According to reports, the 18-year-old performer entered an undisclosed treatment center to deal with "emotional and physical issues." Her father Patrick Lovato spoke out to the press on Sunday, stating that he felt the pressures of Hollywood are what put the young actress over the edge.
"There are a lot of pressures. That is one of the things I worried about when she signed with Disney," said Lovato. "It's just going to happen."
While I'm all for acknowledging that Disney tends to put its actresses in a purity box, making it difficult for them to break out without going to the absolute opposite side of the spectrum--ahem, Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears-- I just don't think we can keep blaming Hollywood for these issues that are occurring all around the country, more regularly than adults and corporations seem to understand.
Yes, being in front of a thousand fans who critique you constantly is rough, but it's the same pressure that regular college students experience on a daily basis. In any given night, they're trying to finish one 10 page paper, while studying for a midterm exam, while trying to plan an event for a student organization and trying to write an article on deadline, all the while hoping to wake up at 7 a.m. to be at their internship on the Hill the next morning; by the time it comes to the weekend, it's no wonder that Nooshi happy hour is packed with students trying to drink away whatever they had to work through for the entire week.
I would never try to minimize whatever issues that Lovato is going through, but I do wish that Disney would instead use this as a learning experience for all of the kids that watch it. Now, more than ever, young people have an endless list of pressures to deal with and everyone is in the same boat. Disney needs to open up the conversation about alcohol abuse, drug use, the pressures of succeeding and the normalcy of failing in some situations-- not chastising them for being immoral, but recognizing that these are regular situations that many young people will have to deal with.
I had the opportunity to work with Miley Cyrus on her film "The Last Song" in Savannah, Georgia, last summer and was able to witness how easy it is for the public to make the normal activities of a young girl an entire controversy worthy of a magazine cover. Cyrus was one of the most normal, down-to-earth and fun girls I've ever been around and had an engaging bubbly spirit that I'll always remember. She was passionate about being a good performer, and from what it seemed, really cared about giving back to her fans.
But when the paparazzi took pictures of her kissing her boyfriend for a scene or wearing a midriff-bearing top--the media had a field day and said that she'd become too "sexy" for the image that she's known for.
While it lacks in comparison to the widespread-ness of entertainment media, Cyrus' situation reminded me of how Facebook has made cyber bullying a regular occurrence. Just as tabloids juxtaposed Cyrus' photos with captions which labled her "No long a little Disney princess," students all around the country are taking pictures from a girl's Facebook that they are jealous of and labeling her as a "slut." It's not right, but it's all too common.
They may have multi-million dollar paychecks and a clothing line at some retail giant, but these girls are going through the exact same things that students on every college campus are experiencing. I hope Lovato gets the help that she needs--just as I hope any of my peers at GW get guidance or treatment if they feel its necessary; but let's not put issues into the box of Hollywood.
The pressures that these girls are feeling are the pressures of just being young and ambitious in America, today.
-Amy Rhodin
No comments:
Post a Comment