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Where Are They Now?:
An Examination of the Emotional Distress on Child Stars
Introduction
A 1993 observational study found that male participants spent 55% of conversation time and female participants spent 67% conversation time on 'the discussion of socially relevant topics'... Some scholars view gossip as evidence of cultural learning, offering teachable moments and providing people examples of what's socially acceptable — and what's not.
Sophia Gottfried, “Why Do People Gossip?”
From the Editor:
There's no denying it… gossip runs in our veins. Whether it be a highschool breakup or a runaway bride, someone's drastic weight loss or another someone’s drastic weight gain, everyone craves to know the intimate details of unexpected events. This universal want to be in-the-know, we might as well embrace it. And this is precisely why we keep coming back, people! The staff of Child Star Digest are delighted to yet again give you your monthly dose of informative, intriguing, interesting gossip. A subscription made to unite every soul.
Hey there, gossip insiders, your favorite scandal journalist here. The team and I are back with the May 2020 edition. We made sure this month's copy contained a handful of fan-favorite articles: 'Child Stars: Where Are They Now?', 'Who Wore it Best? More like: Whose Childhood Was Best?', and even an exclusive interview with the mother of this year's rising child star, Eva Pieja. Although this edition is a little different, as always, we encourage you to sit back, relax, and be prepared to digest all the newest, latest, child star gossip. But be not only prepared to digest, but also to learn.
Why exactly do these child stars spiral into self-destruction mode? Well, we may have figured this out for you. The drugs, the alcohol, the public defamation, these are, of course, nothing new to our loyal CSD readers. However, we have some shocking truths contained within the following pages; these truths will explain the root causes behind it all. The articles, interviews, and photographs that lie ahead reveal the reasons child stars destroy their careers after childhood. As this very well may seem confusing, we've broken it down for you.
Child stars are stressed. Our statistics show a divide in child star's stress into two categories: stress from the workplace and stress from family life. All forms of stress ferments in the individual, altering the brain's typical path of development. Bottom line, child stars' lives are possibly thrown into post-childhood upheaval because the stress of their lifestyle alters brain development. Workplace stress emerges from societal judgement, cruel treatment from producers and directors, overwhelming paparazzi, and early exposure to illegal substances. Family stress arises from pressure on the child to perform, expectation to bring money home, and worry about parent’s discord.
Onlookers like us have been able to watch (and find grand entertainment in) these child stars hitting rock bottom. But the 'why' behind it all has been neglected. This volume of CSD digs deeper. We reveal to you the unseen, first-hand destructors of the once picture-perfect American sweethearts. So, without further ado, take a look into the uphill struggle each child star has to endure. As always, we appreciate your loyalty and cannot wait to see what you think.
Katherine Bogan
Editor in Chief of Child Star Digest
Sophia Gottfried, “Why Do People Gossip?”
From the Editor:
There's no denying it… gossip runs in our veins. Whether it be a highschool breakup or a runaway bride, someone's drastic weight loss or another someone’s drastic weight gain, everyone craves to know the intimate details of unexpected events. This universal want to be in-the-know, we might as well embrace it. And this is precisely why we keep coming back, people! The staff of Child Star Digest are delighted to yet again give you your monthly dose of informative, intriguing, interesting gossip. A subscription made to unite every soul.
Hey there, gossip insiders, your favorite scandal journalist here. The team and I are back with the May 2020 edition. We made sure this month's copy contained a handful of fan-favorite articles: 'Child Stars: Where Are They Now?', 'Who Wore it Best? More like: Whose Childhood Was Best?', and even an exclusive interview with the mother of this year's rising child star, Eva Pieja. Although this edition is a little different, as always, we encourage you to sit back, relax, and be prepared to digest all the newest, latest, child star gossip. But be not only prepared to digest, but also to learn.
Why exactly do these child stars spiral into self-destruction mode? Well, we may have figured this out for you. The drugs, the alcohol, the public defamation, these are, of course, nothing new to our loyal CSD readers. However, we have some shocking truths contained within the following pages; these truths will explain the root causes behind it all. The articles, interviews, and photographs that lie ahead reveal the reasons child stars destroy their careers after childhood. As this very well may seem confusing, we've broken it down for you.
Child stars are stressed. Our statistics show a divide in child star's stress into two categories: stress from the workplace and stress from family life. All forms of stress ferments in the individual, altering the brain's typical path of development. Bottom line, child stars' lives are possibly thrown into post-childhood upheaval because the stress of their lifestyle alters brain development. Workplace stress emerges from societal judgement, cruel treatment from producers and directors, overwhelming paparazzi, and early exposure to illegal substances. Family stress arises from pressure on the child to perform, expectation to bring money home, and worry about parent’s discord.
Onlookers like us have been able to watch (and find grand entertainment in) these child stars hitting rock bottom. But the 'why' behind it all has been neglected. This volume of CSD digs deeper. We reveal to you the unseen, first-hand destructors of the once picture-perfect American sweethearts. So, without further ado, take a look into the uphill struggle each child star has to endure. As always, we appreciate your loyalty and cannot wait to see what you think.
Katherine Bogan
Editor in Chief of Child Star Digest
Paparazzi
The paparazzi and fanatic fans seeking out autographs are incredibly overbearing in the industry. Switching from a reserved life to the total opposite in terms of constant criticism and attention is a difficult transition. Drew Barrymore affirms this. "'One day I was a little girl," Drew says. "The next day, I was being mobbed by people who wanted me to sign my autograph or pose for pictures. It was frightening'" ("How to Survive"). Paparazzi frequently push the envelope when trying to snap photos of celebrities. Specifically, #1 name "Galella, 79, has had more than a few very public scuffles: Jackie Onassis took him to court, Marlon Brando broke his jaw" (Hartman). Galella, American photographer, harasses celebrities so incessantly they have to go to extreme circumstances to get rid of him.
Paparazzi overstepping the realm of their profession has even resulted in death. The 1997 case of a group of paparazzi chasing down Princess Diana is one example. Hartman describes this, "Mourned the world over, the high-speed car chase that resulted in the deaths of Princess Di, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul led to manslaughter charges (later dismissed) for nine pursuing paparazzi" (Hartman). Paparazzi caused the death of one of the most loved women, Princess Diana, because they did not consider her life. They were more interested in making some money off of a good shot of her.
The harassment is even harder to handle as a child; in their short life so far, they have never experienced this kind of badgering. Even though adult celebrities too are bothered by fanatics, they have insight on how to deal with the situation that children do not. The harassment, the judgment, the stress is not only unreasonable, but it is also thrown upon juveniles the second they enter the entertainment industry.
Paparazzi overstepping the realm of their profession has even resulted in death. The 1997 case of a group of paparazzi chasing down Princess Diana is one example. Hartman describes this, "Mourned the world over, the high-speed car chase that resulted in the deaths of Princess Di, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul led to manslaughter charges (later dismissed) for nine pursuing paparazzi" (Hartman). Paparazzi caused the death of one of the most loved women, Princess Diana, because they did not consider her life. They were more interested in making some money off of a good shot of her.
The harassment is even harder to handle as a child; in their short life so far, they have never experienced this kind of badgering. Even though adult celebrities too are bothered by fanatics, they have insight on how to deal with the situation that children do not. The harassment, the judgment, the stress is not only unreasonable, but it is also thrown upon juveniles the second they enter the entertainment industry.
Brain Development
Article #1: Brain Development During Child Adolescence
Everyone dreams of being raised in a loving family and living a successful, happy life. With healthy childhood brain development, this is not just a dream. Every brain is made of grey and white matter. MRI scans of babies’ brains show they have the exact opposite proportions of grey and white matter than that of an adult. As children mature, so do their brains. During brain development, the brain goes through a transition whereby the amount of grey and white matter are hardly distinguishable (Yoshida).
The process to reach a fully developed and mature brain takes time. For example, "The brain remains 'under construction, thus making it difficult to think critically and rationally before making complex decisions’” (Cahalan). In fact, "The human brain is not fully developed until about age 25. Before that, young people can be impulsive, make poor decisions, and are often more susceptible to addictions" (Sherlock).
The brain is incredibly susceptible to all outward effects during this transition period. To reach this final evolution, components of the brain, like the hippocampus, need to decrease to match adult levels. Outward influences such as stress may put a halt to, or prematurely alter, the natural decrease of the hippocampus and may lead to abnormal completion of brain development (Yoshida).
Childhood is the time for healthy and prosperous brain maturation to take place, with many contributing factors leading to the final formation of the brain. Adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs) can significantly impact this process. Examples of ACEs include exposure to violence, verbal abuse, a dysfunctional family dynamic, and substance abuse. Researcher Amy Linn mentions ACEs in her article “Childhood Trauma Can Alter Brain Development,” by stating, "The more ACEs people experienced, the more likely they were to have bad outcomes, including drug abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, suicide, cancer and chronic, life-shortening diseases." In comparison to those who live traditional childhoods, children with a history of ACEs often display poor decision-making abilities later in life.
There are many elements of the human body affected by ACEs. Most prominent of these are neurological components. The hippocampus and the amygdala are two examples. The hippocampus controls collecting past and present events in the brain as recorded memories, while the amygdala processes the emotions that come from these memories. Most importantly, overall brain maturity becomes impacted through a traumatic childhood.
Previous studies have been conducted on the topic of adolescent brain development. The studies use brain scans as a way to acquire more information about the workings of the brain. "Brain scans show childhood trauma can cause shrinkage in the hippocampus, the area linked to memory storage and retrieval" (Linn). The hippocampus within the brain is commonly affected from childhood trauma, or early life stress (ELS). "Further, MRI studies have suggested that adults subjected to ELS have lower than average hippocampus volumes" (Baker 197). The hippocampus shrinkage shows up in tests frequently for researchers of this topic. The hippocampus plays a significant role in an individual's behavior. Social behavior is determined by the hippocampus since this region of the brain develops relational memory. Depending on what memories one's hippocampus associates with a specific person, place, or thing determines that person’s behavior towards it.
Stress can turn into a significant factor in their brain's makeup. In fact, "The constant state of high-stress can alter the amygdala, the brain's fear-processing center, and affect the neuro-endocrine and immune systems" (Linn). The amygdala is a component of the brain that allows it to function the way it does, similar to the hippocampus. With a highly stressful childhood, these components have a different effect on how the brain will work. Since the hippocampus is the most sensitive area of the brain towards stress, the volume of this region likely decreases when stress weighs heavily on it. Opposingly, the amygdala may increase from having to process significant levels of stress. With the brain working doubly hard to compensate for stress, forgetfulness and disorganization may result (Harvard). Stress is a factor worth highlighting for all researchers interested in what makes a striking impression on brain advancement.
Ultimately, "Although the physical effects of trauma are unknown, social scientists are convinced that emotional trauma delays brain maturity" (Sherlock). The brain overcompensates when having to struggle under pressure regularly at a young age. When one's life is stressful before adulthood, the maturation process can fall behind schedule.
People who have had ELS have to handle not only mental problems but also physical problems as well. (Sherlock). Hormones are a way for your body to release signals of your feelings. Stress hormones are one specific example. Therefore, "Chronic releases of stress hormones are also linked to changes in the way DNA is expressed." (Linn). By changing DNA, or gene expression, there become behavioral and physiological differences in a person. The works of someone under stress can turn aggressive or be internal and unnoticed. Functioning in a stressful environment releases more stress hormones. The stress connected to these hormones affects the inner workings of the body beyond the brain. The change of levels of the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and blood causes this reaction. These are all genes working with the cerebrum, making the body function in different ways (Wein).
The difference in age groups is relevant in how someone reacts to stress. In one study, the three age categories were young childhood, later childhood, and adult life. All three age groups experienced stress at the age of the category they are in. The results revealed that the childhood group, ages eight to seventeen, was affected negatively. As the article concludes, "Analyses confirmed that later childhood ELS was associated with volumetric reductions in the ACC and insula volumes" (Baker 196). The adult category did not have noticeable symptoms of ELS because stress only recently became incorporated into their life. When pressure is a trait early on in life, it affects maturation and development; stress later in life does not, as the brain has transitioned out of the maturing stage.
"Understanding the mechanism by which chronic stress leads to these conditions might help us find new ways to prevent or treat them in the future” (Wein). Research helps everyone to understand chronic stress’ effect on people with ACEs. Since research shows how negatively ACEs impact these people’s lives day to day, scientist’s, doctors, and researchers alike continue to try and reach a solution for the repercussions that come from ACEs into the later life of a child.
Article #2 : Brain Development in Child Stars
Young adults or children in the industry do not have a normal childhood. Whether they are giving a live interview, memorizing lines, or being approached by fans on the streets, stress follows them. Stress is attached to almost everything famous children do. "I think one of the main reasons that so many child stars hit rock bottom as adults is money and their brain development" (Agnew). Child stars are under significant stress, and this leads to unfavorable decision making.
It is necessary to take into account the challenges young actors and actresses face in a period of life essential to brain development. When the natural flow of maturation is disrupted early on, children may not know how to handle this phenomenon. Overwhelmed by confusion and frustrated by having to conform to exactly how the industry requires them to act, young people may combat these feelings with rebellion. "Unfortunately, this forced personality can have an adverse effect on young people" (Agnew). Although these celebrities are nonetheless accountable for their own decisions, there is a lot of anxiety in the lifestyle they live. "This is because our frontal lobes (the area of the brain responsible for decision-making) aren't fully developed until the age of 25" (Agnew). Their brains are not in a completed stage that is compatible to handle fame. Therefore, stardom is an ACE for childhood celebrities.
The connection between brain development and early life events is multidimensional; there are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that complete the working brain. The brain is still in the process of becoming finalized during the age of childhood fame, making these celebrities more susceptible to mistakes along the way. Significant contributors to this overarching issue are the critical cerebral components, such as the hippocampus and the amygdala. These elements may be altered with irregularly stressful childhoods. Hormones as well are affected in these specific individuals, resulting in more built-up aggression. Research is necessary to continue resolving issues in life following a traumatic childhood; the findings as of now have all concurred brain development is complicated when childhood is complicated. Child stars fall into this bracket. The child playing with an action figure may not have irregular brain development, but the child who plays the face of that action figure probably does.
Everyone dreams of being raised in a loving family and living a successful, happy life. With healthy childhood brain development, this is not just a dream. Every brain is made of grey and white matter. MRI scans of babies’ brains show they have the exact opposite proportions of grey and white matter than that of an adult. As children mature, so do their brains. During brain development, the brain goes through a transition whereby the amount of grey and white matter are hardly distinguishable (Yoshida).
The process to reach a fully developed and mature brain takes time. For example, "The brain remains 'under construction, thus making it difficult to think critically and rationally before making complex decisions’” (Cahalan). In fact, "The human brain is not fully developed until about age 25. Before that, young people can be impulsive, make poor decisions, and are often more susceptible to addictions" (Sherlock).
The brain is incredibly susceptible to all outward effects during this transition period. To reach this final evolution, components of the brain, like the hippocampus, need to decrease to match adult levels. Outward influences such as stress may put a halt to, or prematurely alter, the natural decrease of the hippocampus and may lead to abnormal completion of brain development (Yoshida).
Childhood is the time for healthy and prosperous brain maturation to take place, with many contributing factors leading to the final formation of the brain. Adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs) can significantly impact this process. Examples of ACEs include exposure to violence, verbal abuse, a dysfunctional family dynamic, and substance abuse. Researcher Amy Linn mentions ACEs in her article “Childhood Trauma Can Alter Brain Development,” by stating, "The more ACEs people experienced, the more likely they were to have bad outcomes, including drug abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, suicide, cancer and chronic, life-shortening diseases." In comparison to those who live traditional childhoods, children with a history of ACEs often display poor decision-making abilities later in life.
There are many elements of the human body affected by ACEs. Most prominent of these are neurological components. The hippocampus and the amygdala are two examples. The hippocampus controls collecting past and present events in the brain as recorded memories, while the amygdala processes the emotions that come from these memories. Most importantly, overall brain maturity becomes impacted through a traumatic childhood.
Previous studies have been conducted on the topic of adolescent brain development. The studies use brain scans as a way to acquire more information about the workings of the brain. "Brain scans show childhood trauma can cause shrinkage in the hippocampus, the area linked to memory storage and retrieval" (Linn). The hippocampus within the brain is commonly affected from childhood trauma, or early life stress (ELS). "Further, MRI studies have suggested that adults subjected to ELS have lower than average hippocampus volumes" (Baker 197). The hippocampus shrinkage shows up in tests frequently for researchers of this topic. The hippocampus plays a significant role in an individual's behavior. Social behavior is determined by the hippocampus since this region of the brain develops relational memory. Depending on what memories one's hippocampus associates with a specific person, place, or thing determines that person’s behavior towards it.
Stress can turn into a significant factor in their brain's makeup. In fact, "The constant state of high-stress can alter the amygdala, the brain's fear-processing center, and affect the neuro-endocrine and immune systems" (Linn). The amygdala is a component of the brain that allows it to function the way it does, similar to the hippocampus. With a highly stressful childhood, these components have a different effect on how the brain will work. Since the hippocampus is the most sensitive area of the brain towards stress, the volume of this region likely decreases when stress weighs heavily on it. Opposingly, the amygdala may increase from having to process significant levels of stress. With the brain working doubly hard to compensate for stress, forgetfulness and disorganization may result (Harvard). Stress is a factor worth highlighting for all researchers interested in what makes a striking impression on brain advancement.
Ultimately, "Although the physical effects of trauma are unknown, social scientists are convinced that emotional trauma delays brain maturity" (Sherlock). The brain overcompensates when having to struggle under pressure regularly at a young age. When one's life is stressful before adulthood, the maturation process can fall behind schedule.
People who have had ELS have to handle not only mental problems but also physical problems as well. (Sherlock). Hormones are a way for your body to release signals of your feelings. Stress hormones are one specific example. Therefore, "Chronic releases of stress hormones are also linked to changes in the way DNA is expressed." (Linn). By changing DNA, or gene expression, there become behavioral and physiological differences in a person. The works of someone under stress can turn aggressive or be internal and unnoticed. Functioning in a stressful environment releases more stress hormones. The stress connected to these hormones affects the inner workings of the body beyond the brain. The change of levels of the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and blood causes this reaction. These are all genes working with the cerebrum, making the body function in different ways (Wein).
The difference in age groups is relevant in how someone reacts to stress. In one study, the three age categories were young childhood, later childhood, and adult life. All three age groups experienced stress at the age of the category they are in. The results revealed that the childhood group, ages eight to seventeen, was affected negatively. As the article concludes, "Analyses confirmed that later childhood ELS was associated with volumetric reductions in the ACC and insula volumes" (Baker 196). The adult category did not have noticeable symptoms of ELS because stress only recently became incorporated into their life. When pressure is a trait early on in life, it affects maturation and development; stress later in life does not, as the brain has transitioned out of the maturing stage.
"Understanding the mechanism by which chronic stress leads to these conditions might help us find new ways to prevent or treat them in the future” (Wein). Research helps everyone to understand chronic stress’ effect on people with ACEs. Since research shows how negatively ACEs impact these people’s lives day to day, scientist’s, doctors, and researchers alike continue to try and reach a solution for the repercussions that come from ACEs into the later life of a child.
Article #2 : Brain Development in Child Stars
Young adults or children in the industry do not have a normal childhood. Whether they are giving a live interview, memorizing lines, or being approached by fans on the streets, stress follows them. Stress is attached to almost everything famous children do. "I think one of the main reasons that so many child stars hit rock bottom as adults is money and their brain development" (Agnew). Child stars are under significant stress, and this leads to unfavorable decision making.
It is necessary to take into account the challenges young actors and actresses face in a period of life essential to brain development. When the natural flow of maturation is disrupted early on, children may not know how to handle this phenomenon. Overwhelmed by confusion and frustrated by having to conform to exactly how the industry requires them to act, young people may combat these feelings with rebellion. "Unfortunately, this forced personality can have an adverse effect on young people" (Agnew). Although these celebrities are nonetheless accountable for their own decisions, there is a lot of anxiety in the lifestyle they live. "This is because our frontal lobes (the area of the brain responsible for decision-making) aren't fully developed until the age of 25" (Agnew). Their brains are not in a completed stage that is compatible to handle fame. Therefore, stardom is an ACE for childhood celebrities.
The connection between brain development and early life events is multidimensional; there are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that complete the working brain. The brain is still in the process of becoming finalized during the age of childhood fame, making these celebrities more susceptible to mistakes along the way. Significant contributors to this overarching issue are the critical cerebral components, such as the hippocampus and the amygdala. These elements may be altered with irregularly stressful childhoods. Hormones as well are affected in these specific individuals, resulting in more built-up aggression. Research is necessary to continue resolving issues in life following a traumatic childhood; the findings as of now have all concurred brain development is complicated when childhood is complicated. Child stars fall into this bracket. The child playing with an action figure may not have irregular brain development, but the child who plays the face of that action figure probably does.
Self Reflection
I wish I had her life. She’s so popular, so rich, and so famous. She will always have a perfect boyfriend, live in a dream house, and have an overflowing wardrobe. If only I looked like her, or were her, then I too would be on the cover of magazines.
As a little girl, these thoughts ran through my mind. I watched Zoey 101, my favorite show, and dreamed of the perfect life I would have attending Pacific Coast Academy. I thought about Zoey’s life, her made-up one that played out on the show; but also I thought about the real life she lived. Both lives seemed magical to me. Jamie Lynn Spears, the actress who played Zoey, was a role model for young, adoring fans like myself. I saw her on the television screen, on red carpets, and in interviews. I looked up to her because I wanted to be her. However, soon after my obsession had formed, my favorite show with my favorite child star was unexpectedly canceled. The covers of magazines now read “Breaking News: Child Star Jamie Lynn Spears Is Pregnant at 16.”
I would be lying if I said the thought of being famous did not still run through my mind every once in a while. The endorsements that come with fame seem pretty incredible. Unfortunately, lacking even the rudiments of the talent that secures one a spot in Hollywood, I know this dream will never become anything more. Is that such a bad thing, though? Sure, on the surface, this life seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity that anyone would be insane to turn down. But do the pros outweigh the cons, or is it the other way around? The pros, lifelong recognition, free travel, money, a massive following, awards, sponsorships, and fans, seem pretty unmatchable. You would be surprised, however.
Under closer examination, some of these pros turn into serious cons. Fans, a massive following, and lifelong recognition can be life-threatening. With this constant attention comes constant unwanted judgment. The mental toll of incessant hate, rumors, and disapproval is severe. Consequently, this may lead to mental health struggles and may affect natural brain development. With already one in six standard children between the ages of two and eight in the United States having some form of behavioral or mental health problem, adding the extra weight of the entertainment industry into this is certainly not favorable (“Data”). With these uncontrollable mental changes affecting a child, their actions are unpredictable and can often lead to even more disaster. Families are often profoundly affected by fame incorporated into their life through their child’s career. Not all families drastically transform their dynamics, but popularity does affect the ego of many parents. Parents can turn hostile or exploitative when money presents itself to them in this way, and this only ruins the life of the child star even more. Children need the support of their parents and the stability that comes with a healthy home life, and when this is taken from them, they feel even more alone. These stars may wear a designer purse that holds their unlimited credit card, but money does not buy happiness. And on the inside, they are probably fighting a battle with themselves to act like everything is okay.
As crazy as it might sound, if a chance at fame were presented to me (an unlikely possibility), I would have to decline. I have decided fame at an early age is not for me. Understanding the possible downside makes me realize no lifestyle is worth it with that risk attached. To anyone considering this career path, I strongly urge you to reconsider. Life is precious, family is important, and happiness is valuable. A decision that could so quickly take those things away from someone should be avoided, and child stardom is precisely that.
As a little girl, these thoughts ran through my mind. I watched Zoey 101, my favorite show, and dreamed of the perfect life I would have attending Pacific Coast Academy. I thought about Zoey’s life, her made-up one that played out on the show; but also I thought about the real life she lived. Both lives seemed magical to me. Jamie Lynn Spears, the actress who played Zoey, was a role model for young, adoring fans like myself. I saw her on the television screen, on red carpets, and in interviews. I looked up to her because I wanted to be her. However, soon after my obsession had formed, my favorite show with my favorite child star was unexpectedly canceled. The covers of magazines now read “Breaking News: Child Star Jamie Lynn Spears Is Pregnant at 16.”
I would be lying if I said the thought of being famous did not still run through my mind every once in a while. The endorsements that come with fame seem pretty incredible. Unfortunately, lacking even the rudiments of the talent that secures one a spot in Hollywood, I know this dream will never become anything more. Is that such a bad thing, though? Sure, on the surface, this life seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity that anyone would be insane to turn down. But do the pros outweigh the cons, or is it the other way around? The pros, lifelong recognition, free travel, money, a massive following, awards, sponsorships, and fans, seem pretty unmatchable. You would be surprised, however.
Under closer examination, some of these pros turn into serious cons. Fans, a massive following, and lifelong recognition can be life-threatening. With this constant attention comes constant unwanted judgment. The mental toll of incessant hate, rumors, and disapproval is severe. Consequently, this may lead to mental health struggles and may affect natural brain development. With already one in six standard children between the ages of two and eight in the United States having some form of behavioral or mental health problem, adding the extra weight of the entertainment industry into this is certainly not favorable (“Data”). With these uncontrollable mental changes affecting a child, their actions are unpredictable and can often lead to even more disaster. Families are often profoundly affected by fame incorporated into their life through their child’s career. Not all families drastically transform their dynamics, but popularity does affect the ego of many parents. Parents can turn hostile or exploitative when money presents itself to them in this way, and this only ruins the life of the child star even more. Children need the support of their parents and the stability that comes with a healthy home life, and when this is taken from them, they feel even more alone. These stars may wear a designer purse that holds their unlimited credit card, but money does not buy happiness. And on the inside, they are probably fighting a battle with themselves to act like everything is okay.
As crazy as it might sound, if a chance at fame were presented to me (an unlikely possibility), I would have to decline. I have decided fame at an early age is not for me. Understanding the possible downside makes me realize no lifestyle is worth it with that risk attached. To anyone considering this career path, I strongly urge you to reconsider. Life is precious, family is important, and happiness is valuable. A decision that could so quickly take those things away from someone should be avoided, and child stardom is precisely that.
Media Judgement
Article #1: Media’s Impact on Celebrities
Like an unapproving mother inhibiting the rebellious-teen-phase, the judgment of spectators spurs on young celebrities in a similar way. At a certain point, the disapproval of the people begins to make young stars feel they might as well continue to give the people what they want. Once they dig a deep hole for themselves, they continue to dig deeper.
The added stress that comes with being famous makes stars reconsider everything they may or may not do. Drew Barrymore's personal experiences account for this. "The 35-year-old actress - who first took cocaine at the age of 12 - admits the attention of being in tabloid newspapers while she was a teenager was difficult to deal with" ("Barrymore"). The hypercritical position of the media keeps celebrities on their toes, having negative opinions of themselves made by strangers always at the forefront of their minds. "Child stars are often robbed of a normal childhood. Growing up is hard enough. Imagine having to do it in front of millions of people watching your every move or snickering about every goofy-looking pimple you get" (Thompson). At such a vulnerable age, young celebrities easily fall down dangerous paths. The media does not help with this already stressful lifestyle.
The gossip media is massively increasing in the current era. Platforms of social media were created as a way to communicate with friends. However, now they are the primary outlets for people to receive celebrity gossip. The statistics show how social media users mainly receive their information through their social media apps. In fact, "Social media has become the main source of news online with more than 2.4 billion internet users, nearly 64.5 percent receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram instead of traditional media". The validity of our sources may or may not be the most credible, though. "With social media as our new news managers, it is up to us to be the new fact checkers for media" (Martin). Before social media use was widespread, people did not have as many sources to receive gossip.
This source of entertainment (gossip media) is such a familiar topic people no longer see it as invasive or disrespectful. Infact, "The celebrity-gossip culture routinely exposes personal, intimate information to the prying eyes of people who would never want their own private details publicized. It does so crudely and insensitively, and in the process makes its avid consumers cruder and more insensitive" (Jacoby). This is only one form of judgment young celebrities endure all too prematurely.
The publishers of celebrity news, gossip journalists, livelihoods are to analyze people in the spotlight's every move. Infact, gossip journalists receive payment to publicly announce their disapproval. One informative website, in particular, is Crushable. For example, "Crushable, run by the 29-year-old Ms. Carlson, a former Associated Press entertainment reporter, seeks to leave the bulk of the Brangelina coverage to the other guys and focus more on a Teen Vogue-ish 15-to-25-year-old female market" ("The Rising"). The younger age pool of celebrities is of great interest to producers of the topic. Society feeds into the work of celebrity news publishers, forming negative and judgemental opinions.
Society's obsessive judgment is seen through polls that have been set up on gossip websites. The results of the surveys show that society views actions of troubled young celebrities as disturbing; society's overall opinion is never compassionate towards an individual's baggage. "The more than 4,000 CupidBay respondents were then asked who they would like to see behind bars the most. Paris Hilton came out on top again, followed by Lindsay Lohan (2nd) Mel Gibson (3rd), Pete Doherty (4th) and Nicole Ritchie (5th)" ("CupidBay.Com"). As seen through social experiments such as this one, when uninvolved individuals have a chance to voice their disapproval, they jump on the opportunity.
All the actors and actresses voted upon in the previous poll have earned their fame during their childhood. Feedback and criticism at all times make them feel more isolated than ever. In one interview, Selena Gomez spoke on how this idea also made her feel misunderstood. “I don't think anyone really knew who I was. But I felt very violated and I didn't like it or understand it, and that felt very weird, because I was a young girl and they were grown men. I didn't like that feeling” ("Selena"). These pop culture employees can be extreme in a lot of cases. Child actors and actresses like Gomez are not comfortable with this.
In the current day, media and society have a significant influence on celebrities' choices later in life. Specifically, child stars are the most strongly influenced in the field of superstars. Media and creators alike have overarching opinions that form from a lack of understanding of what the individuals are going through. It is acknowledged that outward judgement is overbearing and excessive. "A time must be coming when there will be no more snippets of video to play and rewind and play and rewind and play and rewind onward into oblivion and no more so-called experts to scrutinize them" (Penhollow). People critique rather than sensing these celebrities might be going through something. The ability to brush off the brutal and constant news--fake or real--published on their personal lives is just one portion of the torment with which young celebrities must deal.
Article #2 : Celebrities Being Treated Differently
In general, celebrities often are let off with what most view as a slap on the wrist. This concept is nothing new, dating back as far as the 1969 Ted Kennedy incident. Famous Senator "Kennedy drove his car off a bridge and fled the scene, but not calling the police sealed the fate his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. He did not report the crime until 10 a.m. the next day, shortly after Kopechne's body was found" (Biagioni). The unfortunate circumstances may have left Kennedy with personal trauma, but not many judicial consequences. "Kennedy could have been charged with vehicular manslaughter, but instead he was charged and plead guilty to fleeing a crime scene, which he did not serve time for" (Biagioni). Child stars are even more commonly found getting let off the hook.
Justin Beiber is one of these cases. Justin Beiber was pulled over speeding while under the influence but only had to pay a small sum of money to be set free. "He was under the influence of multiple substances as he drag raced a Ferrari in his Lamborghini and when pulled over, Bieber was not cooperative with police officers and was arrested. Bieber pled guilty to resisting arrest and careless driving, but he was released from jail after paying a $2,500 bond" (Biagioni). This behavior is often repeated because they do not receive appropriate consequences for their actions.
More recently, a new scandal rose to the surface of the gossip media. The scandal involved lenient treatment towards Lori Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli. Giannulli has been a beauty influencer on Youtube since 2014, and was endorsed by Sephora, Tresemme, and Estee Lauder. She was given unfair admittance into The University of Southern California, as her parents paid to have her admitted (Duboff). The media was outraged when finding this out and wondered “Why does the law only apply to the entirety of America and not the celebrities and upper class?" (Biagioni). However, in this instance the child star did receive social punishment, now having a much smaller pool of followers on her social media platforms, being dropped from all of her endorsers, and no longer being allowed to attend USC. While the Gianulli’s were eventually caught in their tracks and exposed for their illegal college acceptance offense, the very fact this scandal was administered is probably due to the surmounting fame of the family.
It is a common theme to see light punishment in crimes involving young celebrities or youth that have grown up under the spotlight. Both the prompting to continue to behave recklessly, as well as clemency provided for child stars, could be contributing significantly to why they are so regularly found with destroyed careers in later life.
Article #3 : Personal Interview
Melissa Pieja, the mother of seven-year-old Eva Pieja, gives her insight on the unseen truths of child acting in both television and theater settings. The Pieja mother and daughter duo have performed together in commercials, and Eva has been featured in shows, commercials, and plays on her own. From personal experiences with her daughter, Melissa provides her knowledge on a series of questions asked regarding the industry.
My conversation with Melissa Pieja, recorded 16 January 2020:
KB: What are your experiences with your daughter in the acting industry?
MP: I've done theater, acting, and singing my whole life… It's not my career, but it's always been a great outlet. I still do it now. When I had a daughter, I thought, 'Yay!' I have a little mini-me that I can take with me. She's grown up in the theaters with me. At one point, when she was in preschool, she came in with me, and they took some pictures of her… I put them on a casting sight, and she booked a few things. She was on an episode of Discovery ID for a crime reenactment… She's done a few commercials. But then, when Waitress came to the National Theater, they had open auditions. She was chosen out of the sixty girls that auditioned… This was her first time being eligible for a real, professional show. She even got a paycheck…She's been in a few things since then. For us, though, it's just for the excitement and the fun… By law, I'm required to have a trust account for her. Everything that she makes, she gets fifteen percent. To me, it doesn't seem like a lot because she's doing all the work… But if you look at the Lindsay Lohans' and the Britney Spears', they are making millions and millions, so fifteen percent of that is a huge chunk of change that they get when they're eighteen… That really opens things up.
KB: Do you have an example of a certain time when things could have gotten out of hand during your daughter's acting career so far?
MP: You have to have a strong voice. One example was Eva was in the show Annie over the summer. It wasn't paid… She played Molly. She got to play with all the other kids and was having so much fun. Then, we got a call from her agent that they wanted to book her for a television show on Hulu. The agent told me that it films during Annie… I just had to say to him we're not doing that. Number one, I made a commitment. Number two, if I asked my daughter what she wanted to do, she would want to do the non-paid Annie. But, I'm sure there are plenty of parents out there that wouldn't make that same decision. The agent was mad at me, but I told him if you're going to work with me, when I commit, I stick to the commitment. I can see where it gets challenging, and I can where some parents would go down a different path, and then it snowballs. But it's always going to be my child first. If she says I don't want to do this, we're out.
KB: Based on your experiences and your daughter's experiences, would you recommend child acting?
MP: I think if done the right way, absolutely. You learn public speaking, you gain confidence, and there are so many cool people I've been able to meet. I've made some great friendships from the people I've met, and Eva gets to have fun working with the other kids. So, if done the right way, you have some amazing experiences. But it can be a challenge.
KB: Have you ever seen parenting you disapprove of in the industry?
MP: Yes! Stage moms… I swore that I would never, ever, ever be a stage mom. For one of Eva's first acting jobs, she was a background actress for a music video. When you do background, you can't even guarantee you're going to make the cut. It was her first paid professional gig… I think she was in the video for five seconds. I found myself wanting to push her out there. But I thought no, I'm not going to do that, and I'm not going to be that mom… You definitely can see the moms that push and go up to the director and say 'Why is my son/daughter not chosen for this' or 'Why are they not in the spotlight.' I saw that a lot with this one mom whose daughter was in Annie this summer. Since you could tell that Eva had a little more lines than her daughter did, it became this kind of horrible competition that this mom started. The girls could feel the tension. There can be some ugliness in it, even as an adult.
KB: Have you ever had any bad experiences with directors and producers?
MP: The directors have been great. Especially when they are working with a child, they understand. When she played the murder victim, the director came up and said, 'Okay, here's what we're going to do.' When she was dead, they had her lay down and assured me she wasn't going to know… They made it fun. The producers have also been great. It could just be from our experience since we've never done anything Hollywood yet, but they've been encouraging, really positive, and great at walking us through everything…
KB: Has there ever been a time when the workload and time commitment that comes with acting has interfered with your personal life?
MP: We're just doing this for fun. There are so many opportunities that I passed up on because I work and have a career. I could quit my job and dedicate her career full-time, but that's not something that I'd ever want to do… If she had gotten Modern Family, I would have called off work for two days and gone… I can't let it disrupt our lifestyle. It was easier when she wasn't in school, but now, she has to have a work permit… They are required to provide tutoring for her if it's a school day, but they don't work on the same things the school is working on. I don't want her academics to fall short, so I'm very picky and choosy... Again though, I could see where, if a parent is gung-ho about making their child a star, might think their child can miss a week of school.
KB: Has your daughter ever felt overwhelmed?
MP: There was one time when we were both very overwhelmed. When we were doing the Discovery show, we were filming in upstate New York… It was a two-day shoot. The first day was fine… The second day we went out, and as we were driving up, it began to snow hard. We were filming and had a lunch break. She got to play in the snow and was having a great time. In the evening, we had to go back to film one more thing in the studio. Because of the snow, it had taken forever to get back in the city. By the time we got there, it was really late- way past her bedtime… She lost it. But, she was already committed. They said, 'We just have to get this one shot, we're really sorry, we just have to get this shot.' It was painful. I was questioning myself at that moment like 'What am I doing?'
KB: Are the environments of the television and theater industries similar in any way?
MP: Completely different! In theater, you're constantly working; you're constantly learning something for the production. But in TV and film, it's a lot of sitting around and waiting. Once they finally get their equipment and lighting shooting exactly the way they want to go, which takes forever, you get to do your thing in the scene. But then you do it again because they switch angles. And again… It's a lot less work, but I find the time passes by more slowly because you're doing more standing around and waiting. They are always behind, and everything is last minute. It's a completely different world.
KB: Do you prefer one over the other?
MP: For me, TV filming is more stressful just because it's something I don't know as well. As for theater, I can walk in and know what's expected. When I did my first commercial, it was very intimidating because I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. For Eva, it's just playing. It's just pretending. I don't think she's at the point where she's self-conscious yet.
KB: Has anyone who Eva has worked with had a positive or negative impact on her?
MP: I would say most interactions have been very positive. When she did the show Waitress, that was interesting. I had pictured the theater we were used to, where we all become friends because everyone is working so closely together. It was weird because as soon as the actors would finish their scene, they would go right back up to their dressing room and shut the door. It was really weird because I pictured them taking Eva under their wing and being supportive… For those actors, though, this was work. For us, it was fun. When we did the hurricane preparedness video, the guy who played her father and my husband was a little creepy. Whenever we were finished with a shot, I removed us from his presence. There was just something about him that wasn't right. Even the director sensed it and made sure we were all right and comfortable… I can see where you can be put in the position where you work with someone who's a creeper.
KB: Do you notice a clear pattern in the way all producers act? Are they all professional in the same way?
MP: I think they've all been very professional. With the producer in Waitress, we saw her a couple of times, and that was it. We were on our own. You get a little more interaction with the producer when you're on a shoot. Usually, they are warm and very friendly.
Melissa Peija’s daughter Eva's exposure to the acting industry has been positive. Together, Melissa and Eva have navigated their way through the opportunities presented to Eva. She has the support of her mother, but feels no overbearing pressure that she must succeed. There is no single way to manage a child’s acting career, but it is evident that the loving encouragement from a parent, the ability to pick and choose gigs, and the balanced day to day lifestyle of a child is a good place to start.
Like an unapproving mother inhibiting the rebellious-teen-phase, the judgment of spectators spurs on young celebrities in a similar way. At a certain point, the disapproval of the people begins to make young stars feel they might as well continue to give the people what they want. Once they dig a deep hole for themselves, they continue to dig deeper.
The added stress that comes with being famous makes stars reconsider everything they may or may not do. Drew Barrymore's personal experiences account for this. "The 35-year-old actress - who first took cocaine at the age of 12 - admits the attention of being in tabloid newspapers while she was a teenager was difficult to deal with" ("Barrymore"). The hypercritical position of the media keeps celebrities on their toes, having negative opinions of themselves made by strangers always at the forefront of their minds. "Child stars are often robbed of a normal childhood. Growing up is hard enough. Imagine having to do it in front of millions of people watching your every move or snickering about every goofy-looking pimple you get" (Thompson). At such a vulnerable age, young celebrities easily fall down dangerous paths. The media does not help with this already stressful lifestyle.
The gossip media is massively increasing in the current era. Platforms of social media were created as a way to communicate with friends. However, now they are the primary outlets for people to receive celebrity gossip. The statistics show how social media users mainly receive their information through their social media apps. In fact, "Social media has become the main source of news online with more than 2.4 billion internet users, nearly 64.5 percent receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram instead of traditional media". The validity of our sources may or may not be the most credible, though. "With social media as our new news managers, it is up to us to be the new fact checkers for media" (Martin). Before social media use was widespread, people did not have as many sources to receive gossip.
This source of entertainment (gossip media) is such a familiar topic people no longer see it as invasive or disrespectful. Infact, "The celebrity-gossip culture routinely exposes personal, intimate information to the prying eyes of people who would never want their own private details publicized. It does so crudely and insensitively, and in the process makes its avid consumers cruder and more insensitive" (Jacoby). This is only one form of judgment young celebrities endure all too prematurely.
The publishers of celebrity news, gossip journalists, livelihoods are to analyze people in the spotlight's every move. Infact, gossip journalists receive payment to publicly announce their disapproval. One informative website, in particular, is Crushable. For example, "Crushable, run by the 29-year-old Ms. Carlson, a former Associated Press entertainment reporter, seeks to leave the bulk of the Brangelina coverage to the other guys and focus more on a Teen Vogue-ish 15-to-25-year-old female market" ("The Rising"). The younger age pool of celebrities is of great interest to producers of the topic. Society feeds into the work of celebrity news publishers, forming negative and judgemental opinions.
Society's obsessive judgment is seen through polls that have been set up on gossip websites. The results of the surveys show that society views actions of troubled young celebrities as disturbing; society's overall opinion is never compassionate towards an individual's baggage. "The more than 4,000 CupidBay respondents were then asked who they would like to see behind bars the most. Paris Hilton came out on top again, followed by Lindsay Lohan (2nd) Mel Gibson (3rd), Pete Doherty (4th) and Nicole Ritchie (5th)" ("CupidBay.Com"). As seen through social experiments such as this one, when uninvolved individuals have a chance to voice their disapproval, they jump on the opportunity.
All the actors and actresses voted upon in the previous poll have earned their fame during their childhood. Feedback and criticism at all times make them feel more isolated than ever. In one interview, Selena Gomez spoke on how this idea also made her feel misunderstood. “I don't think anyone really knew who I was. But I felt very violated and I didn't like it or understand it, and that felt very weird, because I was a young girl and they were grown men. I didn't like that feeling” ("Selena"). These pop culture employees can be extreme in a lot of cases. Child actors and actresses like Gomez are not comfortable with this.
In the current day, media and society have a significant influence on celebrities' choices later in life. Specifically, child stars are the most strongly influenced in the field of superstars. Media and creators alike have overarching opinions that form from a lack of understanding of what the individuals are going through. It is acknowledged that outward judgement is overbearing and excessive. "A time must be coming when there will be no more snippets of video to play and rewind and play and rewind and play and rewind onward into oblivion and no more so-called experts to scrutinize them" (Penhollow). People critique rather than sensing these celebrities might be going through something. The ability to brush off the brutal and constant news--fake or real--published on their personal lives is just one portion of the torment with which young celebrities must deal.
Article #2 : Celebrities Being Treated Differently
In general, celebrities often are let off with what most view as a slap on the wrist. This concept is nothing new, dating back as far as the 1969 Ted Kennedy incident. Famous Senator "Kennedy drove his car off a bridge and fled the scene, but not calling the police sealed the fate his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. He did not report the crime until 10 a.m. the next day, shortly after Kopechne's body was found" (Biagioni). The unfortunate circumstances may have left Kennedy with personal trauma, but not many judicial consequences. "Kennedy could have been charged with vehicular manslaughter, but instead he was charged and plead guilty to fleeing a crime scene, which he did not serve time for" (Biagioni). Child stars are even more commonly found getting let off the hook.
Justin Beiber is one of these cases. Justin Beiber was pulled over speeding while under the influence but only had to pay a small sum of money to be set free. "He was under the influence of multiple substances as he drag raced a Ferrari in his Lamborghini and when pulled over, Bieber was not cooperative with police officers and was arrested. Bieber pled guilty to resisting arrest and careless driving, but he was released from jail after paying a $2,500 bond" (Biagioni). This behavior is often repeated because they do not receive appropriate consequences for their actions.
More recently, a new scandal rose to the surface of the gossip media. The scandal involved lenient treatment towards Lori Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli. Giannulli has been a beauty influencer on Youtube since 2014, and was endorsed by Sephora, Tresemme, and Estee Lauder. She was given unfair admittance into The University of Southern California, as her parents paid to have her admitted (Duboff). The media was outraged when finding this out and wondered “Why does the law only apply to the entirety of America and not the celebrities and upper class?" (Biagioni). However, in this instance the child star did receive social punishment, now having a much smaller pool of followers on her social media platforms, being dropped from all of her endorsers, and no longer being allowed to attend USC. While the Gianulli’s were eventually caught in their tracks and exposed for their illegal college acceptance offense, the very fact this scandal was administered is probably due to the surmounting fame of the family.
It is a common theme to see light punishment in crimes involving young celebrities or youth that have grown up under the spotlight. Both the prompting to continue to behave recklessly, as well as clemency provided for child stars, could be contributing significantly to why they are so regularly found with destroyed careers in later life.
Article #3 : Personal Interview
Melissa Pieja, the mother of seven-year-old Eva Pieja, gives her insight on the unseen truths of child acting in both television and theater settings. The Pieja mother and daughter duo have performed together in commercials, and Eva has been featured in shows, commercials, and plays on her own. From personal experiences with her daughter, Melissa provides her knowledge on a series of questions asked regarding the industry.
My conversation with Melissa Pieja, recorded 16 January 2020:
KB: What are your experiences with your daughter in the acting industry?
MP: I've done theater, acting, and singing my whole life… It's not my career, but it's always been a great outlet. I still do it now. When I had a daughter, I thought, 'Yay!' I have a little mini-me that I can take with me. She's grown up in the theaters with me. At one point, when she was in preschool, she came in with me, and they took some pictures of her… I put them on a casting sight, and she booked a few things. She was on an episode of Discovery ID for a crime reenactment… She's done a few commercials. But then, when Waitress came to the National Theater, they had open auditions. She was chosen out of the sixty girls that auditioned… This was her first time being eligible for a real, professional show. She even got a paycheck…She's been in a few things since then. For us, though, it's just for the excitement and the fun… By law, I'm required to have a trust account for her. Everything that she makes, she gets fifteen percent. To me, it doesn't seem like a lot because she's doing all the work… But if you look at the Lindsay Lohans' and the Britney Spears', they are making millions and millions, so fifteen percent of that is a huge chunk of change that they get when they're eighteen… That really opens things up.
KB: Do you have an example of a certain time when things could have gotten out of hand during your daughter's acting career so far?
MP: You have to have a strong voice. One example was Eva was in the show Annie over the summer. It wasn't paid… She played Molly. She got to play with all the other kids and was having so much fun. Then, we got a call from her agent that they wanted to book her for a television show on Hulu. The agent told me that it films during Annie… I just had to say to him we're not doing that. Number one, I made a commitment. Number two, if I asked my daughter what she wanted to do, she would want to do the non-paid Annie. But, I'm sure there are plenty of parents out there that wouldn't make that same decision. The agent was mad at me, but I told him if you're going to work with me, when I commit, I stick to the commitment. I can see where it gets challenging, and I can where some parents would go down a different path, and then it snowballs. But it's always going to be my child first. If she says I don't want to do this, we're out.
KB: Based on your experiences and your daughter's experiences, would you recommend child acting?
MP: I think if done the right way, absolutely. You learn public speaking, you gain confidence, and there are so many cool people I've been able to meet. I've made some great friendships from the people I've met, and Eva gets to have fun working with the other kids. So, if done the right way, you have some amazing experiences. But it can be a challenge.
KB: Have you ever seen parenting you disapprove of in the industry?
MP: Yes! Stage moms… I swore that I would never, ever, ever be a stage mom. For one of Eva's first acting jobs, she was a background actress for a music video. When you do background, you can't even guarantee you're going to make the cut. It was her first paid professional gig… I think she was in the video for five seconds. I found myself wanting to push her out there. But I thought no, I'm not going to do that, and I'm not going to be that mom… You definitely can see the moms that push and go up to the director and say 'Why is my son/daughter not chosen for this' or 'Why are they not in the spotlight.' I saw that a lot with this one mom whose daughter was in Annie this summer. Since you could tell that Eva had a little more lines than her daughter did, it became this kind of horrible competition that this mom started. The girls could feel the tension. There can be some ugliness in it, even as an adult.
KB: Have you ever had any bad experiences with directors and producers?
MP: The directors have been great. Especially when they are working with a child, they understand. When she played the murder victim, the director came up and said, 'Okay, here's what we're going to do.' When she was dead, they had her lay down and assured me she wasn't going to know… They made it fun. The producers have also been great. It could just be from our experience since we've never done anything Hollywood yet, but they've been encouraging, really positive, and great at walking us through everything…
KB: Has there ever been a time when the workload and time commitment that comes with acting has interfered with your personal life?
MP: We're just doing this for fun. There are so many opportunities that I passed up on because I work and have a career. I could quit my job and dedicate her career full-time, but that's not something that I'd ever want to do… If she had gotten Modern Family, I would have called off work for two days and gone… I can't let it disrupt our lifestyle. It was easier when she wasn't in school, but now, she has to have a work permit… They are required to provide tutoring for her if it's a school day, but they don't work on the same things the school is working on. I don't want her academics to fall short, so I'm very picky and choosy... Again though, I could see where, if a parent is gung-ho about making their child a star, might think their child can miss a week of school.
KB: Has your daughter ever felt overwhelmed?
MP: There was one time when we were both very overwhelmed. When we were doing the Discovery show, we were filming in upstate New York… It was a two-day shoot. The first day was fine… The second day we went out, and as we were driving up, it began to snow hard. We were filming and had a lunch break. She got to play in the snow and was having a great time. In the evening, we had to go back to film one more thing in the studio. Because of the snow, it had taken forever to get back in the city. By the time we got there, it was really late- way past her bedtime… She lost it. But, she was already committed. They said, 'We just have to get this one shot, we're really sorry, we just have to get this shot.' It was painful. I was questioning myself at that moment like 'What am I doing?'
KB: Are the environments of the television and theater industries similar in any way?
MP: Completely different! In theater, you're constantly working; you're constantly learning something for the production. But in TV and film, it's a lot of sitting around and waiting. Once they finally get their equipment and lighting shooting exactly the way they want to go, which takes forever, you get to do your thing in the scene. But then you do it again because they switch angles. And again… It's a lot less work, but I find the time passes by more slowly because you're doing more standing around and waiting. They are always behind, and everything is last minute. It's a completely different world.
KB: Do you prefer one over the other?
MP: For me, TV filming is more stressful just because it's something I don't know as well. As for theater, I can walk in and know what's expected. When I did my first commercial, it was very intimidating because I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. For Eva, it's just playing. It's just pretending. I don't think she's at the point where she's self-conscious yet.
KB: Has anyone who Eva has worked with had a positive or negative impact on her?
MP: I would say most interactions have been very positive. When she did the show Waitress, that was interesting. I had pictured the theater we were used to, where we all become friends because everyone is working so closely together. It was weird because as soon as the actors would finish their scene, they would go right back up to their dressing room and shut the door. It was really weird because I pictured them taking Eva under their wing and being supportive… For those actors, though, this was work. For us, it was fun. When we did the hurricane preparedness video, the guy who played her father and my husband was a little creepy. Whenever we were finished with a shot, I removed us from his presence. There was just something about him that wasn't right. Even the director sensed it and made sure we were all right and comfortable… I can see where you can be put in the position where you work with someone who's a creeper.
KB: Do you notice a clear pattern in the way all producers act? Are they all professional in the same way?
MP: I think they've all been very professional. With the producer in Waitress, we saw her a couple of times, and that was it. We were on our own. You get a little more interaction with the producer when you're on a shoot. Usually, they are warm and very friendly.
Melissa Peija’s daughter Eva's exposure to the acting industry has been positive. Together, Melissa and Eva have navigated their way through the opportunities presented to Eva. She has the support of her mother, but feels no overbearing pressure that she must succeed. There is no single way to manage a child’s acting career, but it is evident that the loving encouragement from a parent, the ability to pick and choose gigs, and the balanced day to day lifestyle of a child is a good place to start.
Self Destructors
Individual Case Study: Drew Barrymore
The stress from family and work leads to the altered brain development, which in turn leads to the downfall. The downfall is the break of most childhood careers, turning these once cute, young role models into rebellious teens or young adults that society frowns upon. Drew Barrymore is a well known child star who had one of the more intensive downfalls accounted for in the industry. She is known and loved to this day, as she was able to pull herself out of her self-made hole, but many do not. Take a look into how she rose to fame, came crashing down, and eventually built herself back up again.
Drew Barrymore's startled visage is plastered on the cover page of the 2006 February edition of Star Magazine, alongside Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie. The cover reads “3 Divorces and One of Them is Pregnant! All The Shocking Details Inside.” Now drawn in and intrigued, readers dive in to tear apart all defaming articles contained within.
Drew Barrymore got her start-up to life under the limelight long before this. In 1982, Barrymore starred in the award winning movie E.T. at just six years old. She was casted in the movie by director Steven Speilburg, her godfather (Will). Her biological father and mother however, were not there for her during childhood. Specifically her father, who passed away in 2004, had never been a positive influence in his daughter’s life before that. Her father let her know “‘I can't be a father. You have to understand that.’” Barrymore says herself she struggled with drugs and alcohol during this time likely “because I thought relationships had to be really heavy to be deep. They don't” (“Drew”).
Her life took an unfortunate turn after embarking on her early career. As a young child, she began taking lighter drugs and drinking. However, by age thirteen, she was addicted to cocaine (Palmer). Once she began to struggle, producers were disinclined to hire her. In fact, "By the time Drew was a teenager, she had stopped going to school and lost touch with her friends. Her career was in shambles. Everyone thought of her as a wild child, and no one wanted to hire her" ("How to Survive"). The addictive substances she fell into would likely not have been introduced to her had she not entered the entertainment industry prematurely.
The stress from family and work leads to the altered brain development, which in turn leads to the downfall. The downfall is the break of most childhood careers, turning these once cute, young role models into rebellious teens or young adults that society frowns upon. Drew Barrymore is a well known child star who had one of the more intensive downfalls accounted for in the industry. She is known and loved to this day, as she was able to pull herself out of her self-made hole, but many do not. Take a look into how she rose to fame, came crashing down, and eventually built herself back up again.
Drew Barrymore's startled visage is plastered on the cover page of the 2006 February edition of Star Magazine, alongside Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie. The cover reads “3 Divorces and One of Them is Pregnant! All The Shocking Details Inside.” Now drawn in and intrigued, readers dive in to tear apart all defaming articles contained within.
Drew Barrymore got her start-up to life under the limelight long before this. In 1982, Barrymore starred in the award winning movie E.T. at just six years old. She was casted in the movie by director Steven Speilburg, her godfather (Will). Her biological father and mother however, were not there for her during childhood. Specifically her father, who passed away in 2004, had never been a positive influence in his daughter’s life before that. Her father let her know “‘I can't be a father. You have to understand that.’” Barrymore says herself she struggled with drugs and alcohol during this time likely “because I thought relationships had to be really heavy to be deep. They don't” (“Drew”).
Her life took an unfortunate turn after embarking on her early career. As a young child, she began taking lighter drugs and drinking. However, by age thirteen, she was addicted to cocaine (Palmer). Once she began to struggle, producers were disinclined to hire her. In fact, "By the time Drew was a teenager, she had stopped going to school and lost touch with her friends. Her career was in shambles. Everyone thought of her as a wild child, and no one wanted to hire her" ("How to Survive"). The addictive substances she fell into would likely not have been introduced to her had she not entered the entertainment industry prematurely.
Child Stars: Then vs. Now
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Childhood Edition
Ron Howard
Ron Howard, sixty-six year old director, fell in love with the acting industry at age six and has pursued the lifestyle ever since. For his first role, "he became America's favorite little boy playing Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, a love affair with the public that lasted eight years" (Janusonis). Howard kept tugging on America's heartstrings "in 1974 when he was transformed into Richie Cunningham, one of America's favorite teens, for a six-year stretch on Happy Days" (Janusonis). In every role Howard played he displayed unmatched talent and received unswayed approval from the public.
During his acting years, "Howard met his wife, Cheryl, at high school when they were both 16, and they got married five years later, in 1975" (Farndale). Now married and on track to start a family, he finished acting at the age of twenty-five. He then transitioned into directing, a more authoritative position in the industry. After saying his farewell to acting, Ron and wife Cheryl had four children together. They worked hard as parents to give them a "normal and grounded" childhood. When their twin daughters were born, Howard moved his family out of Los Angeles into Connecticut, a better state to raise a family (Myers).
After growing up as a child star, Howard managed to raise a family, maintain a happy marriage, and direct award-winning movies later in life. In fact, "he has made 27 movies, nearly all of them box-office hits. From Splash, starring Tom Hanks in 1984, to Apollo 13 - again with Hanks - in 1995, and A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe, in 2001. That was the film for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director" (Farndale). Howard continues to uphold the flawless reputation he has had since the beginning of his time in the industry, and has become a role model for his children who have chosen to take after their father and work in the industry as well.
Macaulay Culkin
The Ellen Show, Published April 23, 2018:
DeGeneres: “Because I think anybody who starts so young in this business--it can really screw you up in many ways.”
Culkin: “I know” (“Macaulay”).
His innocent face is the image on the multiple Home Alone DVDs sitting on top of your family's movie rack. Macaulay Culkin, child actor, was America's sweetheart during his My Girl and Home Alone series period. In fact, he was so popular he became Hollywood's highest-paid child actor at one point. His success brought a substantial paycheck--$21 million--by the age of fourteen. However, he did not do much other than act. He was always a loner as a child, spending his time away from the studios binge-watching television alone in his room (Lennon). As successful as he was (hired to star in fourteen movies as a child), he was not very well educated. In fact, Culkin was “Not literate at six and, at three, scarcely able to speak" (Iley). Despite this, he had a lovely disposition. "At that first meeting he was so sweet, so shy, so modest" says Irene, a close friend of the Culkins (Lennon).
In July of 1995, "A judge reversed last week's order granting temporary custody of Macaulay Culkin, the child film star, and five of his siblings to their mother, opening the way to a full court hearing in a bitter custody battle" ("Culkin"). Macaulay's parents, Patricia Bentrup and Kit Culkin divorced early in his childhood. The arguments during their divorce centered around how much of Macaulay's trust fund they would receive. "His family life had disintegrated as his parents fought over his huge fortune and for custody of their little gold mine" (Lennon). This tension deeply affected their children. Aside from having to handle sadness and anxiety in the home, Culkin knew his parents were using him as a source of income and eventually decided to separate himself from them. "In 1997, a judge granted his request to ‘divorce’ his parents and, having wrested back control of his earnings, he declared he had quit the movie industry for good" (Lennon).
Culkin did not allow his dark childhood to ruin his future. After divorcing from his parents, "the 20-year-old [was] keen to prove that, having shed the trappings of childhood, he [was] now in charge of his own life" (Lennon). The general public assumed that he was similar to every other child star. "At first it seemed that he had faded away like so many child stars" (Lennon). Everyone suspected that he was off the grid because he was destroying his life after childhood fame. Culkin was different, though. He worked hard to eventually rise above the tragedies of his childhood. "In fact, having jumped off the Hollywood conveyor belt upon which his father had placed him, Macaulay has taken back control of his life" (Lennon).
Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman was a former child star, and his early life problems were much more deep-seated than bickering parents. The industry was abusive to him in a literal way. Feldman began his career at age 3, but by the 1980’s Feldman’s career skyrocketed. During those years he was featured in four classics of the eighties, “The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys and License to Drive” (Hartman). However, these times were not as ideal as they may appear. Feldman and his fellow cast member, Corey Haim, (a child star as well) “were abused by industry insiders” (Rook). “‘The word was they were given drugs and being used for sex’” (Freeman). His sexual abuse deeply affected him, and the drugs pushed onto him turned him into an addict. At age eighteen, he was arrested for carrying cocaine and heroine. Shortly after, Feldman was placed in a rehabilitation center. The star eventually recovered with the help of his friends, but the road to recovery was long and challenging (“Short”). As if these problems weren’t enough, Feldman also had a bad relationship with his parents. His parents were “exploitive” and Feldman felt he had no choice but to become emancipated from them at an early age (Freeman). The industry affected Corey Feldman, and was the direct cause of his downward spiral.
As traumatic and trying as his career might have been, Feldman uses his past to make something of his life now. He focuses his work now as an activist, fighting to solve the unjustices that affected his childhood. In an interview Feldman spoke on his mission, saying, “I believe that I can also bring down potentially a paedophile ring that I’ve been aware of since I was a child” (Rook). He produced a film about the troubles of his past, titled Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, and it was released March 9, 2020. It takes a certain someone with great stregth to overcome an issue so personal, but an even stronger individual to face it once again in order to do something about it. As it is clear that all child stars have to be strong if they want to live a successful adult life, Feldman gave the child star stigma a run for its money.
Comparison
Ron Howard, Macuallay Culkin, and Corey Feldman were all child stars, but have traveled very different paths since their time in the public eye. As Howard never looked back and eventually took on a more executive position, Culkin chose to remove himself from the acting industry early on, and Feldman focuses his efforts now to discourage the dynamics of child acting. Why the different outcomes? Many do not understand the reasons Culkin decided to disappear from the spotlight, however he never wanted to be an actor in the first place. His dad pushed him to start acting after failing to succeed in the entertainment business himself. Howard, however, decided to be a child star entirely on his own. Howard's parents supported him and kept him in school, while Culkin’s childhood included his parents incessant arguing and complete isolation from the world outside of his career. Similarly, Feldman’s parents were selfishly exploiting their son, and did not have his best interest at heart. The public does not understand why certain child stars fail to succeed in the industry after childhood. However, the public fails to recognize the child star is most likely trying to handle stressful childhood experiences (while lacking parental support and a say in their career choices), at a time when they are least able to balance the decisions necessary to maintain long term success.
Ron Howard
Ron Howard, sixty-six year old director, fell in love with the acting industry at age six and has pursued the lifestyle ever since. For his first role, "he became America's favorite little boy playing Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, a love affair with the public that lasted eight years" (Janusonis). Howard kept tugging on America's heartstrings "in 1974 when he was transformed into Richie Cunningham, one of America's favorite teens, for a six-year stretch on Happy Days" (Janusonis). In every role Howard played he displayed unmatched talent and received unswayed approval from the public.
During his acting years, "Howard met his wife, Cheryl, at high school when they were both 16, and they got married five years later, in 1975" (Farndale). Now married and on track to start a family, he finished acting at the age of twenty-five. He then transitioned into directing, a more authoritative position in the industry. After saying his farewell to acting, Ron and wife Cheryl had four children together. They worked hard as parents to give them a "normal and grounded" childhood. When their twin daughters were born, Howard moved his family out of Los Angeles into Connecticut, a better state to raise a family (Myers).
After growing up as a child star, Howard managed to raise a family, maintain a happy marriage, and direct award-winning movies later in life. In fact, "he has made 27 movies, nearly all of them box-office hits. From Splash, starring Tom Hanks in 1984, to Apollo 13 - again with Hanks - in 1995, and A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe, in 2001. That was the film for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director" (Farndale). Howard continues to uphold the flawless reputation he has had since the beginning of his time in the industry, and has become a role model for his children who have chosen to take after their father and work in the industry as well.
Macaulay Culkin
The Ellen Show, Published April 23, 2018:
DeGeneres: “Because I think anybody who starts so young in this business--it can really screw you up in many ways.”
Culkin: “I know” (“Macaulay”).
His innocent face is the image on the multiple Home Alone DVDs sitting on top of your family's movie rack. Macaulay Culkin, child actor, was America's sweetheart during his My Girl and Home Alone series period. In fact, he was so popular he became Hollywood's highest-paid child actor at one point. His success brought a substantial paycheck--$21 million--by the age of fourteen. However, he did not do much other than act. He was always a loner as a child, spending his time away from the studios binge-watching television alone in his room (Lennon). As successful as he was (hired to star in fourteen movies as a child), he was not very well educated. In fact, Culkin was “Not literate at six and, at three, scarcely able to speak" (Iley). Despite this, he had a lovely disposition. "At that first meeting he was so sweet, so shy, so modest" says Irene, a close friend of the Culkins (Lennon).
In July of 1995, "A judge reversed last week's order granting temporary custody of Macaulay Culkin, the child film star, and five of his siblings to their mother, opening the way to a full court hearing in a bitter custody battle" ("Culkin"). Macaulay's parents, Patricia Bentrup and Kit Culkin divorced early in his childhood. The arguments during their divorce centered around how much of Macaulay's trust fund they would receive. "His family life had disintegrated as his parents fought over his huge fortune and for custody of their little gold mine" (Lennon). This tension deeply affected their children. Aside from having to handle sadness and anxiety in the home, Culkin knew his parents were using him as a source of income and eventually decided to separate himself from them. "In 1997, a judge granted his request to ‘divorce’ his parents and, having wrested back control of his earnings, he declared he had quit the movie industry for good" (Lennon).
Culkin did not allow his dark childhood to ruin his future. After divorcing from his parents, "the 20-year-old [was] keen to prove that, having shed the trappings of childhood, he [was] now in charge of his own life" (Lennon). The general public assumed that he was similar to every other child star. "At first it seemed that he had faded away like so many child stars" (Lennon). Everyone suspected that he was off the grid because he was destroying his life after childhood fame. Culkin was different, though. He worked hard to eventually rise above the tragedies of his childhood. "In fact, having jumped off the Hollywood conveyor belt upon which his father had placed him, Macaulay has taken back control of his life" (Lennon).
Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman was a former child star, and his early life problems were much more deep-seated than bickering parents. The industry was abusive to him in a literal way. Feldman began his career at age 3, but by the 1980’s Feldman’s career skyrocketed. During those years he was featured in four classics of the eighties, “The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys and License to Drive” (Hartman). However, these times were not as ideal as they may appear. Feldman and his fellow cast member, Corey Haim, (a child star as well) “were abused by industry insiders” (Rook). “‘The word was they were given drugs and being used for sex’” (Freeman). His sexual abuse deeply affected him, and the drugs pushed onto him turned him into an addict. At age eighteen, he was arrested for carrying cocaine and heroine. Shortly after, Feldman was placed in a rehabilitation center. The star eventually recovered with the help of his friends, but the road to recovery was long and challenging (“Short”). As if these problems weren’t enough, Feldman also had a bad relationship with his parents. His parents were “exploitive” and Feldman felt he had no choice but to become emancipated from them at an early age (Freeman). The industry affected Corey Feldman, and was the direct cause of his downward spiral.
As traumatic and trying as his career might have been, Feldman uses his past to make something of his life now. He focuses his work now as an activist, fighting to solve the unjustices that affected his childhood. In an interview Feldman spoke on his mission, saying, “I believe that I can also bring down potentially a paedophile ring that I’ve been aware of since I was a child” (Rook). He produced a film about the troubles of his past, titled Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, and it was released March 9, 2020. It takes a certain someone with great stregth to overcome an issue so personal, but an even stronger individual to face it once again in order to do something about it. As it is clear that all child stars have to be strong if they want to live a successful adult life, Feldman gave the child star stigma a run for its money.
Comparison
Ron Howard, Macuallay Culkin, and Corey Feldman were all child stars, but have traveled very different paths since their time in the public eye. As Howard never looked back and eventually took on a more executive position, Culkin chose to remove himself from the acting industry early on, and Feldman focuses his efforts now to discourage the dynamics of child acting. Why the different outcomes? Many do not understand the reasons Culkin decided to disappear from the spotlight, however he never wanted to be an actor in the first place. His dad pushed him to start acting after failing to succeed in the entertainment business himself. Howard, however, decided to be a child star entirely on his own. Howard's parents supported him and kept him in school, while Culkin’s childhood included his parents incessant arguing and complete isolation from the world outside of his career. Similarly, Feldman’s parents were selfishly exploiting their son, and did not have his best interest at heart. The public does not understand why certain child stars fail to succeed in the industry after childhood. However, the public fails to recognize the child star is most likely trying to handle stressful childhood experiences (while lacking parental support and a say in their career choices), at a time when they are least able to balance the decisions necessary to maintain long term success.
Family Life
Article #1: How Children are Impacted by Family
Children are like clay in our hands. Like a sculptor we can chisel and carve their personalities with our behavior. - Balroop Singh
A woman carries her baby inside her body for nine months. While the baby is growing and developing, the parents prepare by buying clothes, blankets, furniture, and food. When their baby is born they nurture it. They feed, wash, and dress the child by hand until one day the child can do it on their own. While children gradually rely on their parents less and less until one day they leave the nest, without the help of their parents from the start of their life, they would never have survived. While a child can seem independent at a young age, they still need their family to steer them in the right direction. Their mother and father shaped them into the person they are; for them to one day disappear would throw their child into a world of struggle.
The family dynamic a child grows up in is essential to their progression and growth. Typically, an adolescent's life is spent in two places: home and school. Furthermore, the parents at home and peers at school surrounding an adolescent influence behavior and attitude. It is said that “early adolescent experiences of parental warmth also have indirect effects on the outcomes" ("Adolescence"). Ultimately, the parents have the most substantial influence on their children's behavior at different times than that of their peers.
A parent’s influence on their child already seems considerable, but it is even greater than one typically assumes. In healthy parent-child relationships, favorable outcomes typically occur. When a child receives feelings of love and support from their parents, this grants the child a better sense of self-regulation. Self-regulation is the ability of an individual to control themselves from having emotional outbreaks or making destructive decisions. A child with a secure family relationship has lower levels of anxiety and depression. Further, "Compared with children of nonsupportive mothers, children of supportive mothers have better skills for coping with everyday stress” (Brook). Having a good relationship with the parents helps steer the child away from impulses that may lead to bad decisions.
In studies looking into psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents, the possible reasons for their admittance into these facilities commonly points back to the childhood family dynamic. "Risky family environments, often including conflict and aggression and marked by cold, unsupportive, or neglectful parenting and family relations are seen to impact mental health outcomes and vulnerabilities" (Lou). As a healthy family environment encourages successful outcomes, a negative environment can instill adverse outcomes.
The lack of both parents' presence in your life is another negative family dynamic. Divorce is commonly seen to damage the child's stability, carrying through to their life shortly after childhood. "Specifically, adult children of divorce demonstrated an increase in problems with submission and over control" (Lou). Additionally, the permanent absence of a parent who has passed away brings significant change to the mental workings of the child. "Maternal death or separation was shown to increase risk for suicide and mental illness in young people and overall impaired functioning" (Lou). A family with either parental absence in divorce or death places a heavy burden on the children who experience it.
When children have unhealthy or irregular parental relationships, issues carry into their later life. The maturing teen or adult who had struggles in the home during childhood has a harder time forming a robust romantic relationship. This is because there is previous life trauma carries into their relationships. Intimacy and commitment are hard for children who did not have these components instilled by their parents during early childhood (Johnson).
The intrapsychic functioning is one’s internal makeup and composure. This is what accounts for their decisions and actions, whether good or bad (Brook). This internal operation is susceptible to influence from someone impactful to the individual, like a parent to their child. The parent is strongly accountable for how their child feels internally (leading to outward behavior) during and after adolescence.
Moreover, a healthy relationship between an adolescent and their peers also leads to favorable outcomes. One study suggests “that parental warmth was associated with self-regulation, which was then associated with prosocial and deviant peer association" ("Adolescence"). The prosocial behaviors, actions that work to benefit everyone involved, are conducive to the developing behavior of a young child. The status of a child’s peer relationships is seen to directly impact their “prosocial behaviors and substance use" in their adult life. In contrast, a negative relationship with peers may have links to future substance use ("Adolescence"). In an irregular childhood that lacks exposure to the experience of school and classmates, the positive impact attached to this is not received.
In society today, it is a common belief that who you surround yourself with is who you become. This takes shape in the studies and articles that have been examined. Since peers and predominantly parents have influence on children far more than meets the eye, this concept is valid. In a scenario involving a troubled delinquent, people juggle between blaming the parents or saying the parents do not deserve to take the fault. While the decisions are at the end of the day made by the child, those quick to place all the blame on the child should maybe rethink their position.
Article #2 : How Child Stars are Impacted by Family
Midlife crises are common occurrences of adults wishing they had lived their life differently when they were young and still had the chance. To combat this longing, some adults turn to their children as a way to live out the dreams they have for their past self. Living vicariously through your children, however, is never a smart move. In famous families, this is a common issue. Fame clouds the mindset of each member of the family- it entrances mothers and fathers with monetary drive, and it hurts the children. The children may lack parental guidance as their parents' chase fame. Specifically, this has played out through many mother and daughter duos in the industry. While "the mother/daughter relationship isn't easy”, “stardom does little for this delicate bond.” One way this comes in to play is “when mothers become celebrities off the back of their daughters" (Cobb). Parents depending on their children financially is not the only place where parenting skills fall short.
Mother knows best, right? Well, not all the time. The typical role of parents is to be the steadfast role model for their children; it is essential to keep your child on the right path. It is when this kind of relationship has not been properly set up that problems arise. When celebrity mothers “are seen to ‘misbehave’ by partying with their daughters, telling their stories to tabloid newspapers and magazines, and seeking more fame,” they appear as “the white-trash problem of contemporary celebrity culture" (Cobb). The roles become reversed in famous families; parents take on the behavior of children, forcing their children to try and raise themselves.
One example of this family problem, earning themself a household name, is the Lohan family. Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan, is commonly criticized for not being a good mother. She is known to publicly speak too much on the personal affairs involving her two famous daughters, Lindsay and Alliana, while seemingly forgetting she has other children. People accuse her of only being interested in the children that collect her fame and profit. She is also blamed for the despicable actions of her daughter Lindsay since she encourages partying, seeing that she also partakes in it (Gordon).
One article specifically focuses on the mother of Lohan and two other celebrity moms. It criticizes the many problems of their parenting decisions, saying "the mothers' past and present parenting skills are invariably founded on the public perception of their most egregious crime--pushing their daughters toward celebrity in order to gain celebrity status (and money) for themselves" (Cobb). Lohan would only encourage her daughter's career to find ways to benefit herself; hence the reality TV show aired starring the entire family. It is said that "all three of these mothers have been accused of 'cashing in' on their daughters' fame, by starring in their own reality TV shows, thereby capitalizing on their roles as mothers of female celebrities" when discussing Lohan and two other celebrity mothers (Cobb). All of Lindsay Lohan's collected offenses, including DUI’s, jail sentences, theft, harassment, and more may have been avoided with her mother showing her the right way.
The idea that parents exploit their children for personal benefit appears selfish. The television shows aired starring Dina Lohan, Kathy Hilton, and Lynne Spears, make all three of them out to be this way. "In these accounts, their apparent selfishness is the manifest sign of their bad motherhood and transgressive femininity, both of which can engender only more of the same in their daughters" (Cobb). Bad personality traits, as stated, can be passed down from the parent into the child star. Their personalities are likely created within the home. This component is what they carry with them in the outside world that influences their questionable decisions.
Unfavorable household dynamics are not only presented to child stars through exploitive parents, however. Divorce is common; this includes celebrities. In fact, between the years of 1990-2008, divorce rates have doubled. Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have both spoken on their parents' divorce having been a hard transition for them. Bieber proclaims "my parents splitting up is definitely not one of the highlights of my life. It's sad, the kid experiences feeling like one of his parents left. It makes you not feel so good" ("He Had").
Exploitation and divorce may be internally painful to child stars, but they sometimes experience physical pain, too. Exposure to abuse in the household will traumatize a child significantly. Lindsay Lohan is one example. She had an abusive dad, which her mom believes is the reason she turned into such a troubled soul after early fame. "If you asked Dina she would say his actions are what led to Lindsay's addiction" (Weaver). Neglect from parents can also be seen as abuse, mental abuse, that is. "It's almost child abuse in a way to not really, really make sure these children are protected and understood" (Weaver). It is apparent that mental abuse can be just as detrimental to a child as that which is physical.
Lastly, negative household scenarios may expose child stars to drugs, alcohol, and other substances. "People who often misuse drugs are trying to cope with experiences that have overwhelmed them emotionally" (Weaver). Children in these neglectful or harmful families feel alone and do not have a support system. Feeling lost and unsure where to go, they turn to drugs. There are countless examples of child stars to account for this, Drew Barrymore being one. She was aware from the start her dad would not take shape as the father-figure in her life, and she turned to drugs. She suffered from her serious addiction, but fortunately was able to recover (Palmer). Stars that recover from drug addictions realize how much potential and success they had left in their lives after their 'five seconds of fame' during childhood. It is a shame they had to go through years of struggle and addiction in order to realize this. A parent's reassurance could have prevented any of this from ever taking place.
There is not any adult who wants to come home after a stressful day at work to a household filled with toxic energy. Imagine a child that has to go through this. The ingenuity a child receives from their parents makes complete sense as to be what affects their work, and their later life decisions. The child star may be young, but they can see right through their parent's exploitation, tension, or abuse, and feel significant hurt from it.
Children are like clay in our hands. Like a sculptor we can chisel and carve their personalities with our behavior. - Balroop Singh
A woman carries her baby inside her body for nine months. While the baby is growing and developing, the parents prepare by buying clothes, blankets, furniture, and food. When their baby is born they nurture it. They feed, wash, and dress the child by hand until one day the child can do it on their own. While children gradually rely on their parents less and less until one day they leave the nest, without the help of their parents from the start of their life, they would never have survived. While a child can seem independent at a young age, they still need their family to steer them in the right direction. Their mother and father shaped them into the person they are; for them to one day disappear would throw their child into a world of struggle.
The family dynamic a child grows up in is essential to their progression and growth. Typically, an adolescent's life is spent in two places: home and school. Furthermore, the parents at home and peers at school surrounding an adolescent influence behavior and attitude. It is said that “early adolescent experiences of parental warmth also have indirect effects on the outcomes" ("Adolescence"). Ultimately, the parents have the most substantial influence on their children's behavior at different times than that of their peers.
A parent’s influence on their child already seems considerable, but it is even greater than one typically assumes. In healthy parent-child relationships, favorable outcomes typically occur. When a child receives feelings of love and support from their parents, this grants the child a better sense of self-regulation. Self-regulation is the ability of an individual to control themselves from having emotional outbreaks or making destructive decisions. A child with a secure family relationship has lower levels of anxiety and depression. Further, "Compared with children of nonsupportive mothers, children of supportive mothers have better skills for coping with everyday stress” (Brook). Having a good relationship with the parents helps steer the child away from impulses that may lead to bad decisions.
In studies looking into psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents, the possible reasons for their admittance into these facilities commonly points back to the childhood family dynamic. "Risky family environments, often including conflict and aggression and marked by cold, unsupportive, or neglectful parenting and family relations are seen to impact mental health outcomes and vulnerabilities" (Lou). As a healthy family environment encourages successful outcomes, a negative environment can instill adverse outcomes.
The lack of both parents' presence in your life is another negative family dynamic. Divorce is commonly seen to damage the child's stability, carrying through to their life shortly after childhood. "Specifically, adult children of divorce demonstrated an increase in problems with submission and over control" (Lou). Additionally, the permanent absence of a parent who has passed away brings significant change to the mental workings of the child. "Maternal death or separation was shown to increase risk for suicide and mental illness in young people and overall impaired functioning" (Lou). A family with either parental absence in divorce or death places a heavy burden on the children who experience it.
When children have unhealthy or irregular parental relationships, issues carry into their later life. The maturing teen or adult who had struggles in the home during childhood has a harder time forming a robust romantic relationship. This is because there is previous life trauma carries into their relationships. Intimacy and commitment are hard for children who did not have these components instilled by their parents during early childhood (Johnson).
The intrapsychic functioning is one’s internal makeup and composure. This is what accounts for their decisions and actions, whether good or bad (Brook). This internal operation is susceptible to influence from someone impactful to the individual, like a parent to their child. The parent is strongly accountable for how their child feels internally (leading to outward behavior) during and after adolescence.
Moreover, a healthy relationship between an adolescent and their peers also leads to favorable outcomes. One study suggests “that parental warmth was associated with self-regulation, which was then associated with prosocial and deviant peer association" ("Adolescence"). The prosocial behaviors, actions that work to benefit everyone involved, are conducive to the developing behavior of a young child. The status of a child’s peer relationships is seen to directly impact their “prosocial behaviors and substance use" in their adult life. In contrast, a negative relationship with peers may have links to future substance use ("Adolescence"). In an irregular childhood that lacks exposure to the experience of school and classmates, the positive impact attached to this is not received.
In society today, it is a common belief that who you surround yourself with is who you become. This takes shape in the studies and articles that have been examined. Since peers and predominantly parents have influence on children far more than meets the eye, this concept is valid. In a scenario involving a troubled delinquent, people juggle between blaming the parents or saying the parents do not deserve to take the fault. While the decisions are at the end of the day made by the child, those quick to place all the blame on the child should maybe rethink their position.
Article #2 : How Child Stars are Impacted by Family
Midlife crises are common occurrences of adults wishing they had lived their life differently when they were young and still had the chance. To combat this longing, some adults turn to their children as a way to live out the dreams they have for their past self. Living vicariously through your children, however, is never a smart move. In famous families, this is a common issue. Fame clouds the mindset of each member of the family- it entrances mothers and fathers with monetary drive, and it hurts the children. The children may lack parental guidance as their parents' chase fame. Specifically, this has played out through many mother and daughter duos in the industry. While "the mother/daughter relationship isn't easy”, “stardom does little for this delicate bond.” One way this comes in to play is “when mothers become celebrities off the back of their daughters" (Cobb). Parents depending on their children financially is not the only place where parenting skills fall short.
Mother knows best, right? Well, not all the time. The typical role of parents is to be the steadfast role model for their children; it is essential to keep your child on the right path. It is when this kind of relationship has not been properly set up that problems arise. When celebrity mothers “are seen to ‘misbehave’ by partying with their daughters, telling their stories to tabloid newspapers and magazines, and seeking more fame,” they appear as “the white-trash problem of contemporary celebrity culture" (Cobb). The roles become reversed in famous families; parents take on the behavior of children, forcing their children to try and raise themselves.
One example of this family problem, earning themself a household name, is the Lohan family. Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan, is commonly criticized for not being a good mother. She is known to publicly speak too much on the personal affairs involving her two famous daughters, Lindsay and Alliana, while seemingly forgetting she has other children. People accuse her of only being interested in the children that collect her fame and profit. She is also blamed for the despicable actions of her daughter Lindsay since she encourages partying, seeing that she also partakes in it (Gordon).
One article specifically focuses on the mother of Lohan and two other celebrity moms. It criticizes the many problems of their parenting decisions, saying "the mothers' past and present parenting skills are invariably founded on the public perception of their most egregious crime--pushing their daughters toward celebrity in order to gain celebrity status (and money) for themselves" (Cobb). Lohan would only encourage her daughter's career to find ways to benefit herself; hence the reality TV show aired starring the entire family. It is said that "all three of these mothers have been accused of 'cashing in' on their daughters' fame, by starring in their own reality TV shows, thereby capitalizing on their roles as mothers of female celebrities" when discussing Lohan and two other celebrity mothers (Cobb). All of Lindsay Lohan's collected offenses, including DUI’s, jail sentences, theft, harassment, and more may have been avoided with her mother showing her the right way.
The idea that parents exploit their children for personal benefit appears selfish. The television shows aired starring Dina Lohan, Kathy Hilton, and Lynne Spears, make all three of them out to be this way. "In these accounts, their apparent selfishness is the manifest sign of their bad motherhood and transgressive femininity, both of which can engender only more of the same in their daughters" (Cobb). Bad personality traits, as stated, can be passed down from the parent into the child star. Their personalities are likely created within the home. This component is what they carry with them in the outside world that influences their questionable decisions.
Unfavorable household dynamics are not only presented to child stars through exploitive parents, however. Divorce is common; this includes celebrities. In fact, between the years of 1990-2008, divorce rates have doubled. Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have both spoken on their parents' divorce having been a hard transition for them. Bieber proclaims "my parents splitting up is definitely not one of the highlights of my life. It's sad, the kid experiences feeling like one of his parents left. It makes you not feel so good" ("He Had").
Exploitation and divorce may be internally painful to child stars, but they sometimes experience physical pain, too. Exposure to abuse in the household will traumatize a child significantly. Lindsay Lohan is one example. She had an abusive dad, which her mom believes is the reason she turned into such a troubled soul after early fame. "If you asked Dina she would say his actions are what led to Lindsay's addiction" (Weaver). Neglect from parents can also be seen as abuse, mental abuse, that is. "It's almost child abuse in a way to not really, really make sure these children are protected and understood" (Weaver). It is apparent that mental abuse can be just as detrimental to a child as that which is physical.
Lastly, negative household scenarios may expose child stars to drugs, alcohol, and other substances. "People who often misuse drugs are trying to cope with experiences that have overwhelmed them emotionally" (Weaver). Children in these neglectful or harmful families feel alone and do not have a support system. Feeling lost and unsure where to go, they turn to drugs. There are countless examples of child stars to account for this, Drew Barrymore being one. She was aware from the start her dad would not take shape as the father-figure in her life, and she turned to drugs. She suffered from her serious addiction, but fortunately was able to recover (Palmer). Stars that recover from drug addictions realize how much potential and success they had left in their lives after their 'five seconds of fame' during childhood. It is a shame they had to go through years of struggle and addiction in order to realize this. A parent's reassurance could have prevented any of this from ever taking place.
There is not any adult who wants to come home after a stressful day at work to a household filled with toxic energy. Imagine a child that has to go through this. The ingenuity a child receives from their parents makes complete sense as to be what affects their work, and their later life decisions. The child star may be young, but they can see right through their parent's exploitation, tension, or abuse, and feel significant hurt from it.
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