At Least Shia LaBeouf Admits It
Think parents hang out with their kids on set because they love them and care for them? Nothing to do with money? Uh huh. Shia LaBeouf gave an interview where he stated that when he filmed that Disney show Even Stevens when he was 13, he needed a parent on the set. The only person he could turn to was his just out of rehab dad. He had barely spoken to his dad for his entire life, and now here he was forking over $800 a week to a guy who was only doing it for the money and not because of any paternal affection.
"For him it wasn't about being with a son that he loved. He was rent-a-dad."
Shia did go on to say that living with his dad in a motel for three years did bring them close together and actually gave him the father he had lost forever. Now go ahead and wipe away the tears because honestly, most parents are out there to make money off their kids, and to live vicariously through them. From the stage moms on the set of a commercial to Billy Ray Cyrus to Pimpa Joe and Michael Lohan, parents love living off their kids. It's great. They don't do any work, and generally make more money then any other job they have had before. They get free stuff including drugs, and get invited to parties and get attention and basically live a life they never thought possible when they were the kid getting beat up in high school or selling shoes in Sears. Then one day they have a kid and they get to exploit the hell out of that kid, push that kid and that kid becomes their only source of income. You don't think the kid has some kind of pressure? What about if your whole family relies on your income? Hello Lindsay Lohan.
"For him it wasn't about being with a son that he loved. He was rent-a-dad."
Shia did go on to say that living with his dad in a motel for three years did bring them close together and actually gave him the father he had lost forever. Now go ahead and wipe away the tears because honestly, most parents are out there to make money off their kids, and to live vicariously through them. From the stage moms on the set of a commercial to Billy Ray Cyrus to Pimpa Joe and Michael Lohan, parents love living off their kids. It's great. They don't do any work, and generally make more money then any other job they have had before. They get free stuff including drugs, and get invited to parties and get attention and basically live a life they never thought possible when they were the kid getting beat up in high school or selling shoes in Sears. Then one day they have a kid and they get to exploit the hell out of that kid, push that kid and that kid becomes their only source of income. You don't think the kid has some kind of pressure? What about if your whole family relies on your income? Hello Lindsay Lohan.
Parents can all spare me the crap about how they are only looking out for the best interests of their child. No, they aren't. The only thing they are doing is making sure the gravy train doesn't stop, and if the kid has to work 20 hours a day to make it happen, the kid is going to do it. The only time I will ever believe the best interests story is when at least one of the parents still has a real job despite the fact their kid is making millions. Otherwise, they are all greedy. I blame the parents, but I also blame human nature. If someone came to you and said you didn't have to do any work at all, and you would get lots of free gifts and travel and people would know your name and you would earn enough to feed your entire family for the next five years, you wouldn't want that to go away. If it means you rationalize how hard your kid is working and maybe not saying anything when they have a drink or two or use a little white powder, then you figure it is the price you have to pay for living the good life. Unfortunately, it is not you who is paying the price.
How many teenagers do you know who can handle the combination of fame, money, power, enabling, and supporting a family of 5? I don't really know any either. That is why they end up paying the price and parents are there at the funeral saying how tragic it was, and then dividing up the estate.
How many teenagers do you know who can handle the combination of fame, money, power, enabling, and supporting a family of 5? I don't really know any either. That is why they end up paying the price and parents are there at the funeral saying how tragic it was, and then dividing up the estate.
His honesty really makes me like him. Before I was just on the line about him, but now I'm a fan.
ReplyDeleteWow. No idea about Shia.
ReplyDeleteAs for Ent's question - Jodie Foster is the only one I can think of who astutely managed the F-M-P-E-STF combo. Oh and Ron Howard.
Ent nailed it. I have always had a lot of sympathy for Drew Barrymore. When you are an addict at the age of eight it proves that no one was looking out for you. I'm glad that she has survived and prospered.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of an interview I saw with Cory Haim's mom after his very public problems began. She fully admitted that while she was loving the parties, attention, money, feeling young and important, he was gone for days at a time living in the fast lane. And she said, "How could I tell him NO to anything when he was our family breadwinner? I was no longer the parent." As we know, it was waaaaay too late when she woke up.
ReplyDeletewhoa - DANCERSMOM - wish there was a link with that because I would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteso sad.
I'll look, I saw it on a True Hollywood story on E a few years back, but it really stuck with me.
ReplyDeletethanks ;)
ReplyDeleteCarla,
ReplyDeleteYeah. Jodie Foster and Ron Howard and perhaps Brooke Shields....but had they slight benefit of having no constant paparazzi, and no internet. It's a weirder world for child stars now, but it's always been pretty toothsome for the kids. I'm reminded of the teen years of Liz Taylor and Judy Garland, with all the stories about pill popping and booze and Mickey Rooney...
Crazy Stage Moms and Nights
ReplyDeleteWasn't their a kid that sue his parents for spending his money or divorce his parents? I know I read it but can't remember who it was.
ReplyDeleteLook up Jackie Coogan, that is one sad story too. There are decent parents out there too, but those kids don't usually "make it". Those parents aren't willing to sell their kids souls, they put on the brakes and act like parents. Its a fun "hobby", but you can't forget that is all it should be.
ReplyDeletesylvia, Jackie Coogan sued his parents. He was a child actor (then went on to play Uncle Fester in the Addams Family TV show). His parents spent all the money he made when he acted as a child. A law was passed called Coogan's Law which stipulates that a certain amount of a child actor's earnings must be set aside for when he turns 18.
ReplyDeleteum Gary Coleman anyone?
ReplyDeleteDidn't Macauley also sue his parents?
ReplyDeleteHey all, I dont know if you remember Dominique Moceanu, the American Olympic gold medalist and prodigy, but she successfully sued and divorced her parents to0, at age 16 after she found out they'd used her money on their own financial ventures, like a gymnast training facility.
ReplyDeletethanks, trix, i was about to comment that it wasn't just hollywood. growing up skating, my family always talked about how the skating moms were as bad if not worse than stage moms. never hung out with any pros, but the amateur world could really suck, especially in one kid in the family had a gift and the other didn't.
ReplyDeleteand my folks were fantastic, btw. of course i had no talent. :)