There was always a group of kids in high school who seemed to have it all. They were probably dropped off at school in the most expensive cars and wore the best clothes.
Rich Kids, which airs on Vuzu AMP, follows some of South Africa’s most pampered children, who could probably spend in a night what you earn in a month. They drive the latest cars and they drive them recklessly because they can. After all, if anything were to happen, replacing them wouldn’t be such a big deal.
On the promo of the show, we saw one girl drive like a maniac and when her friend asked about scratches on the car, she nonchalantly said she didn’t care because she was getting another new car in a week’s time.
In the first episode, Nape Phasha, a man barely in his twenties, buys a R60 000 Tag Heuer watch in the manner in which you would buy chicken at KFC.
When Rich Kids first came out, there were mixed feelings from the public. Some felt it promoted no ambition on the part of the kids as they were just spending their parents’ wealth. Others felt the show was unique and steered away from the usual celebrities-living-large content that we have become used to. The reality of those shows, by the way, was that the celebrities featured in them could not really live the lives that they claimed to.
Being in the limelight in South Africa does not translate to a fat bank account. It’s a myth, albeit one that celebrities are happy to project when it suits them. So Rich Kids is really about ordinary young people who were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
undefinedLike it or hate it, Rich Kids is nothing new on the global TV market. Since the days of MTV Cribs, people have been showing off their riches to envious audiences. Take Rich Kids of Beverly Hills for example. We see young Americans who are in their twenties showing off their millionaire or billionaire lifestyles.
Again, there were mixed reactions from the US audiences. The show is said to have been inspired by a Tumblr site called Rich Kids of Instagram, where wealthy young people show off their expensive possessions.
Then there is the English equivalent called Made In Chelsea. Here we meet well-off youngsters from London who let us in on their world travels. The show is a Bafta award-winner which is now in its ninth season.
Another English reality show on the same level is The Only Way Is Essex. Although it hints that the show is shot around ordinary people, the content is far from ordinary.
We see young people spending British pounds on clothes and cars, and in clubs. So, it seems the ongoing trend with reality shows isn’t about actual talent; it’s about how much money your mommy and daddy make.
• Rich Kids airs every Thursday at 7pm on Vuzu AMP (DStv Channel 114).