Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Growing up, I always watched Zoey 101, Drake and Josh, and, on occasion, The Good Burger. I have always wanted to be one of them, to have fun all the time and not worry about school. Sadly, that’s not what was going on for the kids or writers on the sets of our favorite childhood shows. Max produced a documentary about what happened when the cameras weren’t on. A lot of news has come out about the creator, Dan Schneider, but the documentary goes into more detail. They bring in cast members from shows like All That to talk about how they were treated and felt during filming. The documentary really shows how people who have power often take advantage of it and prey on the weak. This is a harsh topic to bring up, but it’s an important one to talk about. People still don’t seek help when they have been harassed, sexually assaulted, or any type of abuse because we have put shame on these victims and not created a safe space for them to share their stories. Giving people the opportunity to share their experiences and making sure they are being heard and understood can help in so many ways; we all have skeletons, and we should feel supported when we choose to share those stories.
Dan Schneider would describe himself as the “awkward fat kid.” Still, other people would say he was difficult to work with, and a writer for the Amanda show said, “Working with Dan was like being in an abusive relationship.” When people hear Schneider’s name and his accusations, they only think about the kids. Still, the Max documentary brings in the female writers who worked behind the scenes and closely with Dan Schneider. Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton, while they were both working for Dan, were paid half of what a writer makes. Schneider didn't see any value in these female writers, so he divided the income for a writer and split it between the two women. Jenny Kilgen recalls a time when she was in a room filled with male writers, and Dan Schneider commented that women aren't funny and made every male writer pick one funny female writer. Jenny describes her feelings at that moment; she said she felt so isolated and made to feel unvalued. Christy Stratton had a very uncomfortable interaction with Dan Schneider; they were in a room together, along with Jenny and some other writers. They were working on the Amanda show; Stratton was talking about her school experiences because they were creating a show about a girl in high school. Dan Schindler thought it would be funny if Christy Stratton retold her story, but acting out an inappropriate action, he kept begging her to do it, and with all the pressure, Christy ended up doing it.
Dan Schneider wasn't the only one abusing his power with these kids; Jason Handy was a production assistant for the Amanda Show. As I mentioned, growing up watching these kids do what they loved and have fun doing it got to many young viewers, and they wanted to go out and do the same thing. A young girl named Brandi went out and tried to pursue her dream while her mom was right behind her, supporting her daughter. They went to a casting call for the Amanda show, where Jason Handy met the young girl, and Brandi felt comfortable with Handy. She finally felt like she had at least one friend in the show biz; when the casting call was done, Brandi went back home, but she and Jason Handy kept in touch; it was all an innocent conversation until it wasn't. One afternoon, when Brandi and Jason Handy were having their normal email back-and-forth conversation, Brandi received an email from Handy; it was a picture. Jason Handy sent Brandi, a young girl, a photo of himself unclothed because he wanted her to know he was thinking of her. Brandi left the whole production and never went back into show business.
Amanda Bynes, when we talk about kids in show business, we must mention her. She brought a lot of opportunities for Dan; he had favorites, and kids on the set of All That knew right away if you would be there for two weeks or two months. Amanda Bynes was a bright star even at her younger age; she was given a good sense of humor, and Dan knew that. As we know, she was given her show; this brought Dan and Amanda closer together. Other actors would ask where she was, and they would hear Amanda and Dan were in a writing room together. There is a picture of Dan in a hot tub with young Amanda Bynes while she is in a bikini and he is fully clothed. Amanda didn't see Schneider as a boss, but as someone she was close to and could lean on; she would give him hugs and neck massages. They were close to the hip since day one, although that didn't last forever. When Amanda Bynes grew up, and her parents didn't have a great parent-child relationship, Bynes went to Dan Schneider to get some help getting emancipated from her parents. Schneider did get a lawyer for her and helped her get emancipated from her parents; after that, they had a huge falling out, and Bynes' parents brought the cops involved.
As this is a heavy topic to discuss, we need to talk about adults abusing their power when working with young people. When we are young and have troubles within ourselves or at home, we lean on our adult mentors, some of whom take advantage of that. The people who take advantage of these young minds need to be exposed and talked about so we can appreciate the adults who support kids and keep a safe environment for young people.