The Blogger (who's name is Enty, which is short for Entertainment Lawyer) posted a story about the son of Dana Plato (you remember - from Diff'rent Strokes, WAY back in the day...). Here's a link to the original blog post: http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2010/05/dana-platos-son-commits-suicide.html. You may (or may not) remember that she committed suicide a few years back, and yesterday the poor son committed suicide as the anniversarry of Dana's death approached.
This is multi-generational tragedy of the highest order, and got me thinking about kids in the entertainment industry. Now, my wife and I have kids (more that one), and we have thought about and talked about, "Our kids are so talented [as every parent says]! Wouldn't it be neat if they got involved in acting and ended up on the Disney channel?" Okay, maybe not every parent says that last part, AND I know that lot's do.
So I posted my thoughts, to which one of the blog readers posted a reply, and to which I replied back. I thought I did a decent job, so I wanted to post up the exchange here. So here it is:
"3 Degrees of Frustration said...
Now think of all of the kids on Disney, and the kind of egocentric misery they have been setup for all before they knew any better and could defend or choose for themselves.
How many can you think of that turned out totally normal? Not that many... "
"bionic bunny! said...
nancer, that's a good way to put it. everybody gets a little sad or depressed once in a while. it's when it crosses the line into clinical depression (i think the description is lasting over 2 weeks with certain symptoms). i've witnessed it, and i've been there, but both DS and i have learned to monitor ourselves.
to 3 degrees: why do people always blame disney? not all child actors work/worked for disney, and when walt was alive, he really did watch out for the disney kids.
parenting and brain chemistry are at fault, not one corporate entity.
1:33 PM "
"3 Degrees of Frustration said...
Bionic Bunny, not "blaming" Disney at all. They are simply a good example because they have a high concentration of child entertainers in their ranks, and (my opinion) are seen as a place by parents, agents and even kids themselves to make an entrance into the entertainment biz.
It's not a corporation's responsibility (nor a government, nor any other entity outside of a parent) to prepare our children as well as possible for life's challenges, AND to keep them out of and away from situations that they are simply not developmentaly ready to handle at a particular point in time (helloooo Billy Ray Cyrus...).
Disney's (or NBC with Diff'rent Strokes, or any other entertainment channel) isn't at fault over these things. As a parent, if I make a decision to put my child out into the work place at an early age, if I hold out children's entertainment (or sports, or anything else in life) as something to which my kids should aspire, and then don't do my job to directly protect and prepare them along the journey then I'm at fault. The really sad part is that the kids (and in this case their kids) are the ones who eventually pay the piper (helloooo Dina Lohan...).
Final thought: As a parent you can do all of he right things, and things may still not turn out for the best. Accidents, medical problems (Clinical Depression, or any other major issue) can happen. Even so, you always have to fight the fight for your kids, and NOT do things that will stack the odds against them. If that means keeping them out of the workplace, forgoing a bunch of money because it's not the right choice for them, then that's what it means.
5:35 AM "
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