Is a life on stage really child's play?

JAKARTA (JP): The tension tells in Helmi Yahya's voice. It is obviously a question he has answered before, and one he dislikes, but which inevitably he will be asked again.

Is he working eight-year-old Joshua, the little king of the local entertainment world, into the ground with his TV shows, advertisements for everything from powdered milk to cough medicine and show commitments?

"Lots of people are saying this, and I wonder what is their motivation for making such a comment. It really leaves me bewildered," he said.

"Because the way I look at it is that if we put the brakes on his career now, then who is the local hero for our children?"

Helmi, who in addition to managing Joshua's career is a successful TV producer and game show host (Siapa Berani), said he was cautious in choosing what was right for his client.

"I have nine advertisement offers which are pending. If I was really exploiting him, then I'd take them all, and say forget about school. But the proof is that he still ranks third in his class."

Despite his assertions, there are fears that some child entertainers are the hapless victims of stage parents.

Ira Maya Sopha, a child star in the 1970s, said the difference between the precocious child stars of today and of her generation -- "we were very conventional" -- was made clear to her during a live TV appearance with one of them.

"I came on and he said, 'Wow, how come Cinderella got fat?' I was so taken aback. I thought, who is teaching this kid to say such things?"

She also said she was horrified to witness a child being forced to dress up in "trendy" clothes for a TV show.

"The poor girl was already in tears, and she said she had to go to the bathroom. But her mother wouldn't let her go until after she was finished her performance."

Times have changed for child stars, with technological advances giving them more opportunities to perform and earn a living than when Ira was the country's Cinderella.

But Ira said she was "concerned" by the potential minefield for children climbing the ladder of success today.

"The kids would be even better if they were treated like real children, but now you have these stage mothers who are only profit-oriented. The child is given a song and told to sing it from memory, while my parents always listened to a cassette before deciding if it was right for me."

She said the issue of child entertainers needed to be discussed in the open. "If someone wants to organize a seminar on the subject, I would love to participate and give my opinion on what can be done."

Dina Mariana, another child star in the 1970s, said the glut of children's programs and stars today was not necessarily a good selling point. She said the danger was that all of the children would eventually lose their individual stage personalities.

"There are so many today, the number has just exploded. When I was a star, there were quite a few, too, but we all had our special characteristics, and people could tell the difference between us."

For psychologist Monty Satiadarma, the greatest concern is that children are being pushed into careers which might adversely affect their emotional development.

He said some child entertainers essentially became "miniature adults", as their lives were focused on business instead of the moral aspects of growing up.

"They're children who dress up in an adult way, and exhibit aggressive behavior. They become the model for other children, who will copy the way they act, how they speak."

He also worries that parents may become blinded by their children's success, becoming unable to put the importance of their child's emotional development before a career opportunity.

"If the child is bringing in a profit for the family, then parents may feel at ease with that without seeing that their children are being used as instruments ... there must be a balance, but it's very hard to find, especially when the benefits come in and people become obsessed with them."

Yet parents can do their part in trying to make sure their children remain grounded, that their personal needs are taken care of and that they have an education to fall back on when their careers are over.

"The parents' must have a balanced view. They have to teach their kids that money is not everything, that they must not be big-headed," said Adi Bing Slamet, who was one of the few boy entertainers of his generation.

"But they also have to take advantage of their opportunities. It takes understanding and good time management in allowing them time to study and play, and have their careers."

Monty said it was important to remember that the entertainment business was not child's play.

"Yes, they are singing and dancing, but they are still working. And research has shown that it inevitably means they are losing part of their childhood." (brc)