What Were We Thinking? : The Exploitation of Children in 2000s Reality Tv
Article ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 6 Minutes
If you’re an American, then you’ve surely seen or overheard an episode of reality television at one point or another - it’s kind of our thing in the realms of entertainment. Or at least, we shot it to popularity. Cooking, dancing, singing, celebrities, influencers, models, aspiring actors: you name it and there’s probably a reality show centered around it. Currently, shows such as Love is Blind or The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are all the buzz but today I’d like to focus on the “golden era” of American reality tv: the early 2000s and even a bit into the 2010s. Specifically, I’d like to ask a question:
How did we find these shows acceptable?
You’ll notice that a common denominator amongst the shows I’ve chosen to highlight is children and their alarming amount of involvement. Child labor laws are a thing, as we know, put in place to protect young people from unnecessarily harsh work and long hours. It seems that the entertainment industry may be an exception to these laws, however, because of the very apparent roles children have.
SHOW 1 - KID NATION (2007)
Kid Nation. It’s arguably the most severe example on this list and perhaps in television history. Horrifyingly enough, the premise of the show is inspired by the iconic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding. For those who haven’t had the chance to read it in full, the book aims to highlight mankind and its inner violence/primitiveness through children. In a nutshell, the plot follows a group of schoolboys who crash land onto a deserted island and from there they work to build their own society - which is quickly demolished by elements of greed and brutality at the hands of the kids themselves.
Hosted by Jonathan Karsh and created by Tom Forman Productions / Endemol USA, Kid Nation (unsurprisingly) had one season and one season only. It featured 40 kids aged between 8 and 15 years old at Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, a privately owned town built on the ruins of Bonanza City, New Mexico (13 miles South of Santa Fe). The kids, left with minimal adult supervision, are showcased being thrown into the ranch with essentially no resources or know-how. From there, they struggle and attempt to form a somewhat functioning society including a working government system.
Despite the brash nature of the show as a mere idea, it gets worse beneath the surface. As I touched on, the kids in the show had minimal adult supervision. This was because they wanted as little interference as possible, which can be understood. However, this also led to maltreatment amongst the cast since at the end of the day, they’re children who don’t know how to fend for themselves in general let alone at an isolated property in New Mexico.
It’s of minimal surprise that CBS cancelled Kid Nation following its first season. So, in this case the question of “how did we find this acceptable?” doesn’t quite apply. More or less, it’s a question of “who approved this?” instead.
SHOW 2 - TODDLERS & TIARAS (2009-2013)
A classic favorite of my mother’s (sorry for outing you, Mom), Toddlers & Tiaras was a shock to the world that was hiding right under our noses all along. A TLC staple, the show highlighted the oddly intense lives of young pageant girls and their families as they prepared for competitions across the country.
The show went for shock factor and it got just that. Toddlers & Tiaras was an instant hit and a controversy all in one upon airing in 2009. Many found the pageant outfits to be too provocative and catered towards men while others found that the mothers of the contestants were, to be brief, Satan in heels. A repeated theme within the show is the component of mothers living vicariously through their daughters since it’s clear that their own pageant days are long over. They’ll go lengths that the average parent wouldn’t dream of even if it’s at the expense of their child’s wellbeing and mood.
Several movies have poked fun at this since it’s unfortunately such a common notion in the pageant/modeling/dance world. Dumplin’ (2022), Little Miss Sunshine (2003), and even episodes of South Park (1999-) have all presented this issue in their own ways though the problem itself seems to be stagnant.
Now, why did we let this show go on for 7 consecutive seasons? Only God or whatever powers may be knows the real answer to that. One could argue that it was scripted or exaggerated for the sake of TV. Others have said it’s because the times were different - people could hardly believe that what they were watching was real and effective. Some have also pushed that the network(s) were too money hungry to listen to the surge of feedback. Toddlers & Tiaras was one of TLC’s best performers at the time and it even led to somewhat successful spinoffs like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (2012-2014) and Cheer Perfection (2012-2013) so keeping it on air for as long as possible may have outweighed the public’s negative feelings.
SHOW 3 - DANCE MOMS (2011-2019)
And now, we’re at Dance Moms. Despite the immense shame that comes with it, I must admit that this one goes platinum in my apartment. Following the Junior Elite Competition Team of dancers under the Abby Lee Dance Company, Dance Moms follows the lives of the team itself and their mothers, hence the name of the show. Much like Toddlers & Tiaras, Dance Moms shows the crazy levels that the parents of innocent children are willing to reach for the sake of getting ahead and being the best.
The original cast is composed of the Lukasiaks (Chloe and mom Christie), the Hylands (Brooke, Paige, and mom Kelly), the Zieglers (Maddie, Mackenzie, and mom Melissa Gisoni), and the Fraziers (Nia and mom Holly) (with Kendall Vertes and mom Jill joining early in season two). In these early days, turmoil is minimal but still fairly present due to choreographer/dance teacher Abby Lee Miller and her harsh teaching tactics that revolve around bias, critiques, yelling, and pinning dancers against one another. Her toughness is the root of most conflict, especially her favoritism towards Maddie Ziegler - who is constantly showcased getting unfair opportunities and being used as fuel for arguments.
As the seasons progress with amped up fights (some physical, some not), worsened abuse on Miller’s behalf, and lineup changes within the cast itself (Asia Ray and mom Kristie, Jojo Siwa and mom Jess, Kahlani Hilliker and mom Kira Girard, Brynn Rumfallo and mom Ashlee Allen, etc.), the outrageousness of it all becomes much more potent and difficult to ignore. Like I stated earlier (with guilt), I am an avid watcher of the show but only for the first 6 seasons. This is much in part due to the fact that Miller goes, pardon my French, fucking insane. Her verbal and emotional warfare goes from a solid 4 to a 400 as the seasons progress. Much of this can be blamed on her legal battles that weren’t very candid in the show until far down the line but as far as I am concerned, there isn’t an excuse when it comes to being a 50 something year old bully who targets children.
Upon the show closing, many original cast members have spoken out about their time with Miller and the poor treatment they faced. Nia Frazier recently published a memoir, Chloe Lukasiak and her mom Christie have gone on several podcasts and similar ventures, and Melissa Gisoni even testified against her in court when she was tried for bankruptcy fraud in 2016. Furthermore, none of the original cast has contact with her anymore despite her very public attempts. It seems that the only dancers who maintain a relationship with Miller are Jojo Siwa (seasons 5-6) and Kalani Hilliker (seasons 4-7).
This is the one that really stumps me. I understand contracts are a thing in TV but 8 seasons? 8 seasons and nobody had the nerve to call out the abuse for what it was? 8 seasons and not a single lawsuit that actually went anywhere? It’s mind boggling, especially given the fact that Miller still hops on her soapbox to talk poorly of her previous dancers and their mothers whilst denying that she was ever abusive or over the line.
For many of us, reality tv is a guilty pleasure. Love Island, The Circle, Vanderpump Rules, Big Brother, Hell’s Kitchen, The Bachelor, The Osbournes, Chrisley Knows Best, American Idol, Survivor, 1000 Pound Sisters, The Real Housewives franchise. It’s a big market nowadays and though some view it as trashy or even as something that we shouldn’t give attention to within the entertainment world, it’s changing - and for the better.
Producers are becoming less instigate-y, children aren’t being as exploited, and networks are more choosy about who they give a platform to (minus the recent Taylor Frankie-Paul scandal, that is). It’s important that advocacy for these positive changes continues and that we remember where it all started.
A note from the editor: Justice for all the former reality tv child stars!!!