True confessions time: I’ve never watched an episode of My Super Sweet 16 in its entirety. But I have stumbled across MTV’s grotesque documentary series during numerous channel-surfing sessions, found myself frozen for a few minutes of abject horror, and then willed myself to flip to something comparably dulcet and genteel, like, say, 30 Minute Meals. I mean, I enjoy watching (and mocking) heinous fame-o-sexuals as much as anyone I know, but I draw the line at shrieking children berating their parents for hiring the wrong A-list talent to perform at birthday Bacchanals that cost more than many working families make in a year. (Sorry…I should probably save that kind of rambling monologue for the therapist’s couch.)
Nevertheless, you’ll understand how vexed I am at the discovery that MTV has launched MySuperSweet16.com as a way to give "real teens from around the country the tools to become their own storytellers, connect with one another and completely reshape the fabric that is woven throughout our programs." (That’s according to Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Group and Logo.) Um, is dude trying to say that the show’s core audience somehow views My Super Sweet 16 as aspirational television? And what are they going to do at the site? View audition reels from male strippers? Compare exorbitant pricing schedules for garish party planners?
I don’t know about you, PopWatchers, but for some reason, I cannot bring myself to click on any of the buttons on the My Super Sweet 16 site. Deep down, I can’t shake the fear that I’ll open a giant portal to hell on my computer screen, get sucked into a flaming pit, and spend eternity as a foot-servant for one of these pampered, fork-tongued teen-beasts. Feel free to report back your findings on this new and alarming Internet development, but just remember, Grandpa Slezak will probably not approve.
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I’m addicted to this show. I watch it way too much. But not because I find it ‘aspirational’ in any sense. I love it because I think how spoiled the kids are and how extravagant the parties are is so entertaining.
Back when this show first premiered, it was edited in a very mocking way towards these kids and their families. It seems now they are being idolized in the editing. Ack!
Daddy, I want to be on a crappy MTV reality show. I want to be on a crappy MTV realtiy show noooowwwww!
Seriously, I hate to sound like a grandpa as well, but when the time traveling forefathers pop-up and wonder what the hell happened to our country, or the modern world in general, to cause it to fall so far, I will point to shows like this. My God, what it’s doing to today’s teens is just sick, even if they say they watch it sardonicly, it still shows them that it’s ok to whine till you get what you want, to be a spoiled brat, to aspire to be…you know…Paris. That’s just sick. Whatever happened to more socially contributing fare like Rock the Vote or other things that focus on real issues. Ugh…
Grandpa Slezak, I completely agree with you. I went to that site and was so horrified that I was scared I was going to hell just for looking at it. Why does MTV feel it’s a good idea to idolize these spoiled kids? How is that setting a good example for other girls???
Ugh. Thanks a lot, now I’m feeling vaguely nauseated from clicking on that site. My Super Sweet Sixteen is just sick, and it makes me sick!!!
I absolutely love and hate this show…it’s one of those things that you love and hate. I love it how they show lil spoiled rich kids rant and rave how they need this or that for their party while being a total brat. It really shows how those kids really dont deserve any of it because of their attitude. I snicker at the fact that one episode the father gave her daughter a mercedes covertable, when she doesnt have a drivers license, and a rolex watch. Makes sense right? That’s also why I hate this show…cuz it’s so out of reality.
Ah, to see these entitled little pests get pushed down a garbage chute by magical squirrels. Now THAT’s a show I would watch.
I don’t care what anyone says…if my parents offered to throw me a party worth a hundred grand, I’d accept it in a nano second, I’d rent out Disneyland for the day and life would be marvelous.
South Park nailed this show last year when the birthday boy got wanted a Ferrari cake for his Super Sweet 16 and got an Acura cake instead and then threw a fit…it was great! This show does make me gag and these kids all deserved to be lined up with their money-waisting, no values teaching parents and slapped with rubber chickens in the face!
I actually prefer it when they fall down the garbage chute after singing about a bean feast, but that’s just me.
Couple things: (1) I didn’t know anyone besides Anderson Cooper watched this show; (2) MTV must be working some new marketing strategy, because they are requesting viewer input on casting the Real World, also; and (3) personal pet peeve – I HATE the word bacchanalia and all its derivatives — it smacks of “I need a big word here, hmmm, wait, I used bacchanalia to great effect senior year….” Again, personal pet peeve, but Slezak, you’re better than that.
Thanks MTV once again for giving me yet another reason for not watching your channel.
What’s the “M” stand for again???
I think I could go on some sort of Angel of Death type killing spree against these kids. And then once I’m in court, all I’d have to do is play the tapes of My Super Sweet 16 and no jury in the world would convict me.
This show makes me violently ill. The kids and their parents should be taken out back and beated to an inch of their lives. The kids are brats to the extreme, and the parents are just as dumb and guilty for catering to their kids’ whims.
I don’t know, I’m beginning to think these girls are something special. I mean, look at the pixie dust swirling around that girl’s head.
And Slezak, why would you use Bacchanal when hoe-down or shindig would be perfectly appropriate? To incorporate alliteration and show off your fancy education? For shame.
There’s a part of me that likes to hold onto the irrational belief that this is actually a scripted show. That teenagers like this can’t and shouldn’t exist. Because eventually these materialistic, selfish fiends are going to be parents someday too (as long as Hollywood keeps up the popular “trend” of having and adopting babies). And I shudder to think of that world…
That’s not pixie dust, it’s tiny little doorways into the gates of Hell! Don’t look too closely, or they’ll swallow your soul.
Because, rotten nuts or bad eggs, either way these kids ain’t all right.
Cisco, the M stands for “Empty”. Empty-V is now one of the most brainless channels on earth. Remember when it was the hotbed for controversial cartoons like Beavis&Butthead and Ren&Stimpy? Even then it was focused less on music videos but at least the shows were kind of smart. Even the Real World’s become some sort of sad sack parody of its first two seasons.
As for Super Sweet 16, the Hills, and other shows about shallow idiots, we just get to watch and laugh. Mtv may edit the shows to glamourize the spoiled factor, but the producers hate these kids as much as we do. They just see a way to make money off of them…
For all my hating, got to agree with the poster who said they’d totally have one of those parties if they got it offered. A free Mercedes Benz and an A list band plays the gig? That’s much better than my 16th was, by a longshot.
I know, furry_tom, I know. It’s a personal pet peeve. Suppose I should have kept it to myself.
P.S. To everyone peeved by the use of “bacchanal” or claims it’s showing off a fancy eduction…are you kidding me?? You may as well be telling Mr. Slezak to lay off using words like grotesque, dulcet, genteel, abject and exorbitant – everything that makes him seem like a voice of reason amongst the 16 year olds whose grasp of English is limited to “like, y’all” and “give me it now.” Since when does pop culture blogging mean dumbing down language or staying away from such devices as alliteration or metaphors? I’m offended and appalled that anyone would believe “big words” can’t be used casually.
It’s cool. I don’t mind people giving their pet peeves as long as they don’t mind when I get all sarcastic about it.
I have four words for you – Real World Las Vegas. Its just been downhill from there. My Super Sweet 16 is the culmination of MTV’s trend of promoting vanity and stupidity. If they are now trying to make these brats seem “cool” I am scared to death. I thought it could only last one season because there would only be a handful of these conniving little brats – I am very sad that I was wrong. I turned of E! when I found out they were giving Lindsay Lohan’s mom a TV show about parenting 2 of her kids while the eldest was in REHAB. MTV now has to go too.
Um, yeah, thats three words.
Bacchanalia is not such a fancy word, and it was the best word to describe what Slezak was describing there. Phillistines.
This bit of information definitely makes ME die inside as well.
I grew up in an upper middle class family and even I hate those spoiled b!tches with a passion. Go all politically correct on me if you want, but they don’t even deserve a shred of respect.
I didn’t know they had a website until now. I’ve seen ugly things on the internet but I’ll probably be convulsing on the floor in horror once I view the site for a few seconds. I need my super sweet sanity, reading news like this.
I think My Super Sweet Sixteen is one of the nastiest, meanest shows on television. Yes, there is a section of the audience that lionizes and admires the grotesque spending and spoiled behavior.
However, I think the majority of the audience is meant to ridicule, snark at and hate on the participants. It’s a big, giant Scarlett-lettering for vulgar new-monied brats and their clueless trashy parents. The event planners are nothing more than PT Barnums taking rich suckers for all they can get. Wedding planners have been doing this for years, convincing people to pay for bogus, invented traditions.
And no, I won’t be clicking on that link either.
Have to agree with Ep and Sarah on this one…I wouldn’t have complained had my parents given me a rockin’ car and hired Duran Duran for my 16th (because, you see, it was in 1987 and all). On the other hand, I wouldn’t have (and didn’t) complain when all my parents did was throw me a pizza party. Which shows my utter moral superiority to these girls, pixie dust or no pixie dust.
I have seen a few episodes of this beyond heinous show and all I felt was that I can’t wait for the parents of these beasts see themselves on tv and (hopefully) realize how completely lame they appear to be to anyone with half a brain. Slezak, I don’t think you’ll go to Hell for going to the site but something tells me the parents of these brats surly are for creating these horrid creatures and then setting them free in the world.