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Thanks for tuning into the first season of Dear Hollywood. As we deconstruct the toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline, what can we do to better support child performers in the entertainment industry? What role do you play? Alyson presents strategies for intervention and prevention at every level - the individual and family unit, production companies, union standardization, legislation, audiences at home, and larger cultural shifts. This is only the beginning of a movement. See you soon for season two.

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Video filmed and edited by @crispychickenco.

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Alyson reveals some of the risks and dangers around becoming a child celebrity, including navigating superfans, stalkers and predators encircling their life. They explore the question of whether famous children automatically have a responsibility to be a role model. Further, they name the reality of losing fame and the inner tension of wanting to evolve while being memorialized as a younger version of themselves. 

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If fame has addictive properties that mirror substance abuse, why would we hook a child to a “drug” that remaps their brain chemistry and alters their development forever? Alyson guides you through the psychological experience of experiencing fame firsthand as well as key elements that create a fame-obsessed culture, including the illusion of separation, parasocial relationships, and mass psychological projections.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Is Kidfluencing the latest step on the toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline? Kidfluencing is an $8B industry that has very few protections in place for children. Whether they’re a child of family vloggers or proud parents who can’t stop “sharenting,” or they accidentally went viral for a funny video, kids are growing up as digital natives without key mentorship around using technology safely. Alyson examines the areas that platforms and legislation need to address to create safer online environments and career pathways for young digital creators.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

Check out Devorah Heitner's book here: https://devorahheitner.com/growing-up-in-public/

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Every time we scroll, we’re bombarded with ads and sponsored content. Much of this is delivered directly by social media influencers, including child influencers. In an attention economy, creators are pressured to use clickbait and sensationalism to engage viewers. However, this can have a perilous effect on both the influencer and audience. Alyson explores the implications of using children in corporate marketing campaigns, and the new era of digital exploitation for both child stars and normal kids alike.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.
 

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As Alyson prepares listeners to examine Kidfluencing, they share their own personal foray into the digital media landscape at the dawn of Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. From learning the “art” of clickbait to navigating unpredictable algorithms, they ran a makeshift production company and found themselves struggling with deeper ethical questions around this emerging industry.

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Over 95 million photos and videos are posted on Instagram daily. Some people turn content creation into a livelihood and become digital influencers. Yet, rarely do they consider the deep inner workings of the platforms, who’s behind them, and the ways they’re intertwined with capitalism, politics, culture, and human well-being. Alyson shares their personal foray into social media during the Camp Rock concert tour in 2010, and questions about ethics and safety of child influencers (and everyone) online. 

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.
 

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Stereotyped as living vicariously through their children, stage parents are demanding and competitive, prizing their child as the best talent in the industry. When does a healthy parent-child relationship become harmful and controlling? Whose dream is it to pursue Hollywood if the child can hardly write their name yet? What happens to the parent after the child star becomes an independent adult? Alyson presents fifteen questions every parent should ask before getting into the industry.    

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Hollywood notoriously rips apart families and relationships, so who would let their child get into such a wild industry? Many parents don’t realize the breadth and depth of responsibilities that befall them, including protecting their child’s image, managing their finances, understanding contracts and labor laws, and ensuring their child has an adequate education. Alyson explains how even the most loving and well-intentioned parents can unknowingly drive their family towards a cliff’s edge. 

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TW: Simulating Trauma. Out of 500,000 hopeful artists, only 205 will make it. Everyone else will face repeated rejection at auditions. So, what does a child really face when they pursue the industry? Brace yourself for the rollercoaster of learning how to play characters and bring scenes to life. Learn what happens when a child depicts explicit or traumatizing material. Dig into the impact of typecasting, hierarchies of cast members, and being sexualized during puberty.

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TW: Child Abuse. Many child stars have come forward about having entire periods of their lives missing from memory due to dissociation and PTSD. So, let’s go all the way to the core. How does the industry affect a child’s nervous system? Alyson discusses common ruptures in secure attachment, the long-term effects of chronic stress on a developing body, and the harmful pattern of rapidly cycling between high highs and low lows. For child stars enduring particular abuse and trauma, Alyson provides a salient description of the consequences on their health, relationships and future.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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TW: Eating Disorders. Alyson shares the audition process that landed them in rehab, along with the intense journey of recovery, therapy sessions, and what happened immediately after returning to Hollywood. They discuss undergoing plastic surgery and body modification while experiencing deep inner conflict, and the way it ultimately changed their career trajectory and relationships.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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TW: Eating Disorders and Abuse. What is the impact of commercializing a child’s body as a product? What are the effects of Hollywood on a child’s body image? Alyson shares raw and intimate details of developing a severe eating disorder driven by industry pressures and protocols, intense perfectionism, fear of losing career momentum, and daily abuse happening at home. They share how a fast-paced and chaotic schedule leaves no room for pause or processing, resulting in many young stars choosing to cope with substances, partying or self-harm.

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What happens when child performers - due to fame and the industry - accrue copious access to wealth, material luxuries, status, and power? What traits and behaviors show up? Alyson confesses to early moments that led to an inflated self-esteem, selfish behavior, and getting kicked out of a rehearsal for disrespecting the crew. They explore the paradox of extremes where child stars gain unusual power and influence over others, yet remain voiceless and vulnerable in the workplace.

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TW: sexual violence/abuse. Hollywood was not built with children in mind, nor is it prepared to protect children on set. Alyson explores the risks and unsuitable conditions of adult workplaces and responsibilities, including a personal account of being given a cigarette as an 11-year-old on an ABC series. They outline facets of Hollywood culture such as having a posse of “yes people”, never turning “off” the Performer identity, and power dynamics that enable abuse behind the scenes.

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Child stars face a strikingly bizarre reality where the world gains excessive, intimate and unchecked access to their physical body and personal life. From directors and crew members on set to fan encounters on the street to media coverage, child performers are not granted bodily autonomy and instead are placed in vulnerable situations that can have lifelong consequences. Alyson shares stories of being told to kiss people at an uncomfortably young age, TMZ tracking down their phone number and location, and legal contracts that dictated their appearance including the shade of their skin.

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In the kickoff episode of Dear Hollywood, Alyson introduces the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline, a century old system involving child entertainers who enter the industry with pluck and promise, only to repeat similarly tragic downward spirals. Alyson discloses insights from a confidential meeting with multiple generations of former child actors, and provides the contextual framework through which we can investigate the events and elements contributing to their demise.

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Why do child stars repeatedly suffer the same horror stories of drug addiction, psychiatric hospitalizations, decimated fortunes, sexual trauma, incarceration, and even suicide? It’s time to expose Hollywood and deconstruct the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline once and for all. Former child celebrity turned mental health founder Alyson Stoner presents the first intimate and comprehensive breakdown of what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite shows, along with impact strategies for intervention, prevention, and accountability in the entertainment industry. Every week, hear personal accounts from the sets of the most iconic tv series and movies of the 2000s, plus cross-disciplinary expertise on how these moments actually apply to your own life path and healing.

Plot twist: you, the audience, play more of a role than you’ve ever been told. And together, we can collectively change the system not only to protect the safety and wellbeing of young artists, but also everyone watching at home.

Prepare to know Hollywood - and yourself - in ways you didn’t expect. Going live in 3, 2, 1… 

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