Who are these white folks?

An unfortunate by-product of Reality TV is that it often makes something out of nothing.  It creates drama where there is none.  But if viewers look closely, they may realize one or two things.  The offspring of celebrities either choose to chill in the shade of famous relatives or drag around in the shadows of a burdensome dark cloud.  The Jacksons: Next Generation, a Lifetime production featuring what seems like an army of children sired by The Jackson Five makes the pros and cons of being a celebrity kid embarrassingly clear.

Why some celebrity children feel that their parents’ purpose in life, which leads them to become world renown singers, must be their destiny as well is beyond comprehension.  Sure it may be in their genes to carry a tune.  But it may not be their purpose to wow the world with song.  The world is filled with people anointed to sing who will never have the world success that the regularly tone-deaf Taylor Swift experiences.  Tito Jackson’s sons, Taryll Jackson, Taj Jackson, and TJ Jackson, have approached middle age wishing on the Jackson Family stardom.  These young people seem to be burdened by the looming shadow of family success.  All they do is whine and cry and procreate with paler people and show up occasionally in studios trying to bang out the one song that will catapult them to Michael Jackson status (which everyone but them seems to know is never going to happen).

Other, lesser known children of celebrities seem to be burdened by family success as well.  They suffer all sorts of identity crises trying to wear shoes too big for their feet or their talent.  Always dragging around in someone else’s shadow is difficult for even us so-called common folk.  But why a child of a celebrity, who has the means and every opportunity to truly find out who they are, would choose to try to make platinum lightning strike twice must be as frustrating to the parents who indulge them in the expression of their watered down talent as they are to the public they are thrust upon.

Chet Haze wasn’t really missing, the black girl, Bella Cheveaux, had him.

Beloved actor Tom Hanks’ drug-addicted rapper son, Chester Hanks, a.k.a. Chet Haze exhibits wigger behavior.

Rev. Run’s daughter asininely tweets about her tiny vegan meals that a bird wouldn’t pick over.

Grandchildren out of wedlock and “the virgin” who calls the eating of ALL meat sin, Rev’s got some splainin’ to do.

Angela Simmons also regularly harps about her confusion over what to wear on the next trip she’s taking—despite having fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons for an aunt, uncle Russell Simmons the fashion mogul, and her own sneaker line.

The juicy-lipped son is still somewhere trying to spit but of course Joseph “JoJo” Simmons Jr. has no personal life struggles to give him grit.  The lives of celebrity children seem like such a sad waste of potential and energy.

A true baller, John David Washington doesn’t just play one alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!

Some celebrity kids, on the other hand, are basking in the shade of family fame.

Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington, a true baller, played pro-football.

Sassy Willow likes to sling her hair back and forth, Jaden wears a dress from time to time, but things could be far worse.

Will Smith’s oldest son, Will Smith III, a.k.a. Trey Smith, who also earned a scholarship for football, spins music under the moniker of DJ AcE.  Will Smith’s other children, Willow Smith and Jaden Smith, have also found their own niche in entertainment; however, you don’t get the feeling that it is forced.  Or desperate.

What is most disturbing about Black celebrity children, in particular, is how so few of them feel it a necessity to get a college education.  It’s as if they believe a college education has no value except for po’ folks needing a come-up.  We all know that the rich are their own gods; so, since they don’t need God for direction, the college experience could help point celebrity children toward purpose, their true loves and desires and ultimately their own worldly success.

Kardashians signing kontracts all day every day!

While I hate to admit it (depressed kollege-educated sock-selling Rob Kardashian exkluded), the Kardashian Klan, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney, and those other Kays, to their credit, kuh-new they would kuh-never be great athletes or attorneys.  So rather than drag around in the shadow of their famous kin, they have parlayed their family fame into other successes.

“What would be truly wonderful is if instead of always selfishly looking inward, if celebrity children would use their inherited fame and influence for service.” —Blackbiter.com 

Deaf to the cries of the poor.

Someone, as rich as Simon Cowell of American Idol fame, admitting he had never appreciated how good it feels to be charitable is mind-blowing to, by comparison, the poor people who give the most and their last to charities.  If celebrity children lost in the shadow of their parents would hold their heads up and really take a good look around, they would see that clouds move, even trees and mountains, and that the world is filled with questions that they alone may hold the answer to.

Celebrity kids on reality shows seem so unnecessarily pathetic because clearly their souls keep reminding them that they are just ordinary people like us, except with famous relatives.  But they don’t want to listen to their souls.  They don’t want to find their own way.  They keep tripping down paths not meant for them.

So mostly, as rich and privileged as they are, you feel sorry for them—for being spiritually bankrupt.  For not being able to see the forest or the sun or the little faces waiting for their help in Africa and India or the shoes or the vaccines they could buy or the wells they could dig or the housing they could build for teens aging out of foster care or the orphanages or schools they could build or sponsor or the neighborhood that could use a safe playground…all because of the large and impressive red wood trees planted eons ago…ever looming…ever casting dark shadows in their yards.

The Jacksons: Next Generation airs Friday nights on Lifetime at 10 p.m.

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Do you agree that Reality TV depicts celebrity children, whether called Prince, Royal, or Jermajesty, as mere wet Blankets, dragging in the shadows, but desperate for personal fame just too Jaafar away to reach?