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It’s kind of embarrassing to admit.
Truthfully, I, like everyone else who watches reality television, am intrigued by the constant drama and change in the lives of reality TV stars. Truthfully, I envy the fast cash it seems they make after just having their lives recorded. Truthfully, it makes for decent entertainment.
And truthfully: it is just unfair.
Internet meme after internet meme say the same things, “16 and Pregnant? What about 22 and Financially Stable?” or “Since when does getting pregnant entitle you to a career?” and essentially, it’s a harsh truth. In defense to the MTV writers, teenage pregnancy went down several percentage points after the first few seasons of “16 and Pregnant.” However, the glamorization of the teen pregnancy has skyrocketed. With Farrah Abraham an entertainment sensation due to the show’s publicity and the financial stability and independence of Maci Bookout make the world of insta-stardom seem incredible-- at the low, low price of your first born child.
According to a Time Magazine poll, more 18-25 year olds would rather be assistants to famous people or reality stars than want to be CEO’s of major corporations. In a recent magazine, the topic of the “Real Talk” section was “Fame and You: What the Odds REALLY Are” (paraphrased to protect the publication.) It seems to be that fame and fortune are on everyone’s mind, and yet nobody wants to take the steps to WORK toward it. Why would they? Everyone around us from Jenna Marbles to the Kardashians seem to become mega-stars overnight! We too could be the next great thing… right?
Instead of glamorizing the fame already achieved by reality stars, shouldn’t the major television networks be making more of an effort to document the struggle to the top, as opposed to the luxuries of being at the top? Shouldn’t we show how difficult it is to get there, and then to stay there instead of making fame seem simple and something that you can “D.I.Y”?
I digress.
Bottom Line: fame ain’t easy kids. Getting there is a struggle in itself. You don’t need to give birth to a child out of wedlock and before High School graduation to get on TV. You don’t even need to marry rich. Do your best and good things will come to you. (Or at least, I am sure hoping that is the case.)