- WTH??? Seriously???
So I'm flipping through the channels since I've already caught up on my favorite soap opera "Days of Our Lives", the election results are in, there's nothing on HGTV that I haven't seen, and my beloved (Superbowl bound) Patriots do not play until tomorrow... so, what else is the Greek Girl going to do? We're snowed in here, didn't you know?
I was sitting on my couch, all cozy in my Ricky Ricardo style pajamas (yes, I wear those. Doesn't everyone?) I had to stop for a minute because my TV remote clicker thingy landed me on the program of "Toddlers and Tiaras." I have watched it before, but each time it is on I can't wrap my Greek noggin around what I see and hear.
WARNING: The Greek Girl's filter has come loose again.
Okay I have one question... Where the heck are the parents? Oh wait, they are standing right there, stage left, handing their precocious 3 year-old "go-go juice" and cheering them on. Can anyone say, unfit parent?! Now, I am well aware that we are living in the "NOW" generation, and that with Youtube - literally anyone can become a "star" - for literally any reason - regardless if they have any sustaining talent. Look at Rebecca Black. On one hand I actually feel sorry for Rebecca...but on the other hand, I think she had no business at 14 years of age playing rock star!
I think part of the reason so many children stars have gone on to lead such troubled lives is because their young impressionable noggins we're filled with other people telling them what to do, what to say, how to talk, how to walk, where to stand, etc. at such an early age. Their brains never had a chance to mature and ripen naturally. As we get older there is already plenty of other people trying to tell us what we should do or be, or can't be or can't do. Kids need to be kids, they don't need that type of criticism at such a young age.
Some TV producers noticed what a whack-job most of those stage moms are that they now have a new reality show called "Dance Moms" - it's all about a bunch of whack-job stage mothers from Pittsburgh who spend thousands of dollars on their children to be verbally harassed, ridiculed and screamed at by an overweight lady who looks like she has downed a few more McRibs than my manager Mr. Bricks. This woman wouldn't know a ballet shoe if it kicked her in her own butt! So where is child protective services when you need them? Sometimes this Greek girl thinks these parent's brains have followed Elvis right out the stage door and have left the building!!
Ok, back to Toddlers and Tiara...hmmm where shall I start?
GoGo Juice: a mixture of Red Bull & Mountain Dew.
Hello!!! Red Bull to a child by it self is a bad thing, now add in a little Mountain Dew and bam we have a young Norman Bates in the making. I'm a grown adult (or at least play one on TV) and I do not even drink Red Bull. My question is, "what in God's name is wrong with these mothers? And, why on earth are people glorifying these television shows? Both, "Toddlers and Tiaras" and "Dance Moms" are two of the highest rated shows on cable TV. How can anyone think that torturing these little girls is healthy or productive? What they are doing is creating little monsters. Yes I said it, so what?
The problem I feel with these types of reality shows is that children are learning the wrong messages. They are taught that they first need other's approval and that they need to win the title of "Miss Grand Supreme" in order to feel good about themselves. And worse, you have parents who put all of their hard earned money into competition fees, $1,000 "Wow Wear" costumes and feed them liquid speed in a bottle just so that their child wins another $24 trophy. Some mothers admit they feed their kids up to 15 pixie stixs right before their child goes on stage so they stay hyped up long enough to win.
When all is said and done you know what you get? You get a bully. Spoiled rotten little self-absorbed brats, that go to school thinking the earth rotates around them (because they won the Miss Grand Supreme title at a recent Glitz pageant) so they push other kids around mentally and at times, even physically.
So, where are the parents? It seems that these days they are either standing there on the sidelines pushing the "gogo" juice down their throats or they are absent. This leads to my next bone of contention.... the "Twilight Moms". Don't know what that is?... Well that is a 35+ year old mom who oogles the 16 yr old boys in the "Twilight Movie Series". Nothing wrong with that - right? Wrong! Somehow I think if a 35+ year old man was oogling a 16 yr old girl he might land himself behind bars, just sayin'.
It's like there is an entire generation of unsatisfied moms out there pushing their kids into pageants, music, dance, literally anything and everything to get them "famous" to fulfill some sort of twisted need that they never fulfilled before they decided to have kids. How about just letting kids be kids? What ever happened to that? There are milllions and millions cans of playdough going unsed each year. We need to let kids grow and learn to develop their strengths, gifts and abilities - naturally vs. pushing them into the limelight so they can fulfill their own selfish desires. Sad, very sad. Where will the rocket scientists, Dr.'s, lawyers, firemen, policemen, and future business owners and entrepreneurs of tomorrow be? They will be young impressionable minds waiting to get on American Idol or America's Got Talent - only to be told they sound a little pitchy, their act is total rubbish or that they have no talent. Great character builders for our youth - Not!
Nothing irks the Greek Girl more than someone telling you what you should, can, or can not do! Telling this to someone young or old I believe leads to unhappy people, and in many cases, especially in youth, it leads to bullying. Mr. Bricks aside, I do not like bullies, and yes there are even a fair share of grown up bullies running around the world. Trust me, the music/entertainment industry is full of them. They think they know what is best for the buying public and that every artist should be a 15 years-old.
This is why I wrote my newest song, "I Don't Even Care." Because in my mind, no one can ever really tell you what you can or can not be. Why give them that power? All of your self-worth should come from the inside and not from what a panel of judges think, what a dance teacher thinks or what a record label executive thinks. It's all about standing up for your dreams and believing in yourself - no matter what your critics have to say.
Disclaimer: My critiquing these moms is not me being a bully, but rather pointing out that they are abusive bullies them self, and should be stopped.
Hope you enjoy the song & the game! Go PATS!
SOOOOOO True!!! My mother was obsessed with my sister and I being "popular"...it was a bit detrimental for both of us, manifesting itself in self-esteem issues, weight issues and eating disorders, as well as depression! If these mothers could only see that kids should be just that...children that can grow and explore THEIR possibilities...not someone else's. You go GIRL!!!
ReplyDelete