Child exploitation

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

We really need laws that prohibit the exploitation of children as performers. Just as there's no good reason to have underage children working in our factories, there is no good reason to have them working on our stages.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

This rubs me the wrong way and I don't know why. I certainly can't justify it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This rubs me the wrong way and I don't know why. I certainly can't justify it.

Want to give it a go?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Given that outcomes for child performers have a strong history of turning out negative... I can't help but think that paid performance by children should be illegal, including all forms of pageants.

[Reginald Ret]

Given that outcomes for child performers have a strong history of turning out negative... I can't help but think that paid performance by children should be illegal, including all forms of pageants.

Agreed.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Well, for one child performers don't all go batshit crazy, it's just that we see more of the ones who do than the ones who quietly move on with their lives. Drama sells and all that.

I think there are some stories that require children to be told properly, and I don't like the idea that those stories would have to be abandoned or parceled out to adults who maybe kinda a little looked like kids. I think having adults play teenagers in high school movies/shows is a really bad idea, because it fucks with kids' perception of their own development and where they should be.

I despise the notion of child pageants, but I don't think having babies in commercials is inherently detrimental to the baby. Similarly, having children sell children's toys doesn't have to be a gross badwrong thing.

It's super important any time you have children working to have strong protections in place, and I know that the entertainment industry has at least paid lip service to some of that. They need to be able to get a real education, not a handwave "home schooling" on set. They need friends who aren't flunkies and yes men and they need to have long breaks away from the insanity of the entertainment industry. They need parents and agents who will not only protect them from all the lifestyle bullshit, but also from shitty parts, shitty directors, and shitty publicity. And that's hard and it shouldn't be.

Not sure if you've seen this before, but it's written by the woman who played Matilda in the crappy movie that came out a while back: http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-reasons-child-stars-go-crazy-an-insiders-perspective/
The tl;dr is her parents did everything as right as they could, and she turned out basically okay, but she understands why that shit fucks kids up on the regular. I took away from it that things don't have to be a complete disaster, and more accommodations from the industry and media could lead to much better outcomes without too much pain.


All that said, I haven't been under a rock and I've seen how badly kids can get fucked up by the system, and it's really hard to justify that even for art. For every kid who ends up like Natalie Portman, how many Lindsay Lohans happen? How many of them would be an acceptable loss in the name of telling children's stories?

[Bu🤠ns]

In a world where it's popular to objectify people, it sickens me that some don't draw the line at the innocent.

[hooplala]

I can easily see both sides of the argument. Animals performing is likewise dicey.

[Ben Shapiro]

BAN ALL THINGS!

[xXRon_Paul_42016Xxx(weed)]

We really need laws that prohibit the exploitation of children as performers. Just as there's no good reason to have underage children working in our factories, there is no good reason to have them working on our stages.

So are school plays illegal now? Christmas pageants?

[Dubya]

The pageants are ew. Completely banning child actors would render a good chunk of media unwatchable... Hm, maybe not a bad thing.

I know if my kid wanted to act, Id do my damnedest to squash that dream like a cockroach.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

We really need laws that prohibit the exploitation of children as performers. Just as there's no good reason to have underage children working in our factories, there is no good reason to have them working on our stages.

So are school plays illegal now? Christmas pageants?

Where's the exploitation in those?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The pageants are ew. Completely banning child actors would render a good chunk of media unwatchable... Hm, maybe not a bad thing.

I know if my kid wanted to act, Id do my damnedest to squash that dream like a cockroach.

Let them act... in school plays, or in the backyard with their friends.

I just think it's hypocritical that we won't let children pick strawberries or make clothes for a paycheck, but for some reason there are zero holds barred when it comes to Hollywood.

As far as children's television programming... maybe TV doesn't need to be for children.

[Dubya]

I wasnt really thinking about children's TV. But no kids onscreen means a more limited scope  for what aspects of life could even be portrayed. Cut out most sitcoms, abcfamily, the disney channel, the hallmark channel etc. It would be hilarious. Ad execs jumping from skyscrapers

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I wasnt really thinking about children's TV. But no kids onscreen means a more limited scope  for what aspects of life could even be portrayed. Cut out most sitcoms, abcfamily, the disney channel, the hallmark channel etc. It would be hilarious. Ad execs jumping from skyscrapers