Joe Jonas has recently poured his heart out regarding his life as a Disney star in the article "Joe Jonas: My Life As a Jonas Brother." In the article Joe discusses the many ways in which Disney carefully marketed and limited his creativity as a musician. As a child the Jonas family was very into music and Nick was the first to pursue a career in the industry after being discovered in a hair salon. Soon enough, the other two brothers joined Nick. When Joe was 15, Disney picked up the band and they were thrown into the spotlight.
Joe goes on to say how "Disney is great at creating fame," and how that fame comes with a huge responsibility to maintain the kid-friendly persona. For example, when the Vanessa Hudgens nude photo scandal came out the execs told the brothers that they were so happy that they hadn't made a huge mistake like that, which put increased pressure on the boys to be perfect. Disney even trained the brothers on how to answer questions in interviews by assigning certain brothers to certain topics. In the media, they had to keep such a squeaky-clean image that he was once pummeled in the tabloids for politely telling a fan that he wasn't up to taking a picture with him.
Also, the promise-rings the boys chose to wear were blown out of proportion and further limited their public image. Although it was a stance the boys had taken from early on in their lives, the media made it seem as though it was a fairly recent move the boys had made and published information about it everywhere. Therefore, when Joe was older he felt the need to hide his relationships for the sake of the Disney brand. He even smoked weed and drank underage, behaviors not uncommon to teens. Yet, the pressure finally got to him and the rest of his brothers that they split up. Even after the spit, Joe tried his hand at a solo career. When Lil Wayne was on one of his tracks and said the "b" word, Joe's album got a parental advisory label, which Joe feared would alienate many of his fans.
All this goes to show that Disney's level of control reaches beyond its films and into the lives of the ones they work with. Disney took a group of brothers who wanted to write their own music, gave them music to sing instead, and skyrocketed them into stardom. Disney controlled their image by telling them what to say, how to act, and what activities were and weren't acceptable to be involved in. Honestly, this is understandable. Disney has an image that must be maintained, and if they have a bunch of "crazy" kids running around, Disney will no longer be seen as a positive role model for kids. Also, people should have a better idea of what they are getting themselves into when they sign onto working with Disney (are they selling a piece of their soul for the fame that Disney will undeniably bring them?). They should be more knowledgeable on what is involved in their contract.
Who knows, maybe back in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse days Disney's monopoly over the image of its stars may not have been as well-known. At the end of the day however, Joe's testimony sheds a lot of light on the process of becoming a famous Disney star. Hopefully it's something more people will take into consideration when signing a contract to work with the company.
Maybe this is why so many child stars end up turning against everything that is good and holy and letting loose early into their adult years! Disney rules with a heavy hand over its talent and the stars, like children too closely managed by their helicopter parents, aren't able to enjoy a real childhood. While every step within the process seems reasonable and Disney is right to protect their brand, it's a high-risk and high-reward scenario for the child stars involved. They are so closely examined by the public, and every move of theirs ends up in the spotlight! I can't imagine what that would be like.
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