User Reviews

This should be required listening for anyone interested in celebrities. A nuanced, well-researched, compassionate look at the "toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline," as Alyson calls it, from child stars losing bodily autonomy and why addictions/eating disorders are so common to mental health, predatory enablers in the industry, financial exploitation, plastic surgery, auditions, and much more. Alyson shares staggering personal stories (like complete strangers asking for college tuition and rent) as well as statistics and anecdotes from other child stars. It's kind of horrifying and makes you think about whether Hollywood should have child stars at all. They (Alyson uses they/them pronouns) do an excellent job of not pointing the finger at any one easy target (like parents, managers, etc.) but observing how we all play different roles in exploiting child stars. Very thought-provoking and well done.