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1. New MTV show to unspoil spoiled rich kids? « The Pop Perspective on 20 Jun 2008 at 3:17 pm

   [...] to unspoil spoiled rich kids? Posted on June 20, 2008 by haley1018 Latoya at Racialicious brings MTV’s latest “reality” tv endeavor to our attention: Watching My Super Sweet 16 [...]

Comments

1. Juan wrote:

   Why did I click on the video and the continue reading link? Too early… *facepalm*

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 9:07 am ¶

2. Journey_Wmn wrote:

   You are not missing anything with Tila Tequila. I was watching for a while but it just got to be too much, the men are more homophobic, the women are more trashy and overall Tila makes bisexuals look like confused sluts.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 10:10 am ¶

3. gothic guera wrote:

   have these parents not heard of BOOT CAMP or millitray school?

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 10:54 am ¶

4. Gperrara wrote:

   Why does everyone hate on Tila Tequila?
   She’s basically doing the same thing as Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and the other media ‘whores’ yet she gets like 10 x the hate. She’s a hot girl, and in the US a hot girl who can market herself and earn a ton of money. I dunno, she seems pretty smart to me, most attractive women wish they had the brains and hard work ethic to do that that’s probably why they get so angry at Tila. I think even she knows what she’s doing is all and ‘act’ if you met her in real life, she’s prob pretty down to earth and sweet.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 11:31 am ¶

5. Nina wrote:

   Just watched the trailer for Exiled. I have one word. Appalling. I could go on but I think the reasons are obvious. The one thing that gets glossed over is that poeple in these remote villages speak English which for many of them is not a second language, but a third or fourth one on top of their own languages. These wealthy American teens can barely handle English, and apparently math too (I don’t know how high 12,000 feet is). Best quote was from a woman I think in the Peruvian mountains to a teen-”sometimes you say stupid things” Classic!

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 11:39 am ¶

6. DEAF FEMINIST PUNK!! wrote:

   Please, Tila Tequila is a waste of space and I hate her as much as I hate Parisite Hilton. She is so goddamned nasty and gives bisexual women a bad name.

   all the spoiled whiney crybaby brats on “Sweet 16″ disgust me. Good riddance to them.

   Again, people, we’re talking about MTV. It’s the ultimate trashy G-rated version of Girls Gone Wild for a generation of stupid, ignorant, apathetic, greedy teenagers who spend 85% of their days on myspace and facebook.

   Pathetic.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 12:08 pm ¶

7. DEAF FEMINIST PUNK!! wrote:

   “I dunno, she seems pretty smart to me, most attractive women wish they had the brains and hard work ethic to do that that’s probably why they get so angry at Tila.”

   Oh YEAH RIGHT! If any woman hates Tila, it’s because she’s so *jealous* of her and wishes she can be as “hot.”

   *rolls eyes*

   What a boring, typical, sexist response.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 12:12 pm ¶

8. Eva wrote:

   I wonder what will happen to people like Tila and the spoiled brats when they reach forty. Maybe some of the spoiled kids parents should try saying no, that’s what my mom did.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 12:30 pm ¶

9. Gperrara wrote:

   “What a boring, typical, sexist response.”
   “I wonder what will happen to people like Tila and the spoiled brats when they reach forty.”

   They’ll still be rich, probably enough to retire on. You don’t loose wealth, unless your a complete idiot like MC hammer or something.

   DEAF FEMINIST PUNK!!, who are you to speak for EVERY single woman out there?
   It’s a fact some woman just don’t care about being politically correct and empowering to other women, because they’re in it for the money and fame. They’re nothing wrong with that, maybe in your mind there is , but millions of people love Tila, guys and girls so she must be doing something right. Who knows, maybe she’s actually changing stereotypes of asian women being submissive nerds, she’s incredibly outgoing and unafraid, more so than most men you meet.

   Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 2:13 pm ¶

10. RainaWeather wrote:

    Those parents should just let their kids stay with me and my family for a few months and experience the pain of catching the bus everywhere and not having your own room. I actually envy those girls, their “punishment” is something I would love to experience.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 2:31 pm ¶

11. That Black Chick wrote:

    I agree with Deaf Feminist Punk, sorta. Tila is for the greedy, lazy portion of today’s generation that spend most of their day on Myspace and Facebook. I know because a lot of those guys hang out at the library I work at (just for the free internet, of course). And what do they talk about? Myspace, Facebook, Naruto, YouTube, and…Tila. >_<

    I was almost excited about Exiled, until I realized, “You know, there’s boot camp for kids like that. They don’t need to go to Africa and Thailand and stuff.” What, is that supposed to make them more cultured and mature or something?

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 2:37 pm ¶

12. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    @That Black Chick –

    For the record, I hear Naruto is kinda dope.

    @ All -

    As I’ve said before, I have a healthy admiration for Ms. Tequila. Unlike the other celebutantes, she has no famous parentage, no assets, and no college education. And for someone making her living in the entertainment industry, she shows remarkable business acumen and trend spotting, having launched multiple ventures in such a short time – fame purchased, by the way, from having the dubious honor of over a million myspace friends.

    In short, she’s got business skills. After all, she could have been holed up on the Playboy ranch somewhere, doing nothing.

    She’s not exactly doing any favors for the GLBT community or Asian-Americans, but she’s definitely found a way to do exactly what she wants, on her terms, in her own time.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 2:45 pm ¶

13. Vodalus wrote:

    For what it’s worth, as a person who does not often venture into the pop culture morass, very little hate for Tila emerges but Paris really ought to hire better PR.

    I like to think that my relative insularity makes me a reasonable barometer for overwhelming trends. Paris is definitely the winner of the World’s Most Wicked Woman Cup.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 2:54 pm ¶

14. Cara wrote:

    Sorry, but I just don’t care about Mtv any more. It’s not relevant to my life at all….at this stage it’s just “blah” television.

    Oh, and I don’t like “Dances from ‘da Hood”. The very title is extremely offensive. It’s another example of the cultural voyeurism that defines Mtv (and all other Viacom channels) today. …”hey you wanna dance like those ghetto ppl from ‘da hood?”….C’on it’s blatant exploitation….(I know, I know, we can’t prove that the host is actually being exploited. I would argue she IS NOT.) But this is an exploitive exploration of urban culture. The dances are interesting, but I can’t shake the “safari into the jungle” feel of it.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 3:36 pm ¶

15. Marsha wrote:

    I have to admit, while watching that trailer for “Exiled” I found it quite funny. I don’t think it will change their little self centered attitude much though.

    Basically, if the parents want to know what’s wrong with their daughters, they should be looking in the mirror and asking themselves some serious questions….not relying on MTV to ship off their idiot princesses off to a remote country.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 3:46 pm ¶

16. DEAF FEMINIST PUNK!! wrote:

    Latoya, I’m gonna have to disagree with you about Tila’s “business sense.”

    Taking lots and lots of photos of yourself in a teeny-weeny bikini and posting them on myspace, adding lots and lots of “friends,” and posting many bulletins, is hardly “smart.” It’s just common sense: sex sells.

    Now if a woman can catapult into fame without using her body or sex appeal. then I’ll be really impressed.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 4:09 pm ¶

17. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    From her Wiki:

    Tila’s Hot Spot and other business ventures

    In 2001 Nguyen started up her website entitled “Tila’s Hot Spot”.[22] Originally it was a website featuring her information, quotes, blog, and pictorials[22] including content that required adult verification and a monthly payment fee to view.[23] Later the site format was revamped by TAJ Designs Inc.[24] to feature all-ages content and information to promote her current career, business ventures, personal information, and a premium membership section including videos, non-nude picture galleries, blogs, and chat sessions.[25][26]

    During 2005 Nguyen launched Tilafashion.com,[27] a site featuring her custom line of clothing for men and women originally using the slogan “So hot you’ll just want to take it all off!”[27] In 2006 Tila created a website entitled “Tila Zone,”[28] which features content to use on Myspace and other social networking websites including layouts, widgets, and clipart.[29]

    She’s actually an online media pioneer. Give the girl more credit. She doesn’t seem like she’s great on the tech side of things, but she knows how to leverage her brand and go for mass saturation.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 4:20 pm ¶

18. drispe wrote:

    “She doesn’t seem like she’s great on the tech side of things, but she knows how to leverage her brand and go for mass saturation.”
    You mean for mass-turbation, right? This chick has nothing of any discernible value to offer the world. She uses sex to sell any number of pointless ventures that she has no expertise in, and Wikipedia isn’t exactly the best source to validate them with. I suppose a resourceful drug dealer would get the cold shoulder, but only because his foolishness is illegal. I’m surprised at any woman who gives her props. You got hosed!

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 6:01 pm ¶

19. A. wrote:

    The issue with this is that these girl in Exiled STILL get to leave the country. They STILL get to do something that a lot of people can’t do. That could be spoiling them to an extent.

    I second that sadistic job deal. Also, they should learn what the hell an OVERDRAFT is.

    As far as the “Hood Dancing” deal, I’m disgusted. It seems to me that they’re under the assumption that nothing black can ever be a classically trained dancer – they always have to be ghetto at the end of the day. Ditto this even more to her being the ONLY non-white lead on an MTV show.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 6:11 pm ¶

20. hopethink wrote:

    does anyone else take issue with the use of “exile” in the name and alleged theme of the show? to me, this seems like a blatant minimization of the actual conditions of and impact that exile can have individuals and communities. to act as though rich, minority-world young adults are being “exiled” by being sent to temporarily live in less luxury is absurd. the conditions of their trip are being controlled by their parents who are exercising choice in their decisions to send them away. it makes it seem as if exile is just a nice little vacay to knock some sense into misbehaving kids, rather than a reality for those who dissent under stifling conditions.
    then again, i don’t expect anything intelligent or socio-politically relevant from mtv.
    what if they had called the show “immigrants!” way to make misleading negative associations in people’s consciousness. & i am in no way implying that exile and immigration are the same.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 6:21 pm ¶

21. Treacle wrote:

    Just out of curiousity, when people say Tila Tequila gives bisexuals a bad name or isn’t doing any favors for the LGBQT community, what do you mean?

    I don’t have a TV so I’m way out of the pop culture/MTV loop.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 7:41 pm ¶

22. Willow wrote:

    Geeze you fluckcluster,

    So basically a bunch of rich whiny white kids get sent to far off locations ordinary people don’t get to see. But they’re not there to learn, observe or help to locals. They’re there to be a burden to the locals and screw up their noses at the lives of brown people.

    So basically its “We’re sending the Masters and Mistresses from life on the Plantation to live in the Slave Quarters for a week. Slave Quarters in [Exotic Locales!] far off parts of the world in a once in a lifetime opportunity to see wonders of nature up close! Stay tuned.”

    Yeah, television sucks ass. I’m gonna stick to watching re-runs of CSI and reading lots and lots of books.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 10:10 pm ¶

23. Aquarianbrass wrote:

    Two things:
    What is wrong with the ghetto or Da hood.
    And when you point out that the host is “classically trained dancer” aren’t you by implication suggesting that she is stooping down a level by doing hip hop dancing which often requires rigorous practice, rhythm and body control to master.

    Secondly, Forced exposure to foreign culture might give these kids a different perspective on life. If their as pampered as is suggested, it might really be culture shock who knows. Just a premise for a silly show.
    And of course you use exotic cultures because their more interesting than our run of the mill locals. They already did the whole blue-collar work thing with Paris and the Richie kid.
    @hopethink:
    Exile can mean so many things and doesn’t necessarily refer to political refugees.
    @Cara:
    And of course when others particiipate in “black” culture its voyeurism and appropiation. So what do we’re out there doing pilates or eating sushi.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 12:04 am ¶

24. sonia wrote:

    “I have half a mind to start a “neo-colonialism” watch on this one.”

    Please full-mind it! I, too, am ashamed.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 1:03 am ¶

25. Nenena wrote:

    The “Sneak Peak” video for Exiled on the MTV website infuriated me. It ended with one of the girls crying, wailing “Why did my daddy do this to me?!”, while her host family looks on. I can’t imagine how the host family must have felt, hearing that. They opened up their home to her, and I’m guessing probably tripped all over themselves to help and support her helpless ass, and *that’s* the type of gratitude that she shows?

    Yeah. The whole premise of this show is centered around the idea that life in “those places” is a fitting “punishment” for spoiled divas. Ugh.

    I like Latoya’s idea – a better reality show would be one where the spoiled girls have to survive in working-class America. But then again, that would basically be “The Simple Life” regurgitated.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 7:46 am ¶

26. say whaat? wrote:

    @hopethink: YES. I too was at first excited to see these kids exposed to reality, but then I got this sick feeling in my stomach, like halfway through. To a certain extent, I thought a few things:

    1. The show/parents/kids act like they think they are sending them to HELL.

    2. They could just get a job at their current education level, and live in a motel in another state.

    3. This is really fetishizing the “ethnic” aspects of these countries. Not everyone “in the third world” lives in a tribe somewhere, wearing their native, and in some cases ceremonial garb ALL day.

    4. They should have done an exchange program, where someone from that place gets to live with the rich american family for the same amount of time.

    5. I wish they did a show where they sent someone who could APPRECIATE that opportunity to go to another country, instead of sending people who would waste it. Why not send black kids from watts to Africa? These rich kids will just do what they have to do (act like they have learned their lesson) to get the hell out of there and back into daddy’s pocket, just so they can talk about how horrible it was to live with “those” people, and mock their traditions and cultural context. (which I hope they will have the sense to not show on tv)

    a mixed blessing if you ask me.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 8:29 am ¶

27. say whaat? wrote:

    oh and props to everyone who said what i just said before i said it my bad

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 8:30 am ¶

28. sonia wrote:

    “Just out of curiousity, when people say Tila Tequila gives bisexuals a bad name or isn’t doing any favors for the LGBQT community, what do you mean?

    I don’t have a TV so I’m way out of the pop culture/MTV loop.”

    I have never watched this show. But I happened to catch Tequila at the Bravo Award show. This is what she said, ‘Lesbians Rule! Let’s make out! They are hot!”
    hmmm…

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 12:32 pm ¶

29. carmela wrote:

    @ acquarian brass: I was going to comment about the “classically trained” bit but decided against it because I thought I sounded a bit elitist or annoying. But since it has come up again, here it goes: Tweetie’s bio says she picked up dance at 12 during aftershool program and “majored” in ballet and jazz at a performing arts high school. That doees not describe “classically trained” to me. Classically trained ballerinas and modern dancers start very young, while barely out of their toddler years, and undergo years of intense training and study. I don’t know where the “classically trained” bit came from, it seems a bit disingenuous and out of place in this case.

    Viacom owns both BET and MTV, there was a choice made to put this show on MTV and not BET, let’s not forget this. the Tweetie show would have been very different if it was aimed at BET’s mostly Black audience, it wouldn’t have been so exotic.

    MTV shows are so ridiculous, the barely merit any deep thoughts anyway. Among the in-your-face condescension, paternalism, and colonialist mentality of “Exiled”, the very suspect idea of a one-named music video choreographer in 80’s outfits and doorknocker earrings teaching white kids how to dance like they’re from “tha hood”, and Tila Tequila being lauded in Racialicious as the very picture of good business acumen and positive representation of minorities and glbtq people, I am just speechless. I seriously don’t know what to say anymore. So self-objectification is okay as long as you turn it into a lucrative business?

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 6:23 pm ¶

30. A. wrote:

    @Aquarianbliss.

    Didn’t say anything was wrong there. What I did mean to imply, however, is that not all black people come from the hood/grow up in poverty/etc.

    Black women, and black people, should not always have to behave stereotypically just so white kids can get their jollies at the end of the day and feel like they’re just so “hood” too.

    What I am getting at by the fact that she is a classically trained dancer is that Hip-hop dancing is not the only thing that she can do, and that she should also be recognized as well for the other different kinds of dance that she is capable of, rather than simply staying to the more stereotypical roles.

    Black women should not have to simply be stuck in a situation where the only jobs that we can get on MTV and other such stations are highly stereotypical roles. Either we’re sassy or we’re ghetto.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 6:46 pm ¶

31. A. wrote:

    ..and I did not mean to hit enter there.

    Black women are so much more than hood and being quick witted. We should be seen as individuals on television. We should be able to be glamorized just as white girls/women are for doing shows like The Hills or things like that.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 6:48 pm ¶

32. NancyP wrote:

    Send these kids our way, and we’ll have them filling sandbags, and later, shoveling mud out of houses and stores.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 7:21 pm ¶

33. Aquarianbrass wrote:

    Black women are so much more than hood and being quick witted. We should be seen as individuals on television. ”

    So a black woman from the hood can’t be an individual? But glamorized white women from the Hills are?
    Sorry, everyones a “type” so get over it. The idea of the “individual” is a westernized conceit borne of the fantasies of dead white men who sought to be free of “culture”.
    I don’t watch much M.T.V or T.V. period but whenever I hear people complaining about so-called “ghetto’ people in the media to me thats code for ” insecure middle-class minority doesn’t want white folks to think most of us speak the black dialect or come from the inner city(yet most of us do)”
    BTW, “Bliss?”
    You might think its clever but its only petty.

    Posted 22 Jun 2008 at 3:23 am ¶

34. Treacle wrote:

    whenever I hear people complaining about so-called “ghetto’ people in the media to me thats code for ” insecure middle-class minority doesn’t want white folks to think most of us speak the black dialect or come from the inner city(yet most of us do)”

    Way to go with the stereotyping Aquarianbrass.

    You know, making blanket statements about people’s behavior based on how they look is just as based when it’s done intraracially as when it’s done interracially.

    Posted 22 Jun 2008 at 9:48 am ¶

35. A. wrote:

    @Aquarianbrass

    Looks like you merely came in here to start something. You implying that people are “types” and that we need to get over it? Fail. That’s rule 2 from “How to Suppress Discussions of Racism.”

    Additionally, you just tried to set something up an as attack when it actually wasn’t that. Yes. There are those of us who live in the ghetto and have adapted to those ways. Yes, there are also those of us that didn’t grow up in the ghetto, and there also those of us who grew up in Middle Class households or even the black upper class. No one is knocking people from the ghetto. What I AM knocking is the stereotype that TV continues to show that ALL black people are from the ghetto, constructing stereotypes, and those of us who don’t fit the “hood” stereotype are given problem after problem for not doing so.

    If you set this up as an attack, I don’t know what to think of you.

    Posted 22 Jun 2008 at 5:24 pm ¶

36. Jennifer-Ruth wrote:

    Now, I know about Paris Hilton, Lyndsey Lohan, Britany Spears and all the rest of them…but who the fuck is Tila Tequila?

    (is it an Amerian thing?)

    Posted 23 Jun 2008 at 9:28 am ¶

37. Whitney wrote:

    I feel really sorry for the people who have to put up with the spoiled brats for a week. MTV better be paying them a lotta money.

    Posted 25 Jun 2008 at 3:50 pm ¶