There’s always been a negative stigma around child actors. Child actors from the 80s that we watched grow up often had issues with substance abuse; extravagant lifestyles full of drama but also intrigue. Stars like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton have public stints in jail or rehab on a regular basis.
Today child actors often aren’t even actors; they are simply participants of reality shows. One such show, Dance Moms on the Lifetime network many some buzzing. A select number of individuals think that the children on the show are being exploited or abused by their parents or show executives simply for ratings. What’s the real story?
Exploiting for Ratings
A necessary part of the television industry is ratings. Good ratings mean more advertising dollars from advertisers and more exposure for the show. Executives and actors being paid royalties from the show are concerned with how the show performs. Parents are the ones making the decisions based on what they think is best for their children, but experts contend that maybe parents aren’t the best decision makers or they are more motivated by money.
Children on shows like Dance Mom can be seen yelling, “I don’t want to dance” or “Please don’t make me go” to their parents. You see the children crying after a criticism from instructor Abby Lee Miller or children dressed scantily for performances. These incidences on the show often lead others to conclude that some neglect or abuse is happening here for ratings. But is it all bad?
Value
Reality shows, while on the surface appearing to show parent neglect and shameless over-promotion, can also provide a leg up to the actual actors and participants on the show. Not all reality television is bad. Stars are made, true talent is showcased and opportunities exist for those who want to work hard. Scholarships are often provided to winning participants of competitions showcased in shows like Dance Moms and Toddlers & Tiaras. It’s worthwhile to examine the value of shows like Dance Mom before automatically assuming it’s all bad.
Reality Hype
For years reality TV has continued to become less about reality and more about scripted “reality” situations. Producers put characters into situations that are more likely to result in drama for tv and reality TV isn’t always really what happened.
Watch Dance Moms for situations that are no doubt dramatized for ratings. The berating conversations Abby has with the children are most likely scripted, the creative editing done by producers takes scenes out of context and the portrayal of dance and pageant type moms is overdone.
Fans of the show enjoy the hype, they enjoy seeing the situations play out week by week and take the situations as they are: for entertainment. We should always be concerned that helpless members of society are not being exploited for someone else’s gain, but also remember to not always believe the hype – it’s not always true.
