Table of Contents
Sexual Harassment & Abuse
Actress Alexa Nikolas, known for starring in two seasons of the Nickelodeon hit ‘Zoey 101,’ led a protest at Nickelodeon‘s Burbank headquarters in August. Nikolas is the leader of an activist group that advocates for survivors of sexual abuse and has called out several Nickelodeon executives and employees, most notably resulting in the firing of long-time producer Dan Schneider. While Schneider was not found guilty of sexual abuse, several other names that Nikolas mentioned have been convicted of sexual abuse and misconduct towards Nickelodeon child actors. As allegations continue to surface in Hollywood, countless children may continue to be harmed.
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Body Shaming
Raven-Symone, best known for her leading role in the hit Disney show, ‘That’s So Raven,’ spoke about being constantly body-shamed by the industry. During her time on ‘The Cosby Show’ she would be placed on dietary restrictions to avoid “getting fat’’ at seven years old. This resulted in a distorted self-image and an unhealthy relationship with weight loss. Body shaming can be detrimental to fully grown adults; the toll it can take on a child is unfathomable. This can lead to eating disorders and mental health issues later on in life.
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Overworking & Labor Law Violations
Many people in Generation Z also surely know Alyson Stoner from her roles in iconic Disney and Nickelodeon films and shows like ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,’ ‘Camp Rock,’ ‘Step Up,’ ‘Phineas And Ferb,’ ‘Drake and Josh,’ and several others. She is also one of several icons that Gen Z grew up watching, and she brought a lot of laughter and happiness to kids rushing home from school to watch the Disney Channel in its prime. It is heartbreaking now to know that Stoner suffered so much to bring us these laughs. Stoner has revealed that during her career, she was frequently overworked and worked extensive hours not legal for minors. These conditions caused severe stress that eventually led to her developing an eating disorder at 12 years old.
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Minor Sexualization
Hollywood has a twisted habit of sexualizing minors. Some roles are inherently made to sexualize minors and cause significant damage to young actors. Adolescent and child actors are portrayed as sex symbols that only encourage pedophilia. Mara Wilson, the actress who played the titular character in the film ‘Matilda,’ recalls being sent sexually charged fan letters when she was a young girl. This sexualization by Hollywood seemingly prompts a “pass” to the rest of the media that only furthers this type of behavior. A few years ago, Millie Bobby Brown, one of the stars of ‘Stranger Things,’ was on the cover of a magazine with the title “Why TV is Sexier Than Ever.” She was only thirteen years old when she was photographed.
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Parental Involvement
Many parents of child actors are known for taking extreme measures to make their children successful and to stay “camera-ready.” One of the most prominent and poignant examples recently is Debbie McCurdy, mother of former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy. Nine years after her mother died in 2013, Jennette published her memoir ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died,’ and recounted the physical, psychological, and emotional abuse she endured during her acting career. Parents can be just as guilty, if not more so, of overworking, sexualizing, and abusing their children to make their children a star. By the time they reach Hollywood, it’s just more of the same.
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Nothing New
Sadly, horrid conditions for child actors have been around for far too long. Shirley Temple, an icon of the silent generation, endured the same issues that happen today and worse. In her autobiography, Shirley stated, “If any of the children in the film acted out, they were locked in a windowless sound booth and forced to sit on a block of ice.” Child actors, particularly girls, have been abused for decades.
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What Can Be Done
Just as the government requires on-set teachers for minors, they should also be required to assign child and family social workers to minors working in the film and television industry. The workers should ensure each child actor is being treated fairly and respectfully by both their parents and the production. Additionally, they should review and approve time sheets to ensure minors aren’t being overworked. The social worker would report to local or state agencies but would be paid by the production companies. This will send a message to Hollywood that working with children is a privilege and not a right. It must also be understood by the public that films and shows that have a noticeable age discrepancy between a character and the actor may happen for the best interest of both child actors and the production companies and are a necessary sacrifice in a project. Productions that aren’t willing to tack on this new expense will either have to scrap their project or find older actors. In the long run, the industry would become used to this new requirement and keep Hollywood a somewhat safer environment than it is now.
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A Message For The Past And Future
To all the beloved child actors of the past, genuine and sympathetic fans, we love you and appreciate all you’ve done for our childhood. Whether it was on a TV set or the big screen, you meant the world to a lot of kids. We’re sorry for the pain that you had to endure and still carry from these meaningful projects. As both of us are now grown, let us stand together in making sure the future does not have to suffer the way you have just to make people laugh and smile. To the current and future generations of child actors, you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Any person or project that compromises this is your enemy. Be strong and have the courage to find help and the knowledge to know where to look.
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
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Author
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Alvaro Devora is an aspiring writer/director whose life revolves around the creation and appreciation of literary and cinematic content. Though still new to the industry, Alvaro is also passionate about discussing important and substantial topics in Film and TV, and has found the perfect place to do so at The Hollywood Insider. Being an anti-gossip media network and taking pride in meaningful content, The Hollywood Insider is a company that Alvaro can take pride in writing for and continue nurturing his passion.
Alvaro Devora is an aspiring writer/director whose life revolves around the creation and appreciation of literary and cinematic content. Though still new to the industry, Alvaro is also passionate about discussing important and substantial topics in Film and TV, and has found the perfect place to do so at The Hollywood Insider. Being an anti-gossip media network and taking pride in meaningful content, The Hollywood Insider is a company that Alvaro can take pride in writing for and continue nurturing his passion.
