Inside 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager' on DVD by Reg Seeton
Although The Secret Life of the American Teenager has quickly become one of ABC Family's most popular shows, it hasn't come without its fair share of controversy. Since the series centers on 15-year-old Amy Juergens (Shailene Woodley) who loses her virginity at band camp after having sex with fellow band mate Ricky Underwood (Daren Kagasoff), you can see why The Secret Life of the American Teenager has sparked controversy surrounding the issue of teen pregnancy on TV as dramatic entertainment. And since Amy has a new boyfriend in Ben (Kenny Baumann) who steps up to the plate to offer his hand in marriage, the issues become even more heatedly complex.
Without getting too deep, the only thing I'll say about teen pregnancy is that isn't a new phenomenon and its been part of our society for centuries. In some ages not too far removed from the 21st Century, it was both accepted and expected. However, we don't live in the 1700s anymore and it's definitely not 1850 either. Yet that still doesn’t make it right to get pregnant at 15. It’s a tricky situation, especially for those living it.
But since the issue isn't going away anytime soon, do you keep it a secret or do put it out in the open for discussion? Does a show like Secret Life glorify teen pregnancy or does it help in educating young girls and their parents? That's all for you to debate. The bigger question for me is how former 7th Heaven creator Brenda Hanson and her new writing staff actually got people to buy into the whole band camp thing without the serious issues being comically overshadowed by memories of big screen band camp girl Alyson Hannigan and her famous American Pie line. Then again, isn't there an Alyson Hannigan sex tape floating around somewhere? Weird, huh?
Given the layers surrounding Amy’s secret life and the characters of the series, it's obvious the subject matter was intended to spark honest and raw discussion on a variety of levels, including religion, abstinence, and the oh-so-burdensome problem known as sex addiction. However, it’s not as funny as it sounds on the surface as we soon learn through therapy that Ricky is indulging in nymph behavior to mask sexual abuse, which is the lasting ripple effect behind Amy's pregnancy. You have to give credit to the executive folks at ABC Family for taking such a bold step to air a show like The Secret Life of the American Teenager when family television has been more clean than Crest Whitestrips and safer than a nunnery in the Swiss Alps over the past couple of decades.
Now that the stork has dropped the first season of Secret Life on DVD, the three discs follow Amy through 11 episodes as she wrestles with telling her parents but eventually can't hide the fact that she's getting bigger throughout the school year at Ulysses S. Grant High. As much as Amy's secret life dominates the main storyline, the show is as much about the other characters as well. And there's a huge extreme in that Ricky, a sex addict, is dating new girlfriend Grace, a born again Christian cheerleader (Megan Park) who won't hit the sheets until marriage. And like real life, all of the younger main and supporting characters are on individual quests to find themselves, often acting out while they rebel against their naive parents amid a multitude of personal and family issues.
Aside from Shailene Woodley's outstanding ability to handle the many accelerated adult issues of her character and the stable of fresh up and comers, the strength of The Secret Life of the American Teenager is its supporting cast of adults, which consists of '80s teen idol Molly Ringwald, original Dukes of Hazzard star and Smallville dad John Schneider, former Melrose Place beauty Josie Bissett, former daytime soap star Mark Derwin, Steve Schirripa of The Sopranos, and former Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson. It's clear someone did their homework in the casting department since it now makes me wonder how well the show would have faired without such great and credible supporting players standing behind the heated issues within the series.
Rounding out the DVD beyond the 11 episodes is a less risky on-set segment with the cast, which is completely overshadowed by the episodes themselves. Although the new ABC Family series sparked a lot of controversy during its freshman run, the fact that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is now available on DVD may be the better option for parents and kids who are still undecided on how to approach the show, if at all. The only problem I have is that at times the series tries to tackle too many issues at the same time in an attempt to reflect real life while adhering to the family standards of the network. There’s a lot that comes at you in the pilot. Fortunately, by the end of the season The Secret Life of the American Teenager begins to find itself much like teens heading into their sophomore year. And with that said, now that the DVD has hit store shelves, look for the series to return to the ABC Family airwaves on January 5.
Since when is a show with that much talk about sex allowed on before 10? Especially aired under a station called Fox Family cause you know I really want to whatch that with my 11 year old. What happened to morals on tv?
Without getting too deep, the only thing I'll say about teen pregnancy is that isn't a new phenomenon and its been part of our society for centuries. In some ages not too far removed from the 21st Century, it was both accepted and expected. However, we don't live in the 1700s anymore and it's definitely not 1850 either. Yet that still doesn’t make it right to get pregnant at 15. It’s a tricky situation, especially for those living it.
Now that the stork has dropped the first season of Secret Life on DVD, the three discs follow Amy through 11 episodes as she wrestles with telling her parents but eventually can't hide the fact that she's getting bigger throughout the school year at Ulysses S. Grant High. As much as Amy's secret life dominates the main storyline, the show is as much about the other characters as well. And there's a huge extreme in that Ricky, a sex addict, is dating new girlfriend Grace, a born again Christian cheerleader (Megan Park) who won't hit the sheets until marriage. And like real life, all of the younger main and supporting characters are on individual quests to find themselves, often acting out while they rebel against their naive parents amid a multitude of personal and family issues.
Rounding out the DVD beyond the 11 episodes is a less risky on-set segment with the cast, which is completely overshadowed by the episodes themselves. Although the new ABC Family series sparked a lot of controversy during its freshman run, the fact that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is now available on DVD may be the better option for parents and kids who are still undecided on how to approach the show, if at all. The only problem I have is that at times the series tries to tackle too many issues at the same time in an attempt to reflect real life while adhering to the family standards of the network. There’s a lot that comes at you in the pilot. Fortunately, by the end of the season The Secret Life of the American Teenager begins to find itself much like teens heading into their sophomore year. And with that said, now that the DVD has hit store shelves, look for the series to return to the ABC Family airwaves on January 5.