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Back in 2010, "16 and Pregnant" viewers took a special interest in one expecting teen named Ashley Salazar, who was overcome with uncertainty regarding whether or not she wanted to parent or form an adoption plan for her daughter, Callie. During her episode, the new mom signed adoption papers, but shortly after changed her mind and reclaimed Callie from her aunt and uncle, who were also the adoptive parents. Ultimately she decided not to parent, allowing her aunt and uncle to raise the child instead.

Ashley's difficult choice--and the aftermath of that choice--is what sparked her interest in documenting the journey on paper. In her just-released book, "Bittersweet Blessing," the young writer takes us through her ups and downs and offers up firsthand insight on her decision-making process. "I want Callie to have some documentation when she's older, and also, I want her to know why I did what I did," Salazar explained to Remote Control of her inspiration. "When I write I can sort all of my thoughts out and see it all in front of me."

Salazar started penning her book in the fall of 2010, as it really helped her get some perspective on choosing adoption for her daughter. "Once the book was done, I realized that Callie has a lot of opportunity right now and that she's taken care of."

Currently a journalism student at University of North Texas, Salazar is very proud of her accomplishment and believes it can guide others who are battling similar uncertainty. "I hope I can inspire and help people learn more about getting pregnant at a young age," she says. "I want to reach a lot of people that don't have the opportunity to speak out."

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For all the pot-stirring MTV talent does, every tear, scuffle and f-bomb broadcast over its airwaves would be in vain if people weren't watching, reacting and gossiping about it the next morning. Similarly, Remote Control is aimless without reader feedback; input from fans of our network's shows is crucial in determining what you guys really want from us (besides the obvious, wink wink).

In 2011, RC readers weren't shy about where they stood on a number of issues, and the polarity kept things interesting. Here are some of the most hotly debated posts from the year:

Post: Ronnie Says He Doesn't Regret Destroying Sammi's Stuff
Show: "Jersey Shore"
The Situation: After Ronnie and Sammi decided to call it quits (again) during the group's return to Seaside Heights, things got pretty heated, especially when Sam asked her former boyfriend if he had any plans to see other girls. Ron didn't love the question, and the couple's biggest blowout yet divided viewers. Some thought Sammi was being overbearing ("Sammi should've been more willing to forgive and trust Ron if she was planning on staying with him after Miami since he didn't do anything wrong after," wrote Kid_Kryptonite) while others noted that Ron's actions were simply inexcusable ("Ronnie's a moron, a pig and a hypocrite! He can do what he wants and treat her like crap! But as soon as she stands up for herself, it's 'Poor Ronnie.' Grow up!" said Angela).

Post: "Teen Mom 2" Poll: Was Jenelle's Mom Too Hard On Her?
Show: "Teen Mom 2"
The Situation: Jenelle spent the better part of "Teen Mom 2" fighting for custody of her son, Jace, with her mother, Barbara. The young mother believed she had every right to go out as a teenager, while Barbara maintained that her daughter's partying was irresponsible and her negligence was dangerous to Jace. The argument was compounded by a fight during the reunion special in which the mother called her daughter "unlovable," and while some RC readers thought Jenelle wasn't getting a fair shot ("In my opinion Barbara wants to see Jenelle fail, so she sets her up for failure by pushing her away," wrote Robin) many agreed with Barbara that Jenelle's behavior was too erratic ("I think Jenelle has had many chances and every chance she gets, she always disappoints. Barbara is a mom that continues to open the door for her daughter and Jenelle just takes things for granted" said pottergal1822).

Read more...

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Tags 16 and Pregnant's Jennifer, Best Of 2011, Jersey Shore's Ronnie, Jersey Shore's Sammi, Jersey Shore's Snooki, Teen Mom's Farrah, Teen Wolf's Peter Hale

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Heath Statistics released new data for 2010 that shows a 9 percent decrease in the U.S. teen birthrate, now making it the lowest level ever reported. This is also the biggest one-year drop in teen births documented since 1946. Can we get a "Heygirlhey!" up in here?

We English majors don't get along too well with numbers, but we can say with utmost certainty that 9 percent equals a whole lot of teens that now have a much greater opportunity of graduating from high school, going to college, achieving financial independence, and one day, providing a stable home for a child they are prepared to support in every way.

So is this new figure related in any way to MTV's teen pregnancy programming, which focuses its efforts on showing the harsh truths about unplanned parenthood? Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, thinks it's very possible. Said Brown in a press release, "Teens are being more careful for a number of reasons, including the recession, more media attention to this issue-- including the "'16 and Pregnant'/'Teen Mom' effect‟--and more attention to and investment in evidence-based programs. But at the end of the day, the thanks and admiration go to teens themselves."

You should be proud of yourselves, ladies and gents, for making smarter decisions about sex. Here's to lowering the numbers with each successive year!

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If you missed tonight's "16 and Pregnant Adoption Special," Dr. Drew sat down with two very courageous young moms that pursued adoption plans, both of whom we met during previous seasons of "16 and Pregnant." If you recall Catelynn's story, she had such a difficult time committing to her decision that she almost changed her mind at the 11th hour, and Ashley (from Season 2) wavered back and forth, even after her child had gotten settled in her aunt and uncle's home. Tonight, they opened up further about the hardships of forming adoption plans and updated us on how their lives have changed since.

CATELYNN
While we all get to see Catelynn and Tyler continue to grow on "Teen Mom," there are still some things we didn't know. For instance, Cate's very active in her community and has become an anti-teen pregnancy advocate. She tours schools trying to encourage her peers to think wisely about their sexual behavior and has even taken it upon herself to form relationships with other expecting teens that are on the fence about their future.

ASHLEY
Still saddled with some uncertainty, Ashley's been pursuing therapy to try and help her heal, and she wants to continue maintaining a healthy relationship with Callie's adoptive parents. She still receives criticism from viewers who disagree with her decision, but turning to her personal blog as an outlet has been a huge help.

+ If you caught the special, let us know what you thought of Catelynn and Ashley's continuing stories, and if you're curious about how adoption works, check out this helpful guide.

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Tags 16 and Pregnant's Ashley, Dr. Drew, Teen Mom's Catelynn

Taylor Swift has quite a few guilty pleasures (don't we all?), and aside from the really obvious one--brown-haired boys who play with her heart and eventually crush her soul--July's Teen Vogue cover girl reveals on the magazine's website that MTV's "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" top her list of pop culture obsessions (take that, Kim Kardashian!). Guess it goes without saying how much we respect Taylor's artistic taste and discerning eye for quality TV programming (we said it anyway, 'course), so we're delighted to add her to the growing list of savvy and well-respected public figures that support the show.

It's worth noting that Taylor listed "90s one-hit wonders, watching YouTube videos of kittens and the app CatPaint" as other items on her guilty pleasures list. Thus our gift to her below:

+ Tell us some of your guilty pleasures in the comments, plus check out more of Teen Vogue's interview with Tay Tay!

Photo courtesy of Teen Vogue

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During tonight's "16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor" finale special, Dr. Drew caught up with all 10 mothers from Season 3 to find out how their first year of parenting is going. In case you missed their on-stage updates, here's the Cliffs Notes version:

JORDAN
When we last saw her: Jordan struggled to find a balance between maintaining a close bond with her twin sister, Jessica, and developing her relationship with her baby's father, Brian.
Update: Jordan and Brian are now married and he has enlisted in the Air Force.

JENNIFER
When we last saw her: She and her babies' father Josh had an unhealthy relationship that turned really ugly when he kicked her out of the car and sped off with their twins in the backseat.
Update: Jennifer is still hopeful that Josh will change his behavior, even though she recently had to file a restraining order against him because he threatened to have her raped.

JAMIE
When we last saw her: Her baby's father, Ryan, showed up late for the delivery. Eventually Jamie refused to allow Ryan time with Maia without being present.
Update: Jamie and Ryan barely speak. He wants to see his baby more, but Jamie thinks his weekly visits are adequate for now.

DANIELLE
When we last saw her: Danielle hoped that living with her baby's father would make her feel complete, but instead she found herself completely alone and moved back in with her mom.
Update: Danielle and Jamie's relationship is still a rollercoaster. She misses her life before pregnancy and hopes to get her GED once she has a drivers license.

CLEONDRA
When we last saw her: Cleondra and Mario fought over everything, including which house to raise their daughter in.
Update: Mario wants to fix his relationship with Cleo, but even though she still loves him, she's not sure whether or not being a couple is realistic. They still live in separate homes.

KAYLA
When we last saw her: Kayla's pregnancy triggered her eating disorder and her mom neglected to offer support. Luckily, she had a caring partner in her baby's father, Mike.
Update: Kayla's no longer with Mike and she now lives with her father. She's been struggling a lot with her anorexia.

IZABELLA
When we last saw her: She hid her pregnancy from close friends and family for nearly eight months, eventually damaging her relationship with her best friend, Cassidy.
Update: Izabella and Jiro are engaged and her parents have started to take a liking to their future son-in-law.

KIANNA
When we last saw her: Kianna considered forming an adoption plan, but her boyfriend Zak wouldn't have it and she eventually conceded.
Update: Kianna and Zak are engaged to be married and serious about building a bright future for their son.

TAYLOR
When we last saw her: Taylor and Nathan thought they could take on the responsibilities of parenthood, but once she delivered their child, he started slacking off and didn't make much of an effort to get a job.
Update: She's still with Nathan although they argue over parenting responsibilities. Baby Aubri had a tumor removed from her lung, but her health is back on track.

ALLIE
When we last saw her: After being kicked out of the house by her father, Allie sought comfort in her boyfriend Joey's family, but was instead confronted with his mother's verbal abuse.
Update: At the "Life After Labor" finale special, Allie and Joey spoke for the first time in months. Allie is willing to allow Joey to see Aydenn, but only if she's present for it. Allie has all As in school and plans to go to a four-year college.

+ All 10 moms have grown since their episode taped, but whose maturity impresses you the most? Sound off in the comments!

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Fans of "16 and Pregnant" were very affected by Allie's struggle to make her way as a young mom. Her verbally abusive relationship with Yolanda and increasingly disinterested baby's father, Joey, became difficult for Allie to stomach, and as a result, she walked out of their world and didn't look back...until tonight.

When Allie and Joey reunited on the "16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor" finale special, he hadn't seen her or his baby, Aydenn, in two months. It was a heartwarming moment when Allie agreed to let Joey hold his son, and after recognizing the happiness that it brought the young father, Dr. Drew introduced a compromise that would allow him more time to be with his child, if he so wishes.

+ Should Allie have made sure that Joey saw Aydenn sooner, or did she do the smart thing by waiting for him to step up on his own? Share your opinion in the comments!

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Jamie from "16 and Pregnant" was one of the many young moms featured on Season 3 who became frustrated over having an irresponsible baby daddy. In her case, Ryan showed up late for her labor (which she told us was because he was sleeping with another girl) and she had no choice but to cut off all communication with him. We caught up with the young mom during the "16 and Pregnant After Show," where she also revealed that things had gotten so bad with Ryan that he was skipping his weekly opportunities to see their daughter, Miah.

Check out a sneak peek of Tuesday night's "16 and Pregnant: Life After Labor" special (tune in at 10/9c), where Dr. Drew asks Ryan where he was the night of his daughter's birth. Ryan claims that his phone was dead and he was at his friend's house, but that doesn't explain the hickies he had all over his neck.

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Tags 16 and Pregnant's Jamie, Dr. Drew, Reunion Special, Sneak Peek, Video

Every Friday we thumb through your comments from the most talked about post of the week and highlight each side of the argument. Check out the latest That's What You Said below and make sure to share your own opinion!

This week, one of the more controversial stories on Remote Control focused on Allie and her fraying relationship with her baby's father, Joey. His refusal to step it up as a father coupled with his unending family chaos put a lot of stress on Allie, which eventually led to a breakup. We asked you whether or not the young mom should work on improving her communication with Joey so that he can still see his son, and here's what you had to say:

"If Joey wanted to be a father he'd be ringing her phone nonstop and he'd do whatever it takes to get to Jersey to see his child. Yeah he's only 16, but so what? He was old enough to have sex and impregnate a girl, so he's old enough to get a job, buy a plane ticket and spend time with his child." -- lena305

"I can only imagine how hard it was growing up with a drug addict. I think Joey has the potential to be a great father, its just going to take him time to mature." -- Rosanna Sanchez

"Joey has the potential to be a good man, but he doesn't have a mentor or anything. For him to not even see the baby, that's not cool!" -- Alexis Munoz

All three viewers have slightly different perspectives, but how do you feel? Is Joey a product of his upbringing, and therefore deserving of more time to grow up, or should Allie continue on her journey alone? Let's keep the convo going!

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New mom Allie had an overwhelmingly difficult struggle on Tuesday's season finale of "16 and Pregnant." Between her absent parents, verbally abusive relationship with Yolanda and disinterested baby's father, she couldn't catch a break. By the end of the episode, things only got worse between her and Aydenn's dad, Joey. She had no choice but to break up with him, leaving her with another huge challenge: learning how to be a strong parent all on her own.

Before they called it quits, Allie had a lot of faith that Joey would step up. In this bonus scene, Joey goes out on a job interview so he can begin to try to provide for his family. Allie is there with him to provide encouragement, and she definitely does her best to nudge him in the right direction. Take a look:

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