What Drives Child Stars To Failure?
Picture this.
You're a billionaire. How? You released 10 hit singles over the time period of 5 years, 2 singles a year. You aren't a huge name in the music industry but at least 70% of people that listen to the radio have at least 1 of your songs. You haven't released a single in 5 years, you're now out of the spotlight.
What would you do?
Chances are you are thinking well James, I would simply buy a house in California, a cottage in a secret low-key town and settle down with my family. Good, because that is a perfectly good response that makes much more sense than what too many celebrities do today. If you said well James, I would marry a C-list celebrity who I would have a kid with, potentially a reality show, shave my head on video, then attempt to launch several comebacks, I'd politely ask you (Britney) to go get a glass of water and go back to bed.
So, why do celebrities react this way to fame?
Let's look at child stars. Gary Coleman. I like to use the Gary Coleman example because he is a picture perfect person to represent child stars gone wrong. Gary first started as most child stars do, on TV at an extremely young age. His claim to fame was his line on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes where he would put on a serious face as he opened his cute little mouth to say "Watchoo talkin' bout Willis?". Gary may regret the fame of the line today. Why? Because Gary Coleman is an angry midget who once had it all. I guarantee this man can't go into the public without at least one person asking him to say his signature line. But just being asked to say such a line that made you famous can't be the only reason Coleman appears to be unhappy. When you look at the pros and cons of being a child star you can see there is no clear winner. Sure, you have the chance to retire at an extremely young age and have financial freedom, but what about your childhood?
Child stars are stripped of there entire childhood. Think about how many lessons you learn when you are young that you are unable to learn if you are out making money, doing what the director tells you to do. You don't learn how to deal with people that aren't sucking up to you as everyone in the industry is doing to you, you don't learn what to do in certain situations, you don't even get the real school experience. Once you get used to the life of a child star, where you are constantly in the spotlight and then that spotlight shifts to the next big thing and you are left in the dark by yourself than it is easy to see how much you missed learning about living as a "normal" person. This can be a huge shock to child stars. Think about it, Britney Spears, Gary Coleman, and Nick Carter are all very different cases of spotlight "fallouts".
It would be wrong to say all child stars are driven to failure. Look at the Olson twins. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson began acting before their first birthday. Where are the Olson twins now? They are relaxing with their millions, while making money without doing any work from the business work they did when they were 16.
I don't get it... What drives child stars to failure?
In the end it's lack of direction. If every child star had parents or mentors that directed them in the way of learning those life lessons and understanding how lucky they are, than that single person could save the lives of the child later down the road.
Thanks for your time!
I know I mentioned Gary Coleman and the Olson twins above, to see where they are now check out these links!
Where are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson Now?
http://butwherearetheynow.com/actors/where-are-mary-kate-and-ashley-olson/
Where is Gary Coleman Now?
http://butwherearetheynow.com/actors/where-is-gary-coleman/
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