Respecting the business 🙂

My Opinion is probably going to make some people mad… But after a bunch of auditions and most of them involving children and being at the grocery store one too many times, I can honestly say there are SOME (not all) kids who shouldn’t be in show business and kids that have a LACK of respect.  Now I don’t have a huge problem with some kids being in the business because my daughter is in the business, and I’d hate to be a hypocrite but definitely there are some kids that shouldn’t be. I guess I have a certain criteria for kids to be in the business and their parents should abide by it..LOL  I’ve been in the business for over 25 years and as much as I’d like to say I started when I was 5 (to help me NOT sound Old..LOL) I didn’t.  As a teenager I made a decision to pursue acting/modeling as my passion, dream and definitely put forth the hard work to achieve my dreams and goals, but I can tell you no 3-year-old has any realistic expectations about this business that has to come from their parents.

So Just to be a hypocrite..LOL, My daughter started at 5 years old after a Disney representative saw my daughter and wanted her to do 3 commercials playing herself and dress up as Snow White at a tea party/bracelet making scenario.  I asked Brianna and she loved the idea of being Snow White and wearing an authentic Disney costume and being in a Disney spot. The job was going to be a short shoot and paid about 2 sessions fees and involved bracelet making, great food, cool costumes and other great kids.  The next job was a casting director friend of mine who asked her to be in a Lexus car commercial and once again I asked Brianna and she wanted to do it. See when Brianna auditions she treats the audition like the job and as soon as she leaves the audition doesn’t think about it again until the callback or the booking.  I like that, I don’t want her worrying about whether she’s pretty or cute enough or talented enough because as I wrote in the Auditioning Blog it has less to do with her and more to do with what the client is trying to match you up with or the market, he/she is targeting.  There are times when Brianna doesn’t want to be in the business and doesn’t want to audition and I am 100% ok with that.  I would never drag her to an audition and force her to act because it is not only a waste of your time but a huge waste of time for the casting directors and clients for a angry, grumpy kid to be misbehaving in the audition room.  The one thing Kids need to do that I see some kids do not, is respect the time and energy of those around you.  You need sit patiently, quietly waiting to be called, you need to listen and do what is instructed and respectfully acknowledges the hard work of those around you conducting the auditions and the other actors participating in them. 

Lack of RESPECT is a huge problem!  I see some of these kids have absolutely NO RESPECT!  See that’s the key here.  If a child doesn’t respect their parents, they sure as hell are NOT going to respect anyone else around them.  See when I grew up, we had 5 channels of TV, rode a big yellow bus to school & played outside until it was dark. I didn’t use a computer until I was in my 20’s, didn’t have a cell phone until I was 23 and I sure as HELL respected everything my parents did and said.  I didn’t talk back or tell my parents to hold on or wait, or that I wanted this, and I wanted that.  I definitely didn’t roll my eyes at them (mostly) out of fear of them being smacked into the back of my head with a backhand.. LOL but seriously I wasn’t disrespectful because they were my parents and knew more than I did.  I trusted and listened to my parents and tried to never lie or disappoint them.  They made me responsible and accountable for my life.  They showed me that dreams and goals take hard work and persistence and best of all to respect those around me like my family, friends, teachers, and elders.  This is what is missing in Kids these day…not all of them but enough and it is so disappointing to watch a child talk to their parents in a condescending tone or argue over what they allowed to do when they need to be thankful for the life they have!

 The problems I see is that some of the parents want it more than their kid.  You find some parents force their child to achieve their dreams and then live vicariously through them.  If it is your child’s dream, then by all means teach them to be respectful & thankful for all they have and appreciate the little things and appreciate all you do to help them achieve their dreams.  I see too many kids think they know it all and correct their parents and talk back and act like they are entitled to material things!!  They are wrong. You child should 1st and foremost respect, listen and honor you, The Parents!  Too Often parents let the KIDS call the shots.  Don’t be afraid that your kids won’t think your cool or won’t like you.  I love and respect my parents and it’s because I knew the things, they did for me and the things I wasn’t allowed to do were because they LOVED me not to punish me and I understand that now and so will your kids.  When they go to audition, they’ll respect the Casting people and the other actors and appreciate the opportunity that has presented itself and they won’t feel entitled to the job.  They’ll be better people because of it. 

This is what I tell my daughter, “Right now I am smarter than her and I hope, pray and KNOW she will grow up to be 100 times smarter than me and 1000 times more successful but until that point don’t argue with me or treat me like I am one of your school yards friends because I am NOT.  If she knew everything then she wouldn’t be in school and she wouldn’t need me to survive, we’d give birth and just like a baby bird as soon as they are able to walk, we’d push them out of the nest and see if they could fly.  So, 2 things would happen either they’d flap their wings and fly, or they’d fall to the ground and die.  But our kids aren’t birds and as I said I am here to get you safely to adulthood and I still have a lot to teach you.  One day you will be thankful and appreciate the time you have to grow, learn and become an adult.  Be thankful I didn’t kick you out after you learned to walk. So please Love and Respect your Parents, Elders and loved ones and teach your children to do the same and we’ll have a much better society for the future. 

xo Catherine