What else is there to say about Lil Terrio? Back in April, the 7-year-old Vine star filmed his debut music video outside of Grand Central Station in Miami. Since "Ooh Kill 'Em" dropped, the kid's social cachet has escalated dramatically. His upcoming album reportedly features Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy, and DJ Khaled, and his Instagram is a regular Rolodex of hip-hop's most recognizable faces. It's confusing enough to make a 20-year-old feel as if he belongs in a nursing home.
See also: TerRio's Dance Blew Up the Internet, But What's It Doing to the Kid?
But now Terrio™ is officially a Household Brand, like Honey Boo Boo before him. Guys: There's apparently a reality show in the works. While "Eugene Goostman" didn't really pass the Turing Test last week, Terrio Harshaw's management used his social media stardom to get access to more traditional fame-producing mediums. That is almost equally as headache-inducing. (And given that Terrio barely speaks in the looping videos that made him recognizable, a comparison to "Eugene Goostman" is kind of apt, if not eerie.)
See also: Lil Terrio, Child Vine Star, Debuts Music Video to End Rap Music
Three days ago, Terrio signed with William Morris Endeavor, a Hollywood talent agency. His talent is not immediately discernible, but like Honey Boo Boo, the kid knows how to attract eyeballs. That's probably all that matters.
Herbert Battle, Terrio's handler in Miami, has been quiet throughout his young protégé's rise to pseudofame. Perhaps it's because Battle is a 25-year-old with a history of domestic violence who is supposed to take care of Terrio's homeschooling. It'll be interesting to see how the show plays out, considering it will ostensibly show the Harshawss home life in Riverdale, Georgia, just as much as it shows him hanging with Battle in Miami and making $8,000 nightclub appearances in Canada.
It also might address concerns about his weight. Ever since a photo of Terrio emerged holding a microphone last week, Twitter has been mercilessly posting rap lyrics reimagined around food. While it's not OK for grown adults to mock a child, there are legitimate reasons to question if Terrio's family and handlers are making the right decisions for his health rather than turning him into a lovable, human cartoon for our consumption (no pun intended.)
As Here Comes Honey Boo Boo enters its fourth season, it's clear that Terrio's show has the potential to be more than a mere flash in the pan. Let's just hope it works out in a way that benefits the kid, not the grown men pulling the puppet strings.
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