The Boom and Bust Cycles of Child Stars

            In response to Tuesday’s discussion, the idea of fame before maturity was an interesting topic that came up. When people start to idolize celebrities, and even start to go so far as to worship them, they often fail to look at the big picture. They focus on that brief, open window of time when that celebrity is in the prime of his or her fame. However, the focus should be on when that fame exists. More often than not, we see the tragic cycle of child stars. The most fitting example is Michael Jackson. From the age where most children began elementary school, he was put into the public eye. His dreams were determined for him perhaps even before he was truly aware of what he wanted to do. His father, Joseph Jackson, was notorious for the severe level of stress and abuse he put upon his children to succeed in the entertainment industry. With emotional scars left behind and unwanted publicity, it is no wonder many child stars become disillusioned. Yet, once they become older and start to grow out of their childhood fame, they take it upon themselves to reject normalcy. They try to regain that fleeting moment of stardom. Of course, this does not apply to all childhood stars. Some like Leonardo DiCaprio have become very successful in their adult lives. However, these successful stars usually have something their counterparts do not. And that is usually a stable personal life. Having loving and supporting parents temper out the extremities of sudden fame, reducing the chances of them going rogue. This is something that we see time and time again. Despite all this, people still desire to become famous, without thinking about the consequences nor the bigger picture. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/movies/the-dardennes-and-philippe-falardeau-on-child-actors.html