www.thewrap.com: The shocking revelations from the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet On Set” pulled back the curtain on a slew of workplace abuse allegations involving various Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s and 2000s — and the network’s former longtime writer, producer and showrunner Dan Schneider.
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The entertainment industry has a long and vile history of abuse including sexual physical, mental, and emotional abuse towards children. A culture has been created where speaking up is dangerous and not encouraged which only serves to continue the cycles of abuse. As people have become more willing to speak out, be involved in documentaries like this one, and share their stories, the industry is very slowly changing. However, it seems that these changes may not be happening quickly enough as big production companies are still unwilling to take actions that may be more costly or slow down the process. With how deeply vulnerable children are, especially child actors, it is incredibly important that protections are taken to prevent this culture of abuse from continuing. While this documentary has provoked a good start to making these changes, we are nowhere near the end of this road. Regulations must be passed and the industry must be held to a higher standard.
I haven’t watched Quiet on Set and probably won’t to speak candidly, however, I’m relieved that this issue is finally being brought to light. I read Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir last year and found the way she articulated the issue of child labor laws to be so clear. While parent sight and sound help, when parents are a part of the exploitation it becomes unhelpful. Additionally, when these laws exist but there’s no one there to enforce them, they essentially become nullified. This article didn’t speak about it directly, however, I’m curious that in the age of interactive media, we will see child labor laws to focus more on child influencers. The film TV industry and social media industries have become merged as fame in one typically leads to fame in the other, however, it's unregulated. I jokingly said in Studiocraft today, “I think about Amanda Bynes at least once a day.” However, it’s true. Children’s lives being ruined for the sake of a laugh makes me so disheartened.
Quiet on Set has released the unspoken horrors of Hollywood for Child actors and the people who work around them. To now know that Nickelodeon just started doing background checks is alarming. The fear that comes with protecting oneself once experiencing abuse is indescribable, and it’s so frustrating that Hollywood continues to abuse their actors and workers. I am hopeful that with this docuseries comes a revolution and change to how child actors specifically are treated on set. Child actors are often forced to grow up pretty quickly because of how often they are on set, and so anyway for Hollywood to protect these children rather than making their lives more stressful would be beneficial to filming. I hope that these child actors who are speaking out are able to finally heal from their experiences and can hopefully continue to advocate for change in Hollywood for the safety of all actors and workers.
I have seen a lot of things on social media recently where people shared how they can not look at their childhood the same way because of recent things they have learned about Nickelodeon. I didn't know where all of this was coming from until I saw the article. I’ve never heard of quiet onset before, but I think it’s fairly interesting and a really important documentary to put out into the world. I wish I could say that the contents of the documentary were surprising, but they had such a long history of child abuse on sets and in theaters. However, it is really upsetting. It seems like these sets are a very toxic environment. It’s so sad that people feel afraid to speak out against wrongdoings because they don’t want to get fired. IIt seems like they are making important steps forward by requiring background checks and who works for them but there is still a long way to go to create a safe environment for minors to work on sets.
I am very glad that Quiet on Set has come out now, after long awaited times and speculation about all of the terrible vile things that happen to child actors on these movie and television sets. While I did not notice things like this as a kid, when I got older and started re-watching these old childhood tv shows of mine I noticed a lot of weird jokes and things that felt very uncomfortable to watch, now understanding that they were connected more towards specific fetishes. I have noticed an influx of people from my childhood speaking out on abuse they have suffered or things that they have noticed that are not good, and I am glad this is finally getting attention on such a massive scale. I’ve been reading some people's reactions to this and they said it feels like a second coming of the Me Too movement may be coming out, and I could definitely see that. I think that this is a wake up call for studios and the government to really look at the institutionalized abuse facing child actors.
To say that I have seen clips of Quiet on Set on all of my social media platforms is an actual understandment. I have recently finished the first episode of the show and just that episode and the clips I have seen have completely altered what I thought my childhood shows were to me. I think that the industry having such a problem with having kids on set and the fact that they are not safe when most child actors are the main income for their family is so horrifying. These kids did not feel comfortable or safe enough to tell their parents or anyone around them that they are not comfortable or safe AT THEIR PLACE OF WORK because the man in charge holding their future in the industry in the palm of his hand is disgusting to think about. I think that it is extremely important that this is being talked about and horrible people do not deserve the recognition or acknowledgement that he has gotten simply because of the fact that he has ruined people's lives.
Quiet On Set really cemented to me just how badly we need better legislation for the entertainment industry. This article is correct in that there is such a gray area in allowing people to speak up without being punished, as well as providing children with people who they can trust to speak out for them. In regards to Quiet On Set specifically, I remember something that was really surprising to me was the amount of celebrities who wrote letters of support to the judge asking for a lighter sentence for Brian Peck. I have seen nothing from them explaining their actions, and while I'm not entirely sure if they understand what exactly they are writing letters of support for, the amount of victim blaming language and the fact that they are willing to support him at all is something that we absolutely need to discuss and get to the bottom of, because it is simply unacceptable.
Discovering the unsettling truths revealed in this report about abuse allegations was a real eye-opener. It's sad to see that even when there are people who witness or experience abuse, they often stay silent out of fear of what might happen if they speak up. This fear makes the situation even more complicated. Learning about the problems with how studio teachers are handled is worrying. It's troubling to know that a studio teacher can be removed from their job for speaking out, even though it's technically allowed. While there have been some improvements, like making workplaces safer and changing attitudes about negativity, it's clear that there's still a lot of work to be done. Protecting young actors and making sure they're safe requires more than just following rules. It means creating an environment where they feel supported and where they know they can speak up if something isn't right. By focusing on keeping young performers safe, we can make sure they have the chance to thrive without worrying about being mistreated.
This article broke my heart. There is so much discussion about safe working conditions and fare wages and all the unions going on strike, but there is not a lot of discussion about the safety of child workers. I do not understand how we have gone so long without protections such as someone supervising children and regulating shifts. Of all people, children are some of the most vulnerable and I can only imagine having a difficult time recognizing something is wrong and speaking up to change it. It is important we are protecting them. I have a hard time with children working at all because they are so young but I also understand that they are valuable to telling so many stories and it can be done correctly. I also find it incredibly upsetting that all of these wrong doings are just now being spoken about decades later. We have to do better than that.
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