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Dear Hollywood

Dear Hollywood

Alyson Stoner

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5.0

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It’s time to expose Hollywood. Child stardom is a unique cultural phenomenon with a notoriously dark shadow. Precocious young talents skyrocket to success only to repeat horror stories of addiction, decimated fortunes, and suicide. What is behind the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline? Why hasn’t it stopped? How are you connected to it at home? Host Alyson Stoner reveals intimate firsthand accounts alongside comprehensive expertise & action plans to change entertainment and inspire your own life path and healing. Subscribe & follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. For the FULL Story, pre-order Alyson's memoir "Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything" here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted
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Top 10 Dear Hollywood Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Dear Hollywood episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Dear Hollywood for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Dear Hollywood episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Dear Hollywood - Why Child Stars are Set Up to Fail
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08/11/23 • 27 min

Preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” to get the FULL story here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

In the kickoff episode of Dear Hollywood, Alyson introduces the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline, a century old system involving child entertainers who enter the industry with pluck and promise, only to repeat similarly tragic downward spirals. Alyson discloses insights from a confidential meeting with multiple generations of former child actors, and provides the contextual framework through which we can investigate the events and elements contributing to their demise.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - The Truth About Social Media Platforms
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10/20/23 • 21 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

Go to HelloFresh.com/50dearfresh and use code 50dearfresh for 50% off plus free shipping!

Over 95 million photos and videos are posted on Instagram daily. Some people turn content creation into a livelihood and become digital influencers. Yet, rarely do they consider the deep inner workings of the platforms, who’s behind them, and the ways they’re intertwined with capitalism, politics, culture, and human well-being. Alyson shares their personal foray into social media during the Camp Rock concert tour in 2010, and questions about ethics and safety of child influencers (and everyone) online.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - Introducing: Dear Hollywood
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07/24/23 • 0 min

Preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” to get the FULL story here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

Why do child stars repeatedly suffer the same horror stories of drug addiction, psychiatric hospitalizations, decimated fortunes, sexual trauma, incarceration, and even suicide? It’s time to expose Hollywood and deconstruct the toddler-to-train wreck pipeline once and for all. Former child celebrity turned mental health founder Alyson Stoner presents the first intimate and comprehensive breakdown of what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite shows, along with impact strategies for intervention, prevention, and accountability in the entertainment industry. Every week, hear personal accounts from the sets of the most iconic tv series and movies of the 2000s, plus cross-disciplinary expertise on how these moments actually apply to your own life path and healing.

Plot twist: you, the audience, play more of a role than you’ve ever been told. And together, we can collectively change the system not only to protect the safety and wellbeing of young artists, but also everyone watching at home.

Prepare to know Hollywood - and yourself - in ways you didn’t expect. Going live in 3, 2, 1...

New episodes Friday. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation.

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Dear Hollywood - Creating a Celebrity Persona and Facing Stalkers
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11/24/23 • 12 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

Alyson reveals some of the risks and dangers around becoming a child celebrity, including navigating superfans, stalkers and predators encircling their life. They explore the question of whether famous children automatically have a responsibility to be a role model. Further, they name the reality of losing fame and the inner tension of wanting to evolve while being memorialized as a younger version of themselves.

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For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

TW: sexual violence/abuse. Hollywood was not built with children in mind, nor is it prepared to protect children on set. Alyson explores the risks and unsuitable conditions of adult workplaces and responsibilities, including a personal account of being given a cigarette as an 11-year-old on an ABC series. They outline facets of Hollywood culture such as having a posse of “yes people”, never turning “off” the Performer identity, and power dynamics that enable abuse behind the scenes.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - A Child’s Body: Open Access
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08/18/23 • 21 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

Child stars face a strikingly bizarre reality where the world gains excessive, intimate and unchecked access to their physical body and personal life. From directors and crew members on set to fan encounters on the street to media coverage, child performers are not granted bodily autonomy and instead are placed in vulnerable situations that can have lifelong consequences. Alyson shares stories of being told to kiss people at an uncomfortably young age, TMZ tracking down their phone number and location, and legal contracts that dictated their appearance including the shade of their skin.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - How Hollywood Culture Leads to Narcissism
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09/01/23 • 20 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

What happens when child performers - due to fame and the industry - accrue copious access to wealth, material luxuries, status, and power? What traits and behaviors show up? Alyson confesses to early moments that led to an inflated self-esteem, selfish behavior, and getting kicked out of a rehearsal for disrespecting the crew. They explore the paradox of extremes where child stars gain unusual power and influence over others, yet remain voiceless and vulnerable in the workplace.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - Becoming a Product: Eating Disorders and Body Image
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09/08/23 • 22 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

TW: Eating Disorders and Abuse. What is the impact of commercializing a child’s body as a product? What are the effects of Hollywood on a child’s body image? Alyson shares raw and intimate details of developing a severe eating disorder driven by industry pressures and protocols, intense perfectionism, fear of losing career momentum, and daily abuse happening at home. They share how a fast-paced and chaotic schedule leaves no room for pause or processing, resulting in many young stars choosing to cope with substances, partying or self-harm.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - The Hunger Games: Rehab and Plastic Surgery
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09/15/23 • 21 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

TW: Eating Disorders. Alyson shares the audition process that landed them in rehab, along with the intense journey of recovery, therapy sessions, and what happened immediately after returning to Hollywood. They discuss undergoing plastic surgery and body modification while experiencing deep inner conflict, and the way it ultimately changed their career trajectory and relationships.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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Dear Hollywood - The Psychology and Aftermath of Auditions
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09/29/23 • 35 min

For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted

TW: Simulating Trauma. Out of 500,000 hopeful artists, only 205 will make it. Everyone else will face repeated rejection at auditions. So, what does a child really face when they pursue the industry? Brace yourself for the rollercoaster of learning how to play characters and bring scenes to life. Learn what happens when a child depicts explicit or traumatizing material. Dig into the impact of typecasting, hierarchies of cast members, and being sexualized during puberty.

As an independent podcast, your support means a lot. Subscribe and follow @alysonstoner to join the conversation. New episodes every Friday.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Dear Hollywood have?

Dear Hollywood currently has 18 episodes available.

What topics does Dear Hollywood cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Dear Hollywood?

The episode title 'Why Child Stars are Set Up to Fail' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Dear Hollywood?

The average episode length on Dear Hollywood is 21 minutes.

How often are episodes of Dear Hollywood released?

Episodes of Dear Hollywood are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Dear Hollywood?

The first episode of Dear Hollywood was released on Jul 24, 2023.

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