Child Stardom vs. TikTok Fame: Different Eras, Same Soul-Sucking Machine

The benefits of streaming shows include the ability to go back and watch that thing everyone was talking about last year. I had a bit of down time so I hopped into the HBO docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. As promised, it presents the horrors of child stardom within the framework of 90’s tween entertainment. What struck me was not so much the pedophiles allowed to roam the halls for prey but the fact that even with parents and advisors on set the instant fame and money colliding with kids was incredibly damaging even when the kids weren’t being inappropriately fondled.

We’ve seen this story play out before, haven’t we? The wide-eyed kid with an ounce of talent and a mountain of ambition lands their big break. Hollywood puts them on a pedestal, and the world watches them shine. But as the years pass, that pedestal becomes a cage. The cameras never stop rolling, the spotlight never dims, and the applause becomes a deafening echo. Then comes the fall—the scandals, the addiction, the lawsuits, the “Where are they now?” headlines sometimes answered with a Pornhub or OnlyFans subscription.

But here’s the kicker: the tragedy of child stardom isn’t some relic of the 20th century, some cautionary tale confined to the annals of entertainment history. It’s alive and well. It’s just wearing a different mask now.