MTV introduced 16 and Pregnant to the world, and it became the phenomenon known as Teen Mom. Despite the fact that some people were already getting tired of reality TV, Teen Mom became a success and even launched two spin-offs, Teen Mom 2, and Teen Mom 3. Some of the show's cast have actually achieved a lot of success, but it gets lost in the middle of the show's drama. Yes, over the years, Teen Mom has given us a variety of life lessons. Though sometimes we've learned these in a gentle way, we also learned from the mistakes of the cast , and even some of their family .
There's also the fact that reality TV is still TV. There are two ways to look at this. The first is to realize that any TV show relies on editing and has to condense a person's entire life into chunks that audiences can pay attention to. That's why it seems like a reality TV star's life consists solely of a bunch of drama.
But, this also means that many of the show's cast have used social media and other methods to clarify things. The constant editing necessary in MTV's Teen Mom has left a few cast unhappy over how they've been portrayed. At times, this has resulted in a few scuffles between them, and even the network. Of course, these clarifications are a part of the show's drama.
Here are 10 Things That Were Fake On Teen Mom (And 10 Things That Were Real).
20. Fake: Bristol Palin Isn't Lazy
Bristol Palin became a famous teen mom after her mother's famed Vice Presidential run. However, she was not an original cast member on Teen Mom.
Instead, she spent her first few years away from the spotlight. She ed the cast of Teen Mom OG. We're not sure what she was expecting, but she wasn't happy with how she was portrayed. She used an Instagram post to show the public that she works hard. This was a rebuttal to the way Teen Mom OG was portraying her—as lazy. Palin said that she does everything she can to make her family happy.
19. Real: Jenelle Burned A Gift She Received From Kailyn
Not all cast get along, but some of them show this in strange ways. Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry gave her co-star Jenelle a gift. We get that they're not exactly friends, but Lowry was clearly trying to foster a peaceful environment between the two.
Instead of sending a thank-you note or just regifting the present, Jenelle Evans created a cinematic masterpiece showing how little she cares for the gift she received. Evans felt compelled to place the gift in a forest, make a few comments, and then burn the entire thing down. The video even features a country rap song.
18. Fake: The Way Chelsea Talked About Cole
Cast member Chelsea Houska noticed that a conversation she had about Cole wasn't portrayed as it truly happened. The start of Teen Mom 2 called out this portrayal on Twitter using the hashtag #RealityTVProbs.
The actual conversation is a bit unclear because we viewers only see the edited version of the show. Suffice it to say that Chelsea was having a conversation in one context, and she feels that one small sentence was added to a scene of another conversation. We get that this would irk her a bit. It's not the first time someone from the reality TV show notices this.
17. Real: Tyler Really Was Depressed
Tyler Baltierra is one half of our favorite Teen Mom couple. We've seen him and Catelynn go through so much that his mental health issues don't surprise us. Many fans appreciate how candid the couple has been about what it was like to be together for so long while caring for their physical and mental health.
Baltierra confessed to going through a dark period and revealed that he harbored dark thoughts when he was as young as 11. Thankfully he's still with us, and his revelation has been a big help to so many. He seems so happy we wouldn't have known judging by the show alone.
16. Fake: Isaac Wasn't Just Upset That Lincoln Would Stay With His Father
Kailyn Lowry has also had to clarify a few things during her tenure on Teen Mom 2. She once said that MTV worked to provoke Isaac so he would cry during a scene.
This was something that even fans said they noticed. It seems that there was a time when Isaac was being directed—except that this is a reality TV show and we don't expect directors of the genre to, you know, tell the cast what to do. At least the show's stars are able to use social media whenever they need to confirm storylines every now and then.
15. Real: Jenelle Really Was A Total Mess
The show's cast are surrounded by film crews and other employees. Perhaps one of them might take it upon themselves to provide advice once in a while, right?
It follows that if you're on Teen Mom, you don't have to work hard to make yourself look like a mess. The drama will simply hang around and wait for the cameras to roll. Jenelle Evans is someone we've seen make a questionable decision or two. A Reddit commenter who claims to know her confirmed that she did live a disorderly life for a bit. Even the things that seemed fake were real.
14. Fake: Kailyn Isn't As Worried About Her Relationships
Kailyn Lowry seems pretty levelheaded, which is why she was unhappy with being portrayed as constantly worried about her relationships with male suitors. Lowry has said she wants teen moms to know they can stay in school. She's been on the dean's list, has managed to go to class, and feels the show should worry more about her achievements. This seems understandable.
Lowry feels the show unfairly focuses on who she's dating. Sure, fans want to know about this, but it's nice to know the star cares about being an example to other moms who want to chase their dreams.
13. Real: Amber's Extensive Makeover
Fans of Teen Mom have seen Amber Portwood change in many ways. Many of these changes have been internal. Though Amber isn't perfect, she's definitely changed her attitude and seems a lot more relaxed than when we first met her.
Of course, we've seen her change her appearance extensively. Earning several thousand in MTV money will do that to you, but Amber Portwood its to having "gotten a lot of stuff done." It's her body and she owes no one any explanations, but good on her for itting to this because it lets other moms know it's not in everyone's reach.
12. Fake: Amber And Farrah's Fight
Amber Portwood and Farrah Abraham haven't always gotten along. One episode of Teen Mom included footage of an altercation between the two costars. However, Abraham said MTV directed Amber to slap her. Farrah even goes as far as saying the crew removed as many people as possible before staging the scene. This includes asking the cast member's family and children to exit the set.
That definitely sounds like too much directing for a reality TV show. Abraham said these manipulations get in the way of portraying the cast member's true stories and gets in the way of their family dynamics.
11. Real: Ryan Is In Recovery
Everyone has issues they need to deal with Ryan Edwards, Mackenzie Edwards's partner, has been battling addiction for a while. He's in recovery and wanted to be portrayed in this manner on Teen Mom.
Ryan said that the network only wanted to show him as an angry person who isn't doing anything to get better. However, he's mentioned that he cares very much about getting sober. He even took to Instagram to vent his frustrations about the way he's being portrayed. Needless to say, he and Mackenzie decided not to return to Teen Mom in seasons of the show.
