Jamie Lynn Spears: Statutory Rape?

Wowzer, 2007 is really going out with a bang!

If you haven't heard by now, Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney's little sister is pregnant.

I didn't see in the news how many soldiers died in Iraq today but I know all the sordid details of her pregnancy, particularly that Jamie Lynn is 16. I guess they've had Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" on heavy rotation in that household.

I'd love to know where the condom was but good for Jamie Lynn that's she's decided to keep her baby. Really, I don't know why some in the media are acting like the girl's life is finished. I'm sure there are thousands of other 16 year-olds out there that are pregnant and they don't have the resources Jamie Lynn Spears has at their disposal.

Right now, I'm watching MSNBC where they're buzzing about whether Jamie Lynn's TV show on Nickelodeon, Zoey 101, is going to be canceled because of her pregnancy. After all, her image is supposed to be squeaky clean. They're debating whether or not Nickelodeon can legally fire her from the show and if they do, wouldn't that be some sort of wrongful termination or discrimination on the basis of her being pregnant?

I don't know about all that. I'm just waiting for these talking heads to bring up the fact that the father of her baby, her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge, is 19.

She's 16. He's 19.

So, isn't Casey having sex with Jamie Lynn statutory rape? Shouldn't someone be rolling up to handcuff him and cart Casey off to the big house? Or do laws like that only apply when black teenage boys like Genarlow Wilson get teenage girls to give them blow jobs on New Year's Eve?

Yes, 17 year-old Genarlow got ten years for having consensual oral sex with a 15 year-old girl. Just imagine how many years prison he would have gotten if that 15 year-old had gotten pregnant. Heck, he might have gotten life in prison or something.

Genarlow just got released this year, at the age of 21.

Since America is the land of equal opportunity, shouldn't Casey Aldridge get the opportunity to make friends with a jail cell?

I'm sure it'll never happen. After all, Casey's a nice boy from her church. No way he deserves to go to jail with hardened criminals, right?

Comments

the last noel said…
This is one of the reasons I don't have a TV. Leave the Spears alone, people. Let's talk about more important things! LIke why the hell wasn't there an episode of Project Runways tonight!
Liz Dwyer said…
Noel,
I know! All they had was PR reruns, which I almost viewed for the 3rd time, but I managed to restrain myself.
Anonymous said…
Someone on a board I frequent said that in Florida it wouldn't be statutory rape if he was under 24, so I guess the laws vary quite a bit by state.

Let's talk about why American teens are twice as likely as British teens and five times more likely as Swedish teens to get pregnant.
Jameil said…
someone asked me how old he was. i didn't know. yo. her mother should permanently tank that motherhood book. do you think my mother EVER would've let me date a 19yo and I'm 16? i don't care how well we know him. far more importantly, PR was a rerun!? glad i didn't force myself to wake up and watch it!!
What is up with the parents? The mom has already sold the pics of her latest grandchild to be.

Clearly all they care about is money and showbiz. Their daughters are dumb as a box of rocks.

True many teen moms turn out to be great parents. However, they usually are not starring on a kids show. I'd fire her. Also if she is anything like her big sis, her kid is in big trouble.
Mes Deux Cents said…
Liz,

This proves to me that term "Ghetto" is a racist term.

Is there a show biz family more ghetto than the Spears? And yet no one calls them that. Why?
I don't know what the laws are in that state (California or Louisiana or wherever they were shacked up together). I'm still wondering how R. Kelly's avoided the clink for so long.
1969 said…
Great post. Rumor has it the mom allowed him to stay over in their house. Way to go Mama Spears!
thailandchani said…
I heard that juxtaposed to her mother's getting a contract to write a book (for a Christian publisher at that) and laughed myself half silly.

They're just cruddy people. All of them. I wish we'd stop hearing about them at all.
Jessalyn said…
I believe the girl in the Genarlow Wilson case was black, but I agree with your point. Where is the justice?
Liz Dwyer said…
Sharifa,
It is really different state by state but I think here in Cali, if one half of the duo is over 18 it's a crime.

The rates of teen pregnancy here are definitely going up. When I was a teenager I knew so many "good girls" that weren't using any protection because they didn't want to admit they were sexually active. It was like taking that extra step of using a condom meant that sex was somehow planned and premeditated...you couldn't just say you were caught up in the moment and got a little carried away or whatever.

Jameil,
I can't believe she was going to put the book out at all! That's just crazy with what the first daughter's doing. Where's Raven's momma? Now that's who needs to put out a book, okay!

Yeah, PR was a rerun! I was SO annoyed! Bravo needs to not mess around with giving the addicts their fix!

NYC/CR,
Clearly the parents are all about money. They get used to living a certain lifestyle and they don't want to give it up, even if it would be better for the child to not be pimped out like that.

All these teen stars could be doing whatever and no one would know because we're all fed an image of them. I have to say I'm honestly surprised she didn't have an abortion instead of keeping the baby because I'm sure that's what happens more frequently than we realize.

MDC,
The terminology is totally racialized! If you're black, you're ghetto. If you're white, then you're "white trash" or "trailer trash".

DMB,
Oh, R. Kelly! Well, the family of the girl doesn't want to press charges. And as you know, the girl says it's not her. Of course, there are probably hundreds of unreported cases of this that occur every day. It's really a shame that teens are preyed on in this way, but on the other hand, historically it's not been unusual for teenagers to marry men twice their age.

1969,
She did NOT! Oh see, they're crazy! There's no way I'd let my child knowingly have sex with somebody in my home!

Yeah, that book is definitely on hold.

Chani,
A Christian publisher??? Oh, this story represents greed and hypocrisy on so many levels. The poor baby has all this going on and it hasn't even been born yet. Just imagine when this child reads all the dirt about this in the future.

Jessalyn,
Interesting because I'd read otherwise...but I edited to reflect that. Justice... I'm not sure if we really have that anymore here in the US. Or, did we ever have it?

Houseonahill
It really is such a double standard. It makes me sick...and I feel sorry for her in a way because it seems like all the folks who make money off of her are just upset because she's interrupting the cash flow with her "mistake".
Tafari said…
This is messed up! Why should America give a fuck about this one trick popping her pu&@! and getting pregnant. This shit happens all the time where I am from & no one is caring on a national level.

Maybe now someone will take a look at teen pregnancy/STD's etc & try to slow this down.

Momma should have told her that hot dick & nuts will get her into trouble every time. Actually, I think her mom is a big joke. After all, who in the hell writes a book on how to parent when your young children have seen more dick than a urologist.

Bygbaby
Liz Dwyer said…
Bygbaby,
LOLOLOL!!!

Now that's real talk right there. And too true! Momma was listening to too much Wu Tang back in the day. Cash Rules Everything Around Me...dolla dolla bills y'all. Selling the baby pics for a million dollars. Yeah, let the girl next door try to do that and see what happens.
West said…
good questions.
Anonymous said…
This is all news to me. Now I go to Google News to read up.
MartiniCocoa said…
Liz & Bygbaby....
You said it all.

But I will add:
Lynne Spears gets my vote for
Pimp of the Year.
Liz Dwyer said…
West,
Someone got mad at me today because I said I think the boy should be charged. Everyone's talking about her but I think folks should talk about HIM too.

Mojan,
Girl, let me tell you, biggest news story of the week! It's crazy. Be glad you're not here in the USA.

IANSJ,
Yeah, I hear her parenting book is back on. I suppose she'll use the proceeds to buy her jewel encrusted pimp cup.

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