the buzz log

Being in the ABC Family way has taken on a whole new meaning.

The cable network, a kind of Hallmark Channel for teens, has had its share of breakout hits (as breakout as you can get for a cable network). Programs like "Kyle XY" and "Wildfire" have grappled with issues such as alienation, immigration, and, well, horses.

Now the buzz surrounds "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," which premiered July 1st and broke  ABC Family records. No, it doesn't follow the superhero metaphors of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville" or "Heroes," or the superstar alter egos of "Hannah Montana." Instead, the dramedy from the same brain that came up with "7th Heaven" dives right into the story of teen pregnancy.

Talk about marking a cultural zeitgeist. In popular culture "Juno" got the actress playing the knocked-up character an Oscar nomination. Jamie Lynn Spears commandeered the cameras normally aimed at her older sister when the 16-year-old Nickelodeon star admitted to being with child. NBC ordered a special after "Baby Borrowers" (which gives five teen couples a quick taste of caretaking encounters) counted among its highest rated reality shows.

Cue to real life. Teen pregnancy rates had been reported in 2004 to be on the decline, but teen birthrates show a recent increase... and that was before an alleged pregnancy pact among 17 East Coast high school girls. Pact or not, they came under scrutiny as to whether the media made them do it. Outlets like NPR have seriously taken on this cause-and-effect scenario, or at least looking at whether destigmatizing underaged pregnancy has turned into glamorization.

Of course, "Secret Life" is an ABC Family show, and one critic found that it tread the line of cautionary tale, family humor, and soapy drama pretty well. In the meantime, it introduces a weekly opportunity to talk about the real story of teen pregnancy because, like it or not, "Secret Life" is pulling in the young girls (and not so much the boys). Pre-teens and teens have taken their enthusiasm online, and in the past 7 days nearly pushed the show into the top 2,500 searches. They've also contributed to lookups for the song "Courage Is" and cast members (Francia Raisa, Molly Ringwald, Daren Kagasoff, Kenny Baumann and star Shailene Woodley, who attracts double the show's numbers).

By the way, the dramedy's setting may be in California, but the show's coast-to-coast Search interest is led by viewers in Massachusetts... where the 17 girls supposedly decided to make babies an extracurricular activity. A secret, even when it's out, still has allure.