Line #1 YMMV/TheSecretLifeOfTheAmericanTeenager


1	* {{Anvilicious}}: Often, whole episodes will include multiple characters who repeatedly state the moral the writers are trying to convey with the situation.
2	** '''Sex''' is the most prominently discussed topic in the whole show. There's even a short PSA at the end of every episode, that is usually about something that has already been pounded into audiences for the last few minutes.
3	** The character of Grace is rather anvilicious in her portrayal of an extremely good and pious Christian girl. There's also her brother Tom, who is both adopted and has Down syndrome. He is meant to be an endearing character, but many viewers find him to be a Jerkass. He also helps cement the idea that Grace's father died because she had sex.
4	** In a Season 4 episode, Ben gets drunk for the first time and passes out in a crowded restaurant. The show spends the next three episodes dwelling on this mistake.
5	** In Season 4, Ben starts dating a girl named Dylan. She and her friends smoke pot and they are caught doing so by her parents and Ben's dad. Cue a few episodes of characters preaching about the dangers of marijuana.
6	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Adrian's spaz dance to "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" in ''Just Say Me''.
7	** The marching band showing their support for pregnant Amy by giving her a musical escort to class.
8	** Adrian wears Ricky's shirt to school one day after he's caught on video without it (MakesSenseInContext). She then sees him flirting with Grace so she comes up to them and says something like "This is his shirt! And this is where he left it!". She then proceeds to rip off the shirt, chuck it at Grace, and then walk down the hallway in nothing but just her bra and pants.
9	** In "Dancing With The Stars," Amy calls Lauren and tells her that she's sending Lauren's old flame over to see her. Lauren reacts by starting to sing, complete with background music. The guy (Jesse) is completely unfazed by a singing Lauren answering the door.
10	* BileFascination: How many people watched the show because they thought it was honestly good, and how many people just tuned in to see the drama train derailing and the hilarious writing? (Or because they have a crush on Shailene?)
11	* CompleteMonster: "The Father and the Son" & "That's Enough of That": [[DomesticAbuse Robert "Bob" Underwood]] is Ricky's [[AbusiveParents abusive father]], taken to some of its worse extremes; his abuse caused his wife Nora to take up a drug habit and start neglecting Ricky, at which point Bob spent years [[ParentalIncest sexually molesting his son]], telling him that's the problems of being a man. After getting released on parole years later, Bob discovers that Ricky has fathered a baby with Amy Juergens, and pretends to go straight, claiming to have his family's best interests at heart. Bob intends to sell his grandchild to HumanTraffickers, under the guise of finding an adoptive family. Bob's reasons for this is both to support his own drug habit and his way hurting Ricky for getting him arrested, stating he'll always be a part of his life until then.
12	* CriticProof: In spite of (or perhaps [[BileFascination because of]]) negative critical reviews, the show lasted a respectable five seasons for six years.
13	* DieForOurShip: Ben for the "Ramy" ship is probably the biggest example. Though many Ramy shippers just ship him with Adrian.
14	** Adrian for the "Ramy" shipping as well.
15	** Grant, and even moreso Daniel, for the Grace/Jack shipping qualifies as well.
16	** Now that Ben has a new love interest named Dylan, alot of Ben/Adrian shippers and non-shippers alike have an extreme dislike for her. Though that might have more to do with [[StrangledByTheRedString Ben/Dylan]] and the actress' acting than anything else.
17	* DracoInLeatherPants: Ricky Underwood. For awhile at least, since much of his {{jerkass}} behavior has caused him to lose his favoring with the viewers, if not in-universe.
18	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Leo, Betty, and Grace's new stepdad Jeff. Moose also counts, if only for his lack of dialogue. Also, Ashley.
19	* {{Glurge}}: The pious, patronizing message of the show. "See, we ''understand'' that you modern teenagers [[RebelliousSpirit are all rebellious, sinful children,]] but we want you to know that we ''care'' [[BitchInSheepsClothing about you and your problems]] and we want to ''help'' [[TheMissionary you]] and let you know you're not ''entirely'' terrible people."
20	* HarsherInHindsight: "If you have sex with Adrian, someone really will die" - [[spoiler: Around a year later, in Season 3 finale, Ben does end up having sex with Adrian which results in Adrian being pregnant and their daughter's stillbirth.]]
21	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Franca Raisa, in the Season 3 finale where [[spoiler: her baby is stillborn.]]
22	* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Amy revealing her pregnancy to Ashley in "I Feel Sick". The news actually affects [[DeadpanSnarker Ashley]] greatly, and she breaks down in tears after Amy leaves the room. The episode ends with Ashley giving Amy a hug, for the first time in the series.
23	* HilariousInHindsight: "Ben and I are here to ... get free condoms" - [[spoiler: In season 2 Ben and Adrian have sex in Ben's car, resulting in the latter's pregnancy. Oddly enough, as explained in "But We Used A Condom", they didn't need any ...]]
24	* HollywoodHomely: Ben is implied to be this. Though many Ken Baumann fan-girls would tend to disagree.
25	** Amy and Ashley to varying degrees as well.
26	** The whole cast except for Grace and Jack considering they're band geeks.
27	* JerkassWoobie: Ricky, who along with being sexually and physically abused by his drug-addicted father Bob, had to watch his father beat his alcohalic mother who was also addicted to drugs. They both abandoned him several times and it was implied his mother Nora was a prostitute. He later told a teacher about the abuse and eventually his father was arrested. Due to his childhood, he later takes advantage of dozens of females, dating them, calling them, befriending them, even telling them "I love you" to get them into bed and most of the time never calling or seeing them again. He used Adrian for sex, mistreated her, lead her on, cheated on her [[spoiler: and dumped her when she gave him back a "taste of his own medicine"]]. In his talk with Marshall, it is stated that Ricky does this to people because he wanted to victimize them the same way his father victimized him. [[spoiler: He later feels terribly guilty about this, as shown in "Round Two", and begins a monogamous relationship with Amy, his son's mother.]]
28	** Adrian who was abandoned by her father, ignored by her mother, grew up in proverty and was bullied because of it, moved around alot and didn't make much friends, and it is implied her best true friend since 2nd Grade (and later 1st lover) died some time after getting diagnosed with cancer and moving away for treatment. She later went on to have a [[TheMasochismTango terrible relationship]] with Ricky. And despite the fact that she uses and takes advantage of others to try to get what she wants - including having sex with numerous other girls' boyfriends, scheming/plotting, and manipulating people - you can't help but feel bad for her since [[spoiler: her daughter Mercy was Stillborn.]]
29	*** Ben - Ben becomes a bit of a Jerkass in season 4, but, you can't help but feel bad for him due to [[spoiler: losing his daughter Mercy at 17]] and his mother Sarah at age 10. It is implied at some points in the series his clinging to Amy was a result of losing his mother. [[spoiler: And he was later willing to work out his marriage with Adrian but she kicked him out of their condo so she could pursue Ricky. He let her have the condo and is still paying off her $50,000 "friendship ring".]]
30	*** Ashley - [[spoiler: Despite the fact that she obsessively pursued her nephew's father and later sister's boyfriend Ricky]], Ashley can qualify as a woobie since the start of the series - sister's pregnancy, her parents divorce, her apparent lack of self-esteem ...etc.
31	* LesYay: Adrian and Grace. They have better chemistry than designated couple Grace and Jack. They've even [[spoiler: kissed]] twice now.
32	** Adrian and Ashley. The affinity between them can sometimes be read as this.
33	* MemeticMutation: '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvSTLnYW_tQ I HAD SEX AND NOW DAD IS DEAD!]] AND HE HAD A HORRIBLE DEATH BECAUSE I HAD INCREDIBLE SEX!'''[[note]]This line from an episode of the show has became ''infamous'' for how bizarre it is, and is often preceded by a NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer.[[/note]]
34	** That's just the way life works...
35	%%* {{Narm}}: Buckets and buckets of it. (ZCE. Mind explaning how it is a trope?)
36	* PlatonicWritingRomanticReading: The writers probably meant for Jack and Kathleen's relationship to be simply friendship or perhaps Kathleen being a surrogate mom to Jack, since Jack is living in her house. However, they come off as having {{UST}} to many viewers.
37	* TheScrappy:
38	** Ashley, which is sad since she used to be one of the more beloved characters.
39	** During the first and second season, there was a lot of hate for Amy due to her constant whining and general bitchiness towards everyone. She toned down significantly by season three, as did the hate towards her.
40	** Tom, just because he has Downs Syndrome doesn't mean he can be a [[{{Jerkass}} dick]]. Though he does have a few heartwarming / PetTheDog moments with Adrian.
41	** Ben seems to get this a lot retroactively, as many find him to be too clingy with Amy when they’re together and too persistent in pursuing her despite no interest on her part after they’ve broken up.
42	* SeasonalRot: The season that has the most fan and critical complaints has to be season 2.
43	* SoBadItsGood: Most people watch this just to get a rip off the laughable acting and the hilariously awful SoapOpera plots.
44	* StrangledByTheRedString: Ben and Amy had an ok relationship for the first few episodes (if you ignore the facts that Ben only originally asked her out because he was hoping to get some sexual experience before going after the ''real'' object of his affections, [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders Grace]] and Amy was not being upfront either, since she didn't tell him she was pregnant). For the most part, they were believable as two earnest, awkward teens in their first relationship. Then Ben proposed to Amy after they'd been dating a few weeks, upon discovering she was pregnant with Ricky's baby. Now the audience was supposed to accept that Amy and Ben had a deep and true love to last their whole lives and they and the other characters [[ShowDontTell wouldn't shut up about how right they were for each other]]. It's not too surprising that the majority of the fan base quickly became very irritated with the couple.
45	** In season 4, Ben meets a girl named Dylan, and already the two are inseparable! [[StalkerWithACrush Dylan even shows up to his house unnanounced and to his school days later.]] The fandom is not taken with the pairing.
46	* TearJerker:
47	** Season 3's finale, "... Or Not To Be", has this, due to [[spoiler: Adrian and Ben's baby being a stillbirth.]]
48	** At the end of the Season 5 episode “Regrets”, Jack is brutally beaten by a pimp after he inadvertently liberated a hooker who was working for him. In the next episode, it’s revealed that he’s in a coma that the doctors have no idea when or if he’ll ever wake up from, and the episode ends with his mother suggesting they pray for him as she and many friends and family members who are visiting them at the hospital break down into tears.
49	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: "Just Say Me", full fucking stop. The pro-masturbation/female solidarity theme [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would have made]] for an excellent (if uncharacteristically) feminist concept, but it's utterly ruined by the fact that it's used as a LysistrataGambit to get their [[ImAManICantHelpIt philandering]] male counterparts to stop cheating/hooking up (the [[InsaneTrollLogic rationale]] behind this being that they are depriving them of someone to cheat/hook up ''with''.)
50	** The whole [[spoiler: Ben/Adrian]] pregnancy. Numerous unexpected pregnancies in fiction are "bad boy knocks up the innocent virgin girl." The whole [[spoiler: [[GenderFlip gender flipped]] "bad girl" gets pregnant during the guy's first time]] is rare. It had the potential to be interesting, just because it's a different dynamic. However, the abysmal writing and the fact that it's the [[SerialEscalation THIRD pregnancy in three seasons]] makes the whole thing repetitive.
51	*** And now that [[spoiler: Adrian's baby was stillborn]], the entire plot is ultimately rendered pointless as it takes everything building up to that and throws it away.
52	** Adrian and Rueben's adversarial relationship in season one might fall under this category as well.
53	** Really, pretty much the entire series could be classified as this. The way it was being promoted made it seem like it would focus on the struggles of a pregnant teenager, but it just turned out to be another romance-focused teen drama. Amy's life is hardly affected by her pregnancy and her child is rarely seen.
54	* {{Wangst}}: Pretty much every character has fallen victim to this.
55	** Amy freaking out over not being able to go ''to a funeral'' really takes the cake, especially since it was the funeral of an acquaintance's dad, a man she had never even met.
56

Context YMMV / TheSecretLifeOfTheAmericanTeenager