The television programme ‘The Lowdown’ and the newspaper article ‘Did you have a nice day at school, mummy?’ both deal with the issue of teenage pregnancy and feature Claire, a teenage mother. Compare how Claire and her life are presen
MEDIA ESSAY
The television programme 'The Lowdown' and the newspaper article 'Did you have a nice day at school, mummy?' both deal with the issue of teenage pregnancy and feature Claire, a teenage mother. Compare how Claire and her life are presented in each. Which did you feel was most effective and why?
The two different pieces of media are not only in different forms; a broadsheet newspaper article and a television programme, but they also have different purposes and are aimed at different audiences. The television programme is aimed at teens and pre-teens. The timing of the show shows this. It is on at around 5pm when most teenagers turn on the television to wait for 'Neighbours' although a few younger children may still be watching. It has been made not only to inform but to warn. The article on the other hand, is aimed at adults, especially parents, again to inform but to reassure as well. The general message is that if your child is pregnant, it is not the end of the world.
Claire is a sixteen-year-old teenager who was pregnant with Josh at the young age of fourteen. She, Josh and josh's father Ian now live in their own flat and Claire is doing five GCSE's at the Unit for schoolgirl mothers in Bristol.
In the television programme, areas of Claire's life that are covered are: Claire at school, at home, shopping and her general life as a pregnant mother.
When asked how she reacted when she found out she was pregnant she said;
"I felt sick."
She went on to say that she was shocked and couldn't take it in. She didn't like being pregnant at all.
"I hated it"
If you compare this to most women's reactions when they find out they are pregnant they are exited and happy.
"I've seen these teenagers walking past in little belly tops and I've thought 'Oh god!"
When talking about the importance of school, she briefly mentions her truancy.
"I didn't care about school. I bunked off everyday."
The reason she gives for her change of heart is that she now cares about what her child will think of her. She doesn't want Josh to think she purposely got pregnant so she could get a flat. She doesn't want to be on benefits all her life either. She didn't go into to much detail about her past problems as the programme's main message is "It could happen to anyone". If she had talked about coming from a broken home and all of the details of her truancy we would immediately come up with a stereotypical image in our minds and think "well that couldn't happen to me then!" and this would defy the point of the programme.
Claire talks about what she plans on doing after completing her GCSE's but is very vague.
"A-levels or whatever."
Later she also says:
"I'd like to go to college, but I'm worried about the childcare costs."
She says she'll have to enquire whether she can get help from social security. This is included to show that it is hard to carry on your education when there is a baby to think about.
She describes her day at school. At nine thirty she puts Josh in the nursery (in the school). Then she has ...
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Claire talks about what she plans on doing after completing her GCSE's but is very vague.
"A-levels or whatever."
Later she also says:
"I'd like to go to college, but I'm worried about the childcare costs."
She says she'll have to enquire whether she can get help from social security. This is included to show that it is hard to carry on your education when there is a baby to think about.
She describes her day at school. At nine thirty she puts Josh in the nursery (in the school). Then she has two lessons. Then they go to the nursery for an hour. This is in comparison to an average day at a normal teenager's school.
All the girls are in the same boat. They all moan about not having any clothes and not being able to find a babysitter.
"All the girls are knackered."
The next 'section' of the programme is set in Claire's home. You see Claire tidying, cooking and seeing to josh. During the filming her sister comes around with her toddler. Claire mentioned that her sister visits often and they talk about "what the kids have been doing". This is in direct contrast to an average sixteen-year-old with her own flat who would invite all her friends round, have parties and either eat basic things or order take-a-ways. This is included so that the audience doesn't get the wrong idea and think "great, she's got her own place!". In fact, to make this point even clearer, when Claire is talking to a group of schoolgirls, she even says that you shouldn't think this.
Another important part that is shown is a clock on the side of the screen. This is there to show how many times the baby won't go to sleep and how many times he wakes in the night. Every half an hour or so, Josh wakes up. This goes on until around 1am. Then to top off this sleepless night, josh wakes up at six in the morning! When watching this you are to assume that this is a typical evening and night for Claire as she says;
"It's not a teenager's life."
Claire, Ian and Josh all go to the supermarket. As Claire goes round, she says all the prices of the things she needs to buy for Josh on her very limited budget. This shows the financial strain of having a baby. She shows us nappies, baby milk, teething gel, baby shampoo, the list goes on and on. She also pointed out that some things might not last the week. Claire also mentions "big things" that she needed to buy at the beginning; cot, pram, high-seat, carrycot...
"Making money go round is the hardest thing."
Clothes and shoes and shoes are expensive too. Josh's shoes cost £27.
"More than mine!"
And babies grow like wild fire so they always need new clothes. She feels guilty when spending £20 on herself. She has a Boots advantage card, but instead of spending points on cosmetics or toiletries like a normal teenage would, she spends points on nappies!
So really Claire is very lucky that Ian stayed with her, as babies are so expensive. If she only just scrapes by now, she would be quite stuck without Ian's financial support. But she had been with Ian for seven months before the pregnancy so it wasn't as if it was a one-night fling. Claire seems quite positive about one thing;
"I knew he'd stay with me."
Claire says that now she has a child to think about, they have to cook healthy meals.
"If it were just me and Ian I wouldn't bother cooking."
Even though Josh has brought all this trouble with him, she wouldn't be without him now.
"I love him more than I love anyone or anything else."
Nevertheless, if her daughter was pregnant...
"I wouldn't be pleased."
At the end, Claire and some of the other girls go to another school and give a talk to girls their age. Claire has the last words as the music comes on in the background.
"Don't ever think it won't happen to you because it will."
And the very last words are:
"Have a life."
Then the camera flashes from baby in quick succession crying and fighting and lastly, being sick. This is two indicate the frantic business of looking after a baby. These last images and words are important and chosen carefully, as these are the things you will go away with.
The whole summery just reinforces the fact that teenage pregnancy is not a good idea.
Though out the film there are many sound effects. There are a lot of baby noises such as crying and even screaming to emphasise that babies are demanding. There is a nursery mobile and some well-chosen songs. They are "mama" by the Spice Girls, the words being; "mama I love you, mama I care." And "bitch" by Meredith Brookes, the words being; "I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint, I do not feel ashamed." which bother sum up the girls' situations.
In 'The Lowdown' the impression given is that Claire is only just managing to cope with the strain of the responsibilities of your average thirty-year-old. She always seems very tired as if she is dying for a break. You see her and her school friends yawning a lot. Despite this it is obvious that she is handling her life as a teen mother well. She is especially lucky that Ian stayed and it was made clear that it is rare for fathers to stick around.
In the newspaper article 'Did you have a nice day at school, mummy?' the title immediately catches you eye. Usually, the mother asks the child if they had a nice day at school but here, it is the other way around. There subtitle explains all; a fourteen-year-old is pregnant. It then goes on to say,
"Amanda Mitchison meets two young mothers who are trying to rebuild their lives."
This suggests that when they became pregnant, their lives fell apart.
The article can be split into several parts. In the opening, brief details are given about Claire's life before she became pregnant. The very first sentence suggests the typical scenario.
"When Claire was twelve her father who had been very strict with his daughters left the family home."
The article then goes on to say that Claire and her friends used to "bunk off" school. The use of slang words throughout the first paragraph suggests the kind of language a teenager would use.
"a sea of oven chips and fag ends"
Claire's truancy eventually led to a court hearing, but it is made clear that her mum did try.
"Claire's mother tried driving her daughter to school in the morning and watching her walk into the building before she drove off. But it was no good."
This was included so that readers don't think, "well what was her mother doing about it all?"
When Claire found out she was pregnant, the court case was cancelled.
The next section tells us about Claire's life now.
There are quite a few lines that suggest that they are not very well off.
"survive on benefits"
"the sitting-room is bare"
"Claire has to warm the baby's bottle with a candle"
And finally it spells it out for you.
"miserable inconveniences of poverty"
There are also lots of sentences, individual words and repetition implying that Claire is always doing something.
"as she bustles around the flat making tea and seeing to the toddler"
"she bustles around tidying, tidying, tidying"
"she can trudge round with the buggy"
She even says:
"You know, until you are a mum you don't realise how much she does."
Claire is presented as very responsible.
"not even any ashtrays, for Claire won't smoke in front of her son."
In fact...
"She seems so competent and confident that you have to remind yourself that she is only 16."
This suggests that Claire impresses the writer.
Claire talks about her future goal to train to become a midwife.
She says that now Josh comes first.
"As soon as I fell pregnant I had to think not just about me but about my baby as well."
This is in great contrast to "her freewheeling oven chip days". But, in case of anyone thinking the article encourages teenage pregnancy the article adds:
"Would she recommend getting pregnant to anyone else her age? "Of course not." She replies, suggesting this is a silly question. She mentions exhaustion, hard work, no money and not fitting into any of her old clothes.
The very last paragraph is on a positive note. Claire explains that without Josh, her life would have gone steadily down hill. I very much like the last sentence:
"there is nothing like the rude shock of motherhood to concentrate the mind."
-This is a very witty last line that stuck in my mind for weeks!
I think that although it has been hard work for Claire, she has coped as well with a baby as any normal mother would. When listing the cons of teenage pregnancy it says:
"the same draw backs you hear to variable degrees from most mothers" suggesting just this.
I think that both pieces of media are effective, but I feel I cannot chose between them, as their purposes are different. Each one, the newspaper article and the television programme, have very impressive endings, which have a lot of impact, although the television programme has the advantage of sound and picture over the article.
Aisling Knight 10.4 2nd February 2000
