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You are truly outstanding. Thank you for sharing your story and shedding light on these issues while also offering solutions. This was articulate and insightful
I saw a scene like this once and at the end there was a note that the child actress was hypnotized (idk if that's the right word) to "forget" the rape scene. I thought, that should have never been done in the first place. Disgusting.
I feel this way about sex in movies as well in general. It's just strange, so many better ways to portray an experience than literally showing it happening.
We need regulations in place for that stuff STAT because these children are basically living on set 24/7 and never know if intimate moments with their family are genuine or acted for the cameras, they are given toys/money for performing tasks on camera that warps their view of rewards, youtubers even go out of their way to have children JUST so they can profit off of the attention it gets them. There's so much, it's SO bad and I worry about what is going to happen to these kids when they grow up.
This is my problem with family vlogging. Also like how can I believe you would stop filming your children if they wanted when they clearly lead to most of your income
So many issues with family vlogging and kids these kids will most likely have such a rude awakening as they enter adulthood moreso than an average kid. Kids are used to being the center of attention, I know I struggled entering adulthood once I no longer was a cute little girl anymore and these kids really are used to being stars more than average kids...
I'll never forget when she was on Ellen talking about self-healing/practicing minimalism, and at the end of the interview she was gifted with a giant flat screen TV. It seemed so tone deaf, toxic, and reflective of the overall industry. Now I suspect that when she smiled and graciously said thank you what we were actually witnessing was smiling girl #437.
@@alisonratliff7814 did he? Where? Only watched and followed last month but if he learned and now combats it? Lessons learned and that is good. But didn't know that.
@@alaskangalb yes that's how he started. Sorry I didnt mean any disrespect to you. I just can't get behind someone constantly saying kids are off limits and saying these families are horrible people for what they do. All while using said kids in thumbnails and HIS videos for the profit of himself. Which is why I just choose not to watch. Just one search his name on UA-cam and there is many videos from other creators explaining it better. Again my apologies if I came off rude towards you!
The terrifying thing is that this is happening now on UA-cam with family vloggers and parents exploiting their own kids to millions of viewers to make them rich. These kids don’t even get a home life because their home life is plastered on the internet. This is only getting worse
@@twebster179 I didn't say there weren't exceptions, however the problem is so bad with *most* family vlogging channels that I think I'm allowed to use generalizations.
exactly what i was thinking. and they're getting more and more popular. the kids don't even get the money and it's not like they can even go home and escape because at home is where the camera is. it's so messed up
You are so correct!. The internet and online platforms as a whole have grown far too quickly to have any accurate or effective legislation or positive systems put in place to protect the very people who help to generate a profit for these huge businesses. Yet platforms like UA-cam have been around for years and STILL barely have any systems or regulations in place. It is appaling and far overdue. It is not as though they can claim that they simply do not have funds available to do so. Just as viewers themselves have to come to the eventual realization that they have become the actual commodity being sold, the stars on these platforms are also being exploited for financial gain with very little to no help for the very real psychological and emotional damage and repercussions that being consumed, used and later quickly rejected by these platforms will cause. We need to do and demand better.
My mother saved me from this. A talent agent wanted me to child model and I was 2. My dad wanted me to do it (My parents weren't together anymore). They met up and the guy was in a room alone and only 1 chair. He told my parents he needed to be left completely alone with me first and she said no and walked out. My dad was pissed apparently. She could clearly see what it was and I would never risk my child's safety either.
@@hopeking37 He might've been blinded by the idea of getting lots of money out of his child star, and didn't even see the danger/probable intent in that
This made me think of Demi Lovato’s story about being sexually assaulted on set at 15 and everyone sweeping it under the rug. It’s disappointing as an adult to know that the Disney Channel that raised you didn’t take care of the kids we loved.
@Isa Efuru I agree, I can live in a world without children in entertainment. Alyson talking about the effect of doing kidnapping scenes had on her development was very upsetting. It makes me nauseous that SVU ran for so long
How on earth did anyone ever let this happen? Not just the parents, but how did this get through???? Children (and adults) have a hard time perceiving real from acting, why did they think it was a good idea for anyone to go through that?
Responsibility starts with parent or guardian. Shame on them for allowing you to participate in inappropriate scenes and not insuring your well being as a child.
sadly i think the parents of child stars are usually not that well off to begin with... people need money to survive so they pimp out their children essentially. like actually that's exactly what they're doing ...
I think a documentary with her and several other child stars telling their side around child stardom would be very fascinating and make a huge impact on this issue, including actions put towards helping the issues for future generations. Also thanks for the documentary recommendations I’ll have to check them out!
Sadly nothing will happen. Hollywood is too powerful. People will be too scared to name names so people won't be held accountable. If they do talk, they will be killed. Unless people in power are gone it will continue the same way and the only way that will happen is if the public understands what's really going on.
There's an HBO documentary called Showbiz Kids with Cameron Boyce and other older (former) child actors talking about what that was like and the pressures. I haven't seen the full thing, so I don't know how much it goes into specific changes they would have liked and the way the industry is built for them to fail the way Alyson does, but it is the closest thing I know of to what you mentioned.
SHE'S ONLY 27?!! She looks the age but the way her career has been set out makes her seem so much older. Just thinking at one point we could've been at school together blows my mind
Mental health therapist here: therapists picked for these jobs need to also be monitored and supervised. Checks and balances all around. Thank you for sharing this!
If the production company are the ones hiring these mental health practitioners then they're going to hire people who will act on the interests of the company rather than on the safety of the child stars. I can see this becoming a trend where companies hire mental health staff but then not actually change their ways.
As a therapist that specializes in developmental trauma, hearing you discuss the specifics of developmental stages and how trauma can impact those stages was absolutely brilliant. Thank you for speaking on this.
Nursing student 🙋🏻♀️just finished pediatrics, taken psychology classes many times. These children are extremely neglected fundamental psychological and physiological needs are deprived and it’s heart breaking. Even the privileged are abused.
Problem is when your a child unless you're told, you've know way of knowing... adults won't tell you, that would hit their profit n exploitation of you
When i was 10, i told my parents that i wanted to be like you, like Miley, like Demi, like Selena, like the Jonas Brothers... My parents didn't let me, i was sad and my dad told me: "darling, that life, hollywood life is not for children, as a parent i have to protect you, and i'll protect you from that kind of life, i hope you someday understand why and what i'm saying this..." now i totally understand it and i'm thankful for it
I love how Disney stars are coming out and being honest about their stories on the Disney Channel. It really makes me rethink watching those shows anymore due to the torture they go through. Be careful what you're supporting directly or indirectly.
Mind you, they are not even telling you the half of it Because what many have experienced, especially the ones who make it to the very top is too deep and too dark and sinister to share. They are sworn to secrecy and not just the movie industry, the music industry as well. If people only knew they would stay as far away as possible. All that glitters is not gold. Fame and fortune is nothing it cracks up to be. These people are tormented but put on a good face for the camera. What they don’t tell you is they can’t sleep at night. Why you think many use drugs? People better wake up
this is so true, I felt something physically shift in me when she said that phrase and it made me realise how little I have questioned this complex. What right do we have to make children entertain us? Alyson does such an incredible job of communicating the long lasting trauma of her experience. Such an amazing video.
@@rnbsteenstarEven then it's suspect. My child wanted to drive a truck when she was 5. Should she be behind the wheel? Low stakes community and school theater, sure. And that's it. Childhood is not content.
Jennette McCurdy's performance in her episode of SVU absolutely blew me away. Prodigal talent from a 10-year-old. Then I wondered what it actually takes for a child to get themselves into a mindset in which they can physically and emotionally create such powerful work... and thought it's definitely not worth it.
I think I had stopped watching SVU by then. As a viewer it felt gross to see week after week mostly women and children being put through those stories. If it didnt feel healthy to view, I cant even imagine what it must be like to be a child forced to act it out take after take.
On her podcast 'empty inside' she talks often about the pressure she felt from a young age to financially support her struggling family with her acting.
Not only did you explain the problem properly but you also proposed multiple counter measures that might help and I admire the hell out of you for that and for what you went through
For me, the most clairvoyant part was the point you made that if this pattern has become so easily recognizable that we all know about the "child star who goes off the rails", then it's beyond the point where we can chalk it up to personal responsibility.
I definitely think responsibility starts with the parents, who knowing this pattern still takes their child to the audition and eagerly gets them further involved in the industry. The chances of your child being discarded is high, the chances of them being abused even higher. The chances of them being a "success" are pretty slim and not worth it considering the cost.
@@edenredeemed for sure. Seems like the kids who have decent parents end up ok but the ones with exploitative parents end up snapping. I mean who wouldn’t. When your own parents sacrifice you., The law is only 15% of money goes to the kid. That’s so messed up. I think at least 50% of income should be placed in a trust for the kid, 15% is not nearly enough and not close to being fair.
I was a manager at Limited Too from 2002-2004 when our store promoted all of the Disney channel shows and movies. I remember all of the little girls who came in with their Mom’s and the Mom’s buying teeny tiny skirts and tops for their little girls and having them perform songs and choreographed dances for everyone in the store with hopes that their child would make it to the Disney Channel. These little girls were dressed like Fergie and JLo and danced like them and the Mom’s thought it was so cute to oversexualize their children. It honestly made me sick to see that and to see these women live vicariously through their little girls! I am so glad this young woman has grown up to be such a strong, level headed person. I think about the little girls I saw sometimes and wonder.....Where are they now?
And if you speak out, the fake feminists yell at you about how kids’ bodies aren’t sexual no matter what the wear (no shit) and if you think clothes can be inappropriate on a child, you’re the perv. Not the pervs getting off on all of this. They’re not supposed to be looking, so it doesn’t matter how parents display their kids’ bodies. The clothes are fine, parents putting their kids at risk are fine, it’s only the people speaking up who are wrong.
My oldest daughter is 6 and I cannot even imagine her having the self awareness to understand the difference between real life and acting.... that's horrifying
I can’t help but think about countless of interviews where adult actors talk about the difficulties of shedding the characters they play. ADULTS. Let alone kids 😩
I remember seeing you at the Nickolodean Kids Choice Awards. You danced with Will Smith then after you sat behind me to finish watching the show. I remember locking eyes with you and I remember thinking, I wonder what your life was like? To be so young and to have a career. You didn’t look like you were enjoying life. Glad your speaking out. My own daughter was in a pampers add. I was one of those parents excited about her possible Hollywood lifestyle. At the shoot, they wanted me to run away from her to get her to run, it made her cry, still they encouraged me to keep running when all I wanted to do is scoop her up. They didn’t care. They just wanted their perfect shot. Driving home I realized that’s not the lifestyle I want for her.
How sad… and for her to have to think “why is my Mom running away from me instead of to me?” Or whatever a little baby would think. 🥺😭 Glad you made a good choice for your baby
@@mcnee1ce What was the point of your comment? This is something that happened and she obviously regrets it, she can’t go back in time. You’re such an asshole
"I sign in my name at the hospital, my body broken and my spirit shattered. A young girl battling her own health crisis finds a moment of relief, laughing at the television. I look at the screen. It's my face." Powerful meaning and a sort of sad irony in these words.
Hi!!! I am a university student and this transcript, Alyson, ( like as is) should be a published article in an Acedemic Journal!!! This content should be used as an assigned article reading given by professors, or as a scholarly journal that students can cite for papers for any student who is taking courses in/ majoring in psychology, child development, journalism, media, communications as well as just being an amazing piece of acedemic literature!!! I am blown away by your content, sentence structure, VOCABULARY, research, everything!!! Your ability to comprehend and articulate these experiences is remarkable. Wow. Absolutely blown away!!!!
Certainly! I've arrived to this video just in time with a uni project where we have to analise an audiovisual piece of our childhood. The one I picked actually includes Alyson. It's crazy cause I didn't searched for this video but the topic is so important and relevant, and the development of the argument is clear and eye-opening. Thank you so much, Alyson. It's true, media and us as an audience often talk or consume toddler-to-trainwreck stories, not without empathy, but also not with enough deepness and reflection.
you can stil cite as a primary source 😊 but yeah, academically it would be more impactful as a published text. She should at least write a book or submit a paper to a journal
Great idea. She would need to have sources beyond her lived experience for it to appear in a peer reviewed journal. I'm not sure of the ethics of using yourself as a case study. It would be a good addition to the academic discourse and would be worth the work that would go into preparing it for publication.
This was so awesome- offering practical solutions and guidance to where to head to next. I’ve been watching and learning about what happened to Amanda Bynes, the Olsen twins, Jeannette McCurdy, etc. and feel so much compassion + anger. I’m a fan of your work, Alyson, and am excited to see what you do next! 🦋
@@heydudedolfan13 Oh yes. A super early example. Or literally *anyone* at Nickelodeon or other networks that just got exploited. Or people like Ricky Garcia, whose bodies were *used* and *taken advantage of* and no legal support was ever offered from the companies that enabled this abuse. It's horrifying, honestly and truly.
I don’t know who your psychologist is, but you BOTH deserve an award!!! Thank you for breaking this abusive world down in a way many people may never have even thought about.
She is sworn to secrecy so she hasn’t even told you half of what really went on or actually goes on behind the scenes in this industry. Many would be shock and find it unbelievable what happens...enough so that it would be dismissed as unreal. Why you think many in the industry (movie and music) end up using drugs, over dosing, killing themselves? The things they are exposed to requires them to numb themselves. They learn to pretend while in front of the camera all the while their souls are tormented. Don’t believe? Do the research.
I had two children that were successful actors in Hollywood. I pulled them out of the industry when my youngest was getting too many large auditions and casting directors started essentially chasing him to audition. Everyone thought I was crazy "he's going to make you rich!" I always told my kids that it was my job to take care of them and not the other way around. Seeing behind the curtain let me know that this was no place for children. I'm so happy that I listened to my conscious and not follow money and fame. I'm proud of you for advocating for these children because for many, their parent's aren't.
The scariest part is when i hear the kids were the breadwinner in the family i cannot imagine being a child and making the money my parents and family need to survive 😳.
This happened when Britney Spears was a teen and is unfortunately still happening due to the conservatorship they set her up for so they could get control.
I took three of my little sisters to Disneyland sometime around 2003 and they spotted you, so they asked if they could take a picture with you. You were gracious enough to take the photo. I now wished we had just let you enjoy your day at Disneyland like we were able to. I'm so sorry for not allowing you that day of peace. I was the adult in the group and I should have known better. And now I do. Thank you for this very impactful message.
This is exactly why I never ever aspired to have any type of fame. I cannot imagine going out in public and being recognized by people I don't know and being asked to take pictures with them. I totally get it from the "fan" perspective but thinking about being on the other end of it made me never want it!
@@tourmii yeah, I think true fans are the ones that at least hesitate to go up to the celeb, when I see shows in person, I actually get deflated and just see they are a person and I hate the idea of people being so praised, isnt healthy
I just had a thought that maybe it's not always a bad thing to irl meet someone you're a fan of, it just should be in a context where they've given consent to being approached, like a meet and greet or a con. That being said, I can't say with absolute certainty that if I saw someone I idolized out on the street, I'd say nothing, so maybe it's not so black and white...
The adultification is insane. How you expect a 6 to 17 year old to be professional? How you put pressure on a CHILD to WORK more so other people's bills can get paid???
I’m a former child actor (though not a successful or well-known one) and I endured so much trauma that I had to “retire” (go on disability) at age 25. Though I had already had a long career, since I started my career at age 2. I relate so much to all of this. Thank you for sharing
This is so so important even more so today. Now, a child doesn't need Disney to be famous, their own social media can make them mega stars. We as a society do not know how to protect these children yet!
No we don't. And in the new landscape that is "social media fame" like...if we think that acting has very few regulations for their child stars, think about social media, which has almost zero. It's awful in every single respect.
I was an extra in your movie Alice Upside Down, and remember being 11 on set and idolizing you. To think what you were going through during that time, and my impression of it... it just shows how we use people for their energy and talent and throw them away without a second thought.
That was so eloquent & well said. You definitely opened my eyes to the specifics and the mental trauma youth can experience in the industry. It’s so relevant bc this is happening to ppl who have so much influence in society. Supporting you & all you do 👏🏻👏🏻
I agree Aileen! Love you and what you do also Lavi!💚😀 Yesss Alyson, this is soo relevant sis. The truth needed to be exposed! Kudos to you, may God cover and protect you! 😀🙏💜
Yes - like you said it happens to people who influence a lot of people (image wise), but simultaneously it's happening to people so young that they feel they can NOT advocate for themselves 😞 & adults should protect children so only industry/society/& govt are to blame. It's a modern tragedy (by modern i mean 1900's to now). Such a heavy topic.
Usually when stories are told they're told as a more me perspective versus as a whole industry and the step process. Because people don't really know what the process is.
Not just children, I was doing costumes for a film and we were filming a scene where this girl was stripping and making out with a guy in the water and there was such a weird vibe. I was really bothered and uncomfortable and I wished I could have stopped it.
@@katatonic726 exactly. And the actors that had to pretend to care didn't advocate for them. Jessie didn't have to be underweight she was so chubby I'd be surprised if she wasn't a bit overweight. She could be fat bc she had a nanny image but alyson a mere child had to be malnourished?
The outline you used was so much easier for us at home to understand without having to blame child stars. I’ve never thought about how acting out a scene for an audition could traumatize you. Thanks for shedding light on this.
It still shocking to see old footage of Shirley Temple surrounded by grown ass men in her movie scenes. It's been going for generations and it needs to stop already. Good on you for being an advocate and keeping this current.
Same here. I’m happy that I’m an ordinary citizen. I wanted to be in the business so bad when I was a little girl but I’m happy my mom ignored me. I’m definitely not going to let my daughter go into Hollywood. I’m just going to let my daughter be a child and when she turns 18 she can decide what she wants to do with her life.
This is so important and needed IMMEDIATELY. The most followed person on the entire TikTok platform is a 16 year old girl. Children need advocates who are on their side for more than just a paycheck, but to actually protect children from harm.
Thought I’d add this but I learned in therapy that when we either reenact a scene in our mind or make up a scenario of what could happen to us, our bodies can’t tell if what’s happening is in our mind or if it’s really happening. So for you to have to act out such an awful scene at 6 years old must’ve been incredibly traumatizing
Yes! It's well known in roleplaying communities as Character Bleed, and I learned about it first during acting classes in college. The scene might not be real, but the emotions? They are, and the brain can't differenciate the two. I'm shocked and upset that, especially for children, there is NO support on film sets. Unregulated bleed can, and often will, create real trauma.
@@Anvandiel it’s a question in my view of going beyond support on sets, because it’s inherent to the acting craft that you will get into a range of emotions and our scripts are often gratuitously violent or morally confounding - so for me the question plainly is, should such young, developing souls be subjected to this industry at all? Maybe kids should stick to saccharine school musicals and plays, or wholesome activities 🤷🏼♀️ Because they deserve every ounce of protection we can give them from the abuses of the world.
Right. I always think that when I see these prank channels, even worse a six yr old and a rape scene...wow. Not to mention the rejection cycle based on looks and performance. How can they actually grow mentally and physically into a full person with a real sense of self. Scary
I didn't even know what rape was at age 6. I would have no idea how to pretend that. How the hell did Allyson know how to do this? Why was she even given context for this?
They feel justified in exposing them to the info 'for the role' & they ultimately don't care if they end up traumatized. Sadly... most of the 'stage parents' just see the $$$ & never put much thought into long term damage to their child. They will claim to be 'supporting their kids dream' & only wanting to make them happy... and that was probably true at one point... but tends to get pushed to the side when the money starts coming in. It's common for the parents to become just as bad as the industry people... viewing their kid as an asset/ product & putting their focus on delivering a good product rather than on the well being of their child. Much like Jamie Spears or the Lohan's. They get caught up in the lifestyle & will do anything to keep it... including selling out their own kids. (Even after they become adults)
She wasn't acting to be raped. She was actually being raped. The majority of child stars have gone through lots of rape and molestation from executive types, CEOs, directors/producers..etc. She isn't in a film as a 6 year old being raped. She did commercials for toys when she was that little. The real rape was after the auditions.
I’m trying to figure out if this was a sarcastic comment lol honestly though, it would be harder to believe if there WERE therapists/HR ppl on site considering how much pedophilia, drug abuse and addiction, and other nonsense exists in the industry (not excluding the children unfortunately) 😔😭
@@virginiawiles5373 i also thought (long ago, not now) that kids were taken good care of, like real therapist in set to help the navigate the idea THAT THEY ARE NOT the role they are playing, also to help them modulate their inner thoughts and help them with stress. oh naive me, very very naive me..... hollywood is full of p3dos that use tye movies as a way to display their power dinamic to easly abuse kids, kids wity negligent parents, that are target btw, they choose on pourpose families with terrible dinamics
@@jjba3571 100% agree. It’s disgusting and very sad. Even more sad is how many people inside the industry know these things and are unwilling to step in for fear of “losing their job”….😑😔😢
@@virginiawiles5373 besides kida from disfuntional parents have problem setting boundaries, if adults from broken homes bave problems indentifing red flags, imaging kids
I always hated those "ten shocking things about these child actors" because they're just people and if something bad is happening why are they just making jokes or glamorizing their pain instead of helping them
I've had people tell me to take my kids to Disney casting calls. I could never. Even before things came out I could just see the fallout while everybody laughed at the drug addiction, sexual issues and mental breakdowns. When my kids started watching Nickelodeon and Disney shows I was quick to stop them as it seemed that sex acts, innuendo and all sorts of disgusting things were being blatantly being thrown at them. Kids get more than we realize and even if they don't get it in the moment what becomes their normal is disgusting. I'll be sharing your video. Thank you.
This is amazing. My mother was approached Many times for myself to be a model for tv and magazines. They wanted me to be the face of the walmart photography center for all of Canada. I was 4. She said no. Because of this. I’m glad she did.
I wanted to be a child actor. I remember feeling like a victim because my dad said no. I thought he lied to me about how bad life was for young actors and how they eventually “go off the rails”. After I was about 20 years old I realized he was just looking out for me. Honestly, I’m glad he wouldn’t let me act. I am not mentally strong to handle to pressure and the lifestyle. I would’ve been one of the child actors who acted out. I’m proud of you and hope your word reaches millions.
The eloquence though. You need to release this "on paper." It's so beautiful it hits the ears more like poetry. You're message is powerful! Hit it on all levels, sister!
wow wow wow wow wow wow as a psychology graduate and tv/movie/youtube junkie this has completely inspired me to become one of these ridiculously necessary people on set in the industry wow you should be SO PROUD ALYSON for spreading this insight
I remember being a kid and wanting to act and be famous so bad. Many adults told me it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I'm glad I'm listened and I'm glad you are doing well!
I was offered modeling and acting opportunities. Because my greand uncle was an orchestra conductor/composer/classic guitarist he knew people in the industry and told my parents that if they put me in it I should do therapy at the same time and have one of them with me at all times (like: standing outside of the bathroom if I was in). I ended up saying no because it seemed such a bother and I was into sports and books more than movies and TV.
I asked my mom if I could go on auditions when I was a kid. I got a big fat no. My mom's uncle was in Hollywood, in at least one movie, and he famously told her to "stay out of Hollywood." So he's literally the reason why I never got into acting. I attempted commercial modeling as a teen but it was not for me. Because of that, though, I do see through a lot of the struggles children look like they're going through trying to hold their own among adults onscreen, noticing them being given their queues, posing that's been drilled into their muscle memory. I read Natalie Wood's bio as a teen and found that a lot of what she experienced as a child actor in the 40s-50s still happens today. Hollywood romanticizes the tragic life of the broken Hollywood starlet.
THIS! I wanted it so bad, for years ever since I was old enough to realize what fame was. It honestly wasn't until recently when all these stars started coming forward with how it really is to be famous that I realized I'm SO glad I never pursued this life, not like I would have made it anyway 😂 lol but it really is a horrible life to live...
You are speaking from a place of logic based off years of emotion, neglect and abuse. I like how you mention what changes can be made to protect minors in film and TV. Proud of you for knowing that you deserve to be healthy and taking the steps to achieve just that.
Reminds me of Blackground records moving JoJo and her mom to New Jersey because the child labor laws were so lax. JoJo and her mom were naive thinking how "nice" they were moving them out of their 1bedroom apartment in another state. Only to figure it out years later. 😔
Thank you for this. I’m so, so worried about the current generation of “child entertainers”, especially online kids. I imagine the boundaries between real and pretend are even more blurred when you’re working out of your home and your parents are running the camera.
I wanted to be on disney channel so bad when i was younger. My mom said i couldnt because child stars always become drug addicts. I didnt believe her and said that wouldnt be me and begged. Glad she stood her ground and i didnt get into that even on a small level.
Checking guardians motives is so important; Briteny Spears, Amanda Bynes, the Olsen Twins were all thrown to the wolves & then told they asked for this because of their parents choices and greed...
Wow. She is so smart. I always knew she was smart, but she has found her purpose here! She was made to help these minors and be an advocate for them. I wish you well, Alyson and hope you are gaining your power back one day at a time. You are strong, girl. I watched you on Disney Channel when I was a little girl and it is extremely disappointing to hear how the Disney (and Nickelodeon) child stars were treated. And it’s not just them. Way to go and well said. You’ve got my support!
I never grew up as a child actor but I did grow up with similar trauma of adults pushing me to do things that no child is capable of doing. It's a very long story and I don't want to spam your comments, but know that I relate to your story very much. I also wish I could give you and others with childhood trauma a hug. You're very strong.
This is SO important! And also let’s not forget about the upcoming generation of children growing up as vlogging UA-cam family kids and Baby influencers with IG accounts created by their parents starting on with birth and showing every little aspect of their life open for everyone to see... I am scared for their future.. they have no privacy, no control of their representation and are being abused as real live „actors“ ... we need more awareness on this!
And they are turned into memes in a second. Watching one woman’s response to a small meme about her in junior high made after she chose to submit a video into a contest, I can’t imagine what’s going to happen to these blog and Instagram kids. I refuse to put my children online.
The “And now you know” at the end GOT me... it’s basically the result of child abuse that so many of us can complete that phrase in our heads instantly. We’re all responsible here. Thanks for sharing your story, Alyson.
This story reminds me Miley Cyrus. She said at Joe Rogan podcast that she didn't have recovery days, she was working even on weekends, felt so much pressure always to be #1 (at the age of 13 she already had #1 album on billboard hot 200 and to 15 years old she had already 3 #1 albums, a billion franchise, #1 movie and #1 tv show, #1 tour and #1 book and she was the richest and most famous teen in the world. When she finally left Disney, she had an identical crisis and couldn't understand who she really is and people were saying that they don't want Miley, they want Hannah back so she felt like no one gives a f about real her and she wanted to leave the stage because she felt like she is not important anymore. I feel so bad for her. I'm glad now she's at better place. I hope she will take care of herself. There are always people who will love and support her journey. Such an incredible talent. It's a shame how bad the media treats her. Every day i see fake articles about her that she died from over dose. This is so low of people to expect the mental breakdown of the child star instead of supporting them and protecting their mental health.
people don’t talk enough about how cruel the media is to miley...especially during bangerz era, the media was constantly judging her and turning the general public against her. they didn’t allow her the freedom to grow up and fueled her identity crisis. thankfully she has a strong family to keep her grounded and has found herself/ her sound. the media is coming around to her but she deserves an apology. 💜
I’m so glad now that former Disney Channel and Nickelodeon stars are coming forward about their experiences. This is a big step in increasing awareness on the dangers of fame as a child. You’re amazing, Alyson!
As easy as it is to judge others, I’ve never been able to judge Amanda Bynes. She started in the industry so young, and even from the outside, it’s obvious child actors go through way too much for their age. I know the things I went through in childhood drastically affected me as a young adult. There’s a reason so many child actors have emotional and mental issues as they become older. It’s because they are mentally and emotionally put through the ringer most of their lives. Long hours, never being seen as a person, but a tool, neglect, stress over the spotlight, never having a normal childhood. That’s going to cause issues, and those issues will be very difficult to overcome. Some aren’t so lucky, while others struggle with it for years before finally being able to figure out who they are and what they want in life for themselves, while also coming to terms and confronting their past. There are so many ‘where are they now’ videos, but when I’m introduced to actors on the screen, I try to continue following where they are and what they are up to. I check in from time to time, even if they’ve left the spotlight. Not because I’m looking for dramatic stories, but because I’m hoping they’re doing well and are happy with their lives. When one of them does a movie after time away, I watch that movie because I want to show support. Even though I’ve never met any of these personally, I think it’s important to care. Because they are people.
I remember when fuller house premiered on Netflix and the cast made that dig in the first episode about the Oleson Twins. Then John Stamos made a statement or a tweet about how they were entitled brats not to come back to the reboot 😒 Disgusting.
@@prettydalila I think he retracted the original tweet and talked to MK but according to the twins the production team never called them about the reboot and I think there was an effort but they ultimately turned it down. The production team jabbed them in the finale too 😒
Everyone loved those men because they seemed so likeable and family friendly. I’ve always gotten the creeps out of all of them. They always seemed like the “niceness” was a show, but to me they seemed sociopathic underneath it
@@ummmjared yup shes been doing voiceover alot i don't really see her on camera that much anymore which is unfortunate i think the last big on camera thing she did was camprock 2 i could be wrong though
THIS is why I want to be a Child Guardian in the theatre. I want to foster a sense of childhood for the kids whose lives are being watched like a bug under a microscope. I want to show those kids that childhood is important and needed.
3:17 No 6 year old should ever even hear that word to begin with, let alone be forced to convince themselves that it just happened so they could act it out convincingly on camera. This is horrifying. Thank you, Alyson Stoner, for your courage to come forward. You might be the reason other former child-stars find their courage to speak up. May God give you the strength you need to keep going.
Ur dam right. No child should know what that word means. And a few more words like they teach in school. 2nd grade teaching kids about sex and different sexes. Very sick stuff.
I had to rewind that to make sure I heard that right. That is just sick to make a 6 year old act it out. I can’t help but think the person recording used it for his/her own purposes! 😢
I'm not a native speaker. Just after reading the comments, I came to the realization that the "fetus position under the table rape scene" was not meant a dark metaphor but that this had really happened!
I agree that certain scenes shouldn't be made at all. Why do we like watching violence and dark shit as entertainment? It's not like a movie like "Lilja 4-ever" (a one I thought of as a "good" movie) will make (m)any viewer go out and help victims. Or am I wrong? And that one is probably a movie that wants to raise awareness. I watch the movie and think to myself: Yeah, that's horrible and really tragic. And then I forget about it almost immediately. Like with the news. I will never understand why true crime movies or crime shows exist and are so loved? Nowadays the bad guys are often the protagonists and the lines between good and bad are blurred (Dexter, Breaking Bad). Are we still rooting for the baddies to get caught or are we secretly hoping they will win?
This is so well-spoken and insightful. I hope this video reaches a wide audience. People don’t realize the harm being done for the sake of “entertainment”
As a child from an abusive home I always saw myself on "train wreck" teenage stars. Not in a glamorous way but in a "my parents are just like that too I'm so sorry". And when the media laughed at them it just taught me the world is a cruel place and you must hide yourself at all cost.
I hope you and countless former child stars now adults band together and make changes. Demi’s doc shared horrific info especially with “Camp Rock” they need to be held accountable, and major changes like the ones you suggested need to be implemented immediately.
Its just the tip of the ice burg sadily. I still dont get why someone like Dan Shinider is not in prision. Cory Fieldman was being honest when he said he was surrounded by pedos. Its sad that so many horrible things happend to these kids and these predators remain free living their best life. We are suppost to Porotect kids yet these kids are being fed to the wolves and not a peep in the media even when some stars do come foward. Hollywood has alot of power. I dont know what it would take for the truth to really come out. I doubt it will. So damm sad. 😒
@@arianapadilla9351 it may be triggering to some re-watch episode 3 it went pretty in depth. She reported something vile and the person she told did nothing
I always thought it was a little abusive to allow children to do some of these things.....but speaking up about it is unheard of until after you see the child stars trying to get their lives together. It makes the viewer think "they milked it for all its worth and now they want to write a book". I hate to say that but its ignorance we have as people only seeing what's in front of the camera. I am VERY glad you are telling this story now, as soon as possible. I am proud of you. As someone who followed you a long time ...from missy elliott videos to movies. I'm glad you are still standing and you understand yourself and what happened and how it isnt your fault.
I have always said that the industry is famous for placing people on a pedestal only to break them down and judge them all the time!! Thank you for speaking out!!
i’m 22, just graduated college and am an aspiring actress. my whole life growing up i always wanted to join the industry and now after hearing everyone’s stories, i’m so glad i had the childhood i did, but i never realized in the moment how much childhood actors miss out on or endure. thank you for this.
I'm so surprised to hear stories like that. I'm from Spain, and here and almost on every other country in Europe child entertainers is a topic hiper regulated. Wether it's musical theater,film and tv, ads, child singers. Labor hours,protection,parent guidance... All is regulated by law and thoroughly supervised. I always get mad with this things in the USA. It seems like a third-world country in lots of aspects. For example,we have The Voice Kids,which is unimaginable in the US. The hole show is filmed during summer holidays,one show per week,and it is aired one year after it is filmed. They have childhood therapists/psyco,and kids don't make tours or anything. They must be always accompanied by at least one family member all the time, among many other things. The same goes with kids at musicals. Castings are always in presence of their parents/guardians or at least a specialised childhood therapist/educator,usually a woman. For tv or movies,almost the same. Hours are super regulated,and child labor without kids being schooled is forbidden. And school marks are supervised as well. Any kind of production that have kids or teens must have a kids-teen mental health professional and childhood educators. I'm so glad to be european. I think the USA must not be self-centered for at least one time and must look to Europe and copy our regulations to become a real first-world country in such an important thing.
I'm American born partly African raised. I visit Europe(Netherlands and Germany) yearly from America and it's like stepping into a Common sense society. I always tell folks America is only great if you have not traveled. I say in America you have the freedom to be stupid. Moving back to Africa once I'm done with school and saved enough.
@@koko_kasjana I mean,in my country we've never had any stories like that,and i think it's almost the same in all western Europe. I don't know if it is the same in eastern Europe cause rules are different there. It's so sad what she has been through and i feel so sad as well for every other person that has suffered the same things.
@@loliwemoyo5680 Yes,a lot of americans don't realize other parts of the world are better. Gun violence,sistematic racism... There's a lot more thing that the USA has to change. No country is perfect,but at least in most of Europe people from different races are not killed by police or white men because of their race. The same with mass shootings. USA would be a great country if they change completely those things and more.
@@mrPp475 have you seen the documentary about "Parchís" on Netflix? A case of clear child exploitation. But I agree with you that cases in Europe are much less common in the industry than in the USA.
As a kid, you were my idol. We were roughly around the same age and i loved to dance, act a little spunky and dreamed of being just like you. Now as an adult I have that same admiration but because what you stand for! So well said and important for todays society! Keep up the amazing work!
Completely agree! You kindly wrote my thoughts exactly as someone who is 27 and day dreamed of being a child star. She is so articulate and gives powerful recommendations, I aspire to be as clear
Your first story is just mindblowing. How anybody could think that was an appropriate scene for any child to play out, much less a child of 6 is inconceivable. And that's obviously just the tip of a very shady iceberg. I wish you the best with this new endeavor and hope you can be a catalyst for real change in the industry.
this is incredible, i’m a film student and i will do everything in my power to bring this up to everyone i know and try to at LEAST bring light to it. thank you so much for talking about this, you are so strong and beautiful.
Having a mental health trained professional on set and at various stages of the process is something I'm realizing is ridiculous that this wasn't already in place. Yet, I never thought about it either.
So eloquently stated. This take would’ve saved so many 80’s and 90’s youth stars. Those that we’ve loved died too soon because they didn’t have a platform like this. This changes the game. Thank you so much for this vid.
Thank you for your support! We’re organizing a convo around the changes we want to see take place. Follow my IG to stay updated. ❤️ instagram.com/alysonstoner
You are truly outstanding. Thank you for sharing your story and shedding light on these issues while also offering solutions. This was articulate and insightful
💕🙏🏽
❤️❤️
God bless you and the work you are doing. You are a force to be reckoned with.
Thank you for speaking up about your experience. This was so well spoken.
Not only is there no reason to graphically portray rape scenes in media, there's absolutely NO reason it needs to be done with children acting it out.
THIS!
exactly!!!!!
I saw a scene like this once and at the end there was a note that the child actress was hypnotized (idk if that's the right word) to "forget" the rape scene.
I thought, that should have never been done in the first place. Disgusting.
I feel this way about sex in movies as well in general. It's just strange, so many better ways to portray an experience than literally showing it happening.
Yes so true
And no child labor laws for UA-cam family’s and social media childern
UA-camrs who use their children for money should be obligated to give some of that money for their kids. It’s regulated for other child labor.
YES!!! I think we will see the repercussions for this in the coming years.
We need regulations in place for that stuff STAT because these children are basically living on set 24/7 and never know if intimate moments with their family are genuine or acted for the cameras, they are given toys/money for performing tasks on camera that warps their view of rewards, youtubers even go out of their way to have children JUST so they can profit off of the attention it gets them. There's so much, it's SO bad and I worry about what is going to happen to these kids when they grow up.
This is my problem with family vlogging. Also like how can I believe you would stop filming your children if they wanted when they clearly lead to most of your income
So many issues with family vlogging and kids these kids will most likely have such a rude awakening as they enter adulthood moreso than an average kid. Kids are used to being the center of attention, I know I struggled entering adulthood once I no longer was a cute little girl anymore and these kids really are used to being stars more than average kids...
This video epitomizes the phrase “be the person you needed when you were younger”
wow, yes
YES WE STAN THIS QUEEN
yes 👏👏
I'm 40. 1st time i have ever heard this! Honestly, BEST quote ever!!!
Agreed. Who asks a child his or her opinions on current events?
I'll never forget when she was on Ellen talking about self-healing/practicing minimalism, and at the end of the interview she was gifted with a giant flat screen TV. It seemed so tone deaf, toxic, and reflective of the overall industry. Now I suspect that when she smiled and graciously said thank you what we were actually witnessing was smiling girl #437.
Is there a UA-cam vid of this Ellen episode ?
for real?
omg.
that is despicable. i thought ellen was more woke than that
@@jmsl910 nah ellen is literal garbage
Ellen most likely planned to just give the t.v for giving sake
I saw that episode and thought the same thing, like, “was Ellen even listening to her at all?!” Ugh 🤦🏼♀️
I really fear for kids whose parents vlog every second of their lives because there can be no real regulations to protect them
Well. From one extreme to the other.
Chris. Watts.
Dad Challenge Podcast talks about this constantly. Children unable to consent and profit off their children.
@@alaskangalb coming from the guy who once did that himself is rather ironic!😂
@@alisonratliff7814 did he? Where? Only watched and followed last month but if he learned and now combats it? Lessons learned and that is good. But didn't know that.
@@alaskangalb yes that's how he started. Sorry I didnt mean any disrespect to you. I just can't get behind someone constantly saying kids are off limits and saying these families are horrible people for what they do. All while using said kids in thumbnails and HIS videos for the profit of himself. Which is why I just choose not to watch. Just one search his name on UA-cam and there is many videos from other creators explaining it better. Again my apologies if I came off rude towards you!
"My health matters...even if I feel like I'm the only advocate for it." This is such a powerful message.
🙏🏽
Love this line
🙌🏾
Yes ♥
YUP! I still feel so alone, but I'm all the better for it knowing it's not my fault and that my feelings are valid.
The terrifying thing is that this is happening now on UA-cam with family vloggers and parents exploiting their own kids to millions of viewers to make them rich. These kids don’t even get a home life because their home life is plastered on the internet. This is only getting worse
That's not every channel though. LaGuardia Cross, for instance.
@@twebster179 I didn't say there weren't exceptions, however the problem is so bad with *most* family vlogging channels that I think I'm allowed to use generalizations.
Family channels should be banned for so many reasons.
exactly what i was thinking. and they're getting more and more popular. the kids don't even get the money and it's not like they can even go home and escape because at home is where the camera is. it's so messed up
You are so correct!. The internet and online platforms as a whole have grown far too quickly to have any accurate or effective legislation or positive systems put in place to protect the very people who help to generate a profit for these huge businesses. Yet platforms like UA-cam have been around for years and STILL barely have any systems or regulations in place. It is appaling and far overdue. It is not as though they can claim that they simply do not have funds available to do so.
Just as viewers themselves have to come to the eventual realization that they have become the actual commodity being sold, the stars on these platforms are also being exploited for financial gain with very little to no help for the very real psychological and emotional damage and repercussions that being consumed, used and later quickly rejected by these platforms will cause. We need to do and demand better.
My mother saved me from this. A talent agent wanted me to child model and I was 2. My dad wanted me to do it (My parents weren't together anymore). They met up and the guy was in a room alone and only 1 chair. He told my parents he needed to be left completely alone with me first and she said no and walked out. My dad was pissed apparently. She could clearly see what it was and I would never risk my child's safety either.
Absolutely disgusting
Something similar happy with my sister and I. I was pretty upset too when my mom didn't take us back but now that I'm older i understand.
Woww...that makes me sick, glad you're okay.
I hope u realize how gross it is that ur dad was ok with that
@@hopeking37 He might've been blinded by the idea of getting lots of money out of his child star, and didn't even see the danger/probable intent in that
This made me think of Demi Lovato’s story about being sexually assaulted on set at 15 and everyone sweeping it under the rug. It’s disappointing as an adult to know that the Disney Channel that raised you didn’t take care of the kids we loved.
@Isa Efuru she said it was with someone who she always saw on set at her documentary
@Isa Efuru It was an other actor.
@Isa Efuru I agree, I can live in a world without children in entertainment. Alyson talking about the effect of doing kidnapping scenes had on her development was very upsetting. It makes me nauseous that SVU ran for so long
Not just Disney, Nickelodeon stars were also abused too in order to make our child hood
@Isa Efuru she said it was someone on set of a Disney show
As a parent, I think I would actually feel sick if I was driving my daughter to audition for a rape/kidnap scene.
How on earth did anyone ever let this happen? Not just the parents, but how did this get through???? Children (and adults) have a hard time perceiving real from acting, why did they think it was a good idea for anyone to go through that?
@@sierrachantell Simple. Money hungry terrible parents
Responsibility starts with parent or guardian. Shame on them for allowing you to participate in inappropriate scenes and not insuring your well being as a child.
Thank you! How about some pressure on these parents!!!
sadly i think the parents of child stars are usually not that well off to begin with... people need money to survive so they pimp out their children essentially. like actually that's exactly what they're doing ...
I think a documentary with her and several other child stars telling their side around child stardom would be very fascinating and make a huge impact on this issue, including actions put towards helping the issues for future generations.
Also thanks for the documentary recommendations I’ll have to check them out!
Agreed. This video alone deserves an award.
Sadly nothing will happen. Hollywood is too powerful. People will be too scared to name names so people won't be held accountable. If they do talk, they will be killed. Unless people in power are gone it will continue the same way and the only way that will happen is if the public understands what's really going on.
There's an HBO documentary called Showbiz Kids with Cameron Boyce and other older (former) child actors talking about what that was like and the pressures. I haven't seen the full thing, so I don't know how much it goes into specific changes they would have liked and the way the industry is built for them to fail the way Alyson does, but it is the closest thing I know of to what you mentioned.
Corey Feldman made one
@@SetASpark
100% truth
Just like the bullshit going on right now.
SHE'S ONLY 27?!! She looks the age but the way her career has been set out makes her seem so much older. Just thinking at one point we could've been at school together blows my mind
Yea she's had alot of experience clearly good & bad. She's very mature & well spoken. I still remember first time seeing her in Missy's video
I’m 28 me I always thought she was way younger than me , I remember her in Mikes super short show lol
I’m 30 and always had the impression she was way younger…like maybe 24/25
Same!
Same
I’m also 27. I always thought she was a little older than me. She was working at such a young age.
Mental health therapist here: therapists picked for these jobs need to also be monitored and supervised. Checks and balances all around. Thank you for sharing this!
definitely!
literally my first thought.... first thought
@@ev_green_ Can you elaborate?
If the production company are the ones hiring these mental health practitioners then they're going to hire people who will act on the interests of the company rather than on the safety of the child stars. I can see this becoming a trend where companies hire mental health staff but then not actually change their ways.
Exactly my thought. It’s like thinking the HR manager cares about you.
As a therapist that specializes in developmental trauma, hearing you discuss the specifics of developmental stages and how trauma can impact those stages was absolutely brilliant. Thank you for speaking on this.
Nursing student 🙋🏻♀️just finished pediatrics, taken psychology classes many times. These children are extremely neglected fundamental psychological and physiological needs are deprived and it’s heart breaking. Even the privileged are abused.
Jennette McCurdy has an amazing podcast where she talks about issues like this.
I was just thinking how I’d love to hear them discuss this topic together.
@@karynbensinger4794 Same. They would be great together.
They need to collaborate
I would love to see a podcast or a collaboration video where they discuss their experiences and bring more awareness
@@karynbensinger4794 that would be amazing!!!
Child stars need a union, because every child enters this system innocently and so is vulnerable to the ways they will be taken advantage of
Problem is when your a child unless you're told, you've know way of knowing... adults won't tell you, that would hit their profit n exploitation of you
When i was 10, i told my parents that i wanted to be like you, like Miley, like Demi, like Selena, like the Jonas Brothers... My parents didn't let me, i was sad and my dad told me: "darling, that life, hollywood life is not for children, as a parent i have to protect you, and i'll protect you from that kind of life, i hope you someday understand why and what i'm saying this..." now i totally understand it and i'm thankful for it
I'm too my parents said this to me ☺️
You're parents are wise❤ and love you, bless em❤🤗
Mine said the same
Your dad is awesome
Exactly..I said no showbiz allowed!
I love how Disney stars are coming out and being honest about their stories on the Disney Channel. It really makes me rethink watching those shows anymore due to the torture they go through. Be careful what you're supporting directly or indirectly.
Always be an educated consumer❣️👏👏👏
Mind you, they are not even telling you the half of it Because what many have experienced, especially the ones who make it to the very top is too deep and too dark and sinister to share. They are sworn to secrecy and not just the movie industry, the music industry as well. If people only knew they would stay as far away as possible. All that glitters is not gold. Fame and fortune is nothing it cracks up to be. These people are tormented but put on a good face for the camera. What they don’t tell you is they can’t sleep at night. Why you think many use drugs? People better wake up
Nickelodeon child stars also
Don't reduce it to Disney. This is an industry problem, Disney included!
@@cd3881 Unfortunately you’re right. The drugs and alcohol make it easy to forget and live the lie.
even the phrase “child entertainers” is so disturbing. this video desperately needed to be made. thank you so much for this.
this is so true, I felt something physically shift in me when she said that phrase and it made me realise how little I have questioned this complex. What right do we have to make children entertain us?
Alyson does such an incredible job of communicating the long lasting trauma of her experience. Such an amazing video.
@@Chillypepper7451 It should only be because the kid wants to, not because of force.
@@rnbsteenstarEven then it's suspect. My child wanted to drive a truck when she was 5. Should she be behind the wheel? Low stakes community and school theater, sure. And that's it. Childhood is not content.
"The public have an insatiable curiousity to know everything except what is worth knowing" - Oscar Wilde
Oof. That's uncomfortably accurate.
Jennette McCurdy's performance in her episode of SVU absolutely blew me away. Prodigal talent from a 10-year-old. Then I wondered what it actually takes for a child to get themselves into a mindset in which they can physically and emotionally create such powerful work... and thought it's definitely not worth it.
I think I had stopped watching SVU by then. As a viewer it felt gross to see week after week mostly women and children being put through those stories. If it didnt feel healthy to view, I cant even imagine what it must be like to be a child forced to act it out take after take.
Makes me think about the show in a whole new way..
Which episode was this? First time I saw her was zoey 101
@@gigi-gc8gu S6 E11 "Contagious".
On her podcast 'empty inside' she talks often about the pressure she felt from a young age to financially support her struggling family with her acting.
Not only did you explain the problem properly but you also proposed multiple counter measures that might help and I admire the hell out of you for that and for what you went through
Agree
Because you'll never end the child actors or stop children from wanting to be performers, so you might as well make it safer.
This is what my teacher meant when he said “articulate.”
It is easy to seem articulate, she is an actor reading a script.
@@star_fossil This is her story. She wrote it. The script is just to streamline her thoughts.
@@star_fossil how did you just assume she didn't write the script herself?
For me, the most clairvoyant part was the point you made that if this pattern has become so easily recognizable that we all know about the "child star who goes off the rails", then it's beyond the point where we can chalk it up to personal responsibility.
I definitely think responsibility starts with the parents, who knowing this pattern still takes their child to the audition and eagerly gets them further involved in the industry. The chances of your child being discarded is high, the chances of them being abused even higher. The chances of them being a "success" are pretty slim and not worth it considering the cost.
I can’t help but think of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney...There have been too many more.
@@edenredeemed for sure. Seems like the kids who have decent parents end up ok but the ones with exploitative parents end up snapping. I mean who wouldn’t. When your own parents sacrifice you.,
The law is only 15% of money goes to the kid. That’s so messed up. I think at least 50% of income should be placed in a trust for the kid, 15% is not nearly enough and not close to being fair.
@@edenredeemed And even if they end up being "successful" they are still usually overworked and abused...
I was a manager at Limited Too from 2002-2004 when our store promoted all of the Disney channel shows and movies. I remember all of the little girls who came in with their Mom’s and the Mom’s buying teeny tiny skirts and tops for their little girls and having them perform songs and choreographed dances for everyone in the store with hopes that their child would make it to the Disney Channel. These little girls were dressed like Fergie and JLo and danced like them and the Mom’s thought it was so cute to oversexualize their children. It honestly made me sick to see that and to see these women live vicariously through their little girls! I am so glad this young woman has grown up to be such a strong, level headed person. I think about the little girls I saw sometimes and wonder.....Where are they now?
Wow that's so sad
Portland
OnlyFans
good one
And if you speak out, the fake feminists yell at you about how kids’ bodies aren’t sexual no matter what the wear (no shit) and if you think clothes can be inappropriate on a child, you’re the perv. Not the pervs getting off on all of this. They’re not supposed to be looking, so it doesn’t matter how parents display their kids’ bodies. The clothes are fine, parents putting their kids at risk are fine, it’s only the people speaking up who are wrong.
“This is your first time hearing my story, but this is the millionth time we’ve asked you to hear it.”😭💔
*listen
@@RedRoseSeptember22 .... not really, check the description box, it's all there..
Same vibe as "not all men, but 97% of women" 😔
My oldest daughter is 6 and I cannot even imagine her having the self awareness to understand the difference between real life and acting.... that's horrifying
She's not just telling her story, she's providing pragmatic solutions. Well-done, lady!
Maybe if she refrained from the the Masonic hand symbolism. She need to call the cops.
You are so articulate! So interesting to hear this perspective from a person and not a tabloid.
For real
yes its such an eye opener its maddening 😡 no body cared about these children on sooo many different levels of their lives
Pretty pppp
I can’t help but think about countless of interviews where adult actors talk about the difficulties of shedding the characters they play. ADULTS. Let alone kids 😩
I remember seeing you at the Nickolodean Kids Choice Awards. You danced with Will Smith then after you sat behind me to finish watching the show. I remember locking eyes with you and I remember thinking, I wonder what your life was like? To be so young and to have a career. You didn’t look like you were enjoying life. Glad your speaking out. My own daughter was in a pampers add. I was one of those parents excited about her possible Hollywood lifestyle. At the shoot, they wanted me to run away from her to get her to run, it made her cry, still they encouraged me to keep running when all I wanted to do is scoop her up. They didn’t care. They just wanted their perfect shot. Driving home I realized that’s not the lifestyle I want for her.
How sad… and for her to have to think “why is my
Mom running away from me instead of to me?” Or whatever a little baby would think. 🥺😭 Glad you made a good choice for your baby
@@mcnee1ce I Agree! It was f’ing stupid of me to not just say “no” swoop her up and leave.
Girl! If they said run to make ur child cry I would have said no! Yea right ! Im not doing that to my baby
omg ew will smith
@@mcnee1ce What was the point of your comment? This is something that happened and she obviously regrets it, she can’t go back in time. You’re such an asshole
"I sign in my name at the hospital, my body broken and my spirit shattered. A young girl battling her own health crisis finds a moment of relief, laughing at the television. I look at the screen. It's my face." Powerful meaning and a sort of sad irony in these words.
Right, she couldn't get away from it, even when seeking her own relief, dang.
@@brittx537 Yep, and the irony that that the very thing that had her in a state of crisis was helping someone else through theirs. Really bittersweet.
So many girls starved and given Eating disorders for life. It is sick
Hi!!! I am a university student and this transcript, Alyson, ( like as is) should be a published article in an Acedemic Journal!!! This content should be used as an assigned article reading given by professors, or as a scholarly journal that students can cite for papers for any student who is taking courses in/ majoring in psychology, child development, journalism, media, communications as well as just being an amazing piece of acedemic literature!!! I am blown away by your content, sentence structure, VOCABULARY, research, everything!!! Your ability to comprehend and articulate these experiences is remarkable. Wow. Absolutely blown away!!!!
completely agree as a college student myself. we need more of this
Certainly! I've arrived to this video just in time with a uni project where we have to analise an audiovisual piece of our childhood. The one I picked actually includes Alyson. It's crazy cause I didn't searched for this video but the topic is so important and relevant, and the development of the argument is clear and eye-opening. Thank you so much, Alyson. It's true, media and us as an audience often talk or consume toddler-to-trainwreck stories, not without empathy, but also not with enough deepness and reflection.
you can stil cite as a primary source 😊 but yeah, academically it would be more impactful as a published text. She should at least write a book or submit a paper to a journal
agree 10000 PERCENT!
Great idea. She would need to have sources beyond her lived experience for it to appear in a peer reviewed journal. I'm not sure of the ethics of using yourself as a case study. It would be a good addition to the academic discourse and would be worth the work that would go into preparing it for publication.
This was so awesome- offering practical solutions and guidance to where to head to next. I’ve been watching and learning about what happened to Amanda Bynes, the Olsen twins, Jeannette McCurdy, etc. and feel so much compassion + anger. I’m a fan of your work, Alyson, and am excited to see what you do next! 🦋
!!!
@@heydudedolfan13 Oh yes. A super early example. Or literally *anyone* at Nickelodeon or other networks that just got exploited. Or people like Ricky Garcia, whose bodies were *used* and *taken advantage of* and no legal support was ever offered from the companies that enabled this abuse. It's horrifying, honestly and truly.
Agreed!
What happened to jeanette mccurdy??
Monarch programming rebranded.
I don’t know who your psychologist is, but you BOTH deserve an award!!! Thank you for breaking this abusive world down in a way many people may never have even thought about.
She is sworn to secrecy so she hasn’t even told you half of what really went on or actually goes on behind the scenes in this industry. Many would be shock and find it unbelievable what happens...enough so that it would be dismissed as unreal. Why you think many in the industry (movie and music) end up using drugs, over dosing, killing themselves? The things they are exposed to requires them to numb themselves. They learn to pretend while in front of the camera all the while their souls are tormented. Don’t believe? Do the research.
@@cd3881 "Do the research", lmao. Ya'll are going to have to come up with a new go-to phrase because that one's a dead giveaway at this point.
I had two children that were successful actors in Hollywood. I pulled them out of the industry when my youngest was getting too many large auditions and casting directors started essentially chasing him to audition. Everyone thought I was crazy "he's going to make you rich!" I always told my kids that it was my job to take care of them and not the other way around. Seeing behind the curtain let me know that this was no place for children. I'm so happy that I listened to my conscious and not follow money and fame. I'm proud of you for advocating for these children because for many, their parent's aren't.
No you didn’t b
Had two children. Past tense lol Got rid of them once they were unsuccessful in Hollywood huh
The scariest part is when i hear the kids were the breadwinner in the family i cannot imagine being a child and making the money my parents and family need to survive 😳.
This happened when Britney Spears was a teen and is unfortunately still happening due to the conservatorship they set her up for so they could get control.
Selena Gomez was single handedly her family’s only breadwinner from the age of 7
@@mangoesyum so was Jenette mccurdy while on iCarly, and i believe Shia Lebeouf as well
McCauley Culkin..😥
@@LovelyKelly645 yeah, Shia's fam had some issues😢😢😢💔🤗
I took three of my little sisters to Disneyland sometime around 2003 and they spotted you, so they asked if they could take a picture with you. You were gracious enough to take the photo. I now wished we had just let you enjoy your day at Disneyland like we were able to. I'm so sorry for not allowing you that day of peace. I was the adult in the group and I should have known better. And now I do. Thank you for this very impactful message.
This is exactly why I never ever aspired to have any type of fame. I cannot imagine going out in public and being recognized by people I don't know and being asked to take pictures with them. I totally get it from the "fan" perspective but thinking about being on the other end of it made me never want it!
@@tourmii yeah, I think true fans are the ones that at least hesitate to go up to the celeb, when I see shows in person, I actually get deflated and just see they are a person and I hate the idea of people being so praised, isnt healthy
I just had a thought that maybe it's not always a bad thing to irl meet someone you're a fan of, it just should be in a context where they've given consent to being approached, like a meet and greet or a con. That being said, I can't say with absolute certainty that if I saw someone I idolized out on the street, I'd say nothing, so maybe it's not so black and white...
Oh well, they want to be famous and it’s a full time life not when they want it.
@@cherrywilson6267 you’re incredibly dull to write that comment after watching this
The adultification is insane. How you expect a 6 to 17 year old to be professional? How you put pressure on a CHILD to WORK more so other people's bills can get paid???
I’m a former child actor (though not a successful or well-known one) and I endured so much trauma that I had to “retire” (go on disability) at age 25. Though I had already had a long career, since I started my career at age 2. I relate so much to all of this. Thank you for sharing
I am sorry to hear that. What did they do to you?
At age 2???? What fucking parents start to make their INFANT work??? They truly don't do it for the child but for themselves...
@@windsofthewest2164 Alyson says it better than I ever could. Also Jeanette McCurdy
This is so so important even more so today. Now, a child doesn't need Disney to be famous, their own social media can make them mega stars. We as a society do not know how to protect these children yet!
No we don't. And in the new landscape that is "social media fame" like...if we think that acting has very few regulations for their child stars, think about social media, which has almost zero. It's awful in every single respect.
I was an extra in your movie Alice Upside Down, and remember being 11 on set and idolizing you. To think what you were going through during that time, and my impression of it... it just shows how we use people for their energy and talent and throw them away without a second thought.
That was so eloquent & well said. You definitely opened my eyes to the specifics and the mental trauma youth can experience in the industry. It’s so relevant bc this is happening to ppl who have so much influence in society. Supporting you & all you do 👏🏻👏🏻
I agree Aileen! Love you and what you do also Lavi!💚😀
Yesss Alyson, this is soo relevant sis. The truth needed to be exposed! Kudos to you, may God cover and protect you! 😀🙏💜
Yes - like you said it happens to people who influence a lot of people (image wise), but simultaneously it's happening to people so young that they feel they can NOT advocate for themselves 😞 & adults should protect children so only industry/society/& govt are to blame. It's a modern tragedy (by modern i mean 1900's to now). Such a heavy topic.
Usually when stories are told they're told as a more me perspective versus as a whole industry and the step process. Because people don't really know what the process is.
Not just children, I was doing costumes for a film and we were filming a scene where this girl was stripping and making out with a guy in the water and there was such a weird vibe. I was really bothered and uncomfortable and I wished I could have stopped it.
@@katatonic726 exactly. And the actors that had to pretend to care didn't advocate for them. Jessie didn't have to be underweight she was so chubby I'd be surprised if she wasn't a bit overweight. She could be fat bc she had a nanny image but alyson a mere child had to be malnourished?
The shame of “you should be lucky to be here” must be hard to overcome
The outline you used was so much easier for us at home to understand without having to blame child stars. I’ve never thought about how acting out a scene for an audition could traumatize you. Thanks for shedding light on this.
First off, this deserves NATIONAL attention. Would be amazing if the Olsen twins would comment or respond to this
I’m wondering where mainstream media is at ? Oh they are just being paid to ignore this and talk about bullshit.
International too.
@@serenereader You are so Right
This exact transcript was published in a mainstream media publication and the press from that exclusive article is why I looked up Alyson's video.
@@RubyMelodyMusic Wow, that's really cool to know!
People focus on the word ‘star’ and dismiss the reality of also being a ‘child’
It still shocking to see old footage of Shirley Temple surrounded by grown ass men in her movie scenes. It's been going for generations and it needs to stop already. Good on you for being an advocate and keeping this current.
Poor Shirley Temple on the good ship lollypop, I am sure she was being peddled to all those pervs/
I wanted to be a “star” so bad. The older I get the happier I am I wasn’t subjected to the controlling abuse all of them go through.
Not ALL of them
@@dandylion2837 not all of them, but far too many
@@dandylion2837 Most of them though.
Same here. I’m happy that I’m an ordinary citizen. I wanted to be in the business so bad when I was a little girl but I’m happy my mom ignored me. I’m definitely not going to let my daughter go into Hollywood. I’m just going to let my daughter be a child and when she turns 18 she can decide what she wants to do with her life.
@@dandylion2837 You're right. There are exceptions. But this one is a majority.
This is so important and needed IMMEDIATELY. The most followed person on the entire TikTok platform is a 16 year old girl. Children need advocates who are on their side for more than just a paycheck, but to actually protect children from harm.
Thought I’d add this but I learned in therapy that when we either reenact a scene in our mind or make up a scenario of what could happen to us, our bodies can’t tell if what’s happening is in our mind or if it’s really happening. So for you to have to act out such an awful scene at 6 years old must’ve been incredibly traumatizing
Yes! It's well known in roleplaying communities as Character Bleed, and I learned about it first during acting classes in college. The scene might not be real, but the emotions? They are, and the brain can't differenciate the two. I'm shocked and upset that, especially for children, there is NO support on film sets. Unregulated bleed can, and often will, create real trauma.
@@Anvandiel it’s a question in my view of going beyond support on sets, because it’s inherent to the acting craft that you will get into a range of emotions and our scripts are often gratuitously violent or morally confounding - so for me the question plainly is, should such young, developing souls be subjected to this industry at all? Maybe kids should stick to saccharine school musicals and plays, or wholesome activities 🤷🏼♀️ Because they deserve every ounce of protection we can give them from the abuses of the world.
Right. I always think that when I see these prank channels, even worse a six yr old and a rape scene...wow. Not to mention the rejection cycle based on looks and performance. How can they actually grow mentally and physically into a full person with a real sense of self. Scary
I didn't even know what rape was at age 6. I would have no idea how to pretend that. How the hell did Allyson know how to do this? Why was she even given context for this?
They feel justified in exposing them to the info 'for the role' & they ultimately don't care if they end up traumatized. Sadly... most of the 'stage parents' just see the $$$ & never put much thought into long term damage to their child. They will claim to be 'supporting their kids dream' & only wanting to make them happy... and that was probably true at one point... but tends to get pushed to the side when the money starts coming in. It's common for the parents to become just as bad as the industry people... viewing their kid as an asset/ product & putting their focus on delivering a good product rather than on the well being of their child. Much like Jamie Spears or the Lohan's. They get caught up in the lifestyle & will do anything to keep it... including selling out their own kids. (Even after they become adults)
@H M We can only hope.
More importantly, how… how was she given context for this
She will have probably been shown videos of abuse to see how to act it
She wasn't acting to be raped. She was actually being raped. The majority of child stars have gone through lots of rape and molestation from executive types, CEOs, directors/producers..etc. She isn't in a film as a 6 year old being raped. She did commercials for toys when she was that little. The real rape was after the auditions.
Its "dance monkey, dance," and when monkey is broken (or deemed less adorable) we'll get a new one! 😓
Listen to: Tones and I - Dance Monkey
I honestly had no idea there aren’t therapists or HR type people on sets. That’s honestly really shocking
I’m trying to figure out if this was a sarcastic comment lol honestly though, it would be harder to believe if there WERE therapists/HR ppl on site considering how much pedophilia, drug abuse and addiction, and other nonsense exists in the industry (not excluding the children unfortunately) 😔😭
@@virginiawiles5373 i also thought (long ago, not now) that kids were taken good care of, like real therapist in set to help the navigate the idea THAT THEY ARE NOT the role they are playing, also to help them modulate their inner thoughts and help them with stress.
oh naive me, very very naive me..... hollywood is full of p3dos that use tye movies as a way to display their power dinamic to easly abuse kids, kids wity negligent parents, that are target btw, they choose on pourpose families with terrible dinamics
@@jjba3571 100% agree. It’s disgusting and very sad. Even more sad is how many people inside the industry know these things and are unwilling to step in for fear of “losing their job”….😑😔😢
@@virginiawiles5373 besides kida from disfuntional parents have problem setting boundaries, if adults from broken homes bave problems indentifing red flags, imaging kids
@@jjba3571 They should be taken good care of!
I always hated those "ten shocking things about these child actors" because they're just people and if something bad is happening why are they just making jokes or glamorizing their pain instead of helping them
The scary people who disliked this, are clearly those who take advantage of children.
Exactly what I was thinking
I've had people tell me to take my kids to Disney casting calls. I could never. Even before things came out I could just see the fallout while everybody laughed at the drug addiction, sexual issues and mental breakdowns. When my kids started watching Nickelodeon and Disney shows I was quick to stop them as it seemed that sex acts, innuendo and all sorts of disgusting things were being blatantly being thrown at them. Kids get more than we realize and even if they don't get it in the moment what becomes their normal is disgusting. I'll be sharing your video. Thank you.
This is amazing. My mother was approached Many times for myself to be a model for tv and magazines. They wanted me to be the face of the walmart photography center for all of Canada. I was 4. She said no. Because of this. I’m glad she did.
This NEEDS to blow up. She's trying to help the CHILDREN of our future. We need to do better for them !! Seriously, MAD respect for her for this
I wanted to be a child actor. I remember feeling like a victim because my dad said no. I thought he lied to me about how bad life was for young actors and how they eventually “go off the rails”. After I was about 20 years old I realized he was just looking out for me. Honestly, I’m glad he wouldn’t let me act. I am not mentally strong to handle to pressure and the lifestyle. I would’ve been one of the child actors who acted out. I’m proud of you and hope your word reaches millions.
The eloquence though. You need to release this "on paper." It's so beautiful it hits the ears more like poetry. You're message is powerful! Hit it on all levels, sister!
Thank you. It is written and released in People magazine currently. 💜
Interesting that she chose the last line to be “and now you know!” That was the catchphrase from Mike’s Super-short Show on Disney!!! Clever
Came here to say that! I caught myself saying “Cuz it’s Mike’s super short show!” I wonder if that was a little nod.
Right! I thought I was the only one who remembered this line lol
wow wow wow wow wow wow as a psychology graduate and tv/movie/youtube junkie this has completely inspired me to become one of these ridiculously necessary people on set in the industry wow you should be SO PROUD ALYSON for spreading this insight
Agreed! Are you at the same university as me? I have a Cass in my class lol
@@MarshmilloJB oooooo what uni??? Deakin? in Australia??
@@CassSalazar100 Ah no, sorry. I'm in Canada
What an awesome dream. Stay true to your calling, the industry needs people like you!
Best wishes,
Boom operator/composer
Child acting is so glamorized nowadays, I am glad someone so iconic as you can be vocal about it. This was so important! Thank you.
I remember being a kid and wanting to act and be famous so bad. Many adults told me it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I'm glad I'm listened and I'm glad you are doing well!
Me too, I begged my parents to take me to auditions but they didn’t know how to break in. So grateful they didn’t.
Ahh me too.
I was offered modeling and acting opportunities. Because my greand uncle was an orchestra conductor/composer/classic guitarist he knew people in the industry and told my parents that if they put me in it I should do therapy at the same time and have one of them with me at all times (like: standing outside of the bathroom if I was in). I ended up saying no because it seemed such a bother and I was into sports and books more than movies and TV.
I asked my mom if I could go on auditions when I was a kid. I got a big fat no. My mom's uncle was in Hollywood, in at least one movie, and he famously told her to "stay out of Hollywood." So he's literally the reason why I never got into acting. I attempted commercial modeling as a teen but it was not for me. Because of that, though, I do see through a lot of the struggles children look like they're going through trying to hold their own among adults onscreen, noticing them being given their queues, posing that's been drilled into their muscle memory. I read Natalie Wood's bio as a teen and found that a lot of what she experienced as a child actor in the 40s-50s still happens today. Hollywood romanticizes the tragic life of the broken Hollywood starlet.
THIS! I wanted it so bad, for years ever since I was old enough to realize what fame was. It honestly wasn't until recently when all these stars started coming forward with how it really is to be famous that I realized I'm SO glad I never pursued this life, not like I would have made it anyway 😂 lol but it really is a horrible life to live...
You are speaking from a place of logic based off years of emotion, neglect and abuse. I like how you mention what changes can be made to protect minors in film and TV. Proud of you for knowing that you deserve to be healthy and taking the steps to achieve just that.
Reminds me of Blackground records moving JoJo and her mom to New Jersey because the child labor laws were so lax. JoJo and her mom were naive thinking how "nice" they were moving them out of their 1bedroom apartment in another state. Only to figure it out years later. 😔
What happened to JoJo makes me so sad 😩
It’s like suffering narcissistic parental abuse but times a billion. I feel so much empathy for people who have gone through this.
Amanda Bynes, Olson Twins, Brintney Spears, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, And so many others
Thank you for this. I’m so, so worried about the current generation of “child entertainers”, especially online kids. I imagine the boundaries between real and pretend are even more blurred when you’re working out of your home and your parents are running the camera.
I wanted to be on disney channel so bad when i was younger. My mom said i couldnt because child stars always become drug addicts. I didnt believe her and said that wouldnt be me and begged. Glad she stood her ground and i didnt get into that even on a small level.
Three cheers for your Mom! 👍🏻
When you're little you don't even understand what a "drug addict" is, you definitely don't have the comprehension to understand the dangers of it.
How long did you accuse her of crushing your dreams? 😅
That's why I pursue indie.
Checking guardians motives is so important; Briteny Spears, Amanda Bynes, the Olsen Twins were all thrown to the wolves & then told they asked for this because of their parents choices and greed...
Because it was my choice to come to the United States in 2002
Because a seven year old kid can afford plane tickets
Wow. She is so smart. I always knew she was smart, but she has found her purpose here! She was made to help these minors and be an advocate for them. I wish you well, Alyson and hope you are gaining your power back one day at a time. You are strong, girl. I watched you on Disney Channel when I was a little girl and it is extremely disappointing to hear how the Disney (and Nickelodeon) child stars were treated. And it’s not just them. Way to go and well said. You’ve got my support!
I never grew up as a child actor but I did grow up with similar trauma of adults pushing me to do things that no child is capable of doing. It's a very long story and I don't want to spam your comments, but know that I relate to your story very much. I also wish I could give you and others with childhood trauma a hug. You're very strong.
I'm sorry you went through that, and I hope you share your story someday.
This is SO important! And also let’s not forget about the upcoming generation of children growing up as vlogging UA-cam family kids and Baby influencers with IG accounts created by their parents starting on with birth and showing every little aspect of their life open for everyone to see... I am scared for their future.. they have no privacy, no control of their representation and are being abused as real live „actors“ ... we need more awareness on this!
It even starts with conception!
Me too 😥 like the Ace family kids 😔
They're next.. At least the industry is liable and there are laws against it.
💯💯💯
And they are turned into memes in a second. Watching one woman’s response to a small meme about her in junior high made after she chose to submit a video into a contest, I can’t imagine what’s going to happen to these blog and Instagram kids. I refuse to put my children online.
Having a counselor or therapist on set sounds like a great solution! I didn't realize there isn't much done to protect kids on the show industry :(
Wow, this is powerful.
Yes!!!!! She is so well spoken.
Third party counsellors for child actors makes a lot of sense. Alison made me realize it's a workplace danger without one or atleast its not ethical.
The “And now you know” at the end GOT me... it’s basically the result of child abuse that so many of us can complete that phrase in our heads instantly. We’re all responsible here. Thanks for sharing your story, Alyson.
This is so correct, it hurts
what phrase ?
This story reminds me Miley Cyrus. She said at Joe Rogan podcast that she didn't have recovery days, she was working even on weekends, felt so much pressure always to be #1 (at the age of 13 she already had #1 album on billboard hot 200 and to 15 years old she had already 3 #1 albums, a billion franchise, #1 movie and #1 tv show, #1 tour and #1 book and she was the richest and most famous teen in the world. When she finally left Disney, she had an identical crisis and couldn't understand who she really is and people were saying that they don't want Miley, they want Hannah back so she felt like no one gives a f about real her and she wanted to leave the stage because she felt like she is not important anymore. I feel so bad for her. I'm glad now she's at better place. I hope she will take care of herself. There are always people who will love and support her journey. Such an incredible talent. It's a shame how bad the media treats her. Every day i see fake articles about her that she died from over dose. This is so low of people to expect the mental breakdown of the child star instead of supporting them and protecting their mental health.
people don’t talk enough about how cruel the media is to miley...especially during bangerz era, the media was constantly judging her and turning the general public against her. they didn’t allow her the freedom to grow up and fueled her identity crisis. thankfully she has a strong family to keep her grounded and has found herself/ her sound. the media is coming around to her but she deserves an apology. 💜
Stan Miley ❤️
@Karl M Sept 20, 2020, Joe Rogan podcast #1531
Miley Cyrus is a cold-hearted, shitty human being.
@@SierrasCoolChannel maybe perhaps, idk. If she is I hope that she works that out...but it's still awful if she was exploited or overworked imo.
I’m so glad now that former Disney Channel and Nickelodeon stars are coming forward about their experiences. This is a big step in increasing awareness on the dangers of fame as a child. You’re amazing, Alyson!
As easy as it is to judge others, I’ve never been able to judge Amanda Bynes. She started in the industry so young, and even from the outside, it’s obvious child actors go through way too much for their age. I know the things I went through in childhood drastically affected me as a young adult. There’s a reason so many child actors have emotional and mental issues as they become older. It’s because they are mentally and emotionally put through the ringer most of their lives.
Long hours, never being seen as a person, but a tool, neglect, stress over the spotlight, never having a normal childhood. That’s going to cause issues, and those issues will be very difficult to overcome. Some aren’t so lucky, while others struggle with it for years before finally being able to figure out who they are and what they want in life for themselves, while also coming to terms and confronting their past.
There are so many ‘where are they now’ videos, but when I’m introduced to actors on the screen, I try to continue following where they are and what they are up to. I check in from time to time, even if they’ve left the spotlight. Not because I’m looking for dramatic stories, but because I’m hoping they’re doing well and are happy with their lives. When one of them does a movie after time away, I watch that movie because I want to show support. Even though I’ve never met any of these personally, I think it’s important to care. Because they are people.
I remember when fuller house premiered on Netflix and the cast made that dig in the first episode about the Oleson Twins. Then John Stamos made a statement or a tweet about how they were entitled brats not to come back to the reboot 😒 Disgusting.
That’s really gross :(
Yeah I didn't know that.. BS and not fair. I just don't understand how this isn't child exploitation straight out😢
@@prettydalila I think he retracted the original tweet and talked to MK but according to the twins the production team never called them about the reboot and I think there was an effort but they ultimately turned it down. The production team jabbed them in the finale too 😒
Everyone loved those men because they seemed so likeable and family friendly. I’ve always gotten the creeps out of all of them. They always seemed like the “niceness” was a show, but to me they seemed sociopathic underneath it
He’s very close to them in real life. I’m pretty sure it was a joke when he said that. Their family and his are very good friends.
This is so well-spoken. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that. ;-; You are a very strong person.
PS - I love you in Kingdom Hearts. 💖
Which kingdom hearts?
And who...
Xion!
She voices xion as well as kairi in the newer games
@@ummmjared yup shes been doing voiceover alot i don't really see her on camera that much anymore which is unfortunate i think the last big on camera thing she did was camprock 2 i could be wrong though
THIS is why I want to be a Child Guardian in the theatre. I want to foster a sense of childhood for the kids whose lives are being watched like a bug under a microscope. I want to show those kids that childhood is important and needed.
Then how would the creeps get hold of kids? They want to be alone with 2 years olds. All alone......
Everyone needs to watch this. I found this video through tik tok. I am so grateful that you shared your story to help future generations of children
So did I. And I’m so glad I came to watch the video. It broke my heart.
3:17 No 6 year old should ever even hear that word to begin with, let alone be forced to convince themselves that it just happened so they could act it out convincingly on camera. This is horrifying. Thank you, Alyson Stoner, for your courage to come forward. You might be the reason other former child-stars find their courage to speak up. May God give you the strength you need to keep going.
Seriously, who decided that this was something that needed to be filmed? There's absolutely no reason for it!
Ur dam right. No child should know what that word means. And a few more words like they teach in school. 2nd grade teaching kids about sex and different sexes. Very sick stuff.
I had to rewind that to make sure I heard that right. That is just sick to make a 6 year old act it out. I can’t help but think the person recording used it for his/her own purposes! 😢
I'm not a native speaker. Just after reading the comments, I came to the realization that the "fetus position under the table rape scene" was not meant a dark metaphor but that this had really happened!
I agree that certain scenes shouldn't be made at all. Why do we like watching violence and dark shit as entertainment? It's not like a movie like "Lilja 4-ever" (a one I thought of as a "good" movie) will make (m)any viewer go out and help victims. Or am I wrong? And that one is probably a movie that wants to raise awareness. I watch the movie and think to myself: Yeah, that's horrible and really tragic. And then I forget about it almost immediately. Like with the news. I will never understand why true crime movies or crime shows exist and are so loved? Nowadays the bad guys are often the protagonists and the lines between good and bad are blurred (Dexter, Breaking Bad). Are we still rooting for the baddies to get caught or are we secretly hoping they will win?
This is so well-spoken and insightful. I hope this video reaches a wide audience. People don’t realize the harm being done for the sake of “entertainment”
As a child from an abusive home I always saw myself on "train wreck" teenage stars. Not in a glamorous way but in a "my parents are just like that too I'm so sorry". And when the media laughed at them it just taught me the world is a cruel place and you must hide yourself at all cost.
I hope you and countless former child stars now adults band together and make changes. Demi’s doc shared horrific info especially with “Camp Rock” they need to be held accountable, and major changes like the ones you suggested need to be implemented immediately.
Its just the tip of the ice burg sadily. I still dont get why someone like Dan Shinider is not in prision. Cory Fieldman was being honest when he said he was surrounded by pedos. Its sad that so many horrible things happend to these kids and these predators remain free living their best life. We are suppost to Porotect kids yet these kids are being fed to the wolves and not a peep in the media even when some stars do come foward. Hollywood has alot of power. I dont know what it would take for the truth to really come out. I doubt it will. So damm sad. 😒
What happen w demi
@@averythebutterfly watch her documentary 4 part series on UA-cam “Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil” and find out
@@alyssahomen3753 I watched the documentary, what did she say specifically about Camp Rock? I must've missed it
@@arianapadilla9351 it may be triggering to some re-watch episode 3 it went pretty in depth. She reported something vile and the person she told did nothing
I always thought it was a little abusive to allow children to do some of these things.....but speaking up about it is unheard of until after you see the child stars trying to get their lives together. It makes the viewer think "they milked it for all its worth and now they want to write a book".
I hate to say that but its ignorance we have as people only seeing what's in front of the camera.
I am VERY glad you are telling this story now, as soon as possible.
I am proud of you. As someone who followed you a long time ...from missy elliott videos to movies.
I'm glad you are still standing and you understand yourself and what happened and how it isnt your fault.
I have always said that the industry is famous for placing people on a pedestal only to break them down and judge them all the time!! Thank you for speaking out!!
i’m 22, just graduated college and am an aspiring actress. my whole life growing up i always wanted to join the industry and now after hearing everyone’s stories, i’m so glad i had the childhood i did, but i never realized in the moment how much childhood actors miss out on or endure. thank you for this.
@Karl M Those are your lucky outliers.
As a counselor myself I love everything you bring up here. I'm so sorry for all you endured, but I can tell you're about to blaze a trail.
I'm so surprised to hear stories like that. I'm from Spain, and here and almost on every other country in Europe child entertainers is a topic hiper regulated. Wether it's musical theater,film and tv, ads, child singers. Labor hours,protection,parent guidance... All is regulated by law and thoroughly supervised. I always get mad with this things in the USA. It seems like a third-world country in lots of aspects. For example,we have The Voice Kids,which is unimaginable in the US. The hole show is filmed during summer holidays,one show per week,and it is aired one year after it is filmed. They have childhood therapists/psyco,and kids don't make tours or anything. They must be always accompanied by at least one family member all the time, among many other things. The same goes with kids at musicals. Castings are always in presence of their parents/guardians or at least a specialised childhood therapist/educator,usually a woman. For tv or movies,almost the same. Hours are super regulated,and child labor without kids being schooled is forbidden. And school marks are supervised as well. Any kind of production that have kids or teens must have a kids-teen mental health professional and childhood educators. I'm so glad to be european. I think the USA must not be self-centered for at least one time and must look to Europe and copy our regulations to become a real first-world country in such an important thing.
I'm American born partly African raised. I visit Europe(Netherlands and Germany) yearly from America and it's like stepping into a Common sense society. I always tell folks America is only great if you have not traveled. I say in America you have the freedom to be stupid. Moving back to Africa once I'm done with school and saved enough.
Yes! There are stories like this in EU but not as many!!! As in USA. Not that sick stories
Wtf is wrong with them?
@@koko_kasjana I mean,in my country we've never had any stories like that,and i think it's almost the same in all western Europe. I don't know if it is the same in eastern Europe cause rules are different there. It's so sad what she has been through and i feel so sad as well for every other person that has suffered the same things.
@@loliwemoyo5680 Yes,a lot of americans don't realize other parts of the world are better. Gun violence,sistematic racism... There's a lot more thing that the USA has to change. No country is perfect,but at least in most of Europe people from different races are not killed by police or white men because of their race. The same with mass shootings. USA would be a great country if they change completely those things and more.
@@mrPp475 have you seen the documentary about "Parchís" on Netflix? A case of clear child exploitation. But I agree with you that cases in Europe are much less common in the industry than in the USA.
As a kid, you were my idol. We were roughly around the same age and i loved to dance, act a little spunky and dreamed of being just like you. Now as an adult I have that same admiration but because what you stand for! So well said and important for todays society! Keep up the amazing work!
Completely agree! You kindly wrote my thoughts exactly as someone who is 27 and day dreamed of being a child star. She is so articulate and gives powerful recommendations, I aspire to be as clear
Your first story is just mindblowing. How anybody could think that was an appropriate scene for any child to play out, much less a child of 6 is inconceivable. And that's obviously just the tip of a very shady iceberg.
I wish you the best with this new endeavor and hope you can be a catalyst for real change in the industry.
Also it being the audition so every child trying for the role has to go through it
@@Honeydoyou
It makes me wonder if whoever wanted that had their hard drive searched.
this is incredible, i’m a film student and i will do everything in my power to bring this up to everyone i know and try to at LEAST bring light to it. thank you so much for talking about this, you are so strong and beautiful.
Having a mental health trained professional on set and at various stages of the process is something I'm realizing is ridiculous that this wasn't already in place. Yet, I never thought about it either.
Her delivery of this video is so poetic! I am so happy she has reclaimed her mental health!
So eloquently stated. This take would’ve saved so many 80’s and 90’s youth stars. Those that we’ve loved died too soon because they didn’t have a platform like this. This changes the game. Thank you so much for this vid.