I experienced a major head-spin at seeing the overly-made-up teen vamp Hilary Duff declaring herself against teen pregnancy-- but, lo and behold, the Candies Group (yes, the same folks who made that sexy wooden slide so popular back in the 70s) is trying to help reduce teen pregnancy. The Candies Foundation has a Website dedicated to their mission of "educating American youth about the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy".
All I can say is.... well, I admit to being a bit confused. Messages are mixed-- a big fundraiser is the "Be Sexy" T-shirt-- but the ads clearly focus on doing the right thing. A number of famous and beautiful faces (Alicia Keyes, Ashlee Simpson, the Dixie Chicks, Jenny McCarthy, among many others) declare in print ads:
"Be Strong--Don't Be a Statistic"
"Be Focused-- Don't Give Up on Your Education"
"Be Smart-- Think Twice"
"Be Vocal-- Say No Way"
They seem to be trying to walk a fine line between courting the sexy fashion culture and advising girls to say no to sex. It's interesting that abstinence is featured prominently, and not in any backhanded way-- it really does seem genuine. Their bottom line is "Be Sexy-- It Doesn't Mean You Have to Have Sex".
Well, OK. I guess it has a better ring to it than "Be Frumpy-- Wear a Blanket". And at least we are hearing the right message. It does make things a bit awkward, though, when your supporting organization is selling "hot" clothes and makeup to make you look like Mata Hari. But I think their hearts are in the right place.
They sponsor some wonderful Public Service Announcements, including one where Jenny McCarthy reads the riot act to two teens about to have sex in the back seat of a car-- and hands them a crying baby to remind them of the consequences. Their "Facts" page gives straightforward and sobering data about teen pregnancies in the US today. Their main link is to the Website of TeenPregnancy.org, home of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and is chock full of good stuff to help the girl on the fence avoid sex before she's ready. It even discusses moral and --gasp-- religious teachings as support for saying no, as well as linking to sites like NotMeNotNow (an abstinence education site) and Covenant House, a NYC-based organization that assists runaway and homeless teens.
Unfortunately, they do try to cover all the bases, and in so doing, kind of undermine the abstinence message. A listed "related site" (not necessarily endorsed) is Teen Wire, which is sponsored by Planned Parenthood. Besides being scary explicit, this site is not shy about exhorting teens to "Get Involved!"-- volunteering to help keep the world safe for abortion. Which, I suppose, is another way of reducing teen pregnancy-- just not the way I'd prefer to see it. And while I am truly grateful for any assistance in pushing back against this creepy culture, I fear that their way is too much of a concession.
But we don’t just sit in a huff and criticize, we take action!
I feel the same way about getting mixed messages from these campaigns and thus end up confused. Then I guess what Candies Foundation is a step in the right direction, conflicting though their messages may be (calling out slogans like "be smart..." garbed in vampy, blood-vessel-constricting clothing). Can't imagine Hilary Duff looking vampy...
On a related matter, I was so elated the other day upon reading a news item on LifeSite about Beyonce and Britney Spears (?) being derided for their pimpy/prostitute-like fashion choices, when sex trafficking has become a serious problem (especially in developing countries). Can more people speak up pls? In that news item it was The Body Shop's Anita Roddick who uttered the observations.
Let's pray for positive results of the Candies Foundation campaign. =)
Sunny
Posted by: Sunnyday | February 22, 2006 at 11:12 PM
Agreed, there is wealth of information at the site, and I wish them well in spreading their message. But the "Be Sexy" T-shirt is definitely muddying the waters.
Why do girls have to be sexy nowadays anyway? It's not enough to be pretty, now even middle schoolers are supposed to be sexy. Why??? How tiring for them! Maybe they'll be totally sick of the peer pressure and expectations in their 20's instead of in the 40's.
Posted by: Mary O'Hayes | February 23, 2006 at 07:55 PM
Update: I wrote to the Candies Foundation, saying I support the foundation's mission but I'm not crazy about the "Be Sexy" T-shirt. The exective director wrote back to say "We are currently working with Seventeen magazine on a contest for a new t-shirt!" If anyone comes across this in Seventeen magazine, let us know.
Posted by: Mary O'Hayes | February 24, 2006 at 12:11 PM
Way to go, Mary!!
Posted by: Liz Neville | February 24, 2006 at 07:31 PM
I hope that the Candies marketing department is not so out of inspiration that trawling the readership of "Seventeen" is their best hope!
Send them a "Girls Gone Mild"...sounds like they are looking for new ideas!
Posted by: spinal tap | February 25, 2006 at 11:29 AM
I think the candies foundation is totally WRONG! It's sending the message that ALL teen pregnancies are horrible mistakes! They are fueling the discrimination against young mother's. I am 18 and I have been married for 2 years, I do not have any children, but my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant! The candies foundation needs to stop with the message that babies suck! It's so wrong! They need to send a message like, if you choose to have sex, you are taking a risk that you might get pregnant, whether you want to get pregnant or not! I am deeply hurt and resentful that my peers are being driven in the direction of negative judgment to people like me!
Posted by: Lisa | May 21, 2007 at 01:47 PM
Does anybody know how can i contact the Candies Foundation
Posted by: Joriane | March 04, 2008 at 08:44 AM
I find your posts and messages you send out very discriminating against girls who are teen parents and quite frankly your "vows" and advertisements really tick me off. You cannot simply tell people that if they get pregnant their life will be ruined. It is ridiculous. A particular add that really peeved me was the one with a picture of a crib saying if you have a baby you will not be moving out of your parents home any time soon. Although all of your adds upset me. I got pregnant at 16 and had my son at 17 and moved out of my parents house when I was three months pregnant. I am now 19 going on 20 and have completed 1 year of my college education and only have 2 years left. I have my own apartment and effeciently provide for my son and I. Your ads send out lies, although i know you are just trying to prevent teen pregnancy. I feel I am very successful thus far and will continue to succeed with my education, I will be just fine and my life is not ruined. Just thought I would put that out there and I am sure that there are alot of successful teen mothers that feel the same way. Our children are our lives and you make us look like a bunch of scumbags...discrimination.
Posted by: Jennifer Woodward | May 07, 2008 at 02:00 AM
Jennifer, this is Liz who wrote the post. I just happened to notice a new comment on our Typepad page; otherwise I might never have checked to see new comments on this post, originally dated Feb. 2006. But I just wanted to clarify: I'm in favor of girls not being pressured into nor heedlessly having sex before they are ready. I think that reminding girls of the enormous consequence of sex (possibly creating a life!) is terribly important. Our culture has made abortion seem as simple and unproblematic as a cosmetic procedure. I believe all life is sacred and I applaud you for taking responsibility for your son, which can't make for an easy life. Worthwhile, yes; easy no. I have two children, and I know the joy they bring, but I also know the physical and emotional hard work required.
Also, I think you may have confused us here at Modestly Yours with the Candies Foundation people, as your comment seems to suggest that we're running those ads. I and my fellow bloggers simply comment on what we notice in the culture. Thanks again for reading and commenting and I would love to hear back from you.
Posted by: Liz Neville | May 07, 2008 at 01:24 PM
I guess the candies foundation is trying to take into account the millions of families who dont believe abstinence only education is the best method of sex education in the US. Maybe thats a good thing.
Posted by: Larissa | May 08, 2008 at 01:06 AM
Im 16 years old...I was aware of the Candies Foundation before...But I didnt really pay any attention to it...Until I found out that I had 3 cousins pregnate.. All ranging between 17-20 years old. Too young in my opinion. Also, 3 of my fellow class mates in school had to drop out from school because they were pregnate. To say the least I was TERRIFIED. I didnt know what to do. But, in reality I want to help. I want to help make teenagers more aware of early pregnancies. Is there anything I can do to help make teens more aware of what they can be getting themselves into.
Posted by: Aly | July 01, 2008 at 09:33 AM