When Good Girls...Stay Good?

Unfortunately, Hollywood seems to taint many of the young starlets that make it home. Adorable young stars slowly begin a descent that comes with too much money, too much attention and not enough supervision. A very notable few escape the fate of so many. For every wholesome Mandy Moore or Miley Cyrus, there are those like Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears and Nichole Richie waiting in the wings.

Parents of young actresses felt comfortable with these young stars as role models only to have them become habitual drug users, fighters, plagued with body issues, and overall simply unsuitable for the preteen and teenage audience that seems to love them. What happens to these girls and how do some escape the fate?

Power Corrupts
Power, and all that comes with it, are dangerous. A young girl who enjoys making movies or television shows suddenly is able to call the shots and walk away with millions of dollars. As she approaches her later teenage years, she realizes that she has plenty of money and more than enough freedom to do what she wants.

If power is corrupting, fame is a nuclear weapon. It seems the more famous a young starlet becomes, the more secure she feels in her choices. If she wants to party, she will. If she wants to drive down the wrong side of the road she will. Wearing underpants is now optional, and if she feels like getting married or shaving her head, who’s going to stop her?

Law enforcement has long been known to let celebrities off easily, especially ones that are beloved by audiences. Nobody wants to be responsible for putting a teen idol behind bars – better to let them do some community service in hopes that they will change their ways.

A Breeding Ground
For those in Hollywood, keeping your name in the papers is akin to continued work and continued fame. For many young starlets, it reaches a point where bad news is almost the same as good news as far as popularity is concerned. While this may be the prevailing attitude of many young ladies in Hollywood, it is certainly not shared by all.

The Good Girls

A few girls are left that prefer to keep a low profile off the screen. Some of the old staples, for example Jessica Simpson, have tiptoed to the edge of the good girl image with sexy videos, but some stay solidly behind the line. Mandy Moore has been very public about taking her role model status seriously and others like Miley Cyrus and Dakota Fanning are following in her footsteps.

For example, Miley Cyrus is serious about protecting her image. With a father already involved in the entertainment industry, she knows the damage fame and popularity can do to a young actress. She is lucky, however, to have as much support as she does. Miley did not come to Hollywood alone, but rather brought her entire family with her. The Cyrus family make time together important and even attend church as a family every week. It’s unlikely this good girl will ever go bad.