Kids on reality TV

The Child Labor Reality

I’ve gotten into heated discussions with people over whether kids working in the entertainment industry is comparable to child labour. The way I see it, if you’re working, you’re considered labour, so any kid working is child labour. Others try to say I’m insulting the child labourers of third world countries, because their PC definition of child labour is restricted to kids working in factories in places like Bangladesh or Honduras. Sure, kids working in third world countries have it rough, but if you think that kids working on TV are all living a life of luxury, and making a huge amount of cash for later in life, you’re sadly mistaken.

Some places like California have laws set up for kids, many places don’t. So while your ten year old can’t go work at a store, or even on the family farm, you can send them off to work on a movie set, where contrary to popular perception, the work is much less than glamorous. Filming can be long, hard, and tedious, and sometimes even dangerous. You might be working outside in snow in winter, or in the heat of summer, with no AC, or even shade. You might end up working with a sex offender, and good luck getting anyone to do anything about that. Animals normally have a handler, and laws to protect them, making sure they get breaks for water, and to rest. Kids in most states do not even have that.

Now, there’s a huge crop of reality shows based around kids. These ones have even less protections. Most reality shows are scripted, and it’s not just cameras following kids around. Jon from Jon & Kate talked about how they would do retakes if the shot wasn’t right, and they might have the kids up at 2am, outside in the snow, trying to film. He got tired of it, and wanted to protect the kids. Kate didn’t care, she was making money, and getting famous. Even better, the kids were exempt from their own contracts in the beginning, so all the money was going to the adults.

I could argue the child labour issue of kids in the media till I’m blue in the face, but it’s probably just easier to let Paul Petersen do it. He’s my personal hero, and he’s been fighting for kids in the industry for years. Paul started A Minor Consideration, and here he is on CBC radio, discussing the laws. It’s about 12 minutes long, but very worth your time.

Listen here: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/ID/2671225973/

A Minor Consideration is there for all current and former kids in the industry. If you’re a product of the industry and need help, contact AMC. If you want to help out, you can make a tax deductible donation, or attend our first ever Gala event in August. All money raised goes to helping fight for the rights of the innocents of the industry.

www.aminorconsideration.org

June 26, 2015

Love Wins!

Gay Marriage now legal in all 50 States

Congratulations America. I had woken up this morning to news of three separate terrorists attacks, and as I looked at the yellow countries affected on the map, which were all fairly close to Italy, where I’m about to head on vacation, I was starting to feel nervous. The online news showed me uncertainty in Greece, also on our travel list.

As I was watching the news, fearing more doom and gloom, as they talked about Obama heading to speak at the church in South Carolina that was attacked, the TV popped up with BREAKING NEWS, and finally, something good in the world.

The Supreme Court of the United States had finally reached a decision on Same Sex marriage. A country that claims to separate church and state, but usually doesn’t, finally had an epiphany, and listened to the majority of its constituents. They finally made Same Sex marriage legal in all 50 states. Congratulations America. I am very proud of you. You have joined other forward thinking countries in recognizing the rights of all people to love and marry.

Ok Australia, it’s your turn. Do me proud.

June 16, 2015

Wild Horses Movie Review

Wild Horses

Have you ever seen a movie so horrifically bad, you feel compelled to warn others not to waste two hours of their lives?

This movie, Wild Horses, stars Robert Duvall. He’s an American legend. Usually, his stuff is amazing. Somehow though, in between writing, directing, and starring in this movie, he completely failed. His biggest fail was casting his wife as one of the main characters. Luciana Pedraza, aka Luciana Duvall, plays a Texas Ranger so wooden, Pinocchio looks real by comparison. The only other movie she has been in was another Robert Duvall movie. Look Robert, I get you love your wife, but that doesn’t mean she can, or should, act in your movie.

I wanted to turn the movie off after the first 10 minutes, but I held out for James Franco and Josh Harnett. (Also, there’s a Tropical Storm happening, so I can’t go play outside) Even these two couldn’t save the film. The scenes involving them were slightly better, but I just felt sorry for them being in this movie, and trying to act off the rest of the cast. Franco acted his ass off 127 Hours, and he didn’t have anyone to act with in the majority of that movie. I guess that’s easier than trying to act off people who are just terrible actors. The casting director of this film should be thrown out of the Casting Directors association. Did he even have these people read their lines before giving them their jobs? The other “Rangers” and cast members seems to have taking acting lessons from William Shatner, but forgot to use facial expressions.

The movie wasn’t helped along by my other pet peeve in movies; filming locations that aren’t remotely like the place that they’re set. I know the Texas Film Commission fucked up a few years ago by taking away film incentives, so now all these movies that are set in Texas go film somewhere else, but seriously, how do you make a movie that is supposed to be set on the Rio Grande in Texas, in Utah? Sure, Texas and Utah might both have some rocky regions, but I can assure you that nowhere along the Mexican border does it look like the Mountains of Utah. There’s no mormon tabernacles, and I laughed my ass off when the fictional LaBelle County Sheriff car was parked, and they forgot to take the Utah license plate off of it. Also, why do people think that every movie set in Texas needs to be all about cowboys wearing wranglers and Stetsons. I was so confused when I moved to Texas and there wasn’t cowboys everywhere. Every Hollywood movie made me think there was nothing but horses and oil rigs in this huge state. Sure, there are cowboys, but that’s not all there is. It’s such a cliche.

So, save yourself the time, and the frustration, and probably your voice as you start screaming at the screen. Find something else to watch. Pretty much anything that Duvall, Franco or Harnett are in. Anything would be better than this. I guess at least Matt was amused, but I think he was watching me watch the film…. Let’s just say, I got more animated than anyone paid to be in this film.

June 15, 2015July 14, 2015

Royal Commission looking at the Entertainment Industry

Royal Commission turning the spotlight on the Entertainment Industry

When the Royal Commission was announced a few years ago, we wondered if they would also be looking at the Entertainment Industry. Some people indicated it would only be looking at “institutions” but if the industry isn’t an institution, then I don’t know what is.

After my own ordeal, and of course following all the cases in the UK with Operation Yewtree, as well as hearing about the plethora of cases in the US, it’s fairly obvious, at least to me, that the entertainment industry needs a spotlight to look into some of the darker corners. It would be very naive to think that I was the only case in the Australian entertainment industry. When I went public, I received many messages of support from others who understood, because they too had been through a similar ordeal on a set.

I am thrilled that the Royal Commission has announced that they are seeking others who may have been abused within the industry, and are calling for them to come forward to talk. Even if you weren’t a victim yourself, if you have information on abuses within the industry, please contact the commission, and let them know. Your evidence could help others. It’s not just for television. Here’s their scope: “Institutions within the Royal Commission’s scope may include television networks, film and television production companies, theatrical production companies, dance, drama and performing arts schools or colleges, casting agencies or any other company, agency or organisation, public or private involved in the entertainment industry.”

Here’s the link to the official announcement, which contains the contact details for the commission. I encourage anyone who can help the commission to come forward.

You can contact the Royal Commission via: Phone: 1800 099 340, Email:solicitor@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au, or Mail: GPO Box 5283, Sydney NSW 2001.

For more information on the Royal Commission please visit our websitewww.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au

June 10, 2015

Residuals

Can actors live off residuals forever?

There seems to be a perception that an actor can live off residual cheques forever. It’s a common misperception. Yes, there are a few actors who do live quite well with the added residual income cheques, but there are very few who can live off just that income. Especially if you’re from an older show that had a contract written before new technology.

Another child actor friend of mine had started a discussion today within our group asking about residuals. I always love hearing from my US counterparts, because the laws are set up so differently here. Or at least I thought. Seems a lot of them with older contracts also got screwed out of money. Sometimes they post up pics of the cheques they do get, so we can all have a laugh and commiserate together. Some people get an actual cheque for $0.10 or less. It’s not even worth the paper it was written on.

After seeing the discussion today, it got me thinking about the last time the Hey Dad cast got a cheque. It was before I turned 21, and I bought a watch with it, which I still have. It was a Tag Heuer, and it was on a crazy sale for under $500. I had been eyeing it for months, and when I got that cheque, I cashed it, and got me that watch. I think that cheque was for $800, so I spent the rest on something responsible like rent and groceries.

Our contracts were from the 1970’s. There was no electronic media back then. Nobody knew what a DVD was. Cable wasn’t in Australia yet. They had it written in that we would get a few rounds of residuals from overseas sales, and repeats. A lot of older US contracts were updated to reflect that shows are now run constantly on cable, and are also being put into box sets. Some even reflect digital usage.

Somehow, that never happened in Australia. We thought maybe since it had been shown on Comedy Classics channel on cable, there might be something owed there, but apparently, we were all shit out of luck. Nothing from all the local channels that played it for years either. All the foreign residuals were also out of contract it seemed. I wasn’t even really aware that we had a box DVD set until Gary Reilly sent me an email, asking for a current address, as there may have been money owed to us. My next trip to Australia, I took my brother to the store with me to show him, because he didn’t believe me, and Matt bought a set, so I know they sold at least one DVD set.

Then, I didn’t hear anything for a long time, so I contacted Gary again, making sure things didn’t get lost in the international post. Gary said there had “been an error” and that even though there was now two box sets in Australia, and Germany released four different box sets, we wouldn’t be getting any money. When we got together for that episode of Where Are They Know, we had a discussion at dinner, to see if anybody have ever received anything. None of us had. Worse than that, Chris Truswell got excited because he had money sent to from the union, and then they said there had been an error, and it belonged to someone else. We wondered how it was that even with old contracts, the show could be sold over and over again, and us actors were getting nothing for it. I’m glad to know it’s way more common than just Australian shows getting fucked. (I had heard the cast of Prisoner also kicked up a stink about not getting anything when they were sold off on DVD)

Of course, nobody is going to buy these DVD sets now. (I think I sealed that deal 😉 ) Although there are a couple of sets available on Amazon in the US and the UK. (Do they even know what the show was?) I’m not bitter about it, because it was probably only pennies we would have gotten anyway. It’s just an observation that I made today that actors make a lot less money than people think they do. Shit, I made more in the military per week than I ever did on Hey Dad..! I’m guessing Gary made a pretty penny as the producer though. If I ever go back to the industry, I’m going to be a producer. They’ve got the money and the power.

So next time you see an actor out and about, especially if they’re working a second job, be nice to them. Understand that they probably don’t just blow through all their money on booze and drugs. Some of them just never got that money in the first place to start the party with. Not everyone makes Charlie Sheen money.

Of course, if anyone from the media union in Oz is reading this, I’m sure the rest of the cast would appreciate it if you looked into where their residual money is.

June 3, 2015

A Minor Consideration Gala

AMC is having a fundraiser!

As some of you know, I’m involved with a group in the US called A Minor Consideration. It was started by Paul Peterson back in 1991, to help current and former child actors. When I was going through all the shit with the investigation and court case in Australia, I found Paul, and he welcomed me into the fold. AMC has the most amazing group of people, who truly understand what it is to be a child actor, and the stuff that we go through. They’re not just a support group, they actively work to change laws, and make the industry a safer place for kids to work in. It’s not just about actors either, AMC helps to create child labour laws for kids in reality TV, who are often not covered at all in some states. A lot of people don’t know that each state has its own laws regarding child labour. Some States simply contract the parents, and all the kids work for free. They’re not covered by any kind of child protection laws, and can be worked all kinds of crazy hours, in any kind of weather, and don’t even have any right to the money their supposedly making.

A Minor Consideration is actively working with the government to protect child performers, but they can’t do it for free. It’s expensive to travel to DC to meet with the legislators. It costs money to help former child actors who need help. So for the first time ever, A Minor Consideration is having a fundraising event, and it’s going to be awesome.

If you’re in the LA area, or need a good excuse to go there, the Gala in going to be on August 30, 2015 at the Hollywood Lucky Strike.

There’s going to be a tonne of celebrities, a huge auction of memorabilia, and most importantly, a good time while we help raise money for AMC.

So spread the word, but your tickets, or just make a donation. I plan on being there, and I hope to see y’all there too.

Click the picture above, and it will take you to the AMC Gala page where you can buy tickets to the event, or just make a donation to this worthy cause.

May 22, 2015May 22, 2015

Celebrity Sex Offenders

The Who’s Who of Celebrity Sex Offenders.

When I first talked about being molested by someone on set, people acted like nobody in the industry was capable of being a sex offender. Which is just silly. Just because celebrity sex offenders get away with it in crazy numbers, doesn’t mean they’re not capable of doing it. It’s not like it’s unprecedented either. Plenty of celebrities were accused before me, and with the flood of people being outed lately, hopefully, more and more of them will have to face their crimes.

So lets have a little recap of who all these creepers are. Not everyone here has been charged with a crime. The Americans, besides having a statute of limitations which prevents charges being laid, are in particular very good at having cases thrown out, or settling out of court.

Since Josh Duggar is all over the news today, lets start with

The “Reality Star” creepers.

Josh Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting. The conservative Christian, who went off to DC to campaign against the LGBT community, claiming they were a danger to kids, was in fact the real danger. Turns out he molested five girls, several of whom are believed to be his sisters.

Vincent Margera of MTV’s hit reality show, Viva La Bam. In 2007, Margera was convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a child after he allegedly groped two girls age 12 and 14.

Shane Sparks from So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew. Shane was arrested on felony charges of child molestation. He was charged with six counts of a lewd act on a child and two counts of oral copulation of a person under 16. He pleaded no contest to a single felony count of having unlawful sex with a minor under 16. Under a plea deal approved by LA County Superior Court Judge Martin Herscovitz, the other counts were dismissed.

Will Hayden from Sons of Guns. Hayden was arrested and charged with molestation of a juvenile and aggravated crimes against nature. His daughter also came out to say he raped her when she was 12. He awaits trial

Former “Cake Boss” cast member Remy Gonzales is currently serving 9 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

Though not a star himself, Mar McDaniel was dating Honey Boo Boo mum, June. June’s daughter Anna alleges he molested her when she was eight.

“So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer and salsa dance instructor, Alex Da Silva, was convicted for raping a 22-year-old woman and assaulting another with the intent to commit rape.

The Directors

Roman Polanski was arrested for raping and sodomizing a 13 year old girl. He fled the country before sentencing.

Woody Allens daughter Dylan has publicly accused him of molesting her as a child

Bryan Singer has been accused of raping a young male actor.

Victor Salva pled guilty to one count of lewd and lascivious conduct, one count of oral sex with a person under 14, and three counts of procuring child pornography.

Terry Richardson is a photographer, but also directed Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball film clip. Some models he has worked with, including Rie Rasmussen, Jamie Peck and Charlotte Waters, have accused Richardson of inappropriate sexual behavior, sexual assaults and exploiting young female models

The Actors

Bill Cosby has so had almost 50 women come forward to claim he drugged and raped them.

Stephen Collins admitted to molesting three underage girls.

Jeffrey Jones was arrested for possession of child pornography and accused of soliciting a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic photographs

Rob Lowe taped himself having a threesome. One of the girls was only 16. Lucky for him he was in Georgia, where the age of consent is 16. He was also taped with a young model in France, but she wasn’t identified.

Cameron Thor was arrested and charged with kidnap and rape of 13-year-old girl he met for acting classes

Paula Poundstone was arrested and charged with three counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a girl under the age of 14 and one count of child endangerment. To avoid jail time, Poundstone pleaded no contest to one count of felony child abuse and a misdemeanor count of “inflicting injury upon a child.”

The Singers

Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year old cousin.

Mackenzie Phillips claimed that she and her father, John Phillips had a 10-year incestuous relationship, which began after he drugged and raped her.

Peter Yarrow, one third of the popular American folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, pleaded guilty to “taking indecent liberties” with a 14-year-old girl

Michael Jackson has been accused by multiple boys of sexual molestation.

Sean Kingston has settled up with the girl who accused the singer and his former bodyguards of gang rape back in 2010.

CeeLo Green gave a woman MDMA and had sex with her while she was passed out, but claimed it wasn’t rape, because she wasn’t conscious….

R. Kelly. A video surfaced allegedly showing Kelly engaging in sex with, and urinating on, an underage girl. He was found not guilty after claiming it wasn’t him on the tape. He was also illegally married to singer Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time.

Mystikal (real name Michael Tyler) was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and extortion.

Tupac Shakur was charged with sexual battery and sodomy in 1993. Shakur admitted to having consensual sexual relations with the woman who accused him of the assault and was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse.

Apparently the King had a thing for 14 year old girls. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1261082/The-Kings-troubling-obsession-Elvis-woman-So-able-form-relationships-virginal-girls.html

Tripp Eisen arrested on February 10, 2005 on a felony charge in Orange County, California for having sexual intercourse with an underage girl. He was released on bail after only a few hours in custody. Just two weeks later, on February 24, 2005, Eisen was arrested again in California by New Jersey detectives for the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl from Sayreville, New Jersey

The UK Sex Offenders

Jimmy Savile may be the most prolific sex offender in the UK. Operation Yewtree was formed because of him.

Gary Glitter has been charged with numerous sexual offences.

Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including the attempted rape and sexual assault of a one year old baby.

Max Clifford was convicted of eight indecent assault charges.

Stuart Hall pleaded guilty to having indecently assaulted 13 girls, aged between 9 and 17 years old.

Jonathan King was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001 for sexually abusing five boys, aged 14 and 15, during the 1980s

The Australians

Robert Hughes was convicted of 10 counts of sexual and indecent assault involving four girls.

Jeremy Kewley has been charged with more than 100 child sexual offences

Rolf Harris was found guilty on 12 counts of sexual abuse against four girls

Malcom Fox was convicted of four counts of unlawful sexual assault

Milton Orkopoulos is a former New South Wales state politician was convicted on charges relating to child sex offences.

Patrick Power is a former Senior Counsel in New South Wales, Australia. He was Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor at the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In May 2007 he was convicted of possessing child pornography.

I’m not even going to try to do sports people, there’s just too many of them. Jerry Sandusky and Mike Tyson probably being the two most famous to actually serve prison time, both for rape.

Who have I missed on here?

May 21, 2015

Incest is ok if you’re a christian apparently

Christians defend Josh Duggar

I’m starting to see why it’s taking a Royal Commission to bring out all the molestation scandals. Religious folks have been systematically brainwashed to think that molestation is OK, as long as the perpetrator asks God for forgiveness.

While a bunch of religious folk condemn gays and lesbians, are are very anti-gay marriage, they find it totally appropriate to defend child molesters and people who commit incest. It’s terrifying.

Religious people love to tell atheists that without God they’re going to go to hell. Which is funny, since we don’t believe it in. But at least the atheists are all on the internet condemning rape, child molestation and incest. You don’t need God to understand that this shit is wrong. Asking the invisible friend for forgiveness is NOT the same thing as asking your victim for forgiveness. Just because your magical invisible friend tells you he’s forgiven you, doesn’t mean the important people, the victims, have.

I know there’s a lot of good people out there who are religious who also condemn this behaviour, but it just floors me that people are seriously defending this guy, pulling the “He who is without cast the first stone” bullshit. Well, I’ve never molested a kid, so I’m going to go ahead and throw that stone.

jd6 Also, for all you sick people trying to justify his actions by saying he was a teenager, and that’s normal… Um, it wasn’t on the playground with another kid, where it was consensual. It was his fucking sisters, and they weren’t OK with it. This are a family who supposedly wait to even KISS on their wedding day. So you can’t even kiss before marriage, but it’s OK to stick your fingers in your fingers in your sister’s vagina? No. Just no.

May 21, 2015May 21, 2015

Five Molestations and Counting

Another TV star investigated for molestation.

One of the Duggar kids, of 19 Kids and Counting, has been investigated for molesting his sisters.

Someone has uploaded copies of the police report online, with all the names of both the perpetrator and the victims blacked out, but InTouch is claiming that they found out from “a source” that it was Josh who did it, when he was 14. The family was told what he was doing in a letter. Jim Bob, the father, thankfully took it seriously, and questioned the rest of the kids. They felt safe enough to talk about what had happened. Jim Bob also spoke to Josh, who admitted what he had done. So far, even though it’s bad that Josh molested the girls, it’s being handled pretty well.

After that, it gets kinda dodgy. I’m guessing since they were on a very popular TLC show that they had to try to keep it quiet. Nobody wants to know there’s a kiddly fiddler on TV….

So Jim Bob sends Josh to “treatment” which wasn’t really treatment. It was a buddy in another state. But hey, at least he was trying to get the kid away from the girls. He did way more than what a lot of other people do in the same circumstances.

Then they had Josh talk to a State Trooper. This didn’t go so well, since that same Trooper was later arrested himself for child pornography…. He didn’t do anything about Josh at the time. Now, the statute of limitations has run out for the girls to do anything. Having been raised as being nothing more than future baby makers, they’ve “prayed about it and forgiven him”. At least, that’s what they’re saying. I’m betting there’s some not so Christian thoughts in their heads.

I’m not sure whether to be happy that the family at least attempted to do something about it, and that the girls felt like they could tell their dad, or if I’m disappointed that nothing really worthy was done. I guess a bit of both. It’ll be interesting to watch the fallout from this over the next few weeks. Let’s hope Josh really got some help, since he’s now married and has his own kids.

UPDATE:

Josh Duggar has resigned as Executive Director of the Family Research Council, acknowledging he sexually molested underage girls including some of his sisters, calling his conduct inexcusable.

Josh just told People, “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager. I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret.” He continues, “We spoke with authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling.”

Well, at least he openly admits to it, and is sorry for what he did. Not saying that makes it any better, but it’s got to be way better on the girls than having him deny it.

Interestingly, this is the second TLC show that has had problems with sexual predators. Honey Boo Boo was cancelled when Momma June hooked up with a convicted sex offender that had molested her own daughter.