A mayor in Illinois is giving the boot to MTV's controversial reality show "16 and Pregnant," which chronicles the hardships of teenage pregnancy and motherhood, ABC News reported.
Edward Zabrocki, the mayor of the village of Tinley Park, Ill., said he does not want the show to film in his town, a suburb of Chicago, because it sends "the wrong message."
"I don't have my head in the sand to think it doesn't go on in this town; it does," Zabrocki said of teen pregnancy. "But let's not add to the glorification process.
"What's my 10 minutes in the sun? Five minutes on TV? How do I get on there, get pregnant? Is that a good message to send out," he said.
One of the characters on the show's upcoming season lives in the village, according to Facebook fan pages devoted to "16 and Pregnant". According to ABC News, local businesses have been advised by Zabrocki to not allow the show's camera crews in to film.
Each episode of the one-hour show follows a pregnant teen for five to seven months as "she navigates the bumpy terrain of adolescence, growing pains, rebellion, and coming of age; all while dealing with being pregnant," according to the show's website.
The mayor's contention that "16 and Pregnant" glorifies teen pregnancy has been challenged by the show's supporters, ABC News reported.
"I would challenge anyone to actually watch the shows and walk away from them and see anything in their lives that appear to be glamorous," said Bill Albert, chief program officer of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "In our view, this is really sex education for the 21st century."
MTV declined to comment.
"It's unclear how far the mayor will take this fight, but whether he wins or loses, a lot of moms feel he's sparked an important conversation, one that is affecting a lot of teens out there," said Erika Souter of the parenting blog TheStir.com.
