Vale Erin Moran

The indignity of dying away from the spotlight.

This week, the world lost Erin Moran. Erin was best known as Joanie from Happy Days, and then Joanie Loves Chachi.

A lot of my friends simply knew her as Erin, a fellow former child star, and good friend.

I never got to meet Erin personally, as like me, she didn’t live in LA. She had stepped away from the spotlight, and moved to Indiana. She did keep in touch with all of her friends in LA though. Many of them knew she had cancer, as Erin had told them, but asked them not to share it with the world.

Erin, like many of us, went through some rough patches. ALL of us have had shitty moments, or bad times. The difference when you’re famous is, is that the whole world knows about it. There’s something about being a child star that the tabloids are just drawn to when it comes to having a bad moment. I think some editors find it orgasmic to show a Disney star looking drunk, or being sloppy. They expect us to have drug problems, DUI’s and bad relationships. If you’re one of the many child stars who move on and go about life quietly, there’s almost a sheer disdain for how boring you are. Places like TMZ would have you believe that every child actor is a train wreck, but in reality, there are hundreds that end up just fine. You just don’t hear about them. But if you’re a kid star that fucks up even once, the public is going to hear about it forever. That one night that most people can hide and move on from will come back and haunt you constantly. People will bring it up over and over. In Erin’s case, even when she died.

Erin died of cancer. She knew she had it. Her friends knew she had it. The public didn’t though, and neither did the tabloids. So when she died, the media immediately brought up her past, and speculated that she died broke and penniless and from a drug overdose. These days, it’s not about getting the story right, it’s about being first. Fuck the memory of the person you’re covering, and screw the feelings of her friends and family.

Its tragic that as a child star, you can’t even die with dignity.

Its sad for Erin. It’s also a sobering moment for all the other child actors out there. Watching the speculation over Erin, I imagine every other child actor having that moment of “when I die, will they bring up every bad moment of my past?”

Child actors are people too. We have feelings. We have souls. We have good days and bad days, just like regular people. (Cause we ARE people, we just had jobs as kids)

Just because someone no longer works in Hollywood doesn’t mean they can’t work anymore. Many actually choose to leave, and they also choose not to share every moment of their lives with the world. We should respect that. We should also respect that when someone dies, we say nice things about them, like we do all the other people you know, and not assume they bottomed out and died disgracefully.

Don’t be like Scott Baio and put your foot in your mouth when a former co-worker dies. Even if they DID once have a problem, you can still be polite. It’s hard when someone sticks a microphone in your face before you know the facts, but maybe take a deep breath, say something kind, and sit back and wait for the truth. You don’t need to be the asshole.

It’s only April, and I’m sure there will be more celebrity deaths this year. Maybe we can all honor Erin’s memory by learning from the coverage of her death, and be a little nicer to the next person who goes.

RIP Erin. May all your future days be happy.

May 23, 2016

Elijah Wood says Hollywood has a child sex problem

Yesterday, someone posted a link to my FB page with an article about Elijah Wood. A couple hours later, I got a text message from another friend, linking to an Elijah Wood article. I then saw a radio station with an idiotic link to the same article, with a “I can’t believe it!” caption. Which made me wonder, Why can’t you believe it? What I can’t believe, is how many people recently have spoken up about predators in the entertainment industry, and each time, the public acts as if it’s the first time they’ve heard it. Maybe because I’m so vocal about it, and I was successful in sending one of those predators to prison, maybe that’s why when I woke up this morning I had another half dozen people alerting me about Elijah Wood speaking up. I think it’s great that someone else, someone still working, someone who people might actually listen to is speaking up. People like Barbara Walters won’t be able to belittle Elijah like she did to Corey Feldman when he spoke up about being passed around, implying that Corey was a druggie and shouldn’t be believed, before declaring that he was “destroying an entire industry”. Unfortunately, most of the people who have spoken up so far have been the ones who have been damaged by the industry they’re talking about, and the elites simply run a smear campaign, and it goes away very quickly. But even if one of those elite is found to be guilty, like Jeepers Creepers director Victor Salva, they do a miniscule amount of time, and then go right back to working in the industry, embraced by their fellow predators in the industry, and given a green light to work with kids again.

I can’t believe people are shocked every time this subject comes up. I’m amazed at how quickly people forget about the last dozen people who have spoken up and said the exact same thing. I don’t understand how people can possible think that Hollywood is exempt from this kind of thing, when it’s so prevalent in regular society. Why would Hollywood be missing out? People accept the casting couch with pretty young girls is common, why is old men preying on young boys unbelievable?

I hope that now that Elijah Wood has spoken up, people finally start listening. Maybe other high profile actors will also start speaking up, and finally, people will start believing those that have been affected. Maybe we can finally start changing laws, and making the industry a safer place for children to work. Everyone at A Minor Consideration knows there’s a huge problem in the industry, and are trying their best to not only change laws, but provide help to those kids that were directly impacted by it.

If you haven’t seen the movie An Open Secret, it’s available on YouTube. Read Corey Feldman’s biography, Coreography, do a google search on hollywood convicted sex offenders, or read about my own story, which took place in Australia, not LaLa Land. Abuse of power is truly universal…

Most importantly, stop acting shocked everytime someone speaks up about abuse by powerful people. When you act shocked, and think it can’t be true, someone who you know in real life may think twice about speaking up about their own abuse. If you don’t believe someone like Corey Feldman, why would you believe them?

August 7, 2015

AMC Gala

First Ever AMC Gala

I’m so excited. I just got back from my European Vacation, and now I’m planning my trip to LA to attend the A Minor Consideration First Ever Guiding Star Gala.

AMC is very near and dear to my heart. These guys were there for me during all my stuff going on, and now, I want to pay it back.

They’re holding a big event on August 30th, at the famed Hollywood Lucky Strike Bowl. A bunch of other Former Child Stars are going to be there, and there will be a silent auction, as well as a whole bunch of memorabilia up on eBay. We’re trying to raise money so we can be more effective when it comes to helping out other former and current child stars. AMC has done to so much already to help change laws and make the industry a safer place for kids, but it’s not cheap to change legislation.

If you can make it out to the big event in LA, please come along, enjoy an evening bowling and socializing with your favourite childhood actors. If you can’t be in LA, keep an eye out for details of the auctions. There’s going to be a bunch of amazing stuff put up. Click on the poster above, and it will take you to the AMC Gala Page where you can buy tickets to the event.

I hope to see you guys there!

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015

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

August 18, 2014

Very angry

Wanna know how to get me upset?

Wanna know how to piss of a victim of abuse? Wait until another person goes public about their abuse, and then suggest that they’re just doing it for money for fame.

I don’t think people grasp the concept that not everyone wants to be famous. Not everyone is looking for that 15 minutes. Some people just want to be heard. They want justice. They want to right a few wrongs.

Everytime I see a new person who is being investigated, for just a minute, I’m so happy that others are following in my footsteps, and are taking on the high profile untouchables. But that joy doesn’t last very long, because it only takes a few minutes for the doubters to come out. All the people who think the only reason a person would ever speak up is because they want to be the next Kim Kardashian, or they want to pad their bank accounts.

Except for me, I can’t recall the last public figure who actually named another public figure, and then went to court. Corey Feldman spoke up about the industry, but didn’t name specific people. There’s a few others in the US who have spoken up, but unfortunately, the US has a statue of limitations. If a person doesn’t press charges pretty quick, then it just becomes slander if they name someone. Over here, people will speak up to let others know it’s happened, or is still happening. I have spoken to several other former kid actors over here in the US who have been through abuse. Some spoke up, some didn’t. They all know how terribly hard it is to live with, being judged. Every little thing you say will be over analyzed, picked apart, recorded, and then, if you’re lucky enough to make it to court, it can and will be used against you. Ever drunk tweeted Simon Cowell? Well, you can bet your arse that will come up in court. Ever said you thought a certain party would be fun to attend? Oh, you must be making up a story of abuse so that you can hob nob with the other actors then.

Most public figures simply don’t say anything. They don’t want to get involved. It’s messy. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t help your career. Not all publicity is good publicity. Corey has been steadily working for years. Not box office gold, but he’s still working. Think his going public about him and Haim being abused helped his career? Pfth. He copped so much shit after that, I’d be surprised if he ever talked about it again. Imagine trying to speak up and have Barbara tell you “You’re ruining an entire industry.” Think I helped my career by standing up? I was slowly finding my place in life. I was just getting my shit together. Then I went public. I couldn’t make a comeback to TV if I wanted to these days. No one would hire me. I was asked to do Celebrity Apprentice the first year, but my “minders” told me not to do it, because it would look bad if we went to court. Now it’s over, I won’t get anything either. There’s not a lot of work for people who speak up against their own. Right now, it’s “too soon” after court. Next year, I’ll be long forgotten.

As a public figure, you’re not supposed to talk about how hard the journey is, in case others who are thinking of speaking up hear you, and decide not to. There’s so much pressure to constantly say the right thing. Everyone is watching, waiting. So many people put demands on you. They’ll all use your name publicly, as if they’re right there with you, when in most cases, they haven’t checked in on you for months. When it’s over though, they all give you a pat on the back, publicly of course, then move on to the next cause. You’re left standing there, life in tatters, not knowing where to go, who your friends are, or what to do next. Can you do what you want now without people watching and speculating? If you decide to go back to TV, will it be used against you in an appeal? Will people come out and think, well, she must have been planning this all along? Or do you just go crawl back under the rock you were dragged out from? Give up on everything? Some days that seems much easier.

So if it’s that hard for people who are used to the public scrutiny, I can’t imagine what it would be like for a non public person. Funny though, with all these people pointing foul, and claiming anyone speaking up must be doing it for fame or money, I couldn’t name a single person off the top of my head who has spoken up against Robert, Rolf, Jimmy, Max or now Cliff. Can you? Do you know who any of these people are? There are literally hundreds of people who went to police about Jimmy Saville. Hundreds. Can you name any of them? What about Rolf? What about Robert? Do you even know how many people were involved in the Robert investigation? Think it was just the five that went to court? Nope. That’s just the ones who had enough evidence the police could lay charges. There was more. Many more of us. But apart from his niece, who didn’t get charges laid, do you know who any of them are? Do you think we somehow all came out of this four year ordeal better off? Are we now all rich and famous? Are we driving around in Bentleys, on our way to the Yacht Club? Are we drinking with the hipsters in Ibiza? Am I back in Oz, working on a TV show? Better still, did I manage to convert my infamy in Oz to a career in Hollywood? Yeah, cause that’s just what a producer here is looking for…. A has been child star from a foreign country who pressed charges against her on screen dad, while implicating her producer and network. Gosh, I have no idea why I don’t have people from Hollywood offering me stacks of cash for a reality show. – Yes, that was sarcasm. (Which you’ll learn you need to point out for when your blog posts come up in court)

What about any of the other cases? Are any of those people better off? Have they made a wad of cash? Are they on Oprah? Or DWTS? Or anything?

No. Nobody presses charges against a celebrity for sexual abuse to better themselves. At least not financially. It certainly doesn’t help with your street cred either. It just makes people uncomfortable. Nobody knows what to say in front of you. People at work will be paranoid that you’re now the sexual harassment lawsuit girl. People will think you magically got a bunch of money. Not sure where from. I didn’t get any victims of crime money. The govt slashed it while the police were investigating. Robert’s lawyer made a big deal about spreading the rumor that his client was bankrupt. (Of course, he’s still got enough for an appeal though) Not that I could sue anyway. While there’s no statute for criminal charges, one for a civil suit passed well before we went public. We can have the dates waived with a court order, but after being through court once, I doubt most people have the energy left to fight again. I know I don’t. I do hope all the girls in the Rolf Harris case can band together for strength and follow through on their case for compensation. They probably won’t get much after lawyers fees, etc, but hopefully it’s enough they can pay for counseling, or at least a time out to de-stress from the court proceedings.

I know I’m rambling on at this point. I guess all I really want to say is, before you open your mouth and declare that someone must be getting unfairly targeted for being a singer, actor, sportsperson or whatever, stop and think. Do you even know who the victim is? Do you know anything about them at all? Do you have any idea of what they’ve been through, or what it must be like for them to now be speaking up? Do you really think there’s anything to be gained by them pressing charges? Most importantly, when you open your mouth with your doubts, who else are you hurting? Are you questioning your own loved ones? Would they have told you something that was happening to them, but now won’t, because they think that you’ll think they’re just making it up? Are you passing judgement on a friend who may have been through abuse, but hasn’t shared that with you?

When you declare someone must be doing it for fame or fortune, it says a lot more about you than about the victim. It says that it’s something that you’d consider doing. That whole thing about robbers being worried about being robbed, or hitmen being killed, cheaters being cheated on, etc…

Most of us just want to stop the pain. We want to make it right. We want an apology. We didn’t make a consensual sex tape that “accidentally got leaked”. We were abused, against our will. We’ve already been stripped bare and had our emotions played with. We don’t need it again while already going through a shitty experience. Don’t be that person who pokes someone who’s already on a ledge.

May 14, 2014

Former Friends

Or better put, Friends who are Formers

I had a little rant yesterday about faux friends, but it’s not all bad. I have been lucky enough over the last few years to make some really good friends.

It’s kinda weird being an expat. You have a completely different background to other people. There may be some common ground as an adult, and you may learn about the locals culture, but you never lived it, so it will always be different.

It’s kinda the same thing with being a child actor. You had a completely different experience growing up to everyone else. Lots of former kid stars leave the industry and end up with regular jobs, but they don’t share that bond with other people of regular childhood experiences.

I get a double whammy of not growing up in the US, and even in Oz, I didn’t have the normal childhood experience. I have been lucky however to find other Expats to share time with, and even more exciting, other former child stars.

There’s not a lot of child actors in Australia. Maybe the kids from Secret Valley, Henderson Kids, Home & Away, but most are older, not young kids. Kate Ritchie, Rebecca Smart and Jamie Croft were about the only kids my age actively working when I was a kid. The kids in the US are lucky that with so many TV stations, they had a bunch of kids to share experiences with.

The kids in the US are even luckier, because they have set up groups to help try and protect them, to support them, and to just let them know there’s people there for them. I first found A Minor Consideration a few years ago. It’s founded by Paul Peterson, who was a teen idol, and probably best known for his work on The Donna Reed Show. I had written him an email letting him know I thought what he was doing was awesome, and I wished we had that kind of group in Australia. Fast forward a couple of years, and I now have a bunch of the most incredible people I can call friends. Others who share the odd experience of growing up on TV. Some also share the experience of being abused while working on TV.

In the middle of the trial, when I thought my world was going to fall apart, I got this:

These guys are amazing. When I first met them, they had no idea who I was. Nobody in the US has seen Hey Dad..! I never imagined they wold take me in as one of their own. Yet, they did. They sent me messages of support throughout the months leading up to the trial. I went to LA and met a bunch of them in person at a get together, where I was made to feel like part of a community. It didn’t matter I was a foreigner. We all shared some strange bond of growing up in the limelight, and I had many of them thanking me for going public, and trying to take a stand for all the kids who had been abused in the industry. Unfortunately the US has a statute of limitations, and by the time some found their courage to talk, the time had passed. Others thankfully had wonderful experiences growing up in the industry, and it was good to hear those stories too.

I’m pretty damn excited that later this month I’m headed to LA for the weekend and I get to hang out with these guys again. I feel very lucky to have met such a wonderful group of people.

Paul Peterson is retiring soon, and some of us are going to try to fill his big shoes. I’ve suggested that after my incredible experience, we have an international division, which was greeted with a big yes. So if you’re another former kid star, or a current child actor or entertainer who needs someone to talk to, even if it’s via email, let us know. A Minor Consideration and it’s members have been the most amazing group, and some days, I honestly don’t know if I could have made it through this without them. These guys are not just other former child stars, they’re my heroes.

A Minor Consideration can be contacted via their website or on FaceBook

A Minor Consideration isn’t just a social group. Paul and the others work tirelessly to help change laws to protect child entertainers. People think child stars have it all, but as my case has proved, sometimes they really need people to step up and help out.

November 5, 2013

Barbara Walters, you’re on notice.

Paul Peterson has a message for Barbara Walters.

Apparently I was not the only one upset by Barbara Walters telling Corey Feldman that he was destroying an entire industry by coming forward with his history of abuse. The woman looks uncomfortable throughout his entire interview, and the only time she addressed him was to say, “But, didn’t you used to be a drug addict?”

Here’s Paul Peterson, of A Minor Consideration’s open letter to Barbara. Hopefully Corey knows we are all standing with him.

Refute this, Barbara Walters

Shame on you, Ms. Walters for going after Corey Feldman, a truthful messenger speaking Truth to Power. Time for you to wake up to reality and pick on someone your own size.
Pedophilia exists across all cultures and social groupings. Incest is more prevalent than pedophilia, again, across all cultures and social groupings. Hollywood and what passes for the news business is not immune.
The Department of Labor estimates that One out of Ten workers in this country go to work impaired each and every day, through mental impairments, alcohol or drug use. The Entertainment Industry and the Fourth Estate are not immune from this grinding reality. The human condition is what it is, Ms. Walters, and the news business employees, just like government workers, are entirely human and thus heir to human failings…including incest and pedophilia…whether you report it or not.
Tell me, how many coaches, teachers, managers, agents, priests and kiddy talk show hosts have to be convicted of child molestation before you acknowledge what any student of human frailties already knows?
There are predators out there who target children…in every walk of life…and they gravitate toward those fields where our children can most often be found…namely playing fields, schools, theater companies and summer camps.
The question, Ms. Walters, is not whether Corey Feldman and Sarah Morris are telling the truth, but why your corporate puppet-masters don’t allow you to pull back the curtain on undeniable child abuse within the entertainment industry.
There are only two excuses for your ill-treatment of Corey Feldman; Politics and Paychecks. I know it’s hard to wrap your mind around the fact that two-to-five children PER DAY are murdered by their parents or primary care-givers (in excess of 1,800 children per year according to the FBI crime statistics, 2009)…but that’s the fact and the Fourth Estate doesn’t report it.
Young people aren’t stupid, Ms. Walters. A million teenagers go missing every year, children in their thousands are dropping out of our failing schools. Social Services are overwhelmed by the numbers of abuse victims that foster care cannot accommodate…yet you sit there excusing the entertainment industry as if it plays no role in this downward spiral and is exempt from humanity’s flaws?
Young people are a market, Ms. Walters. They consume entertainment product. The people who produce entertainment for children go where the children are, and their motives in doing so are not above critical comment.

See the denial for yourself: http://www.hulu.com/watch/551589#i0,p0,d0

Paul Petersen

I’m grateful for Paul and A Minor Consideration and all they do for kids in the industry. They work hard to change laws and make sure kids are protected. They are also there for all us formers when we need a shoulder to cry on.

November 5, 2013November 5, 2013

The name and shame debate

Should all pedophiles be named and shamed?

When I first went public, as in to the media, and not just people around me, I talked about the abuse, and I even said who it was, but the media chose not to name the perpetrator. This caused much controversy, and a lot of heated debate.

Many people believed I should name and shame or shut the fuck up. I was told that by not coming out with a name, I was damaging an entire show, that everyone who ever worked at seven was under suspicion. That I was irresponsible and damaging people’s lives and careers.

Corey Feldman is talking about his abuse. He wrote a book detailing his abuse, and what it was like growing up in Hollywood. He too is copping flack about not naming names. He originally put the names in his book, but the publisher decided to remove them, and his lawyers have advised he NOT publicly name them.

There are two reasons you don’t just run around naming alleged pedophiles.

Number one is the litigious aspect. If you can’t prove it, if you can’t afford better lawyers than them, if you don’t have people backing you up, you’re going to be sued and possibly charged with defamation. Not naming initially gives you a chance to have other people come forward, to corroborate your statement. When I went public, look at how many people came forward, not only as witnesses for me, but other victims. I knew there were others, but I didn’t know who they were. (I still don’t know who they are.) I wouldn’t have known where to direct police. I couldn’t have remembered every potential victim or witness. But by going public, I allowed others to say, Me Too! There’s also the very real threat of retaliation. If you go super public, and then you wind up dead in a ditch somewhere, people are going to know you probably didn’t have an accident…

There’s lots of former child stars who suddenly end up dead outside a nightclub from an overdose when they start mumbling about abuse. I named my perpetrator when it was legally safe to do so. Unfortunately for Corey, and other actors in the US, there’s a statute of limitations. He actually did talk to police back before it ran out. Their police chose to ignore it. – Sounds familiar…

The second reason, and this was actually the one that mattered to me:

When you talk about what happened to you in the industry, in general, without naming names, people do raise their heads and look around. People do start to look at everyone with suspicion. Parents start to wonder who is working with their children. This is NOT a bad thing. People who push their kids into the industry should be looking at everyone who works with their kids, and keeping their guard up. Parents should assume that the industry is NOT a safe place for kids.

Before I went public, everyone was worried about potential offenders. Once he was named, everyone just went back to their business, thinking OK, we know who that one person is. We’ll keep our kids away from him, and they’ll be safe.

No, they won’t. There’s way more than one pedophile in the business. By naming ONE person, all these parents have let their guard down, and are exposing their kids to potential harm. By not naming the offenders, Corey is letting people know that there are some seriously high ranking people in Hollywood who are dangerous predators, who are after your kids. Parents need to keep being vigilant, and not focus on just one person.

November 4, 2013

Hollywood Pedophiles

“You’re damaging an entire industry”

Corey Feldman is currently doing the rounds on talk shows, promoting his new book, Coreyography. I think it’s incredibly brave writing a book about the dark side of Hollywood. People may think I am nuts, but I do believe there’s a dark side of the industry, and that people probably do want Corey dead for telling tales out of school. I am nowhere near as famous as Corey, and I’ve certainly had my share of threats made after going public. I can only imagine the kind of threats he’s dealing with. Especially given the fact that so many of his peers have already met untimely ends. Think about all the kids in his former circle. River Phoenix and Corey Haim are two who are now gone too soon.

Now, I’m no fan of Barbara Walters. She has always come off as a hard, condescending bitch. Personally, I think she’s overrated. She really seems to have e thing for child stars too. She slandered Lindsay Lohan when LiLo decided not to do her show. She tried to keep it professional, but she was “disappointed” Lindsay decided not to do her show, and made a big deal about it to anyone who would listen. Look Babs, just cause you want to interview someone, doesn’t mean they’re obligated to it. If I was Lindsay, I certainly wouldn’t have done it. Barbara can be mean and brutal. Certainly not something someone needs fresh out of rehab.

But then I caught this snippet of Barbara’s interview with Corey.

While Corey is discussing how seedy the industry is, and how some of the most powerful people in it are pedophiles, and people need to be very careful letting their kids be a part of it, Barbara, who can been heard sighing and gasping throughout with disbelief, then lets out “You’re damaging an entire industry”

No Barbara, Corey isn’t damaging an entire industry. Pedophiles who rape young actors are damaging the industry. Corey isn’t to blame here. He’s trying to help people. He’s trying to bring awareness to a problem. I was told by countless keyboard warriors that I was irresponsible for going public. Before he was named, I was told I was affecting the reputations of everyone who ever worked on Hey Dad. I was callous and uncaring. I was destroying lives. I expected this from nameless idiots with access to a keyboard. I expect it from grown men who are standing up for their pedophile friends. I don’t expect it from someone like Barbara Walters. She’s been around long enough to know what goes on, and if she’s really that naive to think it’s not, then she’s a worthless journalist who has never really looked into a story.

October 14, 2013October 14, 2013

What’s the difference between being artsy and trashy?

Apparently it depends on whether you’re a former child star or not.

I was never a huge Miley Cyrus fan back in the day. I was too old to get into her Hanna Montana thing, and I don’t have kids that would have exposed me to her either. I did notice her when she started her transition from Disney child star to grown up performer.

It’s never easy going through the transition from teenager to adult. It’s even harder trying to do this when you’re got the whole world watching you. How many people can honestly say they never fucked up during that transition? Or did things that they didn’t regret later? Everyone has an opinion on all the current celebrities going through their transitions. I’d like to see half of these people last a day being hounded by paparazzi, being constantly scrutinized by every keyboard warrior, and how many times someone could call them a talentless slut before they broke down, let alone trying to go through the entire transition. It’s kind of weird that in the midst of this “Bullying Awareness” campaign that the media is bestowing upon us, they’re the ones doing the most amount of bullying on people like Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Justin Beiber and other stars trying to make a living. Hypocrisy much?

So here’s a few things I’ve noticed over the last few months:

If you started your artistic career as as adult, it’s ok to get nekkid in a film clip, but if you were a child star, apparently it’s not….

There’s also the speculation on what you can wear during a performance. Apparently people either have short memories, or you can do a nude outfit, as long as you use glitter to cover/accentuate your lady parts.

Apparently a nude suit is appropriate for the Olympics, but not for the VMA’s

Apparently it’s also OK to pose half naked on album or magazine covers, as long as you’re not a former child star…

Hell, you can even dress in skimpy outfits and dance with weird animals….

Katy-Perry-at-California-Dreams-Tour-Performance — Apparently this is OK..

Then there was Sinead O’Connor’s open letter to Miley. Look, maybe she was trying to be helpful, but when was the last time you took advice from someone who called you a prostitute? If I didn’t know you, and I wrote you an open letter calling you a misguided prostitute, who had no idea that you were being pimped out by your minders, do you think you’d say, Oh hey, Thanks Sarah. Or, would you say, Hey Sarah, go fuck yourself? – Be honest now. Maybe it wasn’t cool of Miley to insinuate that Sinead wasn’t totally together, but since Sinead is now up to her 5th open letter, she’s kind of proving her point.

Look, a lot of people don’t like Miley. They don’t like that fact that she’s growing up. They don’t like that she’s trying to find her own way. They didn’t like it when Britney grew up. They don’t like Beiber growing up. I don’t think anybody likes ANY child star that grows up in the spotlight. Nobody likes Lindsay either. I’m so grateful I left the industry and didn’t have to go through that transition in the spotlight.

But look, kids are like puppies. They don’t stay young and cute forever. They all grow up eventually. Just like a puppy who chews your shoes, and pees in the corner, teenagers are going to do the same thing, whether they’re in the spotlight or not. Some kids do it better than others, and some are just better at hiding it. It’s not fair to compare kid stars either. Just like regular kids, each has to find their own way, and you didn’t go through the same things other kids you went to school with. Famous kids are they same. They all have their own shit to deal with. Just because TMZ has told you where they are, doesn’t mean you know how they got there.

Oh, and for anyone who thinks Miley has no talent, watch this:

You’ll notice I left Lady Gaga out of the mix, because like Madonna, she’s made her whole career about shocking people with nudity. At this point, it’s neither shocking, nor new, but people seem to lap it up. Just Google Lady Gaga nude if you want to see how blase it’s become.