Hi there, Ian here. Here's some thoughts that I posed to Steve and he liked what I wrote so much that he thought I should get it out there and he asked me to post it on his blog.

I can't help but wonder what will become of the generations to come.  As a global community that in some form "feeds" it's entertainment needs mostly from the TV and movie industry, it is important to recognize the impact the "feeding" is doing to us. It is one thing to be "fat and flabby" from lack of exercise, but have we also put our minds to sleep and lost our senses?

In one alarming case, we have a child who is abused for the purposes of "entertainment" and it is mainstream media. What is more concerning is the fact that the child involved does not seem to find a problem with it! The market appeal to younger and younger generations has lead to younger and younger actors and actresses or singers. Certainly some manage to "survive" the onslaught of fame and fortune - perhaps one example could be Hillary Duff who has managed to maintain a relatively "clean" image. However, as the number of younger "stars" increases, so does the number of cases of substance abuse and failed relationships. In the years long past, only a handful of hollywood names were lost - James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley. Those individuals were over the age of 20. Currently, there is a sky-rocketting number of minors in the limelight who have died, undergone or are undergoing treatment for some kind of disorder.

The current trend is drastically changing the horizon and it's impact on society. The more "underaged" performers become, it also impacts trends in the real world. As a result of the young entertainers, we have our little sons and daughters, our little sisters and brothers, starting to look and sometimes act as those they see in what is labelled "entertainment." Further disturbing is that due to the age of many of these performers, there is no "moral compass" because they have not had the opportunity to develop. The following is what happens when an underaged and wrongly influenced actress gets bitten by hollywood:

December 11, 2006 -- SHE may get raped in her next movie - currently titled "The Untitled Dakota Fanning project" - but Dakota Fanning, 12, thinks it's "wonderful." In an interview with thereeler.com, Fanning said of her movie, which will debut at Sundance, "I don't think that anybody should be talking about it yet because nobody's seen it yet, you know? . . . It's a wonderful film, and I'm really proud to be in it. I can't wait for people to see it."

Now, Dakota Fanning may be a good actress. That is not the case in question here. However, not only does the statement made by Dakota leave questions about her future, but also what will happen in the lives of those who view her. In previous years, there has always been a push of the limits by fashion, television and musicians. And while it is not exactly "new" to have a minor in a "terrifying" scene (remember movies like "The Exorcist", and "Firestarter"), this takes things to a whole different level. In this instance we have a 12 year old suggesting that a movie with (at the very least) sexual assault - if not rape, of a child is a "wonderful thing." Critics may say that I am taking that out of context and she is merely referring to the movie as a whole...however how often does a movie influence with a popular performer influence society in some way?

The deeper root is how this actress is vulnerable and has not learned to see the dangers of this very violent behaviour in media. Certainly, it is impossible to "sugarcoat" life and thereby eliminate all violence in stories. They just would not be believable or true as even the Bible has violence in it. The issue comes back to what is becoming of "entertainment" and are we ready to let infants lead infants into the dungeon?

Ian

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