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By SARAH HOYE The Tampa Tribune Published: Feb 2, 2007 TAMPA - Joy Kentish threw aside the black curtains covering the doorway in the back of the Firemen's Benevolent Hall and paused amid a plume of smoke to flash a made-for-TV smile. Two hundred or so family members and friends cheered, clapped and whistled as the Tampa Bay Technical High School sophomore sashayed to the dance floor in a glittery gold halter-top dress to Diana Ross belting "I'm Coming Out." Joy's grand entrance officially launched her "Super Sweet 16" birthday party last month. The event, planned for months by Joy and her mother, Jackie Kentish-Greaves, borrowed from Hollywood's annual Oscars night, with a red-carpet reporter interviewing guests and a "Best Of" trophies ceremony. It was inspired by MTV's reality show "My Super Sweet 16." The show documents over-the-top coming-of-age parties with carefully choreographed (and very pricey) details, from celebrity performances to lavish gifts from Mommy and Daddy. The guest of honor is usually a spoiled diva who wails, whines and curses when anything threatens her perfect night. Currently in its fourth season, "My Super Sweet 16" has grown in popularity, its producers say. For every show that airs, producers pass on about 25 kids who want their 30 minutes of fame. Over the years, the parties shown have gotten more elaborate, with each episode more outrageous than the one before. Take Cher Hubsher of Palm Harbor, whose Mardi Gras-themed bash premiered on the show in January. She hosted the big event at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, arriving on a custom-designed parade float. At the end of the night, she had a new, $96,000 red Jaguar from the folks waiting outside. Yet, it's not only the rich who want to throw down on a birthday party; the trend is trickling down to the average Jane. "The reality of TV becomes the reality people want to emulate … there is a lot of pressure on young girls to keep up," said Elizabeth Bird, professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida. "The show didn't come out of nowhere; they [MTV] saw people were having these types of parties, and now they're reinforcing it." While Joy's party may be evidence of that, she's not like most of the girls featured, her friends say. "The girls on the show are materialistic, and Joy is kind and wants you to come and have a good time," said Latasha Swanks, a sophomore at Brandon High School. "She's a good friend and has a big heart." Joy's mother, a process manager at Verizon and owner of Lady J Productions event planners, agreed. "The kids on the show don't appreciate what they have; they just want and want," she said. "What's different with Joy, not only did she appreciate what we did, she wanted to contribute and wanted to recognize her friends." Joy did that by selecting a court of her eight closest pals - the guys donned matching tuxedos with tails and the girls wore shimmering silver gowns - who sat in their own VIP section. She handed out awards for Lifetime Female and Male friend, No. 1 Homegirl and even Mi Borica Favorita (Spanish for "my favorite Puerto Rican"). "Usually when you have a 16th birthday, you have a cake with 16 candles, but I said, noooo, let's have 16 Oscars," Joy said. "I think that some of them didn't know how special they were to me." But she didn't do all the party planning. Her mother kept a lot of details secret, like the stretch Hummer limo that picked up Joy, and her name in lights over the gift table. "I was speechless and very surprised," she said. "My family means everything to me, and to have all that was amazing." Unlike the parents of the bling-bling teens on TV, Joy's kept things relatively simple, spending about $8,000. "I told her that if she does good in school, I'll take care of her. She deserves it," said her stepfather, Rickford Greaves, a flooring specialist. "We're doing it the biggest we can. Now I know what to expect for the wedding." Joy arrived in the stretch Hummer, swooping by partygoers waiting on the red carpet behind a velvet rope at the East Yukon Street hall with their tickets in hand. Make-believe paparazzi caught it all with video and still cameras as security kept watch. Tirza Johnson, family friend and red-carpet correspondent, worked the crowd with her mic. Inside, the banquet hall offered a simmering buffet line and multitiered birthday cake. Decorations included 4-foot-tall Oscar-style statues and bunches of balloons. Having some Panamanian ancestry, Joy added a bit of culture to the shebang. As in a quincenera - a Latina rite-of-passage ceremony - Joy and her court performed a choreographed dance routine before opening up the floor to guests. At the end of the night, there was no car waiting outside from Mom and Dad. Instead they gave her exactly what she wanted: a king-sized bed. Reporter Sarah Hoye can be reached at (813) 259-7832 or shoye@tampatrib.com. |
