Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
In yesterday’s Washington Times, I had a review of the new reality show starring Bristol Palin, 21, called Life’s a Tripp. The show is supposed to be about how Bristol matures in adulthood as the single mom of a toddler, but it struck me as typical reality show fare, complete with manufactured drama, rehearsed camera talk, and lots of onscreen crying.
Here’s an excerpt of my piece:
Being a single mom is tough. Just ask 21-year-old Bristol Palin.
“I think young girls see a baby as an accessory on their hip — and it’s not. It’s something that needs work, needs attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” she tells the camera in Lifetime’s new docu-series, “Bristol Palin: Life’s a Tripp.” In 10 half-hour episodes, the show, which premieres Tuesday, follows the day-by-day life of Sarah Palin’s oldest daughter as she moves from Alaska to Los Angeles — and then back to Alaska — with her toddler, Tripp, at her side.
Back in 2008, when her mother was nominated as the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Bristol came to fame in “one of the most intense and embarrassing ways possible,” as she said at the time. Her unintended pregnancy at age 17 with her then-boyfriend, fiance-turned-playboy Levi Johnston, was ready-made for tabloids: The daughter of the most famous hockey mom in the country knocked up by a high school jock. The media had a field day.
So maybe there’s some redeeming message in Bristol’s story — some lesson about making mistakes, learning from them and maturing into adulthood? That, at least, seems to be the moral that “Life’s a Tripp” is groping for.
“It’s really hard being a single mom,” Bristol tells viewers. “I think I’d be a lot more immature and carefree and careless if I didn’t have Tripp. He gives my life purpose and direction.”
It’s a nice message — but one that doesn’t quite ring true throughout the first two episodes of the show.
One item that I didn’t address in the review, but which I’ve been thinking about a lot, is why Bristol would do a reality show in the first place. Of course, after resigning from the governorship of Alaska, Bristol’s mom starred in TLC’s Sarah Palin’s Alaska in 2010, so there’s the family precedent of bearing your life on screen. But Sarah Palin’s Alaska was essentially a travel and discovery show. Life’s a Tripp is much more Kardashians-like, with its temporary LA setting, sibling conflicts, and intimate portrayals of Bristol’s life, including cameos from her Alaska-based beau Gino (who, no, doesn’t moonlight for Jersey Shore) and her mom Sarah Palin (who comes across sympathetically in the Mom role).
I can think of three reasons why Bristol might agree to do a reality show like this, which runs the risk of airing her and her family’s dirty laundry: for money, for celebrity, and, simply, to tell her story.
With a family like the Kardashians, it’s pretty easy to see that they are doing the reality show gig for fame and celebrity. Their entire brand is celebrity. Kim Kardashian, like Paris Hilton, came to fame by being a socialite, and that’s not to mention her infamous sex tape with Ray J. If you’ve ever seen the show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, you know that money is not a concern of theirs, and that they really have little to no story to tell.
It’s different with Bristol. Bristol does have an interesting story to tell.
Bristol is of course the daughter of Sarah Palin, the very public face of family values (Mama Grizzly) and social conservatism–two weighty things especially compared to the frothiness of the Kardashians family brand. The contradiction of Palin’s values with the reality of Bristol’s decisions was, back in 2008, stark. Given that, maybe Bristol didn’t really have a choice except to tell her story. Maybe the only thing she could do as a pregnant teen with a famous conservative mom was to ride the wave of her accidental and embarrassing celebrity, and carve out a career of sorts for herself in it.
And Bristol’s done well on that front. Bristol has written a bestselling memoir, is on the speaker’s circuit promoting the message of teen abstinence, has appeared of Dancing with the Stars, and now she stars in her own reality show. Bristol is in a fortunate situation to not only tell her story, but to profit from it. Not too many girls who wind up pregnant out of wedlock at seventeen have the chance to tell their stories. Not too many live the life that she lives. Not too many earn the salary that she does.
Good for Bristol–I guess–but it does make me a little queasy when I compare her rather fortunate circumstances (living in a palatial Beverly Hills mansion and volunteering, not working, for a charity) to those less fortunate than hers, who also know what being a single teen mom is like. I’m thinking here of Amber Portwood from MTV’s reality show Teen Mom.
Last week, Portwood made headlines for deciding to serve a five-year prison sentence rather than check into drug rehab. Why did she do it?
Looking forward, Portwood said she doesn’t regret voluntarily leaving drug treatment in favor of prison where she believes she’ll have better success focusing on her recovery.
While behind bars, Portwood plans to get her life back on track.
“I’m going to take some classes, I’m going to get my GED, take as many programs as I can,” she said. “You know, just try to better myself for when I do get out and not stay in prison . . . I’ll be off the drugs, I’ll have an education to get me a job.
“You have to think of the positives in this negative story.”
When I read about Portwood’s gut-wrenching decision–a wise decision that reveals her self-awareness and a desire to be a better person–I can’t help but think that Bristol’s complaints about single motherhood are those of a spoiled and immature girl. She wants viewers to be aware that being a single mom is tough; she wants to be a cautionary tale against having sex before marriage; but she doesn’t realize how good she has it. Portwood, not Bristol, is the real face of teen motherhood. Maybe that’s something Bristol will discover as Life’s a Tripp progresses on through the season.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Bristol Palin really needs to go away...soon!
She's another unfortunate legacy of the Mccain nomination.
Jan '11
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
I hope, for the sake of the baby and Bristol, that she actually does learn something. But ...
As a father, my first question is "where is the guy?" In both of these stories, Teen Mom reveals the lack of character of Teen Dad.
Aug '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
My original comment may sound a bit arrogant so perhaps I should clarify. I have 5 children, 3 of whom are young adults like Bristol. While I love my children and none of them have fathered or mothered illegitimate children (to my knowledge), I wouldn't want to see any of them paraded around in a reality show because they do boneheaded things like almost all young adults. Shoot, I wouldn't want a reality show of my young adult years as I did some embarrasing things as well.
I guess my point is that I don't feel Bristol Palin has much to teach us and heaven forbid some find this kind of dreck entertaining. People should be embarrased about their mistakes - not parade them around for all to see!
Edited on June 13, 2012 at 8:29pmDec '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
KC Mulville: I hope, for the sake of the baby and Bristol, that she actually does learn something. But ...
As a father, my first question is "where is the guy?" In both of these stories, Teen Mom reveals the lack of character of Teen Dad. · 1 minute ago
In this case, Bristol is very much better off without "the dad".
Another instance of addition by subtraction.
Sep '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Ugh.
Jan '11
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
CoolHand
In this case, Bristol is very much better off without "the dad".
Agreed. That Teen Dad has proven a lack of character on a Hollywood scale. It's a wonder they didn't give him a political analysis show on CurrentTV.
Jan '11
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Emily Esfahani Smith:
Last week, Portwood made headlines for deciding to serve a five-year prison sentence rather than check into drug rehab. Why did she do it?
Prison as a way to reform yourself? Now that's an interesting idea. Three hots and a cot and every one of these programs she'll want to participate in are being funded with someone else's money. I darn sure hope it works out for Amber because her stay -- on everyone else's dime -- ain't cheap. But, hey, if it can work for Max Cady...
Edited on June 13, 2012 at 9:27pmSep '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Sounds like a dumb show, but I can't seem to follow the logic of this post. So the teen mom drug addict is described as "self aware", while the seemingly upstanding citizen teen mom is condescendingly derided for being "spoiled and immature"?
I'd say inane things on air too if someone wanted to pay me big money to star in a reality show.
Jun '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
The only thing "real" about reality shows is that people play themselves (or some version of themselves). Other than that, there is nothing real about them. It's nothing but exhibitionism for money.
I prefer to confront my demons in private--you know, the way "real" people do.
Edited on June 13, 2012 at 9:51pmDec '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Anybody that needs some semblance of the difference between what actually transpires, and what is depicted in the edits of a reality TV series, should consider listening to Carolla, or Penn Jillette, discussing the hilariously deceptive editing of Celebrity Apprentice.
Meanwhile, a single mom with no worthwhile education is probably getting at least $250,000 for this deceptive edit, aware of the process, and willing to make that sacrifice to bank that dough. Heiress Meghan McCain is just a sad twit, whereas Bristol is at least making money that she seriously needs, with the tools she has available.
But she isn't making that money from me, because I don't watch such nonsense. Folks that watch this sort of deceptive and exploitative programming need to reconsider whom should be most embarrassed.
Nov '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
I've little opinion, positive or negative, of Bristol. She seems like a good kid, and I wish she hadn't been thrust into the spotlight when she was clearly not ready; all things considered she has handled it well. I'm not sure why she should have, or merits, this kind of attention. I have this deep-seated suspicion that at least some of those handling her on this are liberals rubbing their hands in glee at the opportunity to heap new ridicule on the Palin name.
Every time I see Piper in public, though, I get a different sense. I hope the media keeps its paws off until that young lady gets through college. I have this suspicion that she has a wisdom beyond her age, and that she'll hit the world like a Sarah Palin 2.0, with less personal glamour, a public-speaking style with a bit more gravitas, and more built-in wisdom. Maybe it's only a dream, but these eyes see something in that kid that promises that in another 20 years the Palin name might come back into the spotlight with a new force.
Dec '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
CJRun:
Meanwhile, a single mom with no worthwhile education is probably getting at least $250,000 for this deceptive edit, aware of the process, and willing to make that sacrifice to bank that dough.
Ding Ding Ding!
We have a winnah!
I'm not sure why people like to run Bristol down.
If she has some Hollywood moron on the line wanting to throw buckets of cash at her if she'll let them tape her and then try to humiliate her, why should she turn it down?
The MSM and the left (but I repeat myself) is going to do something like that to her and the rest of her family anyway, she might as well get paid while it's happening.
I think sometimes conservatives get embarrassed because the left makes fun of the Palins, and they don't seem to care much. That makes those same people think that the Palins are not smart enough to know they're being made fun of.
I'm pretty sure that they know exactly what's happening, but they genuinely don't give a damn.
Can't blame them for hitting their licks where they can.
Dec '11
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
With all due respect to the former governor of Alaska, enough already about your children!
Aug '10
Re: Time for Bristol Palin to Grow Up
Emily Esfahani Smith:
Last week, Portwood made headlines for deciding to serve a five-year prison sentence rather than check into drug rehab...
When I read about Portwood’s gut-wrenching decision–a wise decision that reveals her self-awareness and a desire to be a better person–
Does Portwood's decision reveal self-awareness and a desire to be a better person? Yes.
Is it ultimately wise? Maybe not...
Deciding to go to prison when you have other options is like voluntarily checking yourself into the hospital's mental health ward because you think it's the responsible thing to do when you've been scaring yourself lately. Sure, it's noble, but that doesn't by itself guarantee that you'll get more appropriate help by doing it.
Prison is a nasty place, and hardly drug-free (not that rehab programs are drug-free, either). You can learn a lot of bad habits in prison.
In general, surrounding yourself with people who are crazier or more criminal than you are isn't the usual way to become saner or less criminal.
I sure hope it works for her, though.