Trainwreck television: MTV's "Sweet Sixteen"

That could be said for most topics on this message board.

I and most other people in this thread don’t watch the show. It only took me 5 minutes to realize how spoiled and whiny these girls were, and that’s what this thread is about.

Indeed they do. However, sometimes something really interesting on TV is followed by materialistic crap, and rather than disturb the newborn still learning how to latch properly and get his meal, a person gets stuck watching 10 minutes of crap.

Thank god she stopped hanging around me about halfway through the Las Vegas season of The Real World. If I’d had to actually sit through any more Trishelle I’d have thrown myself in front of a bus.

Oh good lord no. I saw like two-thirds of one once and was thoroughly appalled.

Oh come on, you’re talking about MTV. There’s never anything interesting on MTV. Well, except for Yo Momma.

One episode (the twins) was filmed partially at my daughter’s high school. It’s even more fun to watch when you have a live commentary track giving the real story.

For the record its not only girls. I believe there was an episode with a boy from CT. The dad took his son to NYC to recruit “female dancers” for his party.

Whenever I come across my daughter watching this bit of insanity I remind her that allowing her to live until she is 16 is dicey as it is, expecting an 80K+ party to celebrate that achievment is probably not in her best interest.

Gee, I went out and shot kittens on my birthday. Now I feel kinda bad about it. Thanks.

The kids are turds and the parents are shameful, but this show is pretty much my only guilty pleasure on television.

<ahem> Ruffian, may I offer my services?

No no no! They have this fascinating documentary series that profiles real teens…I don’t remember what it’s called (something like, “My Life as a ______”). One episode was about a professional eater (like those who go to hot dog eating contests); another about a wrestler; a third about a competing cheerleader. Seriously fascinating stuff–the competitive eater took the cake, though (and a gallon of ice cream, and 4lbs of mac-n-cheese, and 2 gallons of water…).

Gotta say, Sweet Sixteen is trainwreck TV–horrifying, yet hard to turn away from. Well, at least for the first 5 minutes. I watched enough yesterday to get a certain glee from the Bratty Bitch who was so excited on the morning of her birthday to go get her license and then the BMW convertible Dahddy had promised her…and then she failed her driving test.

hee hee hee

But after that, I had to watch umpteen hours of Discovery programming to cleanse my brain.

I can’t imagine it any other way, actually. They must acknowledge that nobody comes across looking good in this show. Nobody. The train wreck factor (looking down on people who act, and probably are, worse than you) is the show’s raison d’etre. There may be a slim percentage of the audience who aren’t in on the joke and aspire to these kinds of lifestyles, but I think most people would recognize how spoiled, indulgent, shameless, and pathetic these teens appear to be (even if they are swimming in excess). What I can’t imagine is who, knowing what the show is like, would actually agree to appear on it (besides the completely delusional, which there probably isn’t a scarcity of).

There’s also Bridezillas on the WE Network which is the grownup version of Sweet Sixteen. I love these shows but feel sorry for all the people that have to deal with the participants.

I saw this episode, she still got the brand new car, and drove away from her party… so did the test mean nothing?

Ive watched more of these shows then I should have, I think they’re hilarious. The people come off as complete idiots, and more often then not the party is ruined by fighting or gate crashers. Why bother with the expense if its going to get trashed?
Theres a new one airing here Sunday night, and P Diddy makes an appearance, think I might watch it to see if anything good happens.

I love this show. In fact, it’s probably my favorite show. There. I said it. Hate me now.

If nothing else, Super Sweet 16 is the ultimate in the most guilty of guilty pleasures. Like most reality TV, the show makes me feel so damn wonderful about myself. I may be spoiled. I may be a brat. I may waste my money on pointless, expensive things, but I’m not anything like that.

The absolute worst episode, if you ask me, was that beautiful, dark haired girl from Miami (she was half Cuban and half Asian, if I remember correctly). It wasn’t even her 16th bday- oh no- it was her quinceanera*.

Wicked bitchy daughter brat from hell decided she wanted a particular center piece, but mom decided on something else without telling daughter. Daughter arrives at the event, sees the center pieces she didn’t want, and freaks. Dad calls mom. Mom says it isn’t a big deal. Dad says, “It’s not a big deal? It’s not a big deal? She’s CRYING.” So daughter gets on the phone with mom, who explains that they saved over $3000 by switching to those center pieces. Daughter’s reply?

“Then you’re giving me those $3000.” And she hung up.

Daughter prances over to dad and says, “Mom said she did it to save $3000. I told her she’s giving me those $3000.”

Dad says, “Well yeah. If you’re not happy with this :: waves hand around giant, lavishly decorated ball room : then you get $3000.”

Sigh.
*For what it’s worth, I have some friends that have had some insanely costly (in my mind) quinceaneras. Parties that put the family 20-30k in debt. Yet, those can’t even compare what’s on this show.

Hasn’t anyone watched Rich Girls? I watched a few minutes of that and wanted to vomit.

I few years ago there was a film on Sundance made by one of the heirs of the Johnson and Johnson fortune about trust fund babies like him. I wish I could remember what it was but their lives seemed so vacuous and out of touch that I couldn’t really relate to them. In a way I felt kind of sorry for them.

Marc

{bolding mine}

DianaG, could you please ask your darling daughter if she’d mind very much that i make this my sig line for life? :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

[p.s. that was meant to be an entirely snark-free request. just so we’re clear on that. i can think of no higher compliment to give my own mom, much less the same your daughter gave you.]

IIRC, it was about Seward Johnson, an oddball and an artist. He does realistic sculptures, some of which are around Princeton, and he had an “atelier” in which other sculptors could use his furnaces. Quite an oddball, but the father married his maid, which caused quite a stir also.

I’ve never seen this show, but if you can save 3000 muthafuckin’ dollers on some muthafuckin’ center pieces, just how expensive are these parties? Are we talking about $100,000? More? I’ll wait until my inauguration to spend that kind of money, thanks. And dd they end up giving the little snot the $3000?

Damn. Just damn.

THAT was the show that we were watching when my daughter looked at me and we tried to remember what we did for her 16th. We took her to a steakhouse. She ordered the petite filet, because she wouldn’t finish the big one.

Usually they say at the end of the party and the range is always between $200,000 and $500,000.