Sweet Sixteens

       I believe most of us have either seen or heard of the MTV show, "My Super Sweet Sixteen." The show's plot line involves spoiled teenage girls with wealthy parents, who fly to Europe to find their birthday dress, invite only the popular kids in their grade to their extravagant birthday parties, and receive fancy cars as their birthday presents. They also manage to spend a large sum of money on the party itself. These parties do not just occur on television. In fact, Sweet Sixteens are becoming more and more common in America, largely because of the MTV show's influence. In my own hometown of Tampa, Florida, a girl in my little sister's grade threw a Sweet Sixteen a few weekends ago. Here are some photographs from the event:

She rented out the Ritz  in my hometown: Tampa, Florida.

Decorated it with a futuristic theme.

Had a grand entrance with fog, male escorts, and a silver sparkly dress.

Was crowned with a tiara by her mother.

Received a private performance by a popular teen band.

Had another grand entrance and changed outfits.

Received a Hummer as her birthday present. 

And received a SmartCar as well.

She also had a photo shoot with the band.

      When I was looking through the different photographs online, I was amazed by how elaborate her party was. It made me wonder how much money her parents had spent for the band, the venue, the two cars, and her three outfits.  I wanted to see what other people's thoughts were on Sweet Sixteens in general and the MTV show in particular, which probably has influenced teenage girls a great deal, making Sweet Sixteens more desirable and labeled as "The Cool Thing To Do."  I came across the book Girl Culture by Claudia A. Mitchell and Jacqueline Reid-Walsh. Here is an interesting quote I found:

"The American fascination with celebrity and adolescent aspirations toward the lifestyles of the rich and famous have driven the cost of Sweet Sixteens to incredible heights. Most episodes of the program feature the children of very affluent parents, who have budgets of $50,000 to $200,000 at their disposal. In modern-day incarnations, personal status has become associated with the level of wealth, exclusivity, creativity, and celebrity involved in the Sweet Sixteen party."

         I liked that the quote mentions exclusivity as being associated with Sweet Sixteen parties. Just like Old Money created clubs to isolate themselves from the rest of society, rich teenagers throw Sweet Sixteens for a reason. By having an expensive party, they prove to the rest of their community that they are financially capable of affording such a lavish event. Because most other students will not be able to afford a party of the same caliber, the student who throws a Sweet Sixteen is able to set himself or herself apart from everybody else.

        Sweet Sixteens also represent society's fascination with living a rich lifestyle. The social pressure experienced by teenagers who throw Sweet Sixteens reflects the challenging difficulties of entering the super-exclusive upper class. According to high school peers, only the teens who throw the biggest and best parties are allowed to pass this rite of passage and then become accepted into their higher spot on the social ladder. Those who fail remain on the bottom. This standard of criterion for entering the higher echelons of high school popularity mimics the format of society itself: while many could try to be in the spotlight, only those with strong family backgrounds, reputations, and wealth were accepted.  Sweet Sixteens are very similar to the antics of High Society because only a small number are accepted into each group. For Sweet Sixteens, only the very wealthy teens who throw the best parties are welcomed into the popular group. In High Society, it was the same group of wealthy families that were named in the Social Register and talked about in the newspapers. Although High Society has given way to Celebrity Worship in society, in a way, High Society still exists in high school. Only the richest students can afford the Sweet Sixteen ritual and this sets them apart from their classmates.