Disney Channel’s pres.: ‘The network is not responsible for raising children’

Demi Lovato

The Disney Channel is still raging hard on televisions worldwide, and president/director Gary Marsh sat down for an interview with Hollywood Reporter. Among the topics of discussion were how the channel does not intend to raise children of any type, which is a statement that Marsh intends to include both the actors under his employ and the young, impressionable kids who watch them on television at home. Actually, the way I phrased the issue probably sounds worse than Marsh comes off in the interview; he does appear to care about his actors, as you’ll see below.

I do agree that Disney is not responsible for raising the children within their television audience. No parent should ever expect to plop their kids in front of a box and expect that good things will eventually come of it, and while I still prefer Disney over Nickelodeon for my daughter, it’s a close call, and the quality of Disney shows has been (surprisingly) on a steady decline since “Hannah Montana” ended. Currently, the channel is an awful, non-stop stream of “Hey Jessie,” “Good Luck Charlie,” and “Shake It Up” — all shows that contain superficial, bratty protagonists who think no further than their next cute outfit. Here are some excerpts from Marsh’s interview:

Miley Cyrus

On the pressure of being a “Disney Star”: “For most of people who act, getting a television is the end product. It’s the destination. For us, it’s the launch pad. In my mind it’s: ‘You’ve landed a TV show, now what’s the consumer products opportunity? The film opportunities? The Disney channel movie? The crossover episode? The book you’re going to write?’ So they become Disney stars because they intersect with Disney in many ways, and that’s by design. Occasionally there are downsides to that: when we get overly identified with somebody and they go off the rails.”

Why do some go “off the rails”? “It’s incredibly demanding to be a 15-year-old kid and live your life in the public eye. At the end of the day, they’re talented but they’re regular teenagers and we’re asking so much of them and it’s nearly impossible to carry the weight of your fans on your shoulders. Still, being identified with Disney in my mind is net positive.”

Does Disney get involved with their actors’ lives? “We’re one leg of a four-legged stool. It’s the network, the production company, the reps and the parents. We’re really clear on where our role begins and ends. We have things like a one-day seminar called Talent 101, where we bring in security experts, psychologists, showrunners and life coaches. It’s usually after the pilot but before the series launches. But at the end of the day, it’s the parents who really have to be parents. We give them all of the tools they might need, but the network is not responsible for raising their children.”

Do bad eggs damage the Disney brand? “People know that we don’t control who these individuals are, and we don’t try to. It’s the parents’ job to do that. Would our lives be easier if everyone was the perfect poster child? Of course. Do I know that’s not a reality? I do. Someone like Demi is an unbelievably talented young woman who had some challenges in her life from before we met her and will probably have those challenges far into the future. It’s not fair, if that’s the right way to express it, to lay that at the feet of the network that discovered her.”

On banning junk-food advertising on Disney: “What I find interesting is that there’s a line in the press that Disney is only giving up $7.2 million. What’s laughable about that is that we don’t expect to be giving up anything. We expect to be setting a standard so that the community of manufacturers changes how they approach the audience. This isn’t an altruistic move on our part.”

[From Hollywood Reporter]

As far as Disney’s apparent attitude towards its young actors is concerned, I see what Marsh is saying about how these stars have parents, who should be watching their kids’ off-duty actions. Obviously, Disney Channel doesn’t keep its actors in holding pens, so they can only do so much. Still, with so many of them going “off the rails” either during their tenure (Demi Lovato) or shortly thereafter (arguably, Britney Spears), one has to wonder why society in general allows the “child star” to exist. I’m still of the opinion that Disney did some sort of sketchy maneuver on Demi after her breakdown. They virtually erased her show, “Sonny with a Chance,” in short order and immediately replaced it with the “So Random!” spinoff, yet they appeared to keep Demi under their thumb via their music label. I just think it’s bizarre that minors can enter into these contracts but can’t get out of them when it’s probably in their best interests to be cut loose from professional obligations so they can take some real time off and fix themselves. But hey, it’s a business.

Selena Gomez

Photos courtesy of Disney Channel

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96 Responses to “Disney Channel’s pres.: ‘The network is not responsible for raising children’”

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  1. cmc says:

    I see their point, and it seems so simple said that way. But: Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Vannessa Hudgens (nude photos, anyone?), and I’m sure many other less-famous Disney starlets would probably beg to differ. The common denominator in all of their downfalls is a childhood in Disney. Sure, it’s not ALL their fault, but the company very much should share the blame.

    • marie says:

      I agree with you to a point. I don’t think the real problems come until the kids want to grow up, and I don’t think Disney supports that, they want to keep their little money makers as young as they can, for as long as they can. They don’t allow them to grow up.maybe, I’m not saying it right..

      I do believe Disney is at fault for part of it, but I also think that a huge portion of it is the parents. If these kids go “off the rails” and need to step back, then the parents need to step up and fight to get their kids off screen. Put your child’s well being and not the money first..

    • Schnauzers!!! says:

      Ok, I hate to disagree here, but how many non-famous girls have the same issues?

      Nude pics?
      Sex?
      Drugs/Alcohol?
      Mental Illness?

      Probably a heck of a lot more than we would like to admit in “our” worlds where there are no corporations to blame only parenting and influence from our communities. Yes, I’m sure Disney puts pressure on them but their parents knew what they were getting them into. I put THAT blame on the parents.

      • Naye in VA says:

        absolutely. There are plenty of ex-disney stars who don’t have issues. i think Miley and Vanessa are fairly normal as far as under 20 goes. Selena and Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, all those girls are doing fine. N’sync was Disney and none of them seem to be having much problems. Its the same how of five kids in one household, one is an academian, one has drug problems, another promiscuity, the fourth is dedicated to sports, and so on. Its unfair to blame Disney for real people problems

      • Susan says:

        Exactly! Agreed 100%

      • EmmaStoneWannabe says:

        Agree. It’s just that people like to hold onto the negative because it’s more powerful and also more fun to discuss than the “vanilla” kids who haven’t acted out. Like moms would rather say to each other things like, “I cant let Sarah watch Hanna Montana, she’s such a sarcastic little brat…” and they get so riled up lol.

      • janie says:

        I agree with most of what you said. I was no angel as a teenager–did a lot of drugs, had a lot of sex, and would have been way worse if I’d had the $$ these teen stars have. And it wasn’t just me; lots of people from my high school were the same way: some girls sent nude photos and had them forwarded throughout the school, some went to rehab, some got pregnant.

        But I wouldn’t say the parents are always to blame. My parents raised me as well as any parents could, and I still had a few bad years. Sometimes teenagers just need to rebel, and it’s a lot easier if you have fame and money as your enablers.

        Not to mention, the desire to break away from the vanilla cookie-cutter Disney image by going the completely opposite direction.

      • Chris: now with 10% less negativity says:

        No corporations are to blame? Are you kidding? Why do you think corporations spend so much money on advertising? Why you think big business likes to control the media? Because they know they can influence people right down to how they view themselves and the world. Corporations have a huge impact on society and they need to carry their burden of responsibility. Personally I’d like to see all television advertising banned here in Australia and free to air networks replaced by ad free subscription TV.

    • eb says:

      This irritates me.

      Disney is a business. Their 1/4 control over the Disney star (with producers, agents, and then parents the other “legs”) is for financial purposes only.

      To knowingly create a structure where a parent’s authority is put on par with a production company, an agent, and a network is to undermine the functioning of a family where the parent is tasked with the responsibility of bringing a child to adulthood. This is a biological imperative that most parents do their best to do.

      Parent’s goals are to make responsible, caring adults. Everyone else on that list make someone who will turn them a greater profit. While these are not mutually exclusive, when push comes to shove and a parent nudges a teenager to make the choice that a responsible, caring adult would make, and this conflicts with the goals of the studio, the production company, and the agent….who’s authority rules?

      If parents are only granted 1/4 “control.” With sooo many more people on the studio side surrounding the teen… Ugh! To assume so much control and then to not have the same healthy goal. This is why parents, who love their children, are tasked with this amount of control.

      And the lovely way he washes his hand of the responsiblity of the ones who go off the rails….

      “But at the end of the day, it’s the parents who really have to be parents. We give them all of the tools they might need, but the network is not responsible for raising their children.”

      Well… activly undermining a parents authority seems an awful big part of taking away their tools they need to raise their children to adulthood.

      • Blue says:

        Eb, that is exactly what I wanted to say. You said it so much better and I completely agree. Guess I shoud have read the comments and save myself some time.The whole thing is so messy, parents want their kids to accomplish their dream. But bringing their kids to Hollywood is a dangerous game in which the parents can get wrapped up in the lifestyle as well and before they know it their kids are into some unsavory situations. The parents who are in it for an easy lifestyle and never having to work (Dina Lohan) just tell the kids to do as they’re told and shut up. Those kids get taken advantage of and can end up completely messed up.

      • Jollytr says:

        Very, very, very well said! Thank you for this post!!!

      • the original bellaluna says:

        ^^^^^^YES! THIS!

      • wonderwoman21 says:

        That’s assuming the parents are trying to raise a functioning adult, I question any parent who encourages their child to be part of the Hollywood zestpool. Look at the Lohan parents, they just want money and fame and the welfare of the children goes out the back door. The parents weren’t robbed of authority, they never had it.

      • olcranky says:

        isn’t it up to the parents to exert control and authority? If it were my child and the contract undermined my authority, I’d be responsible and walk away even if it meant my child wouldn’t become the next disney star. My guess is the parents are doing everything their child wants because they and their child want the kid to be the next star and the child and parents develop quite the sense of entitlement that completely exacerbates the situation.

        I recall interviews with Britney & Lynn Spears discussing how poor they were and how they used what little money they had to make Britney a star (traveling for auditions, separating the family – and not because she had a job and they had the money to pay for two domiciles either). I got the impression, or maybe they outright said it, that if it were a choice between a much needed new pair of shoes for the brother or even food and something to advance Britney’s career, they’d spend the money on the thing to advance her career. People lauded them for this, ignoring the fact that it was careless and irresponsible because Britney did become a star. I’m not sure if Britney wouldn’t have been better off living some mundane life in her home town.

        Lindsay’s problems can be traced directly to Dina Lohan. Disney just gave her a broader success than another network/studio but Dina would have created the same deluded and entitled being she is if she had any degree of stardom.

        Another thing to consider in how so many of these kids are a mess is the increase in the number of adult celebrities who are a public mess compared to the past. I honestly think the link is reality TV famewhoredom. We now have people created careers out of behavior that used to destroy legitimate careers. These celebutards are all over entertainment TV, invited to the grammys, emmys and Oscars and have endorsement deals and then get casted in TV shows/movies and/or get recording contracts – they mail fail miserably at these things but they still get the “CELEBUTARD drops record!” woo-hoo press. People who gained celebrity from performing art venues are driving themselves crazy competing to keep themselves in the press and being “relevant”. I really think it’s the reality TV train that started the culture that’s caused the increase in bad/dangerous celebrity behavior

      • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

        Aw, why do you have to ruin my fun with all your ‘intelligence’ and ‘ well-told and succinctly sold’ logic? How am I supposed to get all tore up with Biebs and the girl on Burt Lancaster’s Memorial Party Boat Cocktail Fortnight, now? Huh? How am I supposed to do that now?

    • ZenB!tch says:

      I think the business attracts a certain type of parent. The kind that cares more about fame than their family.

      The parent signs the contract not the child. It is up to the parent and their lawyers to put in an out clause. The networks don’t care about their employees anymore than our employers care about us.

      The only reason CBS ever did anything about Charlie Sheen was that he messed with Chuck Lorre (who is a bigger cash cow to them than Sheen). Yes, he is a grown man but so are Demi Lovato’s parents. Now she’s 19 and they don’t have a say but they did when she had her meltdown.

      Gary Marsh was also not in charge during the peak at Disney Channel. Ever since the CEO screwed with an executive structure that was doing well financially there there have been 2 heads of the Disney Channel in 2 years. I’m not sure how much he knows about what the top does or if he knows more because he wasn’t at the top when it was at it’s peak.

      I don’t think Miley seems normal at all. She is out there flashing her vagina for everyone to see – didn’t Britney and Firecrotch start out that way?

      I thought Selena seemed OK but after doing a movie with that skanky Vanessa Hudgens (nude pics and nasty songs about Santa at 15 – not good) – I’m worried.

      Of course she is 19 and can do what she wants too – at least she didn’t do something dumb until she made her own decision and it seems to be a typical 19 year old kid’s bad decision.

      Why did Selena and Demi “break up” anyway?

      • rumbleseat says:

        Nobody’s quite sure other than the fact that someone once asked Demi whether or not they were still besties while she was on her way out of a radio interview in England and she said “I don’t know, ask Taylor!” So it seems like they separated as Selena and Taylor became big stars and Demi started to have personal problems/wasn’t as big a star as they were.

  2. Ruby Red Lips says:

    Demi is talented, I agree, but if they knew she had issues b4 she took part in Disney, then surely it would have been in Demi’s best interests not to be thrust into the showbiz disney world??

    Surely this was too much pressure which only led to her problems increasing and subsequently going down a really bad route..

    Disney are partly responsible for these children, but I guess when the stage moms are involved, both disney and the stage moms only really care about the cash – not the actual child

    • brin says:

      Agree, both share some responsibility, but at the end of the day, i’s the parents who are ultimately responsible for their child’s welfare.

    • RocketMerry says:

      Of course they are responsible! Their shows, their work place, their people managing to give the kids a prematurely inflated, HUGE ego.

      Not only that, but the PR bitches who prepared that Marsh fellow are gonna get fired. You ALWAYS admit responsibility, it’s crisis management 101. Who’s the idiot doing this press release?!

      • max says:

        Admitting responsibility will get you sued. Only when faced with undeniable evidence do you admit blame.

      • RocketMerry says:

        There are ways to form sentences and discourses around that. I’m sorry, but denying any responsibility here was just dumb.
        In fact, just reading random comments on the net, one can see it already created a bad perception of the Disney Channel. The people who prepped Marsh are in trouble, my guess.

  3. Chordy says:

    So in one paragraph he talks about the process of selling these kids from every angle, and then in another he refuses any responsibility for the damage it does. You turn a child into a product and then place all the blame on the parents when the kid slips up under pressure. It must be nice to live in a world where you get all the credit but take none of the responsibility.

    • yo momma says:

      thank you Chordy! so true.

    • the original bellaluna says:

      Detect a pattern?

      • Chordy says:

        It’s the ultimate recipe for success! Especially since kids are so much less equipped to help themselves!

        Also, are you a Jez? I used to be messybessy on there until I decided to never give them a single page hit ever again.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        Chordy – I find his…oh, let’s call it a sense of entitlement and blatant lack of responsibility for his “product” (and let’s face it, these kids ARE products), to be quite telling; especially considering some of the “former stars” who stem from Disney with the same-size sense of entitlement and lack of responsibility.

        Yep, I’m a Jez. Or at least I WAS – I HATE their new commenting format, and many of their “latest” stories are showing as “comments closed.” WTF?

    • Carolyn says:

      @chordy – so true. People at the Mouse house are ignoring problems on their watch. Wait till one of the kids/ parents sue them for something..it will happen one day.

    • ZenB!tch says:

      They just get fired. And yet the evil CEO stays.

  4. QQ says:

    Right, not their job to raise them just the whole turning them into drug addled entitled commodities with a music amd merch deal on the side

  5. poppy says:

    seriously, disney gives the kids and parents a ONE day seminar to cover all the bases of what they need to equip themselves for fame. who could ask for anything more?!?!
    all about the money. this guy/network/parents/production company/reps.
    yes, the parent is ultimately responsible. but these parents only concern regarding their child’s welfare is for the child to make them rich. disney gives them the opportunity to cash in. seems like there is only one group in the whole equation that gets screwed. it ain’t disney or the parents.

  6. Shannon says:

    Oh please, how many child actors that grew up in Disney DON’T we hear about? Tons!The same few key people keep getting recycled – Britney, Demi, Miley, Lindsay….sure, they all have Disney in common, but there are plenty more that got their start here that are successful and manage to stay out of the chaos. It is bad parenting, and it’s also humans being humans, only their actions are magnified. Many people have mental illnesses, drug addictions, an overall sense of entitlement and narcissism. Some people can cope under extreme pressures, some can’t. But to say it is Disney’s fault is just untrue. It’s fame in general, the public eye, the privileges, the MONEY, and yes – parenting. For every extreme troubled star there is a wildly successful one, and a ton that just seem to come and go. It’s everything, not just Disney.

  7. Canada Guy says:

    Maybe I’m not as savvy as I should be on this, but it does seem that for some reason its the Disney GIRLS that seem to be having all the issues.
    I don’t recall there being issues with the Disney guys, and yes, there are a lot, who feel the same pressures as their female counterparts to be good looking, role models.

    • Chordy says:

      I think that happens for a few reasons.

      1. People are less freaked out about boys’ sexuality. If they’re acting out sexually, it’s more normalized.

      2. In a general sense, there is a subject/object relationship between genders. Women are the objects of desire and men are the subjects of that desire. A 14-year-old boy is not going to be sold as a mere object quite as vigorously, and a 14-year-old girl isn’t going to have enough life experience to fully comprehend it. She just knows that filling that role = positive reinforcement. You can’t sell a teenage girl as a sexual object and then start clutching your pearls when she takes nude photos of herself. It’s not a shock that these girls have a hard time finding themselves when they’re not encouraged to be whole people.

      3. Since (a very narrow and specific definition of) sex sells, and we’re selling the sexuality of younger and younger girls, they’re going to be victims of the machine much more than boys. Again, the girls are being sold and the boys are being sold to. The boys have a bit more agency when it comes to their product. See: Justin Bieber. He’s an entitled acting punk-ass douche, but he gets to be awesome since he’s Justin Beiber. Just because we haven’t seen dong pics of the kid (thank god) doesn’t mean fame isn’t affecting him negatively. It’s just affecting him differently.

      • Lex says:

        You make a good point. I also think it needs to be noted that often times these girls become the sole income for their entire family. That kind of pressure can be devastating for a 14/15 yr. old.

    • Rio says:

      Honest question (I’ve never watched the Disney channel): ARE there male Disney stars? The only one I can think of is Justin Timberlake. Disney has always, IMO, skewed towards the female demographic (even with the movies– I think Aladdin is the only cartoon with a human male lead) so it would make sense that the names we hear about are always girls.

    • Snowpea says:

      Everybody click on this link:

      http://theconspiracyzone.podcastpeople.com/posts/32979

      It’s part creepy, part hilarious. BUT YOU MUST READ IT!

    • ZenB!tch says:

      I don’t know about Disney… but there was that rumor about Jamie-Lynn Spears’ baby daddy being a then 36 year old producer. I know no one at Nick but the rumor mill said they could name names.

      I also heard stuff about Miranda Cosgrove but she seems normal so far.

      As a former girl, what I didn’t get was why the Disney girls were so much more popular than the Disney boys.

      When I was a little girl it was all about the cute boys – Davy Jones reruns and things like that. When I was a teen it was Duran Duran and NKOTB.

      The Disney boys seemed interchangeable. Other than the Jonases – who is there? I remember there being some that they tried to break but it didn’t seem to go well.

  8. stop the madness says:

    Parents are responsible to raise their children. Disney is a business. They want to make money. Parents go into it looking for money too. They only start complaining when their child has problems. Well, how many child star burn outs do they need to see before they get the point that entertainment industry is not best for children.

  9. Shannon says:

    Side note: If anything is going to directly harm a child’s development and mental health, it’s those awful reality shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and Dance Moms. Those kids don’t stand a chance and the development of shows like that is disgusting – they just haven’t been around long enough for us to see the long term effects. I’d be willing to bet that given a few years some of those kids will be much worse off than the worst Disney trainwreck, only they won’t have the money to get help or burn out in a luxury hotel.

  10. Bite me aka aniston says:

    Keri russell and the Gos are doing just fine… Ultimately the buck stops the parents of these children

  11. Julia says:

    Can’t stand all these talentless and annoying Disney’s kids who look like 30 yo adults. They are like disease.

  12. Julie says:

    the episode “The Ring” from South Park sums it up:
    from the summary:
    As Kenny becomes dull as a result and ceases to spend time with his friends, it is revealed that the Jonas Brothers are being forced to wear and promote purity rings by their boss, a fearsome, greedy, sadistic, and foul-mouthed Mickey Mouse, who verbally berates and violently beats them when they complain that the rings are overshadowing their music and projecting the wrong message. Mickey explains that the rings allow him to sell sex to young girls while giving the appearance of innocence and purity.

  13. ashleighlauren says:

    Can I just say I really take issue with mental illness being lumped I’m with nude pictures and promiscuity. Being mentally ill is crazy random happpenstance. The other two, arguably along with illegal drug use, are choices. To act like it’s all the same is offensive and dismissive of the physiological causes of mental illness.

  14. Kimlee says:

    .

  15. Bobby the K says:

    Miley looks ready to suck on that dog gone mic. I’m sure there was absolutely no intention to give that impression, although it seems bigger than it needs to be, that’s an art dept. thing.

    • EmmaStoneWannabe says:

      Oh you are right, and that awkward angle…eww. Well, Disney has been known to place sexual innuendos in several of their animated films in the past (a scene of the night sky in Lion King comes to mind).

    • moonriver says:

      “jasmine, take off your clothes” anyone?

  16. lucy2 says:

    Ultimately it does come down to the parents, but I don’t think the Disney system is a very healthy environment for most of those kids. Too much pressure and adult expectations on kids who aren’t old enough to handle it.

  17. Mayday says:

    You know what? I’m the last person to defend Disney but they make a good point here.

    + lets face it, I think most of us would agree that the trouble these kids are getting into isn’t happening ON set…it’s happening after hours.

    Dina Lohan herself admitted to shipping Lindsay off on her own to California with a suitcase. Where are these kids parents?

  18. Carolyn says:

    Just suppose certain sort of enablers and pervy people hired by this company indoctrinate their underage charges into dealing with adult vices, play, say yes or you are banned rules and never work in this town penalty intimidation to keep their jobs and Disney didn’t and doesn’t notice.. because their hopeful of riches from the child’s career parents didn’t care?

  19. ZigZagZoey says:

    No, Disney is just responsible for giving them big dreams of being a star, and then they overwork you if you do succeed. Oh, and take most of the money too!

  20. Mirage says:

    When these kids started they were nobody. Once they become actors they have lots of freedom to do whatever and they have more money than most teenagers. Plus, some of their moms are managers so when a child is acting out the mom may not do anything about it because mom is the child’s employee. She wants to get paid. That may be why some of these Disney kids are spoiled brats. No one can discipline them and they know it.

  21. Riana says:

    Gotta agree with the man.

    I think being a child star in general ‘could’ mess with one’s mental state BUT isn’t it more likely we have teen stars who had some mental or family issues in their home previously and after the exposure and success find themselves beginning to crack under pressure? 

    This is certainly true of Miley, Lindsey, Demi and Britney.

    I think Disney functions like a business and tries it’s best to care for it’s young stars but won’t overly coddle them. It is up to a parent to ensure their child is doing the job because they love it and not because they feel like they HAVE to protect and care for their parents.

    Because honestly I suspect many of the Disney train wrecks went off the tracks because they feel likey they have to save their parents and make money to support them. 

    Others who have parents who are stable and don’t depend on their kids: Jonas Brothers, Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale are doing fine.

  22. Blue says:

    A one day seminar, seriously?
    I get what he’s saying, but if these parents wanted to intervene and take their kids away to get them help would they just let them go. I mean they want to get every penny they can from these kids, so if a parent stepped in and said “this is too much, he/she is doing too much” would they say okay or remind them that they signed a contract. They probably promise these kids the world and do things they maybe shouldn’t to keep them happy, heck the handlers probably spend more time with the kids than their own parents so I think they should take some responsibility when these kids go off.

  23. tripmom says:

    Our little girls watch cartoons that are illustrated and voiced by adults, or shows like the Fresh Beat Band or Yo Gabba Gabba that are mostly cast with adults. That wasn’t by design, but after reading all this I think going forward I’d like it to continue along that path. I don’t have to worry about Miley or Demi going off the rails and setting a bad example for my kids if they don’t watch Miley or Demi.

    Then again, I watched PeeWee’s Playhouse as a kid, which was cast with adults, and we all know how that ended… I can’t win. My kids are doomed.

    • Rio says:

      Yes– it ended AWESOMELY. (Pee Wee fangirl here…I saw his Broadway show a couple of years ago and it was brilliant. Swear to God, the man has not aged.)

  24. Lee says:

    Nevertheless, it is raising a generation of children, both performers and viewers,idols and idolaters, and doing a horrendous disservice of a job.

  25. the original bellaluna says:

    Nickelodeon or PBS is my choice for Toddles’ tv time. While I can only stomach so much UmiZoomi and Bubble Guppies and Max & Ruby (and no Sponge Bob at all), they are shows that help me teach him about interpersonal relationships, math, shapes, counting, etc…

    Disney shows (other than Octonauts and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) teach kids to be loud, over-acting, obnoxious kids.

    NOBODY NEEDS THAT!

    • tripmom says:

      I totally agree. DJ Lance Rock has taught my kids more words than I have. They get SO much out of the Nick Jr. shows.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        They really do. Plus, there’s the interactive stuff you can do online. I haven’t seen DJ Rock, but from the sound of it, I’m okay with that. 🙂

  26. Runs with Scissors says:

    I’m loving that pic of Miley with the mic/DILDO by her open mouth!

    Next thing you know, they’ll have her posing topless with just a sheet around her, or even better, have this poor kid “selling” sweet ice cream from the top of a cart that has a stripper pole… good times!

    http://www.celebitchy.com/11222/miley_cyrus_in_more_embarassing_photos_-_this_time_sort_of_topless_in_vanity_fair/

    http://www.celebitchy.com/64930/miley_cyrus_pole_dances_at_the_teen_choice_awards/

    • Ramona Q says:

      9-year-old girls won’t see Miley’s mic as a d**k c*mming on her face, right? So the fact that adults see it that way is our problem. Um … right? I hope?

      • Runs with Scissors says:

        Obvious sexualization of children by adults, (whether they realize it or not) is WRONG.

      • Bobby the K says:

        Children understand a lot more than we often think. They just cant express it. It’s about imprinting, and ‘getting it’ later.

  27. daz says:

    who here thinks social services have paid a visit to the studios and this is the legal stance they’re taking

  28. Meg says:

    but-disney is responsible for the messages they send to the kids who watch the show.
    i wondered a few years ago when the jonas brothers were on MTV vmas along with TI and beyonce. you can’t say you’re kid appropriate and then go on an award show with the jersey shore which promotes irresponsible behavior with drinking, sex and fights. which message are you sending, you can’t do both or you’re contradicting yourself

  29. RobN says:

    So sad how these kids are just dragged in off the street, against their will and that of their parents, and then abused so badly by the studio.

    Well, it’s either that or kids are crawling over each other to get that opportunity. What they do with it is up to them and their parents; Disney is a business, not a summer camp.

  30. funnygirl_22 says:

    I actually agree with the man. Showbiz is a cuthroat industry-if you really cared about your kids, then you would put them to school like everyone else and make sure they’re educated.

  31. Emily says:

    Okay, Disney’s not responsible for raising kids who watch the Disney channel. They want pats on the back for being some kind of squeaky clean company while selling images of teenage girls as sex objects. But whatever, they’re not the only thing influencing kids watching them at home. Also, I don’t care one bit about “junk food” advertising.

    However, Disney is absolutely responsible for the well-being of its child stars. These are children you are putting to work. You are making money off them. You have a responsibility for their welfare. That doesn’t mean forbidding teenage girl stars from exploring their own sexuality — it does mean not exploiting their sexuality and not allowing them to be abused. And Disney needs to stop pretending to be a squeaky-clean company while objectifying and selling teenage girls, it’s disgusting.

    I saw an interview with Ron Howard in which he talked about how he was treated on the Andy Griffith show when he was a kid. The actors and crew had his well-being on their minds whenever he was there. They knew that everyone is responsible for children. Not just the parents.

    I can’t stand when a super powerful person or spokesperson for a huge powerful company whines that they have no responsibility for things. Yes, actually, you do. You don’t get to just make tons of money and not have any commensurate responsibility to the society that allowed you to make that money. More money and power should mean more responsibility, not less.

    • Lisa says:

      This is key. They’re not being responsible for their own stars.

    • the original bellaluna says:

      Unfortunately, this is the prevailing attitude amongst MOST big companies today: “IT’S NEVER OUR FAULT!”

      They’ll use and abuse people and our planet, but goddammit! It’s not THEIR fault things went wrong! It’s not THEIR fault that our resources are contaminated by oil rigs leaking and ships crashing and fracking for natural gas and they made stupid, risky decisions to turn mortgages into garbage bonds and sell them on the stock market!

      And, FFS, WHERE IS OUR TAX-PAYER-FUNDED GOVERNMENT BAIL-OUT ANYWAY?!?

      /rant (I’m sorry. I’m going to have a glass of wine.)

  32. Snowpea says:

    Yes that last pic of Miley and the mic is INTENTIONAL!

    I already posted this upthread, but please click on this link:

    http://theconspiracyzone.podcastpeople.com/posts/32979

    It’s halfway between disturbing and hysterically funny.

    • Lisa says:

      Going through that right now. I’d love to show this to a girl I follow on tumblr. She reblogs SO much Disney.

  33. Lisa says:

    Maybe it’s because I grew up with Disney cartoons and not actual people, but I’ve never understood the concept of these girls as role models. Or role models in general. Like, I loved the Spice Girls, but I didn’t want to model myself after them unless it was Halloween. Miley, Demi, and Selena all have the same appeal and it’s kind of mind-blowing that little girls idolize them.

    Not to take Disney out of the equation — they’re pretty effed up, lbr — but I think there is some truth in not letting a corporation raise your children. Don’t ban Hannah Montana, but make the kid understand the difference between REALITY and FANTASY. What you see on TV, you can’t recreate in real life. Liking someone isn’t being like them.

  34. ZenB!tch says:

    *the quality of Disney shows has been (surprisingly) on a steady decline since “Hannah Montana” ended*

    That’s because Disney’s CEO is clueless and monkey’d with the leadership. Their movies suck now too. He’s all about the Franchise and the $$$$. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

  35. anti-icon says:

    I’m always believed in capitalism. And Disney seemed the ideal corporation. It’s hard to blame this company, because they do give these young people a huge and rare opportunity and financial compensation that is unattainable any place else. That’s my beef. It’s too big; too merchandised and much too predominant in our culture.

    They innovative enough at Disney to break down their kingdom, spread it around the country, and inspire new, more fair methods of artistic expression in entertainment. This formual no longer works.

  36. max says:

    Fame has now become a brandable commodity more important than wealth, talent, intelligence or work ethic and I think many are willing to live with the cost of acquiring it.

    Take a few minutes to notice how most celebrities refer to their media presence. You will notice that they always coin it as their “brand”.

    Unfortunately, there is no award for raising your child to be decent human being. The parents who resist the urge for the quick buck and work hard at making a difference in their child’s lives are the true heroes of our society.

  37. Sam x says:

    I’m sorry Disney should be the last people to be taking a moral stance, pretend they care about these kids when they are nothing but a product to them.

    These child stars are their employees working for them and isn’t it their duty as the employer to take care of their employees welfare ie health/safety?.

    I think its cruel that they don’t give these kids a get out clause in their contract when they can’t cope and need to take a much needed break. Its like you sign your soul over, that’s it, you work til you drop no ifs, no buts!

    Personally, I feel Disney portray these kids as squeaky clean stars who are perfect in every way aesthetically, lead a great life and rebel a bit as a typical teen would because they are marketed as role models for the younger masses, it put those child stars under much pressure when they probably want to let loose, wonder why they can’t due to the image Disney portrays of them.

    Parents are too to blame because they are signing over their child at what expense? Their wellbeing? Their childhood? Their privacy? All for money and fame. Its sad when parents may get blinded by the money that they forget that they have to still care and discipline their child despite the fame and money.

    Showbusiness is no place for a child or young adults!

  38. Sweettart says:

    all shows that contain superficial, bratty protagonists

    Thank you. Most of the shows are horrible! Showcasing completely sassy and disrespectful brats!

    I banned “people” shows for my kids a long time ago, but honestly some of the cartoons are just as bad.

    Other than Spongebob and Dora, it’s hard to find anything that is halfway decent for them to watch . . . so they just don’t watch all that much.

    The Brady Bunch these shows are not.

  39. jwoolman says:

    It’s not actually fair to lump Demi/Britney (who did tv shows) with Lindsay/Vanessa (who did movies). Vanessa doesn’t really belong there at all – she wasn’t a “child actor” but played a high schooler. A regular series seems to be a different kind of pressure. They do have to think more carefully about all the associated touring and publicity and such for the younger ones, though. And stop calling kid actors “stars” and deluding them into thinking they can sing when they can’t without so much digital enhancenent it would make my noisy cat sound terrific. But the real problem has more to do with the parents (Dina Lohan, for example) than the network. There are plenty of kid actors whose parents manage to keep them well grounded. The parents have to “just say no” when it all is getting beyond reasonable, but they get dollar signs in their eyes.

  40. Jill says:

    We are not responsible for raising kids….just exploiting them. Yeah I get it.

    • normades says:

      Lots of thoughtful and intelligent comments on this thread, but this one pretty much sums it up!

  41. julie says:

    Gary Marsh should be fired. If they are going to use underage talent then they do have a responsibility to them. I’ve read so many articles about how these young actors/actresses are preyed upon by managers and tutors. Nope, I disagree with him entirely. When you hire young performers you do have some kind of responsibility to look after them.

  42. Me says:

    Disney ISN’T responsible wholly from the child’s well being. The parents should be, as well as the child. But the truth is that we don’t know what it’s like to be a Disney star. We don’t really know how it feels for the pressure, or where we were at that point in our lives. And, children, while they are still children, can actually think for themselves. IF they have wise enough parents, then maybe they’ll do all right. It really just depends.

    Disney isn’t squeaky clean, but you know, at least there’s some sort of attempt at it, “hidden images,” or not. IMHO, it’s better than throwing Sex and the City at your child.

    Regardless, there has to be a combination of these things. I mean, some of these kids will be adults, if they aren’t all ready, in a few years. If you went to a normal job, your boss isn’t going to go and cuddle you into everything. And, most of these stars make more in one episode than most of the poor class does in one year.

    With all the pressures, sure, there has to be some prons/cos, and maybe these kids would be wiser if (or have) gone through some hard knocks, to appreciate the money, and the chance given to them. Most of us are just trying to live paycheck to paycheck, and even at that, many of us can barely do that.

    In the end, Disney is a business, for good, or for bad, that’s how it really roles.