These days, it’s no secret that reality TV can be pretty far from reality. By now, it’s common knowledge that even the most true to life of reality shows can be heavily produced and altered to fit a specific storyline. So to say that Teen Mom has some elements of fiction shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
That said, a bit of editing here or there or a producer suggesting a line is nothing compared to outright lying about the ages of the cast members.
Any filmmaker will tell you that the art of film is essentially the art of manipulation. Even the most realistic feeling movies and TV shows are, at their core, products of emotional cajoling through various techniques and that is all the more true when it comes to reality TV. Sure, it’s supposed to be… well, real, but the truth is that often times “reality shows” present a heavily altered version of the real events they depict. What actually makes it to screens can be easily manipulated through editing, music choices, and even things as simple as what the producers and editors choose to include and what they leave out. These techniques, which are used liberally in reality TV, can effortlessly put a different spin on the “real” events depicted on the show.
Unfortunately, this applies to Teen Mom as much as it does to any other reality show. In fact, there have been numerous times in the past that the cast members have spoken out about their discontent with the way they have been portrayed in the show, claiming that editing and manipulation has made the events look different from how they really happened. Now, the accusations are heating up, which has fans concerned about whether what they see is an accurate representation of their favorite stars’ lives…. Or how old they are!
Fans were woken up to MTV’s ways when they posted an advertisement for casting for their upcoming show!
“Pregnant for the first time?” the ad reads. “Due between February and May ‘20? Want us to follow your story?”
It went on to list how these moms could contact them, and signed off with: ”Must appear to be 15-19 years old.”
Fans took this to mean that MTV is willing to fudge the truth about how old the cast members really are!
In fact, some think this may have happened with the present Young and pregnant cast!
“They claim on the show [Rachel Beaver is] 17, Why does she never go to school and why is she always out drinking and smoking. Its so obvious. Idk I just find it weird that when Lexie, Kayla, etc, were 17 they showed school, then leaving for school, talking about school, I have never ONCE heard Rachel say ‘I have school tomorrow’ or anything about her having any kind of education,” wrote user wtfxarya.
But others just don’t care if MTV is lying. “Literally who cares?” wrote user UnionThug456. “All I care about is casting interesting people. I don’t want to watch one more Teen Mom do one more photo shoot or go on one more vacation. And please miss me with their businesses being storylines! I literally don’t care. Give me more Jenelles and Rachels god d*mn it!
What do you think about this potential lie?
Chelsea Houska Slams MTV For Fake Scene
By now, the cast of Teen Mom knows the ins and outs of being on TV. Many of the stars have plenty of experiences being misrepresented by editing done by MTV, and that’s not to mention the ways that their co-stars and exes have misrepresented them as well.
This time around, Chelsea Houskaisn’t letting it slide. She’s calling out MTV on a fake scene and setting the record straight.
Like many of the Teen Mom stars, Chelsea Houska is fully independent these days. But she’s always had a particularly close relationship with both of her parents, who helped her raise Aubree when she was younger. Her mother, Mary, has been alongside Chelsea through some extremely dark times, including Chelsea’s ongoing legal battles with her first baby daddy, Adam Lind.
So it’s no wonder that when Chelsea revealed she wanted to move farther away from her hometown, her mother was devastated. MTV chronicled the scene in the October 8th episode of Teen Mom 2, entitled Walking the Walk.
“We’re closing on the land tomorrow,” Chelsea told her mother in the episode.
“I am just sick,” her mother said. “But I don’t wanna make you mad and all crazy of whatever -- if I say something.”
“What do you have to say about it?” Chelsea asked, pointing out, “We’re going to be 45 minutes away… You have kids that live in Florida and Texas.”
“It isn’t so much that you’re leaving, ‘cause it isn’t that far,” Mary said, adding, “You’re only 15 minutes from me now. I’m by myself. I have to drive all the way down there after five, ‘cause I work til five. I can’t just get off, you know.”
By that point, Chelsea seemed upset. “We can’t live our life and our decisions based on [that].”
“Don’t rush into anything,” her mother underscored. “Just really, really thinka bout it, ‘cause I’m just like -- I’m not trying to sound like I’m selfish… But I mean, you know, these kids are all I got anymore.”
“We have to do what we feel is right, though,” Chelsea said. “It’s not gonna be as bad as you think it is.”
Needless to say, this hard conversation between mother and daughter was divisive among the fans. Some thought that Chelsea was being too hard on her mother, while others believed that Mary wasn’t giving Chelsea enough space. But it turns out there was much more to the conversation than MTV revealed.
“Oh snap. I just cried with [Chelsea’s mom],” wrote a fan on Twitter. “I would be so devastated if my baby moved away.”
Chelsea tweeted back, “I totally understood where she was coming from. But it’s the town I grew up in! AND I’m disappointed they left out a whole entire part of our convo. We hugged it out, and I reassured her over and over it was all going to be just fine.”
After Chelsea set the record straight about MTV editing out an important part of their conversation, fans discussed her update on reddit.
“She doesn’t need to be disappointed. Her mom was being super dramatic and guilt trippy over a move that would happen months away that would still put her within reasonable distance from them. 45 minutes isn’t far,” wrote user InitialIntro. User So__Fetch_ disagreed, writing, “I think mary has most likely been a daily presence in the lives of her grandchildren and has carried a chunk of the load in helping raise them. It looked like this was the first she had heard of this and was shocked, Chelsea didn't let her know this was a possibility, they were thinking about it... buying land isn't a small thing and Mary was hurt from being kept in the dark up until this point and blind sided and now Chelsea is just going to peace out. I see why she got emotional.
I think it was a shitty way for Chelsea to handle the situation. It sounds like Chelsea understands that too.”
What do YOU think about Chelsea’s conversation with her mom? Let us know in the comments and SHARE this article!
What do you think about this update? Let us know in the comments and SHARE this article!