Week four

 I find it so interesting how the idea of a "coming of age" party has been perpetuated throughout society as a critical point in a young persons life. From the information that I saw in the Alvarez piece and from the episode from the Sweet Sixteen program, I observed that a lot of these parties started out as a ceremony to recognize the shift from girlhood into womanhood, but ultimately they turned out to be extremely over the top parties displaying the families wealth and social status. Alvarez described how the Quinceanera has evolved into something that parents throw to give their children what they themselves could never have. Most of the parents who were throwing these elaborate parties told their children that when they were their age, their parents could never afford to give them a Quinceanera. With this new generation of privileged youth, Alvarez describes these rites of passage as becoming "rights" of passage. The youth of today feel a sense of entitlement for these extravagant parties that are becoming less about the actual maturing transition and more about a gaudy display. Between the Alvarez piece and the Sweet Sixteen piece I noticed a lot of the same elements, one in particular being the princess aspect. I find it interesting that Alvarez opened her piece describing what it was like to wear a pink frilly dress and a crown, being the center of attention. In the Sweet Sixteen episode, the first elements that were discussed about the girls party were the Versace crown that her mother had given her and the ball gown she was going to wear, and how important it was that she was the center of attention. Everything about these rite of passage parties revolves around turning the girl into a princess. A crown and a ball gown are standard with every event and the whole premise is making that girl feel like she is Cinderella for one night.

If I was going to capture a "coming of age" party on television I would do some things differently. Obviously I understand that the Sweet Sixteen program grabs so many of its viewers from the outrageous purchases and behaviors of the shows cast, but I would like to see a coming of age party that doesn't just show its subject throwing fits in a ball gown. I would choose to cover someone who was a little more down to earth, who actually celebrated this event with maturity rather than with spoiled outbursts. I can't imagine that I would capture a very large audience by doing this, because so much of television focuses on the shock and awe value, but I am sure I could get quite a few feminists and intelligent groups of people to tune in.