I keep hearing critics complain that his parents, Will and Jada, are “pimping out their kids” in the industry, which only further infuriates me. Both Will and Jada have reportedly stated that their kids’ Hollywood careers are purely their own making, and they merely offer encouragement. Of course we know that Jaden, and even his younger sister Willow, have both climbed the Hollywood ladder because of their parents’ klout in the industry. But so what? Jaden isn’t the first kid to get by on nepotism (I can name at least five others off the top of my head), and he surely won’t be the last. I didn’t see his last film After Earth, co-starring Will, but I didn’t mind him in Karate Kid and I thought he was adorable and heartbreaking in The Pursuit of Happyness. So at least he’s got some kind of talent to back up the nepotism. I know of plenty of adult actors and actresses who have gotten by on their family connections and could not back it up with even a smidgen of talent (*cough* Kate Hudson *cough*). So why all the focus on Jaden? Is it so hard for us to accept a black Hollywood dynasty in the sea of all the countless white families that have dominated Hollywood for years?
There’s another dimension of this Jaden hate that troubles me. Tweeters seem to be really interested in everything Jaden tweets about. I don’t follow him, but I do sometimes see his twitter comments pop up on my timeline when he is re-tweeted (Ironically by folks who don’t like him, but hate-follow him on twitter. That is something I will never understand). Yes, the young actor has composed several odd tweets (many that express his disdain for institutional education, while others I’ve found are philosophical mumbo jumbo he’s concocted from his less experienced teenage brain). Listen, you don’t have to tell me that some of his tweets are nonsensical, and may go against general opinion. But in no way are they as bad as this:
"can you make an attempt to not ruin ANYTHI...zG positive that i have FINALLY deserved just to cry myself to sleep with your cheats, errors, and thank you...for being a friend before a sell-out...the term "self out" was coined from ME and i gave them sooooooo much insight...For their not only COMPLETE, BUT SUBSTANISAN ***FRIENDS***********"
That is one of many memorable tweets from actress Lindsay Lohan (who was 23 years old at the time, by the way). Or, this tweet from actress Amanda Bynes (age 27)
I only smoke tobacco I don't drink or do drugs. I've never had a bong in my life! I need to get another nose job after seeing my mugshot! :D
— amanda bynes (@amandabynes) May 24, 2013
Jaden Smith is the “crazy” one with these two young women out on the loose? I think not. In fact, he’s not even the wildest of all the child stars, many of which have been locked up, lost their lives, or have battled drug addictions. Relatively speaking, Jaden is one of the normal ones in the bunch.
I can’t pinpoint whether it’s his race, the fact that he’s a Hollywood heir or a mixture of both that has frustrated so many people. But it needs to end, today. Granted, he’s not one of the most compelling young actors on the big screen (not yet anyway), but, again, there are so many older actors who are saying or doing much wilder things (Charlie Sheen or Kanye West anyone?) on which we can focus. Let’s not waste our energy tearing down a young up-and-coming black male actor, especially when there are too few young stars of color that Hollywood even allows in the their system.
