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Steven and Megan Drama: Completely Manufactured?


This is reality TV, which of course means much of it is scripted and manipulated. This new Steven/Megan crush drama seems particularly producer-manufactured. On the other hand, Steven is showing some real, kind of impressive range as an actor if this is the case.

Thoughts?

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I get that reality TV is scripted and manipulated at times, I would just find it hard to believe that for this show that it could be done. While I know that people with DS can act and do other things in life, for the most part they are unpredictable. You've seen on the show how one minute Elena is fine and then next her emotions get the best of her and she flips a switch and she's either crying or shy or mad.

I guess anything is possible, but I dont think the parents would be ok with them doing that, especially Megan's mom, she seems very protective (in a good way).

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Steven is very high functioning because he has Mosaic-form DS, and Megan is pretty savvy and high-functioning, too. She's also obsessed with Hollywood and movie stars. So who knows? You do remember Corky from Life Goes On, I presume? Yes, certainly people with DS can act and do many other things, if they are on the higher end of the functionality scale. Most of the people on this show seem to be, even Elena at times, although she and Sean are probably the lowest functioning of the group.

But still, no one on here, obviously, is on the lowest end of the DS scale. They're pretty bright, savvy and charismatic folks, and, just like anyone else who is being filmed, I'm sure they play to the cameras at times.

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Elena at times, although she and Sean are probably the lowest functioning of the group.

I've actually thought Elena is pretty high functioning among this group. Her biggest problems are behavioral issues, of course, but she can articulate quite well and seems to understand some complex issues more than Sean and Christina. We haven't seen or heard how Elena does with certain things, whereas it's been discussed with some of the others (such as dealing with money or telling time).

Of course, there is more to "functioning" than how one may do on placement testing-type things, and Elena emotionally seems to be struggling more than most on this show.

Anyways, regarding this show and it's authenticity, I do think plenty of things are "set-up," even including what direction they want some of the people to go. I don't get that impression with Steven and Mega bonding.is part of that. I think any crush will probably be fleeting. I agree that plenty of higher functioning people with DS can do things on cue. Another actor on "Life Goes On," Amanda Friedman is very high functioning and a great actress, guest-starring on other shows since "Life Goes On" ended.

I can certainly see "Born This Way" using typical reality tv tricks, and Steven and Megab probably already have done certain things in more a scripted-fashion.

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Yeah, emotional intelligence is a huge part of functioning in the world (in some ways, even more important than IQ), and Elena is really struggling in that area. She seems to have the emotional maturity of a very young child, even having the kind of tantrums one would expect of a toddler, and that can be very debilitating and certainly make it tough if not impossible for her to have a regular job, etc. So in that sense, she seems to be the lowest functioning of the group.

I would guess her concept of money is not great, but I think that goes along with almost everyone who has DS. I think everyone on this show needs help managing their money/whatever they are paid to appear on the show, etc.

I remember Amanda Friedman -- they even had a story line on the show that highlighted how much higher her functioning was than Corky's, on an intellectual level.

The Steven/Megan thing just seems too "perfect," you know? Those two are also the most traditionally attractive (for whatever that is worth) and seem the most enamored with movies/Hollywood. Who knows? Maybe the crush is a mix of truth and souped-up drama. But in the coming attractions to next week's show, Steven sure seems emotional, so perhaps he'll get a Hollywood contract out of this after all. ;)

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Yeah, emotional intelligence is a huge part of functioning in the world (in some ways, even more important than IQ), and Elena is really struggling in that area. She seems to have the emotional maturity of a very young child, even having the kind of tantrums one would expect of a toddler, and that can be very debilitating and certainly make it tough if not impossible for her to have a regular job, etc. So in that sense, she seems to be the lowest functioning of the group.

I absolutely agree with all that. (Although, I'd put Sean as less emotionally equipped than Elena. I have such hopes Elena can make great strides in that area. It took a long time to get to this point, and it would take a great deal of time and help to improve. When Elena is good, she's really good. However, when it's bad... well, you know.)

I don't recall that storyline on "Life Goes On." It's been so long since I've seen that show, but I was a big fan back in the day. Amanda does amazingly well in real life. I got to see an interview once featuring her and her family members. She also has worked at an LA center for developmentally delayed people, lives independently, memorizes her lines quickly for a role, and got her driver's license... on the first try! (I actually flunked my test once, haha.)

I do think "Born This Way" is playing up the "Sean and Megan" thing for sure. Some way to add drama.... oooh, the girl in a long-distance relationship is bonding with the new guy! New guy appears to bristle at the boyfriend visiting! At least the previews seemed to purposely show Steven having a disappointed look on his face when Brandon arrives. A total reality tv schtick!

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I know what you mean about Sean. He also has some anger issues. He doesn't have QUITE the kind of tantrums that Elena does, and he doesn't cry as she does, but he gets super pissed of when things don't go his way.

Honestly, I think some of that may come from just being spoiled by his parents!

In a different thread on this board, I said Sean would probably fit in at the vast majority of college frats across the country. He's a total bro, and he's also sometimes really pushy and obnoxious when it comes to women. I think he likes his beer, too! ;)

Interestingly, most of these folks seem to really like drinking. You'd think it would be higher risk for them to get drunk, but it doesn't seem to be a concern on anyone's part.

Re the Life Goes On story line: Amanda's character was in college, while Corky wasn't equipped to handle that.

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I noticed, in several episodes that they appear to be drinking (at parties & restaurants) and we've seen several scenes where it appears that both Steven and Sean have nice pint glasses of beer. All the "kids" on the show are of-age, but I wonder if they are really drinking or if their glasses are filled with non-alcoholic beverages? I wonder if their parents let them drink? These are the background details we'd really like to know.

I had a severely mentally disabled cousin... and he liked to drink. I don't know what his parents' rules were, but he didn't drive, so that wasn't a worry. I saw him drink at a couple weddings (and perhaps they only let him imbibe at celebrations... but he sure seemed to enjoy getting drunk).

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You're so right in you comparing Sean to a frat boy. I totally flashed on this when he high-fived Megan after she said she and her boyfriend, Brandan were having problems, and she wanted to focus on herself and being single. "Oh perfect! Right choice, Megan!" *high fives*

Such a frat boy response, haha. A real contrast to Steven, who later consoled Megan when Sean, yet again, asked about her relationship. Steven told Megan to not dwell on the past or think about the future too much, but be in the present. He definitely is not frat-boy-like!

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Sean is a dude, big time. There are plenty of frat boys across the nation who are functioning on exactly his level.

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I never once said they were low functioning. I simply said that alot of times people with DS cant help showing their feelings. People with DS can mask sometimes when they are scared, mad or hurt, but alot of times DS people cant control it. For example Elena has a hard time controlling her emotions. If she is mad or sad you know it. Just 2 episodes ago she got so mad, she pushed her mom down, this right here proves me point i'm making. A normal person would have enough control to not do that. Cristina the other episode got very jealous. This sometimes will make it hard for them to "fake" something.

Do they act up for the camera's, sure they do, you see it on almost every episode. But acting up or being silly is not manufacturing a fake story. All the parents seem to want to show people what people with DS are like, to educate them, I just dont see any of them being okay with the show making up a fake story just for the show. I dont know why people want to think everything is fake or manufactured. But no matter what I say you will believe as you believe so thats not. We can agree to disagree.

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The thing is -- it's reality TV, created by the production company that brought us The Real World. They HAVE to manufacture to some degree/heavily edit, etc. in order to make this entertainment that audiences will consume. If reality TV really did just consist of following people with cameras as they live their normal, everyday lives, it would be excruciatingly boring, attract no audiences, no advertising and, thus, no money.

Ever seen An American Family? That is probably reality TV that came the closest to being "real," and it would NEVER play today. Audiences demand drama, and most of us just don't have very interesting drama happening in our daily lives -- certainly not of the kind that would be entertaining for anyone to watch.

This storyline seems particularly perfect for reality TV, and Steven and Megan are very good in front of the camera/do not have unpredictable personalities.


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I've stated how I feel on this and nothing you say will change my mind, I wont change your mind either, so as I said in my last post, we can agree to disagree, no need to keep going on the matter.

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I agree with you. I don't think any of these parents would allow their children to be manipulated and exploited, so I don't think there is a lot of manufactured drama outside of maybe editing. However, I do think they act up for the cameras at times for the attention.

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You think Elena is one of the lowest functioning? At Sean's level? Her speech is clear, she expresses her self with much intelligence as awareness, her moms said she had great muscle tone as a baby, which is the opposite of most kids with DS and she is the only one of all of them capable of living independently.

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She has the most issues with controlling her emotions, I think; she has the tantrums of a very young child. And she lives in a group home situation, not entirely independently.

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That's exactly the impression I got from the previews.

If I was to give the show the benefit of the doubt then perhaps I might fantasize that their relationship developed during the course of filming, then the producers went back through the episodes to edit in points to enhance the drama (such as Steven's discomfort at having to meet and interact with Megan's boyfriend, Brendan).

In the end, I can't help liking Steven - good actor or not, he seems like a really nice guy.

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I thought the fight at the 90's 50's party between sean and steven was totally fake and bad acting. Steven delivered his lines the exact same way he delivered them when he wrote that skit and performed it with that girl in his acting class. Re-watch and youll see what i mean. The whole "choose them or me!" "Dont make me do this right now!" It was cringeworthy

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Very true -- nothing about that fight even made sense. What was everyone getting so upset about? I was thinking it was either bad editing or bad acting. Maybe a bit of both.

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My thought is if you think this is acting, your taking conspiracy theory to a whole other level.

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You're. Not "your".

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