Disney Grows Up

When people hear the word "Disney", they think of innocence, youth, and fairy tales. However, for many young celebrities who find fame with this company, it rarely ends in a fairy tale.

Christina Aguilara, Britney Spears, and Miley Cyrus are just a few names we see repeatedly in the press, and most of the time it is not good press. What do these celebrities have in common? They all reached their claim to fame through being the innocent faces of Disney, then spiraled downhill from there.

One of the most talked about child-stars-gone-bad is Lindsay Lohan. This famous actress made her debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap when she was just 11 years old.  

 

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However, that famous all-american face changed quickly when her career was interrupted by two DUI arrests and three visits to drug rehabilitation facilities. Things did not look up for Lohan as she continued to make bad decisions, leading her to eventually spend time in jail more than once.

 

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Lohan's most recent scandal took place just last year when she allegedly stole a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in Venice, California. Although she pled not guilty, she is looking up to six months in prison if she is convicted.

Although Lohan is one of the most talked about Disney stars, she is definitely not the only one. So what is it that makes these child stars turn bad?

Some people argue that the pressure of being famous is just too much stress for a young girl. Being a celebrity at such an early age takes away their childhood and forces them to act like a grown up when most girls their age are out playing and enjoying their youth.

Others believe that their actions are just a way to get their name in the tabloids. As we have all heard before, "no press is bad press".

A completely different opinion, one that I find to make the most sense, is that they are just normal people who grow up. Not every Disney star turns out like Lindsay Lohan; we just hear about the ones who do because people enjoy reading about gossip. These child stars are known as their characters on the Disney channel, so their fans forever think of them as being the little children they watched on TV. When they mature and stray from that wholesome, youthful image, people are shocked.

Take any group of people -- there are going to be a few who take the wrong path and make bad decisions. We just don't hear about them because the majority of people are not constantly followed by a swarm of people who document and judge their every move.

Whatever the reason behind it is, a common opinion among Disney fans today is that their once innocent role models eventually turn into drinking, stealing, scandalous women. Whether this is true or not, it does not look like this trend is going to change any time soon.