Lucky Like Demi

So, what’s the deal with Demi, then? Every news station is reporting that’s she’s having problems. That’s not you. You wouldn’t have the same issues. Maybe your
parents aren’t divorced. Maybe you weren’t bullied. You’re…what? Lucky? Well, keep reading.

System Overload
If you watch Piper’s Picks, you’ve probably been following @ddlovato as long as we have (maybe). Demi’s tweets started catching my attention a while back. They were different. They didn’t look like they were being written by a publicist or a manager. When things were upsetting Demi, she didn’t hold back. She wore her heart on her…tweets. We were seeing the highs and lows as they happened. You guys love her for it. She connects (something a lot of artists don’t know how to do). It was Demi being herself. From a parent’s perspective, she sounded like a sweet girl dealing with some tough issues.

We saw Demi last during the Shop ‘Til You Rock mall tour over the summer. Piper interviewed Allstar Weekend at the event. We had actually put in a request to interview Demi the day she was announced as the face of the tour. We can get into how that all went down (or didn’t) another time.

We watched Demi handling the press junket. Demi was as sweet as ever, but something didn’t seem right. The TV press was unrelenting. They flat out bum-rushed her to get their stories; asking questions they often didn’t know the answer to because, outside of their report, Demi is just a random teen celebrity that has to be interviewed before a deadline. It’s some of those same reporters who, yesterday, were rushing out their reports that Demi was in trouble. Demi looked, to me, like a teen that was being pushed over the limit.

There wasn’t downtime between interviews. Corporate representatives were rushing to get products into her arms and snap pictures. The situation would be complete overload for just about any adult, let alone an 18 year old. It’s not something you could blame on any one person. The event was actually very well organized, but, like any event its size, there were so many different managers and representatives involved (plus thousands of fans) thaat it looked like a mosh pit…and Demi was in the middle of it.

Mischief Not Managed
If there’s one person that’s watching over Demi more than anyone else, it’s Jason Barnes. He’s Demi’s bodyguard (better yet, he’s also her uncle). You can’t miss him if you’ve seen our Allstar Weekend interview episode. He’s there to protect Demi from physical harm. Don’t test him.

You might think that Jason would step in and pull Demi out from crowd of reporters and corporate reps if she seemed worn down. Well, that wouldn’t be an easy decision to make. Demi has
contractual obligations. That mob of adults were there for a reason. Demi can’t just walk away evertime there’s pressure on her. There’s a career and a lot of money at stake. Seeing how Demi is, we’re thinking that letting down the fans would be her biggest concern.

The star in the center of the ring isn’t in control in a circus like this. She’s got her assistant(s), manager, or a cool uncle guiding her. At the same time, she’s got a ton of other people shouting directions at her…photographers, store managers with “free” gifts, reps from other companies involved with the event, etc. Don’t scratch your face! The rogue photographer at just the right angle will have a nose-picker shot. Every split second of every move is being watched by hundreds of people. I actually held Piper back from trying to get a picture with Demi
because I felt that Demi was dealing with too much.

All of that was before Demi took to the stage and before the fan meet and greet. That’s where the swarms of fans (some of whom had been waiting since as early the night before) line up to get a picture and an autograph. If Demi had 4 more hours to sign autographs, there would have been 6 hours of fans lined up. She didn’t. We don’t know her schdule for the rest of the day, but she surely wasn’t going home to chill out after the craziness. Chances are, she had more events or sound checks or rehearsals, travel, lessons, filming, business meetings, appearances, charity work…well, hopefully you get the point.

The Industry
The stories about Demi started to show up on the Net the night before last. I knew that yesterday would turn into a media feeding frenzie. We saw one report after another with
people (who couldn’t even tell you what show Demi is on) bringing in their “experts” to analyze Demi. It’s upsetting and aggravating. On the other hand, it’s part of the business. The reporters have been totally focused on what’s wrong with Demi (and their own twist on it). They haven’t discussed the industry. In a way, it makes sense. YOU want to know what’s wrong, but there’s a difference. You want to know for the right reasons. Others will use it as a way to try to bring her down. Whatever is happening with Demi, you can bet she’s hearing you and appreciating every bit of the support.

You’re SO Lucky
So, maybe luck is relative. Maybe having a team of people deciding your every move isn’t as easy as it seems. Sure, there’s lots of glitz, glamour, and fun. That’s the part that we focus on at Piper’s Picks! There’s a whole lot of work going on behind the scenes. Sure, it’s cool seeing your face on a magazine and having fans singing your songs. You Harry Potter fans know that “fame isn’t everything” though. Imagine hundreds of Malfoys running around writing nasty comments and spreading rumors about you…more than you can moderate. It’s no fun being a kid and having a bunch of older people watching, criticizing, and depending on you. When something goes wrong, it’s not fun being the person it’s blamed on. When you have a personal issue to deal with, it’s no fun having it broadcast to the world. Is it worth the tradeoff? If performing is really your dream, maybe.

Yesterday, the New York Times posted an article with Selenas comments on bullying. We’ve been paying attention to the issue for a few years. It seems like kids in the entertainment industry often have bullying issues in school. It’s the kids who express themselves that seem to get singled out. Last year, Piper did a video on bullying. The support and positive feedback we got from you was incredible. We heard back from a lot of you who faced your own problems with bullying. There are always people out there who care and will listen.

As Demi’s fans, we all care about her safety and well-being. We probably don’t have the whole story. Maybe we never will. For now, just keep in mind that as fun as the entertainment industry can be, it’s also mega-tough, unfair, and draining. Think of it like Space Mountain. It’s super-fun, but what if you had to build it before you could ride? Don’t cry, panic or be mean to your little brother. Just stay supportive and give Demi a little room. When she bounces back, you can be she’ll be better than ever, baby!

~TeamPiper~
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A Piperspective
Piper’s a big Demi fan. She’s met her a couple of times, but not formally. Demi called out Piper’s name at a “Sonny with a Chance”
taping once and gave Piper a hug. Maybe she knows of Piper from Piper’s Picks TV (we did have that old “Paper Demi Lovato” episode, LOL), but we haven’t had the chance to get to know Demi or her family.

We love what we do and love to hear back from viewers. If you want to see more articles on the industry from TeamPiper, please let us know.

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