Carly Shay: “I just want you to be happy”.
Sam Puckett: “Then bake me a pie”.
The lighthearted dialogue belongs to the iconic TV series, iCarly, which rebooted a few months ago. However, an important character cut all ties with the show: Sam Puckett. Jennette McCurdy who played Sam in iCarly revealed numerous reasons for not reuniting on the reboot. She highlighted her unwillingness to act and the abuse she experienced.
This led to a 13-year-long eating disorder until the age of 24. She is not the first: many superstars who started young struggled in their adult years. Lindsay Lohan struggled with alcohol, Miley Cyrus struggled with drugs...the list goes on and on. Why does the crazy ex-child star stereotype exist? Should children participate in the entertainment industry? Are child entertainers just a glamorized violation of child labor laws?
Child Labor Laws
Has it ever occured to you that the minimum fifteen-year-old age qualification for jobs doesn't apply to the entertainment industry? Kids, even babies, are frequently shown in performances, TV shows, movies, music videos, and magazines. Around the world, there are special laws made for children in the entertainment industry.
However, there has not been a strict international benchmark, unlike common child labor laws. This has led to many countries missing important parameters of child protection. For one, USA’s Coogan Law only protects the earnings of children by ensuring at least 15% is put into a separate savings account for children. However, there is no benchmark of children’s wages, hours of work, and amount of jobs taken𑁋this decision is left to each state and/or agency’s decision.
Due to the lack of regulations, children in entertainment become the play toys of money-hungry adults. Children find themselves in hazardous set conditions, which led Disney Star Alyson Stoner to stress, malnourishment, and eventually, multiple eating disorders. Her team was no sport, either. When she checked into rehab, she was forced to continue her auditions to avoid the risk of “losing momentum”.
Sadly, many parents are also extremely driven by money. Due to financial instability, Jennette McCurdy’s parents forced her into acting. She was force-fed audition after audition and starved to maintain a youthful figure. Her parents hoped that this would help her score roles of children and teenagers; roles she has had tremendous success in.
The Hurdles of Social Media Stars
