The Bling Ring
I have written on these youths before and still are youths even roughly 12–13 years later they were that young when they found themselves committing break ins on the rich and famous - I am talking about the infamous, Bling Ring. For those who don’t know their story they were a ring of kids from ages roughly 13 to about 17 who heisted the homes of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and Orlando Bloom.
Courtesy of: US Magazine
Courtesy of- Lifetime (Couldn’t find the trailer)
Their story was of such interest to the world there were 2 films created based on their stories. One by Lifetime in 2011 and the other a major motion picture in 2013. It is quite easy for people to pass judgement on the whys and how’s but let’s break it down through the perspective of kids. For those of us who have worked extensively with youths who often feel out of place, have had to do things to survive or so they felt in cases like these are not such a Black and White issue but rather Grey. The Bling Ring of course were without excuse but analysis as to wherefore isn’t . First of all when you’re that young it’s been scientifically shown you are growing up psychologically - in fact many professionals are now ruling that no one is a full fledged adult until they’re in their 30’s.. and sometimes I question that theory out there. To put it in a way when you’re a teenager (or even early 20’s) you think you know everything but really you don’t know a damn thing. You really think you’re invincible and nothing can touch you. That’s not an insult to anyone’s age that’s just speaking on general life experience. Addition that to the highly celebrity driven and reality show driven society particularly of the mid 2000’s that many people youths particularly idolized. Like many regions in the world classism, the have the have nots is supreme. I lived a good portion of my life in Southern California and trust it’s all about social economical status. In recent years the mentality has shifted compared to the bling ring era. Prior to it was about what clothes a person wore, where they lived, what their income was, who knows who, ageism which is briefly mentioned in the film, etc. Working in any sort of service position often equates to be handled less than human. That has been the mentality in places like Los Angeles, San Diego to some degree, sometimes up north, etc. Admix the already mentioned components along with the usual childhood longing to be loved, accepted, to fit in, there you have a disaster like The Bling Ring on your hands. Having worked with youths it’s pitiful sometimes what they’ve been led to believe makes them worthy as a person or what they think will make them worthy of being superficially “loved” and “respected” that is honestly as fleeting as the fads they are practically force fed by the media this includes social media. It didn’t surprise me when several of the kids mentioned having addictions thus only inflates those already instilled insecurities and issues. Thankfully they were caught when they were children in order to seek help for their issues because the age of maturity stops at the age of addiction therefore if an addict begins their habit at 12 their mentality remains at that level until otherwise worked through. That’s why addicts mental capacity and maturity don’t seem as level with healthy people their ages because addicts have A. Either burnt their brain to put it bluntly or B. That is where their cognitive capacity ceased to grow into a healthy adult. Had these kids been granted the proper tools and connections to “Be somebody” that at least several of them so sought they could have that reputably especially nowadays with all the resources out there it’s a shame they didn’t have that guidance and resource available to them then. All of that could have been avoided. There are grown people like that they’ll do anything for anyone to acknowledge them, look at them, “be something,” anything. I’ve dealt with grown adults like that, honestly if not for the jack a$$ery I almost felt sorry for them to be that thirsty and insecure about, around celebrities, or notable people. People like myself that have been around it have learned the less you care what these often self absorbed sorts think of you or rather in actuality don’t the better.
Anyone has to ponder where in the hell were all the responsible adults in this? Sure rebellious kids can be sly but damn with all these kids were doing someone would have had to gauge something was up in their lives. Of course the grown male they did business with who by the way pretty much ripped them off not much could be said of him of course.
