Now that more local TV shows are riding on the “cute kiddie talent” bandwagon, it’s time to remind everyone of the old, rusty but still trusty adage and exhortation to adult performers: Don’t act with child talents (and animals), because you’ll end up completely upstaged!
Why are child talents such feared and “deadly” scene-stealers? Their angelic cuteness and youthful effervescence are a given, of course—but, when you “go psychological,” there’s much more to their appeal and power than that:
Adults dote on child performers, because they are cherished reminders of a long-lost time when adult viewers were themselves innocent children, oh so full of wonder and with an entire lifetime of beautiful and exciting possibilities to look forward to!
In tired adulthood or old age, however, wizened “veterans of life” realize with dismay that most of those glowing and breathtaking possibilities never panned out.
So, people on the wrong side of 50 dote on young performers because through them, they can empathetically feel the surge and glow of dreaming and hoping—all over again!
That’s why we keep reminding kiddie talents’ parents and mentors to stop making them look, move and perform like pint-sized adults because that’s not what adult viewers are looking for!
Many kids are made to be as porma and siga and cocky as all heck, which is why most local child talents are so unappealing—and uninspiring!
This is also true of our child singers and dancers, who are made to perform musical numbers that are too mature and sexy for their tender and vulnerable years. We hope that all the kiddie talent tilts we now have on local TV will insist that prospective contestants will sing songs whose lyrics don’t speak of broken hearts, love lost and betrayed—etc.!
As for our pint-sized dancers, they should be prevented from imitating the gyrations and “turned-on” gestures and facial expressions of felines in heat!
We should all remind ourselves of the real reasons why viewers cherish performances by children, and kids should be given the time to just be kids, so that they can finally develop the sense of wonder that adults envy—and prize so much!
As for animal performers, they’re also captivating and disarming in their own unique way, but it’s mostly due to their trainers’ ability to make them do precisely what directors need for their productions. So their human trainers deserve most of the credit, with most of the animal “stars” merely providing the physical beauty, cuteness or uniqueness that make them such feared upstagers of human actors in their own right!
What about animals upstaging child actors? Hmm, that’s a bit more complicated, since it’s like pitting one powerhouse punch against another. The jury is still out on that one!