Anyone who was paying attention to North American pop culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s will remember that it was a moment fascinated with childhood. The most mainstream entertainment revolved around idealized images of predominantly white children and young teens. From the appealing cast of the Harry Potter franchise to fresh faced pop princesses, and child characters in shows for young and old, idealized images of childhood were everywhere.
Many of those who performed the roles are now mature enough to make sense of having been children growing up in the public eye. It shouldn't shock us that many of them had uncomfortable and even traumatic experiences. Adding to the intense drama of recent events in Britney Spears' life, memoirs by Sarah Polley and Jennette McCurdy force us to confront why we love to see child stars, and what our appetite for cute white kids says about us.
