August 19, 2012 11:30 am A very Happy Sunday to all SH readers! It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood…
Lil Milania Giudice… walkin’ off the stucco job. Unfortunately, Milania CANNOT walk off the RHONJ!!
This question has been posed many times before… but this time the question of ‘what will happen to reality kids?’ focuses on the Real Housewives of New Jersey’s children. The author of this piece lumped the Duggars in with the other “reality” shows… IMO, the Duggars needn’t have been included.
A very interesting tidbit in this piece is that fact that the Loud parents, Pat and Bill, who divorced on their groundbreaking PBS reality show, “An American Family,” are still divorced, but now live together.
From NorthJersey:
“Critics of reality TV often talk about the emotional brutality of adult interactions in these shows. But what about the children? Who’s looking out for the psychological and financial well-being of kids in reality shows like TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras” and its new spinoff “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” about 6-year-old breakout star Alana Thompson and her rural Georgia family? And what about TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” and, of course, Bravo’s “Housewives” franchise?
Over the past four seasons of “RHONJ,” the Giudice kids, who range in age from 2 to 11, have been filmed as they witnessed disturbing incidents, including a fistfight between their father and their mother’s brother during a christening party at The Manor in West Orange. Gia, the oldest, seemed especially affected by the feud between her mom and uncle. In one episode, she cried as she sang to the adults a song she’d written pleading with everyone to get along.
“Reality TV programs over the past decade have been extremely irresponsible when it comes to the children,” says media critic Jennifer L. Pozner, who wrote the book “Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV.” “The kids on reality shows have no ability to consent to the level of exploitation of their families, of themselves.”
More than the parents, Pozner blames the “multi-billion-dollar corporations that profit off [such] exploitation.” The networks contacted for this story declined to comment.
“We don’t right now have any research on the long-term impact of children participating in these kinds of shows, but it’s fairly straightforward that there seems to be some emotional impact,” says Melinda Scime, a licensed psychologist who has studied how media images affect adolescent girls.
“Reality TV is not reality. It’s still television, still for entertainment purposes, and children often have a harder time understanding the difference between reality and fantasy than adults do, just because their cognitive development is still going on.”
The performers union SAG/AFTRA covers professionals in scripted series but has no jurisdiction over reality shows, whose producers maintain that the shows are unscripted.
Children in the entertainment business, Petersen says, have been exempt from federal child-labor laws since 1938, so “if a state doesn’t pass specific laws for the entertainment business, children are at risk.” And only California has laws that hold producers accountable for the welfare of reality-show kids, he says, adding, “That’s why these reality shows with kids are not filmed in California.”
As for New Jersey, Brian T. Murray, director of communications and marketing at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, says that unless the child is an employee of the production company on a show, state wage and hour laws don’t apply to them. “If you truly have a situation where the camera is an independent observer and there are no contractual requirements on the child’s time, we aren’t looking at child labor and we are not involved.”
But for many reality TV kids, like the Giudice girls, there’s an even more troubling issue. “What will it be like when these children grow up, and look back on having their childhood documented in this way?” Scime says. “I think there are going to be some things for the children that have been a part of these shows to work through.” NOTE: This last sentence… an understatement if there ever was one!
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Not sure if this IS the Housewives favorite band, as the majority of Housewives are not “SLIGHTLY” stoopid… the are DOWNRIGHT stoopid! Yes, “Slightly Stoopid” is a real band!
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Brandi Glanville boyfriend update! Brandi’s recent “date” with Jonathan Ruiz was NOT a “love match”… and Jonathan is not her “boyfriend.” My Beverly Hills source told SH that Jonathan goes after many women… Brandi’s date was simply a photo op.
Jonathan Ruiz… Brandi Glanville
(Thanks to SH reader “cybraxis”!!!)
I read that article about children on reality TV and it always irritates me that Joe Gorga is given a free pass. He drops his pants, does ridiculous sexual things and begs for sex (graphically) in front of his kids all on camera..but the NJnewspaper reporter only admonishes the Giudices. Double standard.
I’ve been saying the same thing! Why are we the only ones who call him out? He’s an idiot who needs a muzzle.
So Agree, HaLaLa..
I totally agree with you. JoeG acts like a horny slobbering ape. Slinging his one pixel size wangdoodle out and pawing all over horseface in front of kids and strangers. But Teresa is the bad parent!
No kidding, he’s always on horseface (she does have a horse face) and wanting to hump everything.
Don’t misunderstand me, I agree that the Gorgas are disgusting and wish they would just hit the porn circuit already but the reason the article focused on the Giudices is because their kids are the ones on this show who are most often in distress. Gia’s clearly emotionally upset and is suffering. These kids are living in a home where the father verbally abuses their mother, gets drunk regularly, fights with everyone and is facing the very real possibility of going to jail while their mother makes poor excuses and lives in denial. Teresa’s attempt at “romance” in the vineyard, especially after Joe called her the C-word, while everyone else was watching (EWWWW) and then the fake dry hump was sad and disgusting. Even if this family weren’t on tv they would be a hot mess. But they are on tv so this is playing out for the world to see and the kids have no say in whether to participate in the filming or not. What they will have is friends watching this show and kids being kids (meaning mean) they will be teased, especially as Gia hits the teen years. The Gorgas kids are much younger than Gia or Melania (sp?) and the odds of their friends seeing the show let alone commenting on it are slim to none, at least at the current time. Joe and Melissa are setting them up for a distorted view of sex but once they join the porn industry that would have happened anyway. Long and short, no one is picking on the Giudices, they are fame whores like the rest of them and willing to damage their children for it. BTW, in case it isn’t clear, I’m no fan of the Gorgas. This show needs to be completely recast or closed down.
Its also possible that as gorgeous as the Gorga kids are(and they are breathtakingly beautiful) they lack that magic sumpin sumpin that the Guidice kids have that make the audience remember them….like thier mother. The Gorga kids are suffering every bit as much as the Guidice kids based on their parents misplaced priorities its just that footage of kids sitting home with the nanny for days on end doesn’t make for exciting tv. Even when the episode showing Antonia’s dance recital should have been all about her, the Gorgas found a way to make it about them. I see your point. None of these kids should be on tv. I think plenty of Gias friends have watched the shows already.
True the Guidice girls have that sumpin sumpin but that sumpin is drama that is far too adult for them to handle. Example: Gia’s crying over virtually everything that goes on between the adults. Both the Guidice girls and Gorga kids are beautiful but I suspect the Gorga kids are just too young to bring drama at this point which is why we see less of them. Ditto Jax younger kids.
You are completely right about the Gorga kids spending so much time with nannies so their silly parents can pursue fame at any cost. But that can’t compare to Joe Guidice calling his wife the c-word and b-word on national tv, telling her in front of the girls to STFU, you are stupid, etc. and their mother saying it is o.k. These girls will grow up to believe that kind of treatment is not only normal but the way it should be. Just think of Gia’s first boyfriend calling her the b-word, she will have been so conditioned that it is o.k. she will accept it as normal. That is the damage this show and her parents are doing to this lovely and smart child. Again, not saying the Gorgas are good parents, they aren’t. I just find it difficult to make one the good parents and the other the bad parents when both are damaging their children.
Nice to see you it has been awhile.
Thanks! I’ve been checking in but haven’t had time to post. After I get my two youngest off to college this month, I’ll be around more.
Milania and Antonia are about the same age and other than the fact that they’re both adorable, that’s where the similarities end. Milania has “it” whereas Antonia does not. I wouldn’t underestimate children’s abilities to know that it’s not okay for their father to call their mother names. Most that live with it know that they will demand the opposite for themselves. I’m living proof. That’s not saying that it’s an acceptable environment for them to live in or is okay in any way. Both the Guidice and the Gorga children will have their own crosses to bear. None will be exempt.
@dsc60 – I’m glad you are strong enough to recognize that name calling isn’t acceptable but the truth is when people grow up with that and it is not only accepted but the person being called the names says it is o.k. is what makes the second generation of the same behavior being accepted and considered normal. That is why abuse (both physical and verbal) is generational. Gia is very smart and sensitive and I hope she follows your path rather than the one her mother has chosen to walk.
You make an excellent point, there- you made a very spot on comment, really.
However, even if the Gorga kids were as featured as much as the Giudice girls, I personally still think that the Gorgas would be given a free pass on how even more disgusting they make than the Giudices at times (I don’t see Joe Giudice waving his penis around in front of the camera).
Didn’t Joe Guidice pee along side of the road right next to Joe Gorga? Both the Giudices and Gorgas are disgusting and neither are good parents. What we get is the spin from Bravo and the individual housewives, none of which I trust. Bravo obviously twists the story lines and Teresa and her family were favorably presented for the first few years, so it makes sense that Bravo, to increase the drama, is now show casting them in the worse way (although obviously they are doing these things). I have a feeling the Gorgas having been built up are ripe for knocking down in the next season.
The Teresa on RHONJ and the Teresa on Celebrity Apprentice in many ways appear to be two entirely different people. I liked her better on CA. And I’m just speculating but I’m betting that Joe and Melissa Gorga will be entering the soft porn business (yes, they are that fame hungry) when they flame out on RHONJ. But, of course, I could be wrong.
I agree 100% Joe Gorga is 10 times worse then Juicy Joe. Look at that stunt around their pool at the shore. The daughter was there ….disgusting…. they have no family values at all. JMO
Maybe it’s not so much a free pass as the fact that Joe Gorga is on NO ONE’s radar. For someone like him, being ignored is the worst punishment of all. Annother poster had commented recently that no one outside of the Bravo Universe knows who Melissa and Joe Gorga are (Kathy and Rich notwithstanding zzzzzzz). Teresa is on covers, was on Celebrity Apprentice, sells books, hair care, teeth whitening, wine, etc. She has a larger universe, and THAT’S what’s killing the Gorgas, Manzos, et al.
I agree that Joe and Melissa Gorga are desperate for the same level of recognition that Teresa has achieved and that desperation has driven them to show their behind, both figuratively and literally but Teresa’s recent behavior (the whole vineyard dry hump while Joe was saying no to the whole thing) was a pathetic and sad bid to be the center of attention. In short, it is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Hi Trekker — Not sure who’s supposed to be the pot and/or kettle — I was responding to Barb’s comment about Joe Gorga getting a free pass regarding his famewhoring behavior. While I agree Teresa’s behavior is hardly that of a skrinking violet, she has not gotten anything resembling a free pass. But that is the price of the fame she wanted — and the fame that her brother and his wife so desperately want. But they don;t have “it” no matter how hard they try.They just get more and more obnoxious.
Both the Guidices and Gorgas are fame whores. It doesn’t matter which came first or which have achieved more, fame whores are fame whores, hence the pot calling the kettle black. I don’t have a dog in this fight, I think both are equally horrible.
We admire Teresa’s work ethic and her spunk, but we shouldn’t think Teresa is blameless in everything. Teresa’s and Juicy have put the girls front and center. Yes, Gia and her sisters are cute and precocious, but these little girls (key word: little – they are still quite young) shouldn’t be used to promote their parents. IMO Tre and Juicy have enough celebrity now and they should limit the amount of time the girls spend in front of the camera, on tabloid covers, and even on her web site which is used for the advertisement of her products. The show has stripped these girls of the privacy they deserve.
Joe G. Is disgusting and doesn’t get a pass from me. Feel bad for his kids too, but more ” camera” time and more “print” is given to the Guidice girls. Bottom line is these parents have sold their family’s privacy to the highest bidder.
When I say parents I mean ALL of them on the Housewives. I think about TamTrash’s kids too. Someday watching their mom’s porn scene in the tub with Eddie and hearing her scream “Jesus Jugs” and all the other foul things that come out of her mouth.
Jax used Ashlee for her story line. And Ashlee is not doing well.
Lauren Manzo – ready to explode. Gia Giudice works harder than Lauren – her dancing shows all her discipline.
Teresa getting kicked around by the others is probably the most damaging to her children.
DonCaro – just horrible. Cannot do anyting (can’t dance, can’t swim, can’t surf) but can meddle and stir the pot. On the Napa trip, she takes Kathy aside and asks her about Tre. DonCaro says that she noticed that MeGo and Tre are spending a lot of time together but not Kathy and Tre. Stay out of it, Chuckie.
Why isn’t DonCaro being critical of Richie?
I think Big Al Manzo wishes his wife never got involved in RHONJ.
Jacqueline sure did @ love nj., I agree! But from what I understan Ashlee is now doing well.
I agree about Caroline, I have seen the promos with her starting stuff with Kathy( planting those seeds) I don’t get why these women( Kathy, Melissa, Jacquelin) when watching these episodes now, do not see whats what? To me it’s plain as day.. Caroline starts the drama, continues the drama. will not let anything go..Stevie Wonder can see this!
The fact is that there is false equivalency all over the place when it comes to these shows. It just depends upon whose “favorite” is under the spotlight and excuses are offered up about this or that one’s similar behavior which often goes unremarked upon.
I have seen comments praising the Guidice’s this season simply because some posters view them as “victims” while setting aside the fact that they have managed to cheat a lot of businesses out of their money, filed false false tax returns, being arrested for DUI, wrapping a car around a tree, forging signatures on documents, and using the papers of a relative to obtain an illegal driving license.
In the meantime, scenes are filmed showing Juicy Joe telling his wife to STFU when not referring to her as his “bitch wife” while she runs around trying to impress the audience that his treatment of her is “okay”. Her table tipping episode in full view of her kids along with the debacle at the christening where fists and swear words were flying is also overlooked by those who prefer to see these two scammers as being abused by the other members of the cast.
The Gorgas are equally ridiculous with Melissa parading around in bikinis the size of post its as her ugly husband salivates alongside her in full view of their 3 kids which does not make them any better as people or parents and the only difference so far is that we have not been forced to sit through office visits to their attorneys as they try to wiggle out of their criminal behavior.
Not much difference between Juicy Joe as he falls down on his drunken face and chips a tooth, or Joe Gargo who pulls “Tarzan” out for viewing, or Rich Walkile pressing himself into another woman and denigrating gays.
However, aside from their poor behavior both in front of and outside the camera range, there are always those who feel compelled to “defend” these idiots even when a man refers to his wife as a “c#unt” on national tv. Some people go so far as to suggest this is an “expression of affection” coming out of the mouth of that thieving, unemployed, drunken little troll who should be sitting in jail and whose demeanor in front of his 4 daughters is less than praiseworthy.
The “we love you Teresa” crowd would rather “compare” their antics with others as justification for whatever reason in order to find an excuse to continue to support these morons which is beyond my comprehension.
Teresa and Melissa are one in the same if anyone wishes to take a closer look. Both famewhores without an ounce of intelligence but canny enough to know how to play the game for all its worth.
You can dislike Teresa all you want, but you have no right to bash her fans. Cut it out.
You made very valid points. NJ is the worst of the bunch. I am tired of the kids being exposed to al ths terrible behavior. I feel bad for kathie’s kids too. Joey is still a minor can you imagine how teenagers tease, look at the antics of his father. I think they traded their dignity for the dollar. We need laws to protect the children because their parents don ‘t have the brains or morals too. You are right I think they are a. Famewhores.
Well said. ALL of these parents on All the Housewife shows with minor children have put money above their children’s best interest.
Why write a long post just to bash people who “support” Tre or are on Tre’s side right now? Just bash Tre, (or Mego, etc.), and we can all debate in a friendly manner. It’s much more fun that way!
Agree! We only bash the housewives not each other here. MeGo/Manzo Fanpeeps need to chill.
Im a little jello of the Duggars. I think it looks like fun having all those sibs. And those kids look genuinely happy. Maybe the big difference is that producers arent looking for Duggar drama. Maybe as close to a real ” reality” show as we’re gonna get.
My favorite Dugger episode was when they went to Dollywood because Dolly is one of my favorite people. Like ever. It was funny to me to hear the Dugger girls warning the boys with their “nike” and now every time I go to Dollywood I am looking around to see if the clothing is Dugger approved or Nike-worthy. Michelle Dugger’s voice and countenance is sooooo soothing to me. She is an impressive lady. Just listening to her talk puts me in a calm frame of mind. In this video you will see a producer interacting with the kids. I think the producers of 19 kids and counting are a good fit with the Dugger’s and genuinely like them. This is a huge difference in the NJ producers who are mainly out to embarrass the cast… the entire cast. including the Manzos.
MP: Love the Duggars! TFC!! SH
Me too. I cant even pick a favorite kid. They are all just so precious. I have been trying to find a clip were they explain what “nike” means for the people that had never watched them.
MP: I watch the Duggars with amazement. Michelle Duggar never loses her temper; the children are respectful, loving and most importantly, are very HAPPY. They are all well taken care of… and the Duggars are self-reliant. They truly embody Christian living. TFC!! SH
OMG SH, I couldn’t agree with you more!
I remember just cringing when I heard the Duggars were pregnant….again. Disgusted really. Then, I watched the show. They are lovely people and their children are loving, well mannered, disciplined, and thoughtful. It is a pleasure to see them interact. Sometimes JimBob (I think) seems a little sexist, but I understand his views stem from their interpretation of the Bible and its tenets.
Flash forward to the Gorgas-Guidices. I wonder what the future holds for these beautiful kids. I think it will be sad to see.
Love nj, I totally agree with you about Big Al wishing theyd never gotten involved in HW. His face looks like that of men at the Gap holding their wives purses.
I think you said it better!!! No wonder Big Al stays at the Brownstone.
I’m totally convinced that these shows are 100% scripted, but even so, the children shouldn’t be exposed to such adult content. Even if they know beforehand that “mommy is playing pretend, and is going to flip a table and yell…..”, it’s still not right. They’re exposed to heinous situations, adult cursewords and adult situations. It’s bad.
And, btw, the children in California *were* shown on the Housewives shows, so, what’s the deal with that?????????? Alexis’ bday party alone showed her children to a great extent. There was no protection of their rights.
I don’t think that the children can’t be shown in CA. It is that they are protected under laws in place for reality shows unlike the other states. I’m sure it’s similar to what they have in place for child actors.
I wonder if the reason that that the reality shows are able to circumvent this by calling it “reality” tv as opposed to scripted. I think if a producer has to suggest a cast member to “confront issues they might be uncomfortable with”(remember the ATL producer) then it should be referred to as scripted and the children should be compensated as such. I know this is prolly never gonna happen. But in a perfect world…
If they were regulated like scripted shows they would only be able to film so many hours a day, protected environment (no christening fight scene) or dangerous situations. They would also have to be compensated monetarily and a percentage of that would have to be put in a trust for them. If they have to deal with the negatives they should have to reap something positive as well. It may explain why the CA housewives shows don’t focus on the children except as a back drop.
Good point. “reality” tv sure does take advantage of every possible loop hole.
If you want to change the way it works in NJ then people need to get off their buts and start writing, calling and emailing officials. Election years are a great time to do this because they need your vote and aim to please.
Meh, I lived in NJ for almost 4 years (recently) and it’s all mafia-run. I gave up on having any hope that politics were legitimate there.
But the children in CA *have been shown, even this season.
Jill Zarin’s daughter – Ally – left Sarah Lawrence and transferred to Vanderbilt supposedly because of her mother’s appeances on RHONY. Ally supposedly got some ribbing.
LuAnn’s kids are neglected – she stays in Manhattan during the week and only sees her children on the weekends in the Hamptons.
Kelly acting all crazy on Scary Island surely was not good for her 2 daughters to see (and possibly taunted).
And the Lauritas / Giudices / Gorgas / Manzos activities surely are not good for the children. I don’t think Lauren Manzo will ever have a shred of self confidence unless she gets away from that family. Daddy Manzo – do something!!!!!
Not a love match, eh? Hmm, wonder what the deali-o is? He’s a womanizer. She’s a man-eater … Oh well, he sure is cute! Not sure if anyone cares what I think. Just thought I’d throw that in
I think that the NJ show is especially disturbing with regards to negatively affecting the children involved. To know that that juicy joe referred to the mother of his children as a “b@tch”, and a “c@#t” will no doubt cause damage down the line to his children. He is downright disrespectful, cruel, and abusive to Tre- an absolute terrible example to his girls. Children live what they learn, and it’ll be interesting to see how much of this disgusting behavior gets picked up by them. I’m guessing that deep down he feels like the biggest chump in the world, and resents the fact that his wife is the breadwinner bringing home the bacon-not his useless, trifling, criminal ass.
IMO not defending Teresa but defending posters who are making the point that it happens to all the children of any Real Housewives franchise. They are often subjected to situations that are far beyond their maturity level and comprehension. We see the negative affect on adult children as well. Lauren and Ashlee both seem to have suffered from overexposure and are often used as pawns in the housewife wars. I have to watch RHONJ rerun only after a season where we witnessed Gia bullied by two grown women who took it upon themselves to chastise and demean her. Watching the Gorga children running around an adult party with drunken adults and plenty of hot tub groping just turned my stomach. One of the kids just missed being hit by an adult who thrown in the pool. My problem with the article is singling out the Guidice girls. There is sufficient blame for all. So go ahead and bash away folks after all it is my opinion and I am sticking to it. I can support Teresa without condoning everything she does. Oh and you might want to check the Wall Street Journals bankruptcy filings Chris Laurita is no saint. BTW start rounding up College kids and throwing them in jail for fake id’s as well. Lots of cottage industries around campuses providing same. fines and community service for penalty. Locking soeone up for ten years ? Oh yeah that’s a good idea. has anyone stopped to consider the cost of incarcerating Joe Guidice. 35,000 to 45,00 a year. I say slap an ankle monitor on him and make him pick up trash on the NJ highway..
The difference with Joe Guidice’s legal issue of falsifying a driver’s license was the fact that he LOST his license due to previous legal problems (was it a DUI??). He knowingly used his brother’s birth certificate and information to obtain a new id thru motor vehicle. He was caught and he should be incarcerated. Ten years does sound excessive (especially when our nephew’s wife murdered him 2 years ago in their house with their young children present, and she’s home, on bail, with no court date set yet!!!!!!!!), but he did do something quite illegal, knowingly. It’s NOT THE SAME AT ALL as getting fake id’s to get into bars!
I would have to say that the first reality show was Ozzie and Harriet. It was scripted but we were to believe that this was their real life and we were invited into their homes. They were supposed to be the perfect family but even their children had some serious problems as adults. Different era but same scenario.
Thanks Cyn. Father Knows Best ? same story. One of the kids (Bud maybe?) speaks out about the problems of child stars and children in show business. The Duggars are a rarity but it seems they are very actively involved with their children.
It would be curious to see RHoNJ and the Duggars production companies switch places. Although the Duggars ARE the show and probably have a lot more clout in calling the shots than one of the five housewives that have to fight for a place on the show.
Paul Peterson of the Donna Reed how has an organization called A Minor Consideration that advocates on behalf of children in show business. I wrote to him months ago (Actually cced him on an email to NBC) expressing my disgust at the way Gia was chastised by Jax and Don and he was kind enough to respond. He thanked me for letting him know and said he was working on “something special” for these folks. No response from NBC/Bravo.
Thanks i was wrong ,it is Paul Petersen. I am so disgusted with the get Tre story line and Bravos’ lack of boundaries or restraint when it comes to her children.
The favorite band of the Manzos: The Lap Band!!! “Geez I crack myself up.” Nyuck Nyuck!
LOL. Is that what The Loving Spoonfuls are calling themselves these days?
Niiiiiice!
It’s safe to say the damage will be deep. It is when ANY child’s parent is looking for the limelight (or any light) instead of managing the homefront store. The fact that they can watch it on video and put it all together later…has to be overwhelming. No doubt their family & friends will do it for them. Yikes.
Now, watching your mid 30′s Momma aka MeGo trying to act all sex symbol-ish (while lip-A-sync-in’) would be enough to write a thesis on! Yeeeeeeesssshhhhhhhhhh!
These kids are subjected to a bunch of immature adults ,camera or not. If you take the camera away, not a lot would change with this NJ group. I do not let my kids watch RH. I would hope they do not either. As teens it will embarrass them, yes… But it is their family. They can always change their name. The da,age will be from having morons for parents, not so much a camera catching it on film.
I have to say that Brandi sure looks pretty in the photos. Looks like she’s put on a little weight, which I think in this case is a good thing.