Top 10 Things You Never Knew About My Super Sweet 16
#10: The Car Reveals Are Staged
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It’s a staple of the show; the privileged birthday boy or girl is given a brand new car, and reacts with either euphoria . . . or an epic tantrum. Well, it turns out that at least some of these scenes are staged. The expensive sports cars are reportedly sometimes hired, to be replaced later by more ordinary rides. Ex-star Nikki Cain said that even though she knew what car she was getting, producers still made her test drive a different one in order to elicit a negative reaction for the camera. Other backstage voices say that one episode saw a hired Beamer downgraded to a Toyota or Honda after filming.
#9: Entrances Are Filmed Multiple Times
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We know by now that the “reality” in “reality TV” doesn’t mean an awful lot, but the lengths to which producers will go are still pretty shocking. Previous stars of the show have revealed that if shots don’t come out right the first time, they have to reshoot over and over again, repeating lines until they’re bored to death. This even includes their big entrances to the parties, meaning that the guests have to act surprised and impressed even though they’ve already seen it all. That’s one way to kill the mood at your birthday!
#8: The Guest Lists Are . . . Flexible
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Episodes often make a big show out of who can and can’t come - especially during the elaborate invitation-giving ceremonies staged by the birthday boy or girl. As it turns out, however, these “exclusive” guest lists are anything but. One famous example occurred when rapper J. Cole showed up uninvited to Aaron Reid’s birthday bash, hoping to do some networking with people in the music industry. This was 2006, before he became famous. He was reportedly told by the crew to just pretend he knew Aaron, despite only being there for Aaron’s famous dad.
#7: The Stars Are Sleep Deprived
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The people on “My Super Sweet 16” aren’t professional actors, and haven’t had a lot of practice at producing emotional responses on command. So how do producers make sure their reactions are big and dramatic for the cameras? The answers, of course, is by pushing the young stars to their limits. Sweet Sixteener Nikki Cain said that throughout the filming period, she often only got three or four hours of sleep each night. To make matters worse, the cameras rarely left her side, sticking around until she fell asleep and waiting for her when she woke up in the morning. Suddenly, the outbursts start to look a bit more understandable.
#6: The Voiceovers Are Scripted
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Production doesn’t stop just because the party’s over. When filming finishes, the teens have to record their narration for the episode. Unfortunately for them, they don’t get to use their own words. Intead, they’re apparently forced to read off a script that intentionally paints them in the worst possible light. The narration is SUPPOSED to make them sound spoiled, mean, and ridiculous . . . and there’s not much they can do about it. They might be bossing everyone around on camera, but it would seem that behind-the-scenes it’s actually the birthday boy or girl getting told what to do.
#5: MTV Doesn’t Foot the Bills
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Over the years, rumors have circulated that MTV pays for these ludicrously expensive parties, all in the name of making exciting television. According to past stars however, that’s not true at all. Instead, prospective teens were vetted and asked about their dream party and their parents’ income, making sure they were rich enough to be worth MTV’s time. As such, “My Super Sweet 16” is actually surprisingly cheap to produce, since it mostly entails having a camera crew follow a teenager around for a few weeks, coaxing the right footage out of the family, and then editing it all together into an entertaining narrative.
#4: The Producers Are Pushy
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It’s no secret that the exploitative nature of reality TV plays a big part in presenting its stars as overly dramatic. As previously mentioned, the teens appearing on the show are often running low on sleep. But it’s also alleged that the producers and crew actively needle them to get the desired behavior. According to Sweet Sixteener Sophie Mitchell, much of the show’s drama is contrived by producers and parents alike, who encourage the teens to act out. Even Audrey Reyes, remembered for her infamous Lexus tantrum, apologized to people close to her after the show.
#3: The Show Inspired a Horror Film Franchise
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MTV has never been a network to shy away from teen slashers, especially when Halloween rolls around. Following the success of “My Super Sweet 16,” they decided to make a series of three horror movies following the formula, in which a shy, social outcast gets revenge on the spoiled birthday girl. Despite the modest concept, the plot does get convoluted, eventually evolving into a dynasty of serial killers who all carry out their murders on or around sixteenth birthday parties. Considering they’re made-for-TV, teen horror flicks, they hold up surprisingly well and have been generally well-received.
#2: Jennifer Lawrence Was in a Promo
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Before she got her big break and became a household name, Jennifer Lawrence had to take any role she could get. And one of these early jobs was starring as a bratty teenager in the MTV promos for “My Super Sweet 16.” These clips were very short and intended to exaggerate some of the show’s most dramatic tropes – which were already quite dramatic to begin with. We saw J-Law get dropped from a divan while making her big entrance, and her face get covered in cake when a disco ball fell from above. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions: There’s a Spin-Off Called Exiled It Inspired the Film “God Bless America” A Detailed Questionnaire Vets Potential Stars The Caterers Have Seen Even More Expensive Sweet 16s
#1: The Party Crashers Are Staged
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Reality isn’t always dramatic enough to make for good entertainment. So, the production team apparently made sure that there was always conflict on the big night, in the form of party crashers. Rather than being hired actors, these party crashers were sometimes people that the stars knew, and they were asked by people working on the show to gate-crash. One ex-party crasher even said in an interview that he’d been invited, before having his invitation revoked, and was then pushed to attend anyway by the producers. “Reality” TV? Yeah right!
