5 ms·

What do you mean 'if'? They're about as disposable as toilet paper. They are created to be disposable and nothing is moderating that impulse at all. Hell, back

What do you mean 'if'? They're about as disposable as toilet paper. They are created to be disposable and nothing is moderating that impulse at all. Hell, back in the times of Motown they made the child stars go to school. This is in some ways less organized than, but also less moral than, the music business and the film industry. And that takes some DOING, to be worse than the music business and the film industry. I think it's the decentralization that does it: platforms that are very algorithmic, distributed, with nobody to claim responsibility for anything. In the absence of oversight or obvious control we're supposed to see the true nature of what all this stuff becomes when it's free of top-down control. We are, and it's Lord of the Flies, but for celebrity children. It's not far off child abuse, but with a nice little disconnect between what happens and how the situation's created. These kids aren't the product, they're the Soylent Green. They're there to die for the algorithm.

nine_k 5y ago
I hope these kids will at least get some experience to enter show business with more of a chance of success. Or maybe enough money (if they are wise, or their parents are) to dampen the effects of the inevitable transition.
- Applejinx 5y ago
  Here's the dark truth: any kid like this that gets old enough to have a sense of self-protection around this exploitation is way, way less valuable than a new, younger, fresher one that is completely innocent. You'll get the occasional one who's bright enough to sock money away secretly (from what little I understand, the rapper Chamillionaire was like this?) and pivot into being one of the exploiters with age and maturity, or just be able to make a graceful exit. The thing is, these kids are meant to LOOK like your classic MC Hammer, acting like lottery winners and living large. To figure out that you have to fake that while secretly being a bit cleverer, and pull it off, is impressively shrewd, and I don't think the system selects for it. The system is not assigning extra points for wise. I would add that a systemic side-benefit to the group form seen here and in K-Pop is that it's easier to swap out kids and discard them, where in a more isolated celebrity model there's more of an incongruity behind building up a star only to then drop 'em and present a different, younger star to replace them. In a group house it's the house that is the star and it's easier to drop a kid.
everdrive 5y ago
>They're about as disposable as toilet paper. At least toilet paper serves a useful function.

nine_k 5y ago

I hope these kids will at least get some experience to enter show business with more of a chance of success. Or maybe enough money (if they are wise, or their parents are) to dampen the effects of the inevitable transition.

Applejinx 5y ago
Here's the dark truth: any kid like this that gets old enough to have a sense of self-protection around this exploitation is way, way less valuable than a new, younger, fresher one that is completely innocent. You'll get the occasional one who's bright enough to sock money away secretly (from what little I understand, the rapper Chamillionaire was like this?) and pivot into being one of the exploiters with age and maturity, or just be able to make a graceful exit. The thing is, these kids are meant to LOOK like your classic MC Hammer, acting like lottery winners and living large. To figure out that you have to fake that while secretly being a bit cleverer, and pull it off, is impressively shrewd, and I don't think the system selects for it. The system is not assigning extra points for wise. I would add that a systemic side-benefit to the group form seen here and in K-Pop is that it's easier to swap out kids and discard them, where in a more isolated celebrity model there's more of an incongruity behind building up a star only to then drop 'em and present a different, younger star to replace them. In a group house it's the house that is the star and it's easier to drop a kid.

everdrive 5y ago

>They're about as disposable as toilet paper. At least toilet paper serves a useful function.