I pity our culture.....

Kate Brown recently posted on facebook that she had just watched her first episode of "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV and was horrified. I had to write her because I have uttered the words before that if you want to know what's wrong with our country then look no further than MTV. I pity the younger generation, especially girls who have grown up wathcing shows like The Hills, Laguna Beach, and My Super Sweet 16. How obscure must their vision of what reality is?

First is My Super Sweet 16 in which extremly spoiled rich girls get outrageous 16th birthday parties thrown for them. These parties are generally all about the same with one or two girls having a major bash in which 75% of the people there don't even know them. They usually get really expensive dresses, cars, and usually a top Hip Hop artist or group performs for them. There's always at least one scene in which the girl throws a major temper tantrum because she can't get exactly what she wants. I've seen the entertainment cost as much as $150,000 for a 1 night performance, one girl got 2 cars(an SUV and Sports Car), and parties costing up to 1 million. Is this what every girl growing up in America expects as a birthday party now?

Next is Laguna Beach in which extremly rich high school students are followed around in the OC. These kids are never shown working, surf all day, are all gorgeous looking, live in mansions, drive very nice cars, and generally just party and make out with one another. Most of the drama of the show centers around somebody trying to steal someone else's b/f or g/f. These kids have no "real" problems and are completely pampered but how does the younger generation not expect this lifestyle? What happens to most kids who can't live up to this version of how High School life is supposed to be?

Lastly is The Hills which is a spin-off to Laguna Beach in which, oh no the kids have graduated college and now live in L.A. They have been set up with nice jobs in entertainment and fashion or just plain don't work. So not only is the younger generation treated to fake High School life but also fake post High School life. This show even goes so far as to re-create scenes if the cameras weren't around the first time to capture it. Reality my ass! The show is nothing but nite clubs, blackberries, and sports cars.

It does worry me that this is the crap and the message we are sending out to other countries as a society. That we truly are overblown pigs who have so much excess we create shows just to rub it in other people's faces how the "better" half lives. I read AnnaMarie's blog about African women suffering then see any of these shows and it makes me want to be sick. We are we headed as a people here in America? How is the next generation going to come of age, as spoiled brats? Only time will tell but I for one am worried and embarrased!