Teen Mom Teen Mom OG star Maci Bookout braved the bitter cold to make her scheduled appearance at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York Friday night where she talked to a sold out audience about the struggles of being a teen mom. In addition to speaking on stage and with local TV station WKTV, Maci also took time to pose for photos with fans, including the one above in which she compares her growing baby bump with that of a fan’s.
“My baby bump is way bigger than Maci’s!” The expectant fan wrote. (In case you missed it, Maci is currently pregnant with a little girl, that she reportedly will be naming Jayde Carter, by her bearded beau Taylor McKinney.)
Maci sat down with WKTV’s Rachel Murphy to talk about her struggles and some of the misconceptions about the show:
“There have been critics who have worried that airing this type of series somehow glamorizes teen pregnancy,” Rachel points out in the clip, “but Bookout says those who make that argument haven’t been watching the series closely.”
“It’s not like we’re living in mansions,” Maci says. “We’re not driving Ferraris around, you know? We’re really dealing with real life struggles of being teen parents.”
Rachel references one of the many studies that demonstrate the positive impact 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have had in lowering teen pregnancy in the United States. “According to 2014 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research 16 and Pregnant ultimately led to a 5.7 reduction in teen births in the 18 months after its premiere on TV,” she states.
Maci selfie break…
As I mentioned before, Maci’s appearance was sold out, and judging from the overwhelmingly positive comments on social media after it was over, the event was a huge success. Here are a collection of responses from those in attendance with more photos of Maci Bookout (and her growing baby bump):
Here's the line for meet and greet with @MaciBookoutMTV after a sold out event in Schafer Theater! pic.twitter.com/gDWPaoyf4E
— MVCC Cultural Series (@MVCCEvents) February 21, 2015
Sold out show tonight @MVCC_UticaRome for MTV's #16andpregnant @MaciBookoutMTV pic.twitter.com/Py1f7O2pKY
— Rachel Murphy (@RMurphyWKTV) February 20, 2015
@MaciBookoutMTV loved meeting you and listen to you speak about your life. It was truly amazing! pic.twitter.com/N9cpK9iYM0
— Shawna M. Burdick (@ShawnMichelle0) February 21, 2015
The best lecture I have ever sat through. So much good advice and and so relatable! @MaciBookoutMTV pic.twitter.com/HaFd5nk1Hc
— Darling Nikki (@SchlickNicole) February 21, 2015
Just met @MaciBookoutMTV and I LOVE she is naming her daughter Jayde! Especially the spelling and he lecture was so inspiring
— JADE (@jsmith2796) February 21, 2015
@MaciBookoutMTV you were great tonight! Very well spoken & funny. Congratulations on your pregnancy!
— ➳Halez G (@Hgegz) February 21, 2015
Thank you @MaciBookoutMTV for coming to MVCC. And congrats for the baby girl that's coming pic.twitter.com/UhMLWUIv63
— Shelby Lynn (@shelbywelby2) February 21, 2015
@MaciBookoutMTV I never got to say gbye & wanted to thank you for last night, it was a lot of fun! Good luck w Jayde pic.twitter.com/0QLRnMrdbq
— Megan Casey (@megankthleen) February 22, 2015
@MaciBookoutMTV It was our treat. You were a fabulous guest. Thanks for making the trek up north in the -12° weather. Stay warm!
— MVCC Cultural Series (@MVCCEvents) February 21, 2015
You can see more of Maci Bookout when she makes her return to MTV on Teen Mom OG premiering March 23 at 10/9c.
