For teenagers, disrespecting their parents or parent is one of the worst things they can do during their years of adolescence. It is a surefire way of letting people know that you disregard authority completely and, not only that, you mock it.

Humiliating someone who has raised you the best that they can is certifiable for punishment. Of course, that punishment is up to the parent. Imagine, however, that, instead of the teen being punished or looked down upon for their blatant disrespect and disregard towards a nurturing figure, he or she is praised for doing so. What you’ve imagined – something that seems completely contrary to reality – is something that has become a truth in 2017.

For those who are well-informed on fads and trends that occur on media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram, the name Danielle Bregoli probably rings a bell to you. For those who don’t know who she is, you may be more familiar with her colloquial nickname, the “Cash Me Ousside” Girl. This recently turned 14-year-old is at the center of attention in various media, most noticeably in the online world. Danielle first came to the world’s attention through an appearance in an episode of the Dr. Phil Show, where she ended up as a result of her hooligan-like tendencies. Not knowing where to turn, apparently, her mother asked Dr. Phil for help. The episode, humorously titled, “I Want To Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried to Frame Me for A Crime,” began Danielle’s rise in popularity around the end of December 2016. In the episode, the audience laughed at Danielle and her mother Barbara Ann because the group found the situation they were watching unfold in front of them absolutely preposterous. This did not sit well with Danielle, who proceeded to taunt the audience by calling them a vulgar term and telling them to “cash her ousside, how bow dat” (catch her outside, how about that), her informal way of telling the audience to fight her outside of the studio.
This was the magic moment, the moment when a meme was born. Memes exploded on Twitter as people started mimicking the now-infamous phrase. Danielle’s seemingly limited five minutes of fame has, however, turned her into a sort of star. She has been featured on local commercials in Florida, her phrase made a cameo appearance in a Super Bowl commercial, she guest starred on a popular radio talk show, and she even appeared on TMZ.

All this fame came from the disrespect this child has shown towards her mother in her life and her crass behavior on live television. Due to her overnight celebrity status, she is, in fact, cashing in, and her “fame” has not yet diminished. She was recently paid big bills to make an appearance at a music festival in Miami in May, an appearance that, reportedly, paid her close to $40,000, according to Life and Style. TMZ states that Danielle’s high-paying appearances should continue to roll, and they estimate that she could join the high-rollers club — AKA the Millionaire Club, by the end of 2017. Good for her, I guess.
The general consensus is that anyone would want to be a millionaire. Being a millionaire means having whatever material objects you want and financial security. However, what really matters most is how you got to be so rich. In Danielle’s case, she got it by being openly loud-mouthed and disrespectful towards her mother and to people on live television. Her status is based on misbehavior and rudeness, which begs the question: Should we be glorifying this type of behavior in young teens even when we know it is wrong?

Keep in mind, Danielle is only 14 years old, so for her to become a “millionaire” at such a young age is definitely something of note. However, with the constant attention from the media that she is getting, not to mention the insane amount of money that she is receiving, it really begins to get a little worrisome about where we are going as a society. Why should we even pay any attention to people such as her? I know what you are thinking: “You’re writing an article about her, so surely you’re giving her attention.” In a way, yes, I am playing into the whole attention thing that she has generated; however, my point here is to bring to the surface the root of why Danielle’s “star” has grown along with her bank account.
The truth is, we love to pay attention to people who don’t matter in the larger aspect of society and who do not truly deserve the attention. Why? We love drama, and we love to be entertained – even if it means rewarding someone like Danielle for such boorish behavior. While she sits in the media spotlight, others who do truly noteworthy accomplishments/achievements for the community go unnoticed simply because they don’t make the headlines – they aren’t entertaining.

The takeaway of all this is simply this: American society values pop culture to a fault, to the point where temporary fame that should only last for the “15 minutes” extend to months on end, where it begins to get a little bothersome constantly seeing it on social media. At the end of the day, yes, it is solely for entertainment purposes, but surely there are more notable people to pay attention to than a rude teenager whose 15 minutes of fame have worn out their welcome months ago. But let’s face it; the media will report on these things, no matter what. However, the media should also pay attention to individuals who are not only young but also contribute to the good of the community, to balance out both of the polarizing worlds.