Sixteen is the new 18 for sweet party girls
'My Super Sweet 16' on MTV is inspiring Irish teens to throw 16th birthday bashes here, writes Alison O'Riordan
Party girls: From left, Elizabeth Daly, Rebecca Savage and Fabiana Mizzoni. Photo: Tony Gavin
Sweet 16 birthday parties for Irish teenagers have taken on a whole new look, influenced, no doubt, by the MTV reality series, My Super Sweet 16, which has been on our screens daily for the last two years.
In my day -- and I'm only 10 years older than these sweet 16 sensations -- you invited your friends over to celebrate like any other birthday; had some cake, danced a bit and then they went home.
Today things are different; the idea of sweet 16 birthday parties in Ireland is a growing business.
The age of majority used to be 21, then it dropped to 18, now it has been lowered to 16. The 16th birthday party has really become an acknowledgement of adulthood and a celebration of the individual. Throwing an over-the-top, coming-of-age bash is fast becoming the norm.
The American teenagers who appear in Sweet Sixteen every week are mostly girls and mostly spoiled rotten, driving their parents to distraction and near penury, and whining like divas if every little detail is not just so.
While our sweet Irish 16-year-olds are nothing like those spoiled and bratty Yanks, the foundations have now been laid for these parties in Ireland.
Fabiana Mizzoni turned 16 in August and celebrated her coming of age by throwing a party for her friends at home. She admits she would never have thought of it if she had not watched the reality TV show, but she insists: "I wasn't in any way trying to copy the girls that are on it."
Fabiana says: "A lot of thought went into my party. Seventy people were invited to my house. My mum ordered lights and speakers, while my dad did the catering as that's his business. There was a mini-bar serving non-alcoholic cocktails. Two belly dancers performed. It ended at 12.30am.
"I don't think it was over the top at all as my mum knew the belly dancers, the cocktails were home-made and we had a small fireworks display at the end, which we bought ourselves. It definitely had to be one of the most special nights of my life," the teenager says.
Fabiana reckons that's a long way from what she's seen on television.
"Honestly, I don't think that anyone wouldn't find the series over the top. Sixteen-year-olds getting Hummers for their birthday presents is just unbelievable. After everything the parents of the girls and boys do for them, I find it in a way upsetting to watch them act so spoilt and ungrateful.
"The reason my mum agreed to a big party was because, as I am the youngest of four girls, she felt I missed out on some important things they got to experience, such as having large groups of friends over on a regular basis. Understandably, as my mum and dad got older, they were less energetic and weren't as enthusiastic to throw big parties. So I was allowed to have this bash.
"I suppose there is pressure [to make your party] bigger and better then the last, but at the end of the day my generation still enjoy a movie and a pizza. I don't think it will ever be completely normal for 16-year-olds to have huge parties," Fabiana says.
Elizabeth Daly had her sweet 16 party in April. She says: "For my party, I had a marquee, 90 people came. There was also a DJ and a non-alcoholic cocktail bar. The jello shots were a big hit. Other shots included 'Safe Sex on the Beach' and 'Gentle Sea Breeze'. The barman was my sister's boyfriend.
"We had a list at the door with people's names so no one could come in who was not invited. Our neighbours acted as our bouncers so there would be no trouble," says the teenager.
"There was also a slide-show of me and my friends growing up, which was a good laugh. I had a ball; it was the best birthday present ever. It ended by 1am. The marquee was the big thing. Everything else was done through friends. My mum's friend had a catering company so she provided the food."
Elizabeth was the first in her year to throw a sweet 16th and it proved very popular.
She says: "I'm going into fourth year, so I'm quite old for my year. My party was the first 16th my friends had been to. I have one older sister, and she didn't have one, but she had a big 18th, so I used the 'times are changing' line on the parents. But my party was my birthday present, so they didn't need persuading. In fact, they suggested it!
"I don't think there's much pressure really; it's not completely normal yet at all. I've been to a few myself. They were all fantastic, but they are a big deal, you wouldn't just expect everyone to have one."
Elizabeth says she watched the TV show.
"That's when I realised that people actually had 16th birthdays, not just 18ths and 21sts, but it didn't really influence me to have one, mainly because it all seems a little over the top.
"Even if I could, I don't think I would have something that extravagant. It makes a party too impersonal. The girls on the show seem very spoilt as well, and my party was not like that. It was probably the best night of my life, but it was all my good friends, not just random people so I could really enjoy myself without having to worry," explains Elizabeth.
Rebecca Savage celebrated her 16th birthday on Friday. Sixty people attended the bash.
She says: "I'm always away for my birthday. This year was the first time I was at home and my parents didn't want to let the opportunity pass, so, as we have a gazebo out the back, I decided to have some people along.
"It has not become the norm quite yet to have these sweet 16 parties. But who knows what the future holds?
"A lot of girls are inspired by this MTV series. It is extremely outrageous. Those girls are inviting strangers to fill the room. It is way too over the top. Why would you want to have a party full of strangers just to fill the space in a room, when you could have a better night with all your friends?"
But it won't be just spoilt American teenagers we will be looking at from now on. My Super Sweet 16 UK and Ireland has already been commissioned by MTV. What's next? My Fair 14th?
Alex Hatton is a party and event planner. She says: "Sweet 16ths have become massive, they are the new 21st. The MTV series has had a huge influence on Irish teenagers. While I have never done anything as extreme as the reality series, the parties I have organised have been very classic and a lot of them have been at home.
"The magician theme is really coming back. When planning a party for a 16-year-old, it is important to ensure the parties are not patronising or trying to be too cool," she advises.
"There was never a market before this for sweet 16th birthday parties, but with the combination of the Celtic Tiger and the fact that Irish teenagers are growing up faster, anything has become possible. Sixteenth parties are very popular among the girls especially, as they love the occasion to get dressed up and have an all-round celebration," she adds.
If you want MTV to film your party here in Ireland or in Britain, email: ukparties@mtvne.com
