Behind the scenes - Growing Pains (1985) Discussion

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] howtragic 13 years ago

Yeah, true. All these people may have been really messed up on their own accord. I do wonder though, and I think it is fair to ask if anyone knows anything about the production of this show. Kirk Cameron had some serious issues with the producers. He really wanted to get back at them, but he was too immature to know how, so he went to the network and acussed them of being pornographers. I know he was getting religion at the time, but I still think that is really, really odd. He definitely had some very serious issues with sex and sexuality. The fact that he took it out on the people in charge of the show really raises a red flag to me.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] howtragic 13 years ago

I was thinking things more along the lines of walking into dressing rooms when the actors were undressed, or maybe vulgar jokes around them without taking into consideration that that person was underage. Things more like that really. Something that an adult actor in Hollywood might be able to blow off, but which would be upsetting for a developing adolescent.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] howtragic 13 years ago

Yeah, I think Cameron did what a lot of "kids" in his situation might be tempted to do: stick it to an authority figure. I just found it odd that he accused them of being "pornographers." That is a pretty harsh accusation, but in Cameron's mind, it was at least partially true. I think it was not just religion that made him say that - I think he very honestly felt sexually exploited. And he really sort of was. He was basically a "sex symbol" when he was still a minor, and no doubt he blames a lot of that on how the show was marketed and produced. The problem is that most guys that age love the thought of thousands of girls wanting him, but I could see how for a shy person, it would just make him feel dirty. I dunno, my feeling is that most of the young actors on this show felt sort of "dirty" about it.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Obviously different people respond differently to similar situations. I have no idea what went on behind the scenes, but I still think it is worth bringing up since three of the teen actors on the show had serious issues/problems. And I do think it is possible that Andrew Koening's suicide 20 years later had roots in his adolescence.

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[–] PatchouliAndPearls 12 years ago

"Walter Koenig committed suicide 20 years after he left the show and his problems likely had little to do with the show."

Walter Koenig didn't commit suicide after leaving the show. His son ANDREW did.

"I cry because others are stupid and it makes me sad."

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] PatchouliAndPearls 12 years ago

Ah, no worries. Easy slip to make.

And I agree with all of your points. Tracey Gold, for one, first had an eating disorder as a preteen, way before she started the show. She just happened to relapse again during it. All of the actors' issues could have happened, show or no show, as you said. Same with, say, the "Diff'rent Strokes" cast. *shrug*

"I cry because others are stupid and it makes me sad."

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Honestly, I have serious questions about how child/teen actors were treated in the 70s and 80s. I think that although many superficial changes had been made (i.e. shorter work days, on-set tutors, etc), that the core problems associated with being an underage actor had not changed all that much. I also think that no one saw anything wrong with oversexualizing minors in those times (and many still don't). What I mean is that, once you hit puberty, it was perfectly acceptable to exploit your "hotness" as it were. I honestly think that could easily be very humiliating for a young teen, and it could lead to long-term psychological problems.

Anyway, I just wonder about this show (and others like it). I wonder how these kids were treated. My guess is that they were handled with very little sensitivity and care.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Blanche_Elizabeth_Devereaux 12 years ago

The thing with Tracey is, you are correct - she did have an eating disorder prior to the show. Then, the writers started having Mike makes jokes about Carol's weight. Tracey has actually addressed this. She says that, while it was "Mike" making fun of "Carol's" body, she was playing Carol. Any comments on Carol's looks she took as a direct reflection of her own looks. So, the writers having Mike call Carol fat, even thought it was something that a typical older brother might do to his younger sister, really took its tole on a young Tracey Gold. She does credit it with being part of the reason for her relapse.

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[–] PatchouliAndPearls 12 years ago

I forgot about that, jennan, and you are absolutely correct. *I* remember watching as a preteen/teenager, thinking how mean Mike was to Carol, and how she was smaller than *I* was, and if he was saying that SHE was fat, then what was *I*? I can't believe I forgot about this. Wow.

So yes, it clearly was one of her triggers for relapse. Still, she MIGHT have relapsed again had she been working as, say, an accountant, even. We'll never know. I'm just glad she's healthy now!

"I cry because others are stupid and it makes me sad."

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[–] siobanphotogirl 10 years ago

Kirk Cameron said that he became Christian after going to Church to please a girl he liked and that's when he discovered Christianity. The show had nothing to do with it.

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[–] Navaros 12 years ago

Kirk Cameron is nuts

No he's not. The only people who say things like that are those who are mad at him because he stands up for morality, and they instead love immorality.

Kirk Cameron is handsome, wealthy, successful, has a great family: he is a living example of the American Dream.

You might be right that others haven't done well (I'll take your word for it), but you should be looking at the difference between his success and their failures at life, and asking what are the reasons for it.

I.e. Kirk Cameron became a godly person and has a great life. The other did not become godly persons, and do/did not have great lives.

What is the lesson here? Being a godly person leads to God's blessings.

I suggest you, OP, let go of your grudge against God and goodness, and try being godly.

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

I do not think Kirk Cameron is a godly person at all. Godly people do not start campaigns to get people fired from their jobs for no reason. That is, however, something that a total nutcase would do. Personally, I think doing something like that is highly immoral. I would never look to someone like that as an example of how to live.

I have no grudge against God or goodness: I have a grudge against mean people who claim that they are godly and good.

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[–] Navaros 12 years ago

I do not think Kirk Cameron is a godly person at all.

You clearly need to get right with God. Once you do, you would have a proper perspective about that, and everything else.

Godly people do not start campaigns to get people fired from their jobs for no reason. That is, however, something that a total nutcase would do. Personally, I think doing something like that is highly immoral. I would never look to someone like that as an example of how to live.

I agree with what you said there. However, I do not agree with your implication that Mr. Cameron has done those things.

Mr. Cameron had a very good reason to get the wannabe-pornstar fired: she was setting a horrible example for people who watch the show.

I have a grudge against mean people

What about all the people who the wannabe-pornstar led astray, because they took her as their role model, followed her example, and ended up having bad lives because of it? Her actions are far more mean than causing someone to lose a job.

Mr. Cameron did a great service to humanity by minimizing the amount of lives that were ruined by the bad example put forth by the wannabe-pornstar.

Do you not care about the lives that Mr. Cameron has saved by getting her fired?

Do you not care about the meanness inherent in the wannabe-pornstar's bad actions?

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

I do not know if Navaros is trolling, but I will take the bait. First of all, people do not become porn stars because they saw one on Growing Pains. People get into that business because they had bad childhoods and now have equally sad adulthoods. They are generally drug addicts with an addiction to feed.

Also, as a mere fellow actor on the show, it was none of Cameron's business.

I have seen this man giving interviews and promoting his religion nonsense. First of all, he never strikes me as Christ-like or in any way peaceful or content. On the contrary, he looks very annoyed, to say the least. He also comes across as being very poorly educated.

HOWEVER, I am not one of those people who does not like Cameron because of his stance on homosexuality. He is an adult and he can have his own set of principles. The man simply comes across as being very nutty to me. His speech and mannerisms are all those of someone who is only pretending to be normal. Honestly, if he did not have an acting background, I do not think he would be pulling it off at all.

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[–] Navaros 12 years ago

First of all, people do not become porn stars because they saw one on Growing Pains.

Of course they do. Average people try to be like the rich & famous people that they see on television or the movies etc., all the time. That is why celebrities are used to sell products: because average people think that if they buy the product that the celebrity is advertising, then they will have a great life just like the celebrity.

Ergo, your easy dismissal of Growing Pains' pornstar-wannabe's horrible influence upon countless people is insufficient.

promoting his religion nonsense

How is his religion 'nonsense?'

he looks very annoyed

Can you blame him? He is living in a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. How can one not be annoyed with humanity's grave foolishness?

Also, as a mere fellow actor on the show, it was none of Cameron's business.

The business of every decent person is to always do his or her best to oppose evil, and support goodness. In the statement quoted above, you advocate for turning a blind eye to evil. To do that would be unconscionable.

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Okay, well, I personally do not think someone posing nude for some photographs is "evil," so I guess we will have to differ. The actress only modeled for playboy. I do not personally see anything wrong with a naked human body, and how it became something sinful and evil is a total mystery to me.

Like I said, Cameron is entitled to his own set of principles. He can live his life under whatever moral guidelines he wants. However, that a co-worker once LEGALLY posed nude for a magazine was none of his business. It had absolutely nothing to do with him. He was just another actor on the show - it was not his place to determine who was "moral" enough to have a role on the show. Only a crazy person would do something like that.

And seriously, the actress was not exactly "into" pornography. She posed nude a few times. Big deal. If some girl watches Growing Pains and gets inspired to have some naked pictures taken of her when she grows up, I do not personally think it's the end of the world. But really, no one becomes a porn star because they liked an 80s sitcom. Get real. Most people get into porn because they have a serious drug habit to feed.

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[–] ekmyers 12 years ago

pornstar-wannabe's

Posing for Playboy is NOT "porn," so learn what the hell you're talking about. You're the opposite of "goldly" with your predjudice and bigotry, here as well as on other boards.

ekm
Writer/Director -- ROULETTE
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1294794/combined

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[–] Set-Abominae 12 years ago

Most porn stars had no intention of becoming porn stars to begin with.

The way it usually happens is they move from some nowhere hick town in the midwest or bible belt to Hollywood with dreams of being famous actors then when they can't get a job acting (mainly because their only attributes are big knockers and a pretty face) they end up working as waitresses or restaurant hostesses until they day when a porn producer walks in and notices their "attributes" then offers them a job without telling them they'll be making porn, and before they know it they're getting paid lots of money to perform sex acts on camera.

As far as Julie goes posing for Playboy is a pretty tame and harmless thing to do, the problem was that Kirk Cameron wouldn't get off his self righteous high horse about it and the executive producers were too weak and impotent as managers to take him aside and tell him that his concerns weren't important (in other words: they were too afraid to tell him to sit down and shut up) and remind him that he had contractual obligations to meet otherwise he'd go bye bye.

"you're smothered in tragedy
And you're out to save the world"
~Metallica

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] siobanphotogirl 10 years ago

He has opinions that differ from yours. That doesn't mean 'he has issues'. I don't appreciate the way he twisted the Pope's words to apparently create an anti-Catholic agenda, ("The Pope makes the cross irrelevant" ..ummm... NOOO!!! HE DIDN'T) but I wouldn't go so far as to say he has issues. I hope he read my complaint about that on his site, saying that I have been a fan of his for years but I was dissappointed by his anti-Catholic twisting of the Pope's words.
I have listened or read what he said after the backlash that came from his "gay marriage is unnatural" response to Piers Morgan's questions. I am not sure if he really imposes his views on others or not now. He may, he may not. I find that he answered the question honestly and was brave enough not to shy away from it simply because he knew his answer would upset many people.

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Sadly, I think he/she is sincere. BUT, I do not mind too much. Honestly, it is interesting to read that there are those out there who think that people like Cameron are righteous Christians, and not complete crazies. I think Cameron is sincere about his religion only to the point that it gives him something to feel smug about.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Oh I know those kinds of people all the way. That is why I think Cameron (and people like him) are crazy. What if I were to go around posting videos, writing books, etc, telling everyone that if they do not believe in Odin, they will never get to cross the Rainbow Bridge and enter Valhalla. Not only that, but say I know of a co-worker who has done something perfectly legal, but that Freya clearly says is bad. I therefore successfully campaign to get that person fired (the company cannot run without me, but can do without her, so I win!).

First of all, everyone would tell me I was crazy. Secondly, everyone would tell me that I could have those beliefs, but that pushing them on others was unacceptable and rude. My boss would probably also pull me aside and tell me that the workplace is not the appropriate place to be talking about these things, but that whatever I did on my free time was my business.

So I don't get it. Evangelical Christians do the same thing ALL THE TIME, and yet they tend to get away with it.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Set-Abominae 12 years ago

Tracey Gold's eating disorder was caused by people involved with the show telling her that she needed to lose weight because she was fat.

Kirk Cameron became highly self absorbed as he became very popular then out of the blue he found god and everyone near him found a reason to avoid him, especially after he became impossible to work with to the point that the producers were planning on getting rid of him if there had been another season of the show.

Jeremy Miller admitted in an E: True Hollywood Story episode about the show that he had a crazy stalker who caused him so much stress that he developed insomnia.

Andrew Koneig was a manic depressive who wouldn't take medication.

I would say that Kirk & Andrews problems were more self inflicted while Tracy and Jeremy's problems were caused by outside sources.

"you're smothered in tragedy
And you're out to save the world"
~Metallica

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[–] razman1983 12 years ago

Lol you guys are so stupid. Kirk was like a teenager when he started all his rants. You guys are just jelly you are and will never be at his level. He even stated that he was too immature at that age and made mistakes like we all do.

-Spoilers are for the weak

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

I had a job when I was a teenager and I never went on a campaign to get a co-worker fired because I thought they were not moral enough. In fact, I was well aware at that age that what my co-workers did before they worked with me was none of my business. I also never discussed my religious beliefs in the workplace, because I knew that was inappropriate.

I think it is offensive to teenagers to imply that Cameron was a very mean person because he was "immature." I remember being a teenager, and not one of my friends would have ever done something like that either. We all knew better.

Finally, Cameron had been working as a professional actor for many years at that point, and so he most certainly should have been aware as to how a professional behaves. He did what he did because he is a very odd person. Like I said, I think the guy is mentally unwell, which is why I do not understand how "Christians" can look to this guy for any kind of guidance or leadership.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] howtragic 12 years ago

Yeah I think part of the problem with Cameron was that he thought that because he was famous, he could do whatever he wanted. I just do not like him excusing his behavior by saying he did it because he was young at the time. The reason he got that woman fired is because he was being a JERK, plain and simple. I also am confident that the only reason he backtracked YEARS later is because he picked up on the fact that people viewed his actions negatively. I do not think HE ever personally saw what he did as inappropriate. In fact, I do not think that Cameron has ever grown enough to understand how crappy it was to do what he did. Aggressively trying to get a co-worker fired for no good reason other than your own crazy moral code is very, very mean. Cameron was rich and famous when he was still a young teen, and so I think he had NO CONCEPT of someone needing work to pay bills and launch a career. I think he still has no concept of it.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] siobanphotogirl 10 years ago

I agree with the person who responded to your 'Kirk Cameron is nuts' comment.

He is not nuts. He is living a Christian life and is very happy. He and his wife run a summer camp for families with terminally ill children. He helps people keep their marriages/relationships healthy.

He is still married to a woman he married when he was relatively young.

He has opinions that differ with yours. That is all.

I could agree with someone saying that his getting "Julie" fired from the show was harsh. Though I don't agree with posing for Playboy, he could have taken the true moral high ground and not have judged her for her past, leaving the judging to God. (Christians may say they leave the judging up to God, but we're all sinners and haven't all learned to practice what we preach. There should be a sign above every Church door that reads "Sinners only") All I can say is that he was probably still a new convert and full of New Christian Zeal and quite uncomfortable having to get physically close to someone he had such strong objections to and that's why he balked at having Mike marry Julie.

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