Tween Idols In New Films
Source: Tween Parent Staff
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During the tween years, kids fall hard for their idols. It's a basic formula. They see a character they like on television or in a movie and they become obsessed (both individually and as a community). Usually fairly new to the scene, the actor/actress becomes an "overnight sensation" and their image begins to appear everywhere (from clothing to lunch boxes to beach towels and the list goes on). Their adoring fans become smitten with their new obsession - the tweens usually can't get enough of the character or the actress (in fact, the character and the actor/actress often become one in the same from the tween's perspective).
What happens next is fairly predictable. Either the actor/actress rides the wave of their newfound celebrity until the tweens move on to their next obsession. Or, the newly crowned idol finds a way to branch out and cultivate other audiences with more "serious" films. This is where the tough messages for tweens come into play. Obviously, not all films are appropriate for pre-teen audiences. For example, Zac Efron rose to super-tween-stardom for his Disney-backed, G-rated role in High School Musical (appearing in all three movies). He then moved on to the PG-rated Hairspray. His next big role was in the movie, 17 Again, rated PG-13*. The tweens were counting the minutes until it's release, but it was inappropriate for the younger tween crowd (the premise being that the main character finds out in the first few minutes that his girlfriend is pregnant and he decides to abandon his dreams to get married - a heavy message).
The latest example of this pattern is with the current heartthrob-du-jour, Robert Pattinson. Twilight fans, including a huge tween population, completely associate him with his long-suffering vampire character, Edward Cullen (two Twilight movies already out, one opening soon and another not far behind). While some parents may object to some of the more mature themes of this saga, since it's been fairly light related to sexual content, that may not be the case with other non-Twilight movies that he appears in. In fact, his latest movie, Remember Me, also rated PG-13, is more realistic emotionally and may feature objectionable themes that might be unsuitable for some. In the end of course, the obsessions disappear almost as quickly as they appear, as the tweens declare, "I HATE Hannah Montana, she's so YESTERDAY!"
The real message is, even if your tween probably won't make the connection that content appropriateness will vary for each film (regardless of their excitement for the actor), it's important to do a little research to ensure that the specific movie is suitable for your tween.
Movie Appropriateness Resources:
Internet Movie Database (IMBd)
Motion Picture Associate of America (MPAA)
*trivia: Steven Spielberg was responsible for the introduction of PG-13 rating in 1984.
