By Lester Williams Jr
The entertainment industry, especially in Hollywood, is filled with a variety of opportunities for all ages. However, despite the district having many jobs available, it has come under controversy due to its treatment of its underage employees.
Hollywood needs to improve their standards for the safety of their underage staff; having children and teenagers be viewed in a way only suitable for adults can lead to several physical and mental health issues in the future.
Underage sexualizing is an issue which has gotten to the point where some people are questioning if Hollywood is exploiting its child actors. It is because of people’s concern for the wellbeing of Hollywood’s underage employees that the public and businesses that deal with the entertainment industry must do their part to help protect underage artists.
Teenage actresses like Millie Bobby Brown have dealt with criticism from the public due to being oversexualized. During the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, she wore an outfit that, while classy in appearance, made some people believe she was dressed more maturely than the average 15-year-old.
In response to this issue, the actress mentioned that changes needed to be made. This comment got the attention of several people including Isangeley Lopez, a junior majoring in criminal justice, who said, “I remember when that happened [the speech], and it created a lot of conversations. People wondered if she was doing this because she wanted to, or was she forced. “
The comment Lopez gave demonstrates some of the questions and concerns the average person may think when confronted with this issue. The idea of a teenage celebrity being forced to dress in a manner that’s fit for only adults will cause the public to fear for the physical and mental health of Hollywood’s underage actors.
Regardless of fame, teenage girls deal with being oversexualized both on and off screen. This situation causes many teen girls to be hesitant on what they wear as they could become at risk of being ridiculed for not acting their age and receiving inappropriate comments from grown adults.
Khamille Labbe, a junior majoring in English professional writing, shared a story about when she was 16 and a group of construction workers made comments about her appearance while she donned a martial arts uniform, which in her own words made her “look like a juggernaut.”
From Labbe’s story, it is clear that clothing, even if not meant to highlight one’s sexuality, cannot always help prevent people from oversexualizing a teenager. The experiences Labbe went through brings up the idea of modesty in women’s fashion and if it can be effectively used to help preserve the wellbeing of Hollywood’s underage employees.
Heidi Konow, an English major specializing in theater, said, “I know that finding modest clothing can be difficult.” Heidi’s claim provides evidence that it’s not easy for women and teenage girls to acquire modest clothing that can ensure they are not being oversexualized.
When it comes to the entertainment industry, legal adults should have the right to present themselves how they want depending on the setting they are in; however, it’s unacceptable to expose children and teenagers to an adult lifestyle.
How can society stop this conflict? One way is to support information-based organizations, such as The Parents TV Council, that are reporting on Hollywood’s treatment of their underage employees. It is thanks to organizations like this that the public have become more aware of Hollywood’s perception of its workers.
In addition, the public can take a stand and advocate that the age of adulthood should be taken into consideration when discussing if it is appropriate to portray a person as a child or an adult.
In Hollywood’s case, if someone wants to argue who should be treated as a child, since California’s age of adulthood is 18, that means everyone under that age should not be sexualized.
Although the entertainment industry is a vast realm of opportunities, society cannot allow the adults in this industry to become so fixated on profit and fame that they forget to respect ethical standards. This includes providing protection for all the non-adults who work in the industry.
