Munya Vomo
Reality TV star NeNe Leakes once found herself in war of words with Latoya Jackson on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice: Celebrity Edition. One of the thing that Leakes said was that Latoya had nothing going for her except for the Jackson name. That should have stung the sister of Michael and Janet Jackson, but it was the truth.
When it comes to the Jacksons, all that the fans really care about is the King of Pop – Michael’s music and mysterious life – Janet’s music and acting and then, to a lesser extent, the Jackson Five who did wonders in the ’70s. That’s all. There’s no Latoya in there.
So it comes as an intriguing idea that a new reality show, The Jacksons: Next Generation, is coming to TV. It is one of those shows that is obviously cashing in on the fading popularity of the Jackson family. We will see Tito Jackson’s (brother to Michael) sons Taryll, Taj and TJ show us the “inner workings” of the famous family. This is the trio that comprised the one-hit-wonder ’90s group, 3T, which gave us the song Anything.
Obviously, they could not compete with their uncle and aunt and had to return to their ordinary lives.
On the show, the brothers promise to answer all the questions about what it feels like to be a Jackson. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really wonder what it is like to be a Jackson. Michael is gone and he was the people’s favourite. In fact, around the time of his death, his star had begun to fade and people were not as excited as they were about him in the mid-’80s. He was struggling. Music had changed, we preferred Chris Brown and Beyonce over Heal the World and Dirty Diana.
Janet, too, has been struggling. She has just released an album which is a far cry from what she used to put out. On some tracks she sounds like Michael, while others are just forgettable. It’s a good thing she’s in acting because Tyler Perry keeps her relevant.
So what exactly are 3T trying to show us on The Jacksons: Next Generation when the Jacksons’ time has come and gone?
The good thing about this show is that it is a six-part doccie-reality show that promises to show us everything from the issues of managing fame to family fights.
It is all you have seen everywhere else, but without the Jackson name.
The Jacksons: Next Generation, Lifetime (DStv 131), every Wednesdays at 8.45pm.