Corbin Bleu (the actor who plays Chad Danforth in the HSM trilogy) in Entertainment Weekly (#1042), says it is time for him to “shake off some of that nice-guy, wholesome image.” How does he plan to do that? Beginning this fall he will be starring with Mischa Barton and Elle Macpherson in the CW’s new, risqué, drama The Beautiful Life.
Referring to his costar Zac Efron’s recent, racy photo shoot with a topless woman in Interview magazine (called "Zac Efron Gets Dirty" - a double entendre), Bleu continued: “We can’t be the teenagers we were in High School Musical forever, as much as our parents want that. Zac is serious about taking his career to the next level.”
I know this is nothing new; we see it all the time of young actors: Miley Cyrus, Jessica Beil, Ashley Tisdale, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Vanessa Hudgens, Shia Labeouf, etc. But a few questions:
- Since when is it more mature (grown up, if you will) to start stripping off clothing and baring it all?
- Since when is it the more mature decision to be involved in projects that exploit sexuality versus modeling true love and relationships (the kind that actually take work, commitment and integrity)?
- Since when is it mature to blow off your obligation to your younger viewers who, yesterday, you used and begged to spend their money to buy tickets to your show and take home your merchandise (without whom you’d still be “that guy trying to make it big”)?
- Since when is being "wholesome" or trustworthy or good a bad thing? Is your career really that important that you'd rather be known as anything BUT virtuous?
I’m not saying teen/child actors should cater to the Disney 'Tween crowd forever. What I am saying is that if they spend the beginning part of their career being somewhat “wholesome” (and somewhat encouraging the same of their audience), they ought to be conscious of the roles they choose to grow into as an “adult.” They don’t have to go extremes to prove they are not a kid anymore. Stripping naked, drinking and cussing and trying to force their “maturity” down their audience’s throats is no more grown up than a teen standing in a crowded room and stomping their feet while yelling “I AM AN ADULT! I AM!” Instead it ought to be their acting and mature, responsible role choices speak for themselves.
To Corbin, Zac and the Rest of Young Hollywood following suit: These are just the thoughts (my take) of a father with two young children who desperately wanted to be your fans, but I wouldn’t let them for this very reason. I’m sad to say “I knew I was right” for protecting them from your product and career.
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Image borrowed from: http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/featured-movie-stills/gallery/891/high-school-musical-3-senior-year-stills%23photo10
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