NWANONYIRI: Please, no more child entertainers
Hollywood will always remain a mystery to me. I never fully understood the idea of subjecting a young child to labor that exposes them to the world while working long hours on a set with adults. Are school plays not enough?
For the past few days, my social media platforms have been flooded with scenes from Investigation Discovery's docuseries "Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV." The docuseries details disturbing recollections of abuse and trauma faced by multiple ex-Nickelodeon child stars, including Drake Bell from "Drake & Josh," Bryan Hearne from "All That" and Alexa Nikolas from "Zoey 101."
How can multiple adults on a set allow children to endure unspeakable acts? Why did this go unnoticed for years? The documentary series exposes famous producer and coach Dan Schneider and Brian Peck, respectively, for their unsettling behavior on set. Schneider and Peck also worked on TV shows such as "Victorious," "iCarly" and "The Amanda Show."
The documentary series has resulted in various instances of on-set inappropriate behavior being made public — for example, a clip of producer Schneider sitting in a hot tub with then-child actress Amanda Bynes has incited conversations on social media.
In the documentary series, Hearne, the only Black male actor on the set of "All That," details hostile working conditions on set that included long hours violating child labor laws. He also discusses the set's racially discomforting environment, including an instance where he was told that his skin color was "charcoal."
Bell also revealed shocking information regarding abuse he faced while on "Drake & Josh" and "The Amanda Show," specifically from Peck, stating, "Why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault, and that'll answer your question." At just 15 years old, Bell woke up to Peck sexually assaulting him.
Being in any role in the entertainment business is a full-time job. Networks and child labor laws should be actively enforced in this type of environment for children. Parents should not be allowed to leave their kids alone on a set without a trusted guardian if they are minors. While there has been progress on this, to see results, networks should be held accountable and face consequences if they do not abide by these policies.
The implementation of background checks has been a conversation for networks since the release of the documentary series. Even though this is more relevant to employees, parents should be checked too. "iCarly" actress Jennette McCurdy's mother abused McCurdy for years and fixated on obtaining fame for both of them. Multiple people on set were unaware of the severity of the abuse.
While guardians and studio teachers are provided on set, child therapists also need to be present. This can create a safer environment for young entertainers to feel protected and heard. Child entertainers are only protected by state laws and not federal labor laws, which is alarming because 17 states do not have specific laws for child entertainers. With this lack of law enforcement and the authority of Schneider and Peck, anything goes.
Realistically, removing all child actors and entertainers would be extremely difficult. Yet, increasing security, enforcing policies and providing therapy for aspiring child entertainers can stop another identical docuseries like "Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" from being released in 10 years.
Limiting the age of child entertainers is another approach. Aspiring actors should not be younger than 6 years old. A child should not be on national TV or the internet before they have gained consciousness of their environment. This way, children have a better chance of being more aware and understanding of their surroundings. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, for example, endured objectification throughout their youth, with people counting down the minutes until they would turn the legal age of 18 years old.
In response to the twins' declining to star in the reboot "Fuller House," co-star Dave Coulier stated, "They were babies (at the time). So, they don't share those same memories. I can't really speak for them, but I would understand why they don't have the same sentiments that we all do."
With awareness, continuous exposure and transparency from network companies about what child entertainment entails, stories like McCurdy's, Bell's and Bynes's can be avoided.
Being famous is almost every kid's dream. Still, it needs to be established by the public and experienced actors that being in the entertainment industry should come with terms and conditions.
Uju Nwanonyiri is a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in journalism and media studies and public health. Nwanonyiri’s column, “Debrief Discussions” runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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