HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Jason Bateman is defending the Oscar-winning film "Juno" following the recent teen pregnancy scandal that has rocked Gloucester High School in Massachusetts.
The school has been in the media ever since Time magazine broke news that 17 students at the school — all under the age of 16 — were pregnant after making a pact to have babies together.
The media has since labeled the school's pregnancy rise as "the Juno effect," referring to the award-winning film penned by Diablo Cody. In the movie, the film's title character, an independent-minded teenager portrayed by Ellen Page, confronts an unplanned pregnancy.
Bateman, who also starred in the film, along with Michael Cera and Jennifer Garner, said the media needs to look elsewhere when it comes to pointing the blame.
"I don't know the specifics, but I can speak about what sort of responsibility entertainment should hold for social behavior," Bateman told Access Hollywood Tuesday. "Unfortunately, we've had these instances where guys kill people because of what they hear in rock 'n roll lyrics or some garbage like that. Look, if you're going to blame a movie or song for your actions, whether they be good or bad, I think you're looking at the wrong things to influence your life."
"I think people should look to other areas of their life for lessons and guidance, mainly parents, or teachers, or friends, or whomever," the 39-year-old actor added. "That should probably be where you should point your eyes and ears."
- Comment
