Levi Johnston: Headline Stopper or Shocker?

Before the 2008 Presidential election, the world had never heard of Levi Johnston. Yet amidst a teenage pregnancy, broken engagement, and Playgirl shoot, we have all grown accustomed to (or tired of) reading about his antics on the Internet. So is Levi Johnston the responsible teen father desiring custody of his son, or the media hound looking for a payoff? You decide.

Just over a year ago, Levi was the loyal fiancé sitting next to Bristol Palin and cheering on Sarah Palin. After the split from Bristol, things took a drastic turn. While Bristol used the experience of teenage pregnancy as a platform to advocate safe sex among teens, Levi seems to have taken a stand to promote his inner celebrity, by doing numerous interviews and posing for Playgirl. Wikipedia also reports that Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer, has said Johnston is also "shopping around a memoir" concerning his time with Bristol Levi is currently trying to obtain joint custody of son Tripp, yet Tripp is rarely the fixture of interviews.

Levi has grabbed headlines for months for his blatant comments about the Palin family, including their marriage, family secrets, and their refusal to let him see Tripp. He has also made claims that Sarah Palin has things to hide as her reason for resignation as Governor, but he plays coy and refuses to elaborate. According to CBS News, Levi was quoted as saying "You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could, very easily", suggesting he is simply trying to gain fame and leave people guessing.

So amidst all this scandal, is Levi Johnston a true celebrity in his own right, or simply a headline shocker? Certainly his Playgirl shoot has generated buzz, but as a teen father, are his actions really proving he is ready to take on joint custody of his son Tripp? In this writer's opinion, Levi seems concerned with getting as far ahead as possible and stirring up more controversy to secure more interviews and opportunities. Rather than move on in his life and focus on his son, he is promoting himself with the possibility of a memoir with his ex fiancé, and taking his clothes off for the camera. That doesn't speak devoted father, that screams celebrity wannabe.

Citations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Johnston).

"Levi: I'm Hiding "Huge" Things About Palin" http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/23/earlyshow/main5415742.shtml