| | Dear Readers: A couple of days ago, I received a nice message from a fellow Xangan in response to my recent article "Jon & Kate + 80,000,000". Her comments were not only heartfelt, but were also typical of many others I've seen elsewhere. In reading it over, I recalled (in greater detail) many of Paul Petersen's revelations on the issue which had helped inspire that column. But, in the process of typing out what I thought would be a short reply, something struck me. These incidents of child exploitation that I, Paul and so many others have been dealing with are not just isolated events. All are manifestations of a common trend in the pop culture. And that trend, if extrapolated upon as a single entity (and if history is any guide) is liable to coalesce its various threads into something truly monstrous. What does it all portend for the future, given all that has happened in this decade alone? My own speculations came to horrify me as, in the process of writing my message, it turned into the essay I hereby present. Dear Elizabeth: I've seen a number of comments that reflect what you're saying, from posters and reviewers alike. Having these film crews in residence became a burden for the Gosselin kids a long time ago... after the initial novelty and thrill wore off. Then they slowly went from passive guests to a dominating presence, as "Jon & Kate" evolved from a documentary into a high-pressure, scripted TV series in order to "keep the action going". When you look at it from the professional's standpoint, that was virtually inevitable. But their actors... weren't actors. Therefore, they had to be morphed into actors along the way. That's where the troubles began in the family's personal lives. As Paul pointed out in his columns, The Learning Channel may have incurred "potential" legal difficulties as well. If the Gosselin children can now be considered "actors" under the relevant child labor laws (which Paul knows well!) then it's possible that the producers of "Jon & Kate + 8" can be held liable for violations. But only "possible". The overworking of actual child actors is a long standing feature of the entertainment field. (The "Hounddog" case, with all its other disgusting factos, included this element as well!) It was in another controversial TV documentary, "Kid Nation", where the legal dodge of using real kids as, essentially, acting "non-actors", was first tried on a large scale. Like the "Hounddog" movie, "Kid Nation" failed... but both achieved notoriety and, importantly, were never seriously investigated for their abuses and NEVER prosecuted. That's a key element in the Industy's "advances" into child exploitation in any form. Their initial forays may fail financially, but their not being held accountable is what kicks open the door for more attempts and encourages them among amoral producers. Whether it's the savage sexual exploitation of child actors to the point of pornography ("Hounddog"), the physical exploitation of non-registered children in an isolated setting ("Kid Nation") or, now, a "reality series" that exploits a whole family, children and all, by controlling them in thier own home ("Jon & Kate + 8"); the fact that they can get away with this is what the producers notice. It spurs others to make their own attempts that will, this time, "get it right". That's why all these series and films are important. Each one has, in its own way, broken a barrier of decency in the pursuit of profits. And, in each, the appeal of children was used as the prime selling point by those filmmakers with a callous disregard of those children's sensibilities. Naturally, "Hounddog" remains the worst by far, due to its relentless obscenity in content and concept. (It should be remembered that, aside from Dakota Fanning, the other underage actors in that film had been locally recruited for it as their first film.) They, however, were still considered "actors" in the legal sense; despite the hideous (and IL-legal) mental and physical abuses they were subjected to. Being recognized as actors didn't do them much good, protection-wise! "Kid Nation" and "Jon & Kate" served to muddy the legal waters as to just what, exactly, IS a child actor vs. a "participant". Although neither involved sexual exploitation, both took their projects into the realm of pressuring children with concepts and responsibilities that children, by nature, are ill-equipped to handle. Taken together, we see the two modern concepts of Hollywood (as per children) in play: "Children are little adults" and (malevolently), "Children are sexual beings". And- again- all three of these examples I've mentioned (along with many more besides) have more or less followed these grim guidelines. Not always with financial success. But ALWAYS without serious legal penalty. NOW... given this, what happens when some "bright" producer/director/writer (like "Houndog's" notorious Deborah Kampmeier?) decides to combine all these facets in a big way to see if it "works"? How about something like this: "Molester House"; where real life kids who've been sexually abused are collected to tell their stories? They can be put together in a home to fend for themselves (while "guided" by the production staff off-camera) to work out their traumas (with other kids... or on them!) in the process. That such a scenario would only heighten those traumas, expose them to public degradation and lead to even worse traumas as a result- with consequences extending into adulthood- would mean little to such producers. They would merely be adding that needed element of pathos. And besides (and as all pornographers traditionally claim) it would "raise awareness of the issue"! Thus, they can present stark depravity while wrapping themselves in a false cloak of righteousness... and thereby discouraging any "over-zealous" prosecutor. It works, too. Ask Deborah Kampmeier herself! That would all likely collect an audience of Oprah-style handwringers (who "care", but are clueless of the moralk strictures involved and thereby do nothing) and, of course, the pedophiles themselves- both in and out of prison. As always, if it's made cheaply enough and filthy enough, it'll attract an audience and stand to profit. And, given the level of depravity to which even broadcast TV has sunk (much less satellite and cable!) would this be out of bounds? Consider what you see children enacting in any given episode of "Law & Order: SVU". The modern denizens of the entertainment field will do whatever seems to work, uninhibited by any natural moral concerns toward children. They have proven this constantly over time. Unrestrained by law and custom, seeking new areas for profits with a singleminded relentlessness and buoyed by their predecessors' successes in corrupting parents and evading responsibility, they have effectively reduced children to the status of brainwashed tools of their ambitions. That's why I pursue this subject so frequently and will continue to. The cinematic abuses of children have gone beyond "just" those of child stars. They've also gone beyond the corruption of elected officials, of stage parents and of the evil influence they exert on the young followers of those child actors throuogh their images. They're now recruiting our OWN children and ourselves as direct participants- even into our very homes- with the lure of fame and fortune as their "carrot". And they get away with it. EVERY zip code has become that of Hollywood. The idea of these "advances" in the child acting field being combined into my hypothetical "Molester House" is not beyond the pale. That... and more. This is the point. NOTHING is truly beyond the pale anymore. When any child can be recruited, corrupted, degraded and exploited to virtually any degree- with little or no penalty to the "savvy" producer- then the last barriers have been effectively abolished. And so, as a consequence, has the sanctity of childhood. No American child in the 21st Century is now safe from Hollywood's depredations; indirectly or DIRECTLY. Parents who love their kids had better get wise to this... and fast! Ronald Reagan once famously said, "The most chilling words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."! Perhaps even worse, in this our present day, would be the appearance -at the doorstep of some struggling family- of a tall, spaced out redhead in a serape (like Kampmeier!) who eyes the clustered children and smugly proclaims, "Hi. I'm from Hollywood... and I'm here to help." Only an informed and strongly moral household will be liable to recognize the Devil at the Door- and send her packing. |
