"Is it a good idea for your children to have a career?"
This topic is pretty much targeted at child stars, models and singers. I was watching a current affair last night and they were discussing 'The Voice Kids'. This idea horrified me to my core. I too am a proud parent and would love to show off my beautiful, talented children to the world, but the only benefit that it would have would be for me!
My children are really VERY cute, and I have been told numerous times that I should get them into modelling. But the kind of people that they would be associating with would not be very ideal. Not to mention the self image obsession that would be instilled in them from such an early age. They would become selfish, arrogant and vain! And then there is the money aspect. Yes, I could REALLY use the money, not that it would be mine. But if I were to give them their money, well... We have all seen what happens to child stars. They go off the rails with access to that much money, and almost always get into drugs.
We then also have the added pressure of having them in the critics spotlight. The downwards affect that bad critiques would have on a child's self esteem are crippling! And all of this so then the parents can bask in the glow of their child's fame! I am reminded of the movie 'Borat'. A scene in this movie shows the star of the movie hosting a bogus audition for a movie for children. The mothers do not know that they are being filmed for something completely different. When they are asked questions like 'can you make your 9 month old lose 3 kilograms (weights translated to metric)', many of them said yes if it meant getting the part. Some even went so far as to agree to get their BABY to have liposuction!
I for one say 'NO!' Children should not have a career, they should be allowed to be kids, and enjoy their childhood free of the stress and pressures of such an industry. The only reason these mothers are pushing their kids into spotlight is for their own gratification. But the sad truth is, they do not care about their children's well-being, they only want money and fame. If my children want to be involved in acting, singing or modeling, they can make that choice when they are of an appropriate age.
Please, leave an opinion.
-T.J.
Once again I must agree with T.J. on this issue. I also agree that her children are VERY cute & would be perfect models or actors. Unfortunately these careers are rife with problems. The children are treated, on the main part, as tools to be used to get the clients messages across.
ReplyDeleteHistory has shown us that 90% of child actors have ended up as drug addicts or have destroyed their lives in other ways.
Children are a special gift & should be allowed to enjoy their childhood & NOT become "little" adults!! I fervently believe that parents who push their children into modelling, acting or any other public "career" should have the children taken away from them.
This type of behaviour & pressure on a child is a subtle form of child abuse & needs to be stamped out.
Well.. I think you're stereotyping to be honest.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter by no means has a career in this industry, and nor would I push her to have one, but she does study musical theatre at a well known drama school in our region, and she has made so many quality friends there, and they are all lovely and respectful to one another. There is no bullying, no nastiness, just wonderfully supportive girls and boys who enjoy learning about acting and singing, and all share dreams of one day perfoming on the stage.
She has goals, unlike a lot of children who do not have out of school interests. Her goals include to study acting, to finish school, to travel to England and perform on stage, and she doesn't wish to do anything to jeopardise those goals, she is not even slightly interested in boys, like lots of girls her age already are, because she doesn't wish to have a boyfriend, and it seems to be a common theme with the girls she goes to drama school with.
Also, I don't believe 90% of child actors have gone of the rails? Where is this percentage from? I know there are a lot who have gone off the rails, and stayed off the rails, but many have gotten back on the rails, and on the same note, many never fell off in the first place.. It would be interesting to see what the homelives were like of the ones who fell off, compared to the ones who didn't, because I really think that's the key to whether they deal with the spotlight well or not.
To name a few child actors and stars who have gone on to great things:
Jodi Foster
Dakota Fanning (still technically a child, but 15yo and very sensible and mature)
Alyssa Milano
Christina Ricci
Fred Savage (The Wonder Years)
Elijah Wood
Juliette Lewis
Natalie Portman (she has even studied at Harvard!)
Soleil Moon Frye - (Punky Brewster) I follow her blog, and she is an amazing mother of 2 children
The kids from the tv show The Waltons, in particular Ron Howard! He is amazing!
Jonathon Lipnicki (Stuart Little)
Aileen Quinn (Orphan Annie)
and, of course, what is a successful child star list without Shirley Temple, who ended up serving on the board of directors of Disney, to name one, as well as being involved in politics?
Now I am by no means saying that child stars do not ever end up involved in destructive behaviour, just that perhaps it is other factors, not just the stardom, that result in this behaviour, because as shown above, quite clearly it IS possible for child stars to grow up into sensible, functioning and productive men and women.