It feels obvious now that kids should not be on tv at all, by the same logic that they can't consent to sex. They can't consent to the huge ramifications of public exposure.
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I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
231–240 of 367 posts
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#232This is a heart wrenching read. I wish Wil all the best and I'm happy he did not harm himself. I would also like to invite him to try and see the positive sides of his experience. It shaped him into a man that has been a role model for millions of young men via Star Trek. It may not have been what he wanted, but I'm glad he ended up doing it. I don't know what depression feels like, but if can tell you that watching…
> would also like to invite him to try and see the positive sides of his experience. It shaped him into a man that has been a role model for millions of young men via Star Trek.
How is that positive for him?
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#233Quoted post unavailable.
That character was badly written in the first place I would say. A child actor wont save badly written child character.
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#234Quoted post unavailable.
Wil's character on TNG was my least favorite, even as a kid watching TNG growing up, but I don't believe that is his fault. Clearly the writers did not know what to do with him, and its likely his performance is a result of whatever direction he was given. In the later seasons, particularly in his final episode regardless of the ridiculous "traveler" storyline, his acting is much better, likely as a result of older a…
That really speaks to me. Wesley Crusher seemed like baggage until later when he had some issues for the writers to really dig into and work with. Interesting how the character's trajectory on the show as a gifted child later gone astray relates to the real experience of the actor behind that.
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#235This is a heart wrenching read. I wish Wil all the best and I'm happy he did not harm himself. I would also like to invite him to try and see the positive sides of his experience. It shaped him into a man that has been a role model for millions of young men via Star Trek. It may not have been what he wanted, but I'm glad he ended up doing it. I don't know what depression feels like, but if can tell you that watching…
> would also like to invite him to try and see the positive sides of his experience. It shaped him into a man that has been a role model for millions of young men via Star Trek. How is that positive for him?
Helping others gives meaning to life.
It's a way of leaving a legacy.
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#236See also Jennette McCurdy of iCarly fame:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY63dB6-Uwk
For an idea on how badly she thought about the child stardom, she named her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died:
> Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
* https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Glad-My-Mom-Died/J...
* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59364173-i-m-glad-my-mom...
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the answer is to let them try different things. There's going to be something that they like better than the others. If they keep begging you to stop making them do a thing, that's a clue that it's not the right one.
I think I'd like to say to my son when he gets older, "You have to have at least one skill you're actively developing that takes several years to master. It can be piano or chess or language or baseball or StarCraft or juggling, but it has to be something that takes time to master, and you have to spend at least a few hours every week in deliberate practice." I also plan on modeling that behavior by having skills I c…
This sounds like a good supportive parent thing to do.
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
> would also like to invite him to try and see the positive sides of his experience. It shaped him into a man that has been a role model for millions of young men via Star Trek. How is that positive for him?
Helping others gives meaning to life. It's a way of leaving a legacy.
People don't have to be famous actors to see meaning in their lives. He does not think the experience was good for him. Unlike his character, Will Wheaton is real person.
Also, his character was hardly the "role model for millions of young men" one. It was not written that way and afaik Wesley was not treated that way by fans.
Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#239Re: I was forced to be a child star. It was never my dream or my idea
#240Wow Will was such a part of my childhood watching Star Trek. Obviously, he didn't appear often but he was memorable simply because there were so few people as young as him on the show. Sad to hear this all around. This also brought back memories of me being required to play piano growing up. I hated piano, performing (recitals), playing in general. I was terrrribbleee (still am) and was put up in lessons for 12 years…
I think a lot about how much pushing is the right amount. When I was very young I had piano lessons. My memories are only dim, but I think I enjoyed them. I also gave them up quite quickly. I distinctly remember trying to play a little tune and messing it up again and again. I didn't have the skills to deal with my frustration and anger. I didn't have the perseverance. Perhaps if someone had helped me through this I…
The movie Whiplash looks into this question. It goes to the extreme, and while I never had anything like abuse in my school music career there were a few spots that made me think back.
It is an intense movie, but I think well done.