Rant #1,425: Kid Stars

Children who star in movies and television shows have been around for ages.

The first kids star that I could recall was Jackie Coogan, who was a huge star in silent movies.

He was abused, his money stolen, and because of him, laws were put into effect that protect young actors from this type of situation, to a certain extent.

His success begat a group of kids who became stars because they were used by Hollywood in strange and mysterious ways, not just starring in films and later, TV productions, and also on records, but as cogs in a production machine, and some of these kids got eaten up by the whole thing.

You had the kids in the Our Gang comedies, and later, you had stars like Judy Garland, Roddy McDowall, Elizabeth Tayor, and even later Annette Funicello, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Kurt Russell, Ronny and Clint Howard, Angela Cartwright, Billy Mumy, Jay North, Micky Dolenz ... the list goes on and on and on.

Later, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, and even later, the Olsen twins, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.

As much product as Hollywood churns out, there is a need for the latest kid star to fill a role prescribed for them.

A lot of these kids make it big, and have sustainable careers that last literally a lifetime.

Then you have the kids who simply do their thing and fade away, away from the spotlight but intact.

And then you have those who had a lot foisted on their shoulders at a very young age, and when out of the spotlight, they are unable to handle the pressures of everyday life.

Such might be the story of Sawyer Sweeten, one of the Barone boys on "Everybody Loves Raymond," who apparently took his own life at the age of 19.

Further investigation is needed, but apparently Sweeten offed himself.

As you know, I have vehemently said that people who want to commit suicide are selfish, foisting their problems on others when they perish. I said that about Robin Williams, and I am going to say the same thing about Sweeten.

But when those doing the offing are so young, I have to cringe a bit.

The show he was on, and was actually just a minor character of, has been off the air for years, but it will be forever shown in reruns.

By the end of the show's run, Sweeten was probably barely old enough to realize that he was at least a minor cog in one of the most popular shows of its generation.

Nobody knows what goes on in the psyche of anybody that commits suicide, and when a teenager commits suicide--and that goes for any teen who does this to themselves--you really have to wonder.

He is not the first kid star to struggle after initial success. Rusty Hamer of "Make Room For Daddy" fame was another kid star who committed suicide, and there are others in that category, too.

Paul Peterson, a former kid star himself from "The Donna Reed Show," had his own problems in adjusting to life when stardom was no longer his, and he went through his own hard times.

He fought those demons, and out of it came an organization called "A Minor Consideration," which helps former child stars adjust to life after all the glitz and glamor fades.

Along with other child stars who have made the adjustment, including Jeannie Russell of "Dennis the Menace" fame, he has helped countless kids who are without direction after their fame fades.

He helped Jay North, also of "Dennis the Menace" fame, to turn around his life, but alas, he can't help everyone in this situation.

Sweeten, who comes from a family of child stars, somehow fell through the cracks.

Look, like anything else, some kids can handle it, some cannot. It's just that these kids are so high profile that it really tears your heart out when things like this happen.

Condolences to the Sweeten family, but let's be honest about it, living is part of life. You have to be able to adjust, whether you are a child star or just your average, everyday kid. People, whether they are child stars or not, have responsibilities to their families, their friends, and to themselves, and when suicides happen, somehow, someway, everything fails to help, at least in the minds of those doing this to themselves.

Who knows what went through Sweeten's mind when he did this to himself? We will never know, but it is a real shame ...

And at only 19 years old, the same age as my son.

Speak to you again on Monday.