To answer the question of why Disney kids rebel...I used to (ten years ago) have connections with the entertainment industry. While some parents were desperate to get their kids hired by Disney due to the fame they knew it would bring, there were also a LOT (really, a LOT) of parents who turned down any Disney audition they got, or even told their agents, don't submit her for Disney!! Disney is VERY hard on kids...In a build them up, use them for all you can get, then spit them out kind of way. Disney is very much about the numbers, and the well-being of the kids gets lost on the way.
A lot of parents said they would love for their child to get a job with Nick and not with Disney.
Nick has a much better reputation with child actors. Nick does a lot better with on-set tutoring than Disney does, also Nick does not overwork kids as much as Disney, and Nick is a lot more laid back!
The other important thing is Nick makes sure the kids are prepared for the future when theyre no longer with Nick- they talk to the kids a LOT about how childhood fame is not a forever thing and they really work on helping the kids transition better once it's time for them to move on.
Now this was 10-12 years ago but I think it's safe to assume it's still the same way if not worse..
Have you seen Amanda Bynes? I'd say Nick isn't so squeaky clean either. And Jaime Lynn Spears getting pregnant as a teenager. And I know there are some others who hav head a lot of problems after Nick.
Honestly....it's not just a Disney thing. It's an entertainment industry thing. I know a few people in the entertainment industry and they would never want their kids in it no matter what company it is for. If their kids WANT to do it, they will try to discourage it but still be supportive if they decide they really want it....but they would never actively encourage it. They would definitely want them to pursue a college degree and then if they still WANT to, pursue entertainment.
I think Disney stars get so much press because well...it's Disney...they are bigger than Nick or any other children's/tween/teen station.
And I know a lot of people are comparing her to Britney Spears....Britney Spears has been doing so much better since bein diagnosed and medicated for her meantl illness. Is it possible that Miley is on a similar path because of a similar issue?....maybe. But I just don't see it as anything more than normal rebellion and soul searching. Amanda Bynes on the other hand....I definitely do think there is some mental instability going on there that needs to be addressed.
And I say this because.....while a lot of parents might not approve of what Miley is doing....she's not doing anything abnormal...or erratic....or truly dangerous (to herself or others). She's not hurting anyone. Shes rebelling and it just happens to be in the publics eye....but hopefully she will be able to turn it around. Amanda Bynes and Britney's actions were different....they were very erratic, and abnormal, and harmful to themselves and others. In my mind that's the difference..
Now...I honestly cringe when kids talk about celebrities being role models. I understand that's the way the world works andi completely understand that there are celebrities out there who would make amazing role models....I've met a few....they just happen to be older than the child/tween demographic.
I think a combination of things come into play here.....the media, home life, normal teen/young adult rebellion, and possibly some other underlying issue (teen years/young adult years are the prime time for manifestation of a lot of mental illnesses)....and of course we are to blame as well. The media reports this stuff because as a population in general, we watch it. We read it. We pay attention to it. They follow what they think we are interested in.
That being said....I was never a huge "fan" of Hannah Montana. I was kind of inbetween the tween/teen years when it started. I was introduced to it while babysitting and while I never hated it, it wasn't bad. And these days...ehh...I don't see anything inherently wrong with what she is doing now. I've seen/heard about a lot worse at college (especially with the way some girls dressed on campus). I think she is trying to figure out who she is with very little family support from an unstable family home. It's not an ideal combination.
That's all just my 2 cents on it....
