By Andrea Klishevich
Abstract
Award-winning author and historian, Jennifer Robin Terry argues that the exploitation of child actors and performers within the entertainment industry still remains a pertinent issue in today’s world although many media outlets and big Hollywood executives consistently downplay this troublesome topic. Terry uses child actor Jackie Coogan’s court case with his parents over his childhood earnings, to further illustrate how money-hungry adults consistently use and abuse their children’s talents as a means to their own profits. In a similar fashion, Jane O’Conner and attorney Neyza Guzman also go into depth about the history of child labor laws and showcase how these mandates are often accompanied with loopholes that fail to ensure the protection of child stars within the entertainment industry. Each of these authors aim to articulate their concern for child celebrities who are pressured by their parents and managers to make it big in Hollywood at the unfortunate expense of their own happiness and mental health. Ironically, it seems that these fame-hungry adults lingering in the shadows of Hollywood also mirror some of the villainous characters that are alive within the pages of our favorite childhood bedtime stories. In many classic fairy tales like “Rapunzel” and “Cinderella” it is quite customary for the authors to cast the parent of the protagonist as a vile, horrible character who outwardly condones instances of abuse, abandonment, violence, and even incest toward their child. This concept of selfish parenting can be seen in the context of popular fairy tales as well as in real world scenarios where parents continuously exploit their children’s talents for the slim chance of them “striking it rich” and becoming Hollywood’s next celebrity sweetheart. According to Dr. Lisa Rapport, “Money is a central issue in the entertainment industry and represents another disruption of the normal parent-child relationship”. This statement places a greater emphasis on the main issue at hand and deems the question: How does the maltreatment of children caught in the Hollywood spotlight coincide with the consistent portrayal of parents as villainous archetypes in fairy tales? And ultimately what does this connection illustrate about the world we live in today? Essentially, this project aims to highlight the issue of child victimization in Hollywood by illustrating how the concept of selfish parenting in many classic fairy tales can be used to expose instances of parental greed, child manipulation, and the media’s role in playing up the narrative about child stardom.
Essay
“It’s difficult being a child actor. I don’t think everything beautiful has to be exploited. Some things can be beautiful and left beautiful”.
-Ricky Schroder
Ricky Schroder, the former child star from the popular American sitcom “Silver Spoons”, illustrates the ugly reality of growing up as a child star within the entertainment industry. He explains that many of the young and upcoming stars in this business face the constant threat of exploitation as their parents and managers vigorously aim to rebrand them as America’s next “little sweetheart” and subsequently capitalize off of their talents. However, the clear downside in pursuing this road to fame are the damaging repercussions that many of these young stars face after being thrust into the spotlight at an early age. While it seems unfathomable, many of these Hollywood parents and adults will push their children to new extremes for the chance of them catching their “first big break”. Ironically, these examples of selfish, degrading parents within the entertainment business can act as a testimony to fairy tales like “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cinderella” where the adults jeopardize the welfare of their children for promises of wealth and riches. This bridge between wicked characters from our beloved fairy tales and the common motif of self-centered parenting that is present in our world today begs the question: how does the maltreatment of children caught in the Hollywood spotlight coincide with the consistent portrayal of parents as villainous archetypes in fairy tales? And furthermore, what does this connection illustrate about the world we live in today?
In many of the classic fairy tales that line the bookshelves of kindergarten classrooms and children’s libraries, it is not uncommon to find that the villain of the story is often played by the protagonist’s parents. The familiar archetypes of the evil stepmother and the selfish father-figure seen within these fairytales often embody narcissistic ideals that jeopardize the well-being of their child’s happiness for their own selfish needs. One popular fairy tale that encapsulates this phenomenon of selfish parenting is the infamous story of “Rumpelstiltskin”. In Grimm Brothers’ version of this fairytale, the story begins when an old miller lies to the king about his daughter’s magical abilities to spin straw into gold, in the hopes of impressing the king. Once the king hears of the girl’s talents, he commands the girl to join him at his castle and put these talents to the test. However, because the girl does not possess these magical powers, she must rely on a small man by the name of Rumpelstiltskin to help her complete this impossible task. Rumpelstiltskin agrees to help the young girl if she promises to give him small gifts in return for his services. The protagonist agrees to give him all her jewelry and various possessions as payment, and when she has nothing left, she naively promises her first born child to the creature. Ultimately this fairytale illustrates how children often fall victim to the selfishness of parents and adults in the real world and are forced to suffer the repercussions later in life. Fairy tales like “Rumpelstiltskin” can help us read deeper into estranged relationships many parents share with their children in the entertainment industry and showcase how adults often exploit children for their own wellbeing.
Similar to the Rumpelstiltskin tale, when analyzing the life of a child star in the entertainment business, it is important to examine the relationship that these young actors share with their parents and how the glistening promises of fortune and fame may influence it. Dr. Rapport, a specialist in neurophysiology assessment at Wayne University argues that “Money may become central to the child’s self-evaluation. The child may perceive love as conditional on professional success and interpret the management of their earnings as reflecting parental care” (488). Here, Rapport illustrates how stressors and unique demands induced by the entertainment industry often place unwanted strain on the close bond between a child celebrity and their parent (especially when money is involved). This prevalence of greed within the entertainment industry surface in true stories such as the infamous Jackie Coogan court case, where the then 24 year old actor sued his parents over the legal entitlement to his childhood earnings. Historian Jennifer Terry recalls, “After a two-year court battle in which he tried to recoup his millions, Coogan walked away with little more than $100,000, or just 2.5% of his childhood earnings” (Terry 57-58). The Coogan case acted as an important milestone in the history of child stardom because it exposed the “darker dealings” of Hollywood fame that had previously gone unnoticed by audiences across the world. However, despite the introduction of this new bill, various loopholes within this document still left many child stars vulnerable to instances of emotional abuse and unethical work practices. Neyza L. Guzman showcases that many child labor laws fail to protect adolescent Youtube stars who are not directly labeled as “working actors” and are constantly exploited by their parents for views. Guzman cites more recent evidence of this in her evaluation of the DaddyO’Five Youtube channel, where parents used their children in “pre-planned, staged, and income-earning productions” that resulted in their videos being taken down by the Youtube community. Ultimately, this ongoing issue of parental greed in the entertainment industry showcases how adults can act as the “true villains” behind the set scenes and by condoning instances of mistreatment that will benefit them financially.
In the discussion of child stars and selfish parenting, it is also important to show how life within the spotlight can have an effect on former child stars as they grow up and mature into adults. Senior lecturer Jane O’Conner showcases how child stars like Michael Jackson and Drew Barrymore act as prime examples of young celebrities who grew up in the Hollywood spotlight, but were burdened by constant stress from their parents and managers who mainly saw them as a commodity for making a profit. O’Conner illustrates how Drew Barrymore’s childhood “descended into chaos as she became heavily involved in alcohol and drugs until, at 13, she was admitted to a rehabilitation center” (293). The young actress even went onto write an autobiography at the age of 14 that detailed the “confusion she felt as a child and the disparity between the comforting experience of being part of a “family” on film sets, only to be an outsider in her own dysfunctional family” (O’Connor 293). These accounts from real stars illustrates how child actors can become victims of emotional abuse and manipulation at the hands of their parents or other adults within the entertainment industry. This in turn can have a great effect on the actor’s adult life because they will still live with this skewed sense of reality well into their future. In another paper, Leslie Margret Anderson reviews literature related to child actors’ psychological well-being in terms of the entertainment industry and illustrates how growing up in the Hollywood spotlight can have a negative effect on a young star’s childhood. She states the lack of attention to child actors’ psychological health is “noteworthy” in light of the major psychological problems many young actors experience as they get older, citing the Olsen twins and Jonathan Brandis as young stars who found ways to alcoholism and drugs. By unveiling the toxic lifestyles of many young celebrities as they transitioned from child stars to adults and highlighting instances of poor mental health, addiction to drugs and alcohol, and emotional abuse, this illustrates many child stars are used and abused by entertainment industry at a young age and subsequently suffer the repercussions later on in life.
Although it is evident that growing up as a child star within the entertainment industry is difficult, Hollywood and the media choose to paint the lives of child stars in a “glorified light” and often gloss over the instances of social neglect and abuse that these child stars face. An article from the International Journal of Advertising discusses commercialization of young social media influencers in today’s growing world and illustrates how these advertisers and media outlets strategically use these stars for endorsements and ratings. Authors Liselot Huddersa, Steffi De Jansa and Marijke De Veirmana choose to highlight the life of young celebrity from the marketing standpoint, showing how many of these young stars are viewed as marketable “show bunnies” rather than serious artists or actors. In a similar way, Jake Halpern, a journalist and bestselling author of Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America’s Favorite Addiction, expands on this topic by addressing society’s toxic fixation with fame and stardom within Hollywood. In “Part 1: Going to Fame School” Halpern explains the rigorous course that aspiring actors must follow to become successful stars and illustrates how society’s fascination with celebrity culture will often turn a blind eye to some of these absurd methods these actors are forced to pursue. In this way, Halpern illustrates how Hollywood promotes a taxing standard for success that can result in an individual even changing their physical appearance to fit the “ideals” of the industry. This further showcases how Hollywood can be a difficult place for a child star to feel comfortable in their own skin and not be influenced by the media’s portrayal of the “perfect beauty” standard and glamorized lifestyle. This further unveils how the real “villains” of the entertainment industry are not just selfish adults, but also society’s acceptance and promotion of the media’s portrayal of the glorified side of Hollywood.
Ultimately, Ricky Schroder sheds light onto the bitter truth of growing up in the Hollywood spotlight and illustrates how many child actors who work in this business constantly face unfathomable menaces that accompany fame and fortune. In a world of “lights, camera, action!” many of these child actors are expected to grow up fast and quickly adapt to new pressures that can prove difficult for young stars to grasp. Through further examination of literature, celebrity interviews, and studies, it becomes clear that many child actors are viewed as nothing more than puppets that are controlled by adults within the entertainment industry. In this way, these fame-hungry parents, managers, and reporters in the media each have a role in exploitation of the child star, and thus give a new meaning to the word villain. Fairy tales like “Rumpelstiltskin” not only act as a story before bedtime but can be used to highlight the issues of child victimization that are not uncommon and can be seen first-hand in our world today. Ultimately, these stories act a gentle reminder to beware of the real dangers that exist in our world and to subdue the fear of taking a moral stand and fight for those who cannot defend themselves.
Works Cited
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Halpern, Jake. Fame junkies: The hidden truths behind America’s favorite addiction. Houghton
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Hudders, Liselot, Steffi De Jans, and Marijke De Veirman. “The commercialization of social
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Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Rumpelstiltskin.” The Grimms’ Fairytales Start Publishing LLC,
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