How ‘Cash Me Ousside’ Girl Is Being Exploited And Why It’s Not Okay

I believe Danielle Bregoli is being exploited for the sake of entertainment.

Before you go crazy telling me how rude and obnoxious she is, let me say I agree with you. But I offer you this: she is 13-years-old and she didn’t get to this type of rebellion alone. Whether she is a product of mental illness, genetics, environment, culture, or all four is not for me to speculate. But one thing I know for sure — she is a child. And a very troubled one at that.

Developmentally, 13-year-olds aren’t known for their stellar judgment or introspective tendencies. They tend to be impulsive, emotional, dramatic, and self-centered. If that sounds like a monster, it’s not far off — that’s precisely why many personality disorders can’t really be diagnosed with accuracy until an individual reaches adulthood, according to Psych Central. By definition, many teenagers would meet the criteria for Narcissism and/or Borderline Personality Disorder. As they mature, they tend to understand the world does not revolve around them, that others have feelings, and that certain behaviors are not acceptable by society. In a nutshell, they become decent human beings (if they weren’t already).

Enter the drama of “Cash me Ousside” girl, who offers up her tough look and big bravado to what she perceived to be an emotional threat because she thought the audience on Dr. Phil was laughing at her. It’s quite possible they were because she was saying and doing completely illogical things, such as talking about stealing vehicles and physically fighting her mother. She also called the audience “a bunch of hoes” and even that caused laughter.

The problem is, though, that this young lady is a child. She may think she is not, but she is. To laugh at her flagrant displays of misbehavior could easily be construed as a glorification of her attitude, which may promote it further. It may be funny to watch and laugh at, but what will her life truly be like if she continues down this path? What will happen if she continues to receive so much attention, and even monetary proceeds, from her extreme behavior? Her merchandise line is taking off, and Danielle Bregoli has an Instagram account with 3.2 million followers, according to news.com.au. Is your child one of them?

While Dr. Phil is not necessarily wrong to have shows that talk about rebellion in troubled teens, and he’s certainly not wrong to pay for their intensive rehabilitation and counseling, is he wrong to capitalize on her troubled nature by laughing about it with other talk show hosts? Should Danielle Bregoli be getting any airtime for what is obviously a sign of immense trouble in her mind and interpersonal relationships? Is she being exploited for profit by Dr. Phil McGraw, a man with a Ph.D. in Psychology and perhaps more importantly, children of his own?

Of course, the memes and outlandish behavior are funny — but they are funny because they are stupid. She’s right — people really are laughing at her. They are laughing at her instability and defense mechanisms against things we may not know about. Is that really okay to do to a child, no matter how the child presents herself?

I fear Danielle Bregoli has been even more damaged by going on Dr. Phil. Now she has learned that her worth as an individual lies in her street-tough, come-up-swinging attitude that will make it nearly impossible to have meaningful relationships. Will anyone ever take her seriously? She has gone so viral that her face, name, and comments are sure to reverberate in peoples’ minds for years to come. Prospective employers may laugh at her memes, but they definitely aren’t going to want to have her sitting in one of their offices talking to clients.

Once the country stops laughing at the dysfunction that is the epitome of the life of Danielle Bregoli (and they will), what becomes of her? She will forever be known as the “Cash Me Ousside” girl, long before she is capable of making smart decisions about her life or her persona. She’ll be tough on the street maybe, but who will she be inside?

I sure don’t want to catch her outside. I’d prefer to hug her, even if she resists, even if she calls me a ho. She’s a child. Stop exploiting her.

[Featured Image by Facebook]