Meeka.

Oh! How I've missed this train wreck! And, TLC did a wonderful job finding this batch of morons. I know I've said this during previous seasons, but it needs to be said again (and again). ALL of these kids willfully created a child. I was a teenager in the 70's, started sleeping with my boyfriend at the age of 15 and I knew enough to get my ass to Planned Parenthood and get on the pill. It was free and 100% confidential. I used the phone book to find their phone number and address and rode the bus to town to get there. These dumbasses are glued to their phones 24/7. If they can google which luxury car they feel they deserve or what their favorite Kartrashian is wearing that day, they can certainly google anything and everything related to having sex and getting pregnant. There is simply no excuse, it's willful ignorance.

While I know I could never kick my child out for getting pregnant, I also have no sympathy for Myrka. She's known the consequence of getting pregnant as a teen since she was old enough to understand and she chose to have unprotected sex. Her boyfriend (can't remember his name) even said they used a condom once, then never again. 

Jenna telling her dad to stop talking when he was pointing out her lack of maturity made me wish her parents would just get up and walk off. When she met her dad for lunch and was whining about a car, I was hoping her dad would say he'd go 50/50 with her on a used minivan just to see her empty head explode.

 

2 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I suspect that Myrka and her mother (if not her boyfriend's parents) are Catholic. I would seriously doubt abortion was ever an option.

Her mom sounded like she was for it. She said something like once Myrka, the boyfriend and his parents said no to termination, she was out.

[RoxiP]

You are correct - my blind rage at Myrka's mother (by the way, I thought I heard Meerka (like meerkat), but then again I only pay about half attention at times) probably let me conveniently forget that.

I think Myrka's mother is a narrow minded, self-involved individual and I do not agree that Myrka (who honestly seems a little slow to me) truly understood the consequences of her actions.  She's a teenager.  They really don't truly understand consequences.  Furthermore, it appears to me that Myrka had been left to raise her younger brother and had protected him from her mother's harshness for longer than her mother's draconian pronouncements.  You don't get your chores done?  You don't eat.  Your sister gets pregnant?  She's out of the house.  Once your sister is out of the house you are now responsible for not only your chores but also her chores.  I get that there are boundaries and rules but once Myrka was pregnant and chose to keep her baby was she just supposed to go and live in the street?  I think Myrka went looking for love and this was the first boy who was kind to her and she would do whatever she could to be around people who are kind.  Yes they should have used protection but honestly I would imagine the statistics of kids who don't are pretty bad.  And adoption would be an awesome gift to a loving couple but that's not what this show is about.

[StatisticalOutlier]

15 hours ago, lovesnark said:

[Myrka's] mom sounded like she was for it. She said something like once Myrka, the boyfriend and his parents said no to termination, she was out.

That's what I heard, too.  And to me, it indicated how serious she was about not having a baby in her house, because she knows how that's going to turn out.  She apparently works a LOT to support the people already there.

Of course, the internet is howling about her hypocrisy. 

I wish they'd shown what, if anything, was said about adoption.  Not that anyone but Myrka's mother would have even considered it, but at least let viewers know it's an option.

 

9 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I think Myrka's mother is a narrow minded, self-involved individual and I do not agree that Myrka (who honestly seems a little slow to me) truly understood the consequences of her actions.  She's a teenager.  They really don't truly understand consequences. 

And because Ethan's parents jumped in to give her a cozy place to live, she's not going to know the real consequences, like she might have realized if she'd had to make an effort to find friends to stay with, and had an occasion to think, "This is hard.  I wonder what it will be like when I have a baby with me."

I'm so tired of parents making pronouncements and threats and never following through on them.  What do kids learn from that?  Well, actually, I know what they learn from that.

 

9 hours ago, RoxiP said:

Furthermore, it appears to me that Myrka had been left to raise her younger brother and had protected him from her mother's harshness for longer than her mother's draconian pronouncements.  You don't get your chores done?  You don't eat.  Your sister gets pregnant?  She's out of the house.  Once your sister is out of the house you are now responsible for not only your chores but also her chores. 

I'm betting Jenna's father wishes he'd taken a page or two out of that playbook along the way.

And once Myrka is out of the house because of what she chose to do, her brother might realize his mother isn't playing, which will only work to his benefit.

 

[RoxiP]

I agree - babies having babies is not a good thing, and I honestly think adoption would have been the better choice.  Having said that, I wouldn't be able to allow my grandchild to suffer to make a point to my daughter.  In my household there would have been consequences to an unwanted pregnancy, but they wouldn't have included browbeating my child and making her feel "less than" in order to make my point.  

I was a single parent, but I was older when I got pregnant with my daughter, so maybe I see this from a different perspective (and when I say older I mean WAY older - older than most of the parents of these teens, and had already been at my job for many years).  I do know that there would be no way that I would kick my child out of the home because of an unplanned pregnancy.  Her future would be changed but she would still know that I loved her unconditionally.

[lovesnark]

10 hours ago, RoxiP said:

You are correct - my blind rage at Myrka's mother (by the way, I thought I heard Meerka (like meerkat), but then again I only pay about half attention at times) probably let me conveniently forget that.

I think Myrka's mother is a narrow minded, self-involved individual and I do not agree that Myrka (who honestly seems a little slow to me) truly understood the consequences of her actions.  She's a teenager.  They really don't truly understand consequences.  Furthermore, it appears to me that Myrka had been left to raise her younger brother and had protected him from her mother's harshness for longer than her mother's draconian pronouncements.  You don't get your chores done?  You don't eat.  Your sister gets pregnant?  She's out of the house.  Once your sister is out of the house you are now responsible for not only your chores but also her chores.  I get that there are boundaries and rules but once Myrka was pregnant and chose to keep her baby was she just supposed to go and live in the street?  I think Myrka went looking for love and this was the first boy who was kind to her and she would do whatever she could to be around people who are kind.  Yes they should have used protection but honestly I would imagine the statistics of kids who don't are pretty bad.  And adoption would be an awesome gift to a loving couple but that's not what this show is about.

Her mom seemed to take Myrka getting pregnant personally. When she was ranting, she said something about  being another statistic. A single mother winding up with a pregnant teen. From the little bit of herself she's shown us, I get the feeling  consequences have been a part of her children's lives from the get go. 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by lovesnark

[Auntie Anxiety]

10 hours ago, RoxiP said:

(by the way, I thought I heard Meerka (like meerkat), 

When I heard her name, the first thing I thought was “Merkin? You named your daughter MERKIN?” As in “a wig for a shaved pubic area?”

[Adiba]

37 minutes ago, lovesnark said:

Her mom seemed to take Myrka getting pregnant personally. When she was ranting, she said something about  being another statistic. A single mother winding up with a pregnant teen. From the little bit of herself she's shown us, I get the feeling  consequences have been a part of her children's lives from the get go. 

 

Myrka’s mother kept saying “me”— as in “how could this happen to me”. I get that she’s angry and disappointed and that she probably works hard— but no empathy for her daughter at all? Very harsh, imo. Myrka is still a minor, what is she supposed to do— get an apartment? She did find a place to go, her boyfriend’s parents kindly took her in, but I don’t see that as getting off too easy. Myrka will have an infant to take care if and eventually will likely to have to get a job.

Myrka’s mother supposedly is religious and goes to Mass every week— so I was surprised that she mentioned termination of the pregnancy and not adoption. She didn’t say that she would support Myrka through her pregnancy if she chose adoption, so it seems as if she wants to punish Myrka.

[lovesnark]

I wonder if Myrka's mother was treated the same way when she got pregnant? Was Myrka's father ever mentioned? If her mother got pregnant as a teen and was kicked out, I wonder if she moved in with/married the father and they split up after the son was born and she raised the kids by herself? 

I  also wonder about the legal aspect of kicking your teenage daughter out of the house. In the eyes of the law, she's responsible for Myrka and is expected to provide for her.  Did she keep Myrka on her health insurance? Give Ethan's parents legal guardianship? So many questions!

Edited December 23, 2020 by lovesnark

[IvySpice]

Cast members are pronouncing Myrka's name with a flipped Spanish R, which is why English-speaking ears might hear Mee-ka or Meed-ka.

Re Myrka's mother: it's not OK to set a line beyond which you will cease to parent your minor child. Being clear to the child about where the line is does not make it OK. You can be angry, disappointed, and heartbroken about how your child has behaved, but you don't stop loving them or letting them know you love them. If she still loves Myrka, I sure couldn't tell. Also, as much as I think Myrka would have been better off with an abortion, I don't think she would have been better off with a FORCED abortion.

[RoxiP]

I think that Myrka referenced that her parents had gone through a divorce and that's when she started at the school where she met her boyfriend (I really don't remember his name).  

[StatisticalOutlier]

7 hours ago, lovesnark said:

I wonder if Myrka's mother was treated the same way when she got pregnant? Was Myrka's father ever mentioned? If her mother got pregnant as a teen and was kicked out, I wonder if she moved in with/married the father and they split up after the son was born and she raised the kids by herself?

I think the show showed Myrka's mother as being 38.  If that's the case, and if Myrka was her first child (no mention of an older sibling), then she would have been in her early 20s when she got pregnant.

[zenme]

I’m not saying Myrka’s mother is right, but I understand her anger—and she’s angry, disappointed, and feeling betrayed. My stepmother went through the same thing with her daughter and she literally did not speak to her for months, even though she lived in the same house. My stepmother had done everything as a single mother to try to prevent a teenage pregnancy and worked her ass off to give her the best of everything. They also had a good relationship where they did things together and talked. I think my stepmother felt the same when when her daughter wound up pregnant. It changed once the baby was born but it took a long time for her to get over the disappointment.  I think Myrka’s mom is not selfish. I think quite the opposite but she’s hurt and doesn’t know how to communicate very well, or how to cope. 
(Reserving the right to change my opinion. Only on episode 1!)

[CloseThisAccount]

On 12/21/2020 at 10:48 AM, Treehugger9 said:

Jenna and her boyfriend may be the dumbest people I've ever seen on a reality show. I actually recorded the part where she said that he told her that she can't get pregnant if he(!!) isn't ovulating 

He was right about the oGulating, though, right?  

I was so pissed when Myrka's monster/mother said, "I'm not raising somebody else's children," in reference to her daughter's pregnancy.  Bitch, you aren't even raising your own child. You've abandoned your minor child to homelessness if not for incredible luck. And, if not for Ethan's parents, her homelessness almost guarantees her continuing to be sexually active, if only so she can find places to sleep. Thanks, Mom, that's some quality parenting.

[Ucross]

On 12/21/2020 at 12:12 PM, Pepper Mostly said:

Now you need to tell them about PTV! 

 

Can you clue us in on what on earth this "PTV" is?

[Ucross]

On 12/23/2020 at 8:02 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

That's what I heard, too.  And to me, it indicated how serious she was about not having a baby in her house, because she knows how that's going to turn out.  She apparently works a LOT to support the people already there.

I'm with ya. This girl saw how she would get to get a free ride off many sources by having a baby, instead of making something of herself. The second it looked like I would be sexually active in 1975, I went right to a public health clinic and got on the The Pill and then went on to actually have a life. This girl is plenty old enough to know what she's doing. I'm with her mom 100% on throwing her out. She'll figure it out. Everyone does unless their parents coddle them.

[Ucross]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:03 AM, Auntie Anxiety said:

When I heard her name, the first thing I thought was “Merkin? You named your daughter MERKIN?” As in “a wig for a shaved pubic area?”

There is a Merkin Concert Hall in NYC, which is always an object of much hilarity among musicians.

On 12/24/2020 at 8:15 AM, zenme said:

I’m not saying Myrka’s mother is right, but I understand her anger—and she’s angry, disappointed, and feeling betrayed.

And expected to cough up an unbelievable ton of money to support two more people.

[Chalby]

I know this sounds bad, but I understand Myra's response. I love all my kids and I've always been supportive, but if my son or daughter was responsible for a pregnancy I would be furious. I would want them out of the house too because all I ask is that you respect my rules and one of those rules is not having unprotected sex. I have bought condoms and offered to pay for any birth control if needed. I know some people may view this as condoning sex too young, but I didn't want an unplanned pregnancy. Myrkas mom suggested abortion, adoption, etc and the kids refused. I don't blame her for saying, you're on your own. 

[Chalby]

1 hour ago, Ucross said:

I'm with ya. This girl saw how she would get to get a free ride off many sources by having a baby, instead of making something of herself. The second it looked like I would be sexually active in 1975, I went right to a public health clinic and got on the The Pill and then went on to actually have a life. This girl is plenty old enough to know what she's doing. I'm with her mom 100% on throwing her out. She'll figure it out. Everyone does unless their parents coddle them.

Wow- same year and same situation. I actually went to the family doctor not realizing that my mom would get the statement. But she did not confront me about it, and I think she was just pleased that although I was young, I was responsible enough to know I wanted to sleep with my boyfriend without fears of pregnancy. I don't get how these kids are so stupid about sex and pregnancy with all the news and media available.

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

17 hours ago, Ucross said:

Can you clue us in on what on earth this "PTV" is?

Previously.tv.  It was the predecessor to this site, or something like that; I can't keep them straight.  But PTV is short for previously.tv.

 

15 hours ago, Chalby said:

Myrkas mom suggested abortion, adoption, etc and the kids refused.

I didn't hear anybody say anything about adoption, and do wonder about that--whether that's just MTV's editing, or Ethan's parents villainizing Lilliana.  Or it could be that Lilliana really didn't entertain the idea of adoption because she didn't want to run the risk of Myrka having the baby and deciding once it's born that she couldn't bear to give it up.  That would scare me to death if I were her and relented on the no-pregnancy-in-my-house.

This pair might be interesting, if Lilliana sticks to her guns.  Myrka is 100% dependent on Ethan's parents, and the odds are that she and Ethan won't make it as a couple.  Will Ethan's parents set her up in her own place when they break up?  Will they insist on keeping the baby?

[lilmarysunshine]

On 12/21/2020 at 8:40 PM, IvySpice said:

In big cities in blue states, sometimes. Elsewhere, hell no! There's still a ton of abstinence-only "sex education" happening in this country, if there is health class at all. It is not even legal for school staff to give condoms to minors in most school districts. In tonight's show, we saw kids from Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and bumfuck Pennsylvania. I'd be very surprised if any of them had a day of real comprehensive sex ed in their lives.

Suburbs of big city in red state and there is definitely sex ed in public schools here - human reproduction AND specifically birth control.

Edited December 29, 2020 by lilmarysunshine

[TipseyGirl]

10 hours ago, lilmarysunshine said:

Suburbs of big city in red state and there is definitely sex ed in public schools here - human reproduction AND specifically birth control.

I'm from a red state. I, too, had sex-ed starting in 7th grade. We had to have permission from parents but I felt it was a pretty good education. We learned about human reproduction and birth control. We could also submit any questions we had (anonymously) and our questions were answered in class. This was in the early 80s.

[lovesnark]

4 hours ago, TipseyGirl said:

I'm from a red state. I, too, had sex-ed starting in 7th grade. We had to have permission from parents but I felt it was a pretty good education. We learned about human reproduction and birth control. We could also submit any questions we had (anonymously) and our questions were answered in class. This was in the early 80s.

I was in high school in the 70's and even back in the stone age, we were taught the basics of reproduction in health class. None of these kids can use the 'we didn't know you could get pregnant the first time' or any of the other bullshit excuses. They have all of the information they could ever need at their fingertips 24/7!

Ethan's parents said they talked to him repeatedly about sex and birth control and made sure he had condoms. He told us they used a condom one time and after that, they chose to forego birth control of any type. My theory is Myrka didn't like living with her mother and all of the things her mom expected her to do. Ethan knew his parents were softies and would feel sorry for her and let her move in. Worked out great for both of them. I wonder what's going to happen when they inevitably break up. Will Myrka still live with them or will they expect her to move out once the romance is over?

[lovesnark]

On 12/27/2020 at 7:22 PM, Ucross said:

Can you clue us in on what on earth this "PTV" is?

This place used to be called Previously TV 😊

[lovesnark]

21 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Previously.tv.  It was the predecessor to this site, or something like that; I can't keep them straight.  But PTV is short for previously.tv.

 

I didn't hear anybody say anything about adoption, and do wonder about that--whether that's just MTV's editing, or Ethan's parents villainizing Lilliana.  Or it could be that Lilliana really didn't entertain the idea of adoption because she didn't want to run the risk of Myrka having the baby and deciding once it's born that she couldn't bear to give it up.  That would scare me to death if I were her and relented on the no-pregnancy-in-my-house.

This pair might be interesting, if Lilliana sticks to her guns.  Myrka is 100% dependent on Ethan's parents, and the odds are that she and Ethan won't make it as a couple.  Will Ethan's parents set her up in her own place when they break up?  Will they insist on keeping the baby?

 I hope as the season progresses we get more answers about Myrka's situation. I wonder if she's still insured through her mother? Or, did she apply for public assistance? Can Ethan's parents afford to house, clothe and feed 2 more people indefinitely? Does Ethan have a car to take Myrka (and later, the baby) to doctor appointments? Or, do his parents shuttle them around? So many questions!!

[CloseThisAccount]

It's interesting that Myrka's mom kicks her out b/c Myrka needs to feel consequences for mistakes she's made. Shouldn't, by the very same logic, her mom have to take care of Myrka & her child because of whatever bad parenting led to the current situation? Shouldn't the mom have to feel consequences & not get a free ride by shoving the responsibility onto someone else? Why should Ethan's parents pay for the mom's mistakes? Or why should Myrka pay for the mom's mistakes?

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, TakeAPinotGrigio said:

Shouldn't the mom have to feel consequences & not get a free ride by shoving the responsibility onto someone else?

She's shoving the responsibility onto the person who chose to have unprotected sex (against her mother's wishes, advice, and threats) and to not have an abortion (against her mother's wishes, advice, and threats).  Sounds fair to me. 

 

Quote

Why should Ethan's parents pay for the mom's mistakes?

Because they want to?  Nobody's forcing them.  I don't hear them arguing in favor of adoption, if they're so against abortion.

[readheaded]

4 hours ago, TakeAPinotGrigio said:

It's interesting that Myrka's mom kicks her out b/c Myrka needs to feel consequences for mistakes she's made. Shouldn't, by the very same logic, her mom have to take care of Myrka & her child because of whatever bad parenting led to the current situation? Shouldn't the mom have to feel consequences & not get a free ride by shoving the responsibility onto someone else? Why should Ethan's parents pay for the mom's mistakes? Or why should Myrka pay for the mom's mistakes?

Let's not forget Myrka has an absent father somewhere shirking his responsibilities...maybe he could take her in if she ends up needing another place to go.

[Adiba]

On 12/30/2020 at 3:45 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

She's shoving the responsibility onto the person who chose to have unprotected sex (against her mother's wishes, advice, and threats) and to not have an abortion (against her mother's wishes, advice, and threats).  Sounds fair to me. 

 

Because they want to?  Nobody's forcing them.  I don't hear them arguing in favor of adoption, if they're so against abortion.

You make some good points about Myrka's mother, however, Myrka is a minor. Can one legally emancipate oneself from a minor without giving guardianship to someone or something else? If Ethan's parent's tire of her or she and Ethan break up, where will she go? Likely she will depend on public assistance, and then it is the taxpayer who will be bearing some financial responsibility for the situation.

[SuseQ]

On 12/21/2020 at 8:06 AM, jacksgirl said:

Oh my gosh! Where do they find these couples? So sad for Mykra. Her mom is evil and looks way old. Jenna getting a car, HA! And Reanna is way too immature, childish and petulant to parent. I smell a huge trainwreck.

Her mom "looks way old"... 

Probably from the stress of raising kids on her own. Working so hard at her job six days a week. And, having a dumb daughter to worry about. Ages a person.