VH1 Kid Stars

A few days ago, Mara Wilson posted on Twitter that she’d be featured on a special VH1 was doing on the 100 Greatest Kid Stars; she’d be on the episode covering 20-40.

I decided to go ahead and check out the special in general, at least for the last 3 episodes (so 1-60). Throughout the coverage, I heard mention that more specifically, it would be kid stars from the last 20 years. Some I recognized, some I didn’t, and others were truly bizarre ordering choices, the one most on my mind right now as I type this is number 1.

To call me a Justin Bieber hater would be a stretch, but I certainly don’t care for his work and am no fan. Regardless, putting him at #1 and then the Olsen twins at #3/4 is just…mind-boggling. The choices on the list appeared to be about the success these kids had while actually being under 18. Some moved on to stay in the industry, and some didn’t, but nowhere did it seem the measurement was based on current success.

Bieber is a relatively recent thing, in light of considering the past 20 years, and the choice appears to be based more on this recency or current success than anything he did while in “kid star” status. Admittedly, I did not actually watch the rest of the sequence once they announced it was him, but I doubt any explanation would satisfy me.

Number 2 was Macauly Caulkin, and number 5 was Daniel Radcliffe. I probably would have picked the Olsen twins myself, but I’d think either of those guys would be better choices as well.

The full list can be found here.