What ‘Kids’ Leaves Out of the Picture

I am greatly disturbed by the effect the movie “Kids” seems to be having on uninformed audiences throughout the country. As an employee of the Los Angeles Free Clinic and a full-time advocate for high-risk youth, I have a responsibility to educate the public about this unique population and, as such, offer the following response to all of the fervor surrounding “Kids.”

The film shows a day in the life of street kids that are growing up with the current social issues of inner-city poverty, drugs, crime, disease and gangs. These youths hang out getting drunk, high, stealing and speaking in a language that becomes annoying and offensive.

While “Kids” does an admirable job of portraying the painful realities of life within this population, it fails to explore the reasons behind these realities. Had I not spent the last several years getting to know these young people, I suspect that I would accept what “Kids” suggests: These young people choose to live their lives this way and are thus unlikable and undeserving. I have had volunteers say to me that if they had not already been working with this population before they viewed this movie, they would have no desire to want to help these youths--a frightening response.

By only telling one side of these young people’s stories, “Kids” does more harm than good. For many of these youths, parental neglect/abuse/abandonment is a fact. Sex for survival is a fact. Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness are facts. It is a fact that for many of them gangs are the only form of structure in their lives.

And the list goes on and on. Without sharing the facts with its audience, the film allows what might have been an exploration of experience to deteriorate into an exercise in exploitation.

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At any given time, Hollywood alone plays host to more than 5,000 runaways or throwaways whose life circumstances may include homelessness, physical and sexual abuse, substance abuse, survival sex, gang violence and a general sense of hopelessness.

Ask any one of these youths who come into our clinic whether they want to be in their situation. The answer is obvious. For most it is the only type of lifestyle they know. The filmmaker makes a chilling point about young people not using condoms and spreading HIV. When you have no self-esteem or respect for yourself, why care about wearing a condom?

I challenge the filmmaking community to take the premise of “Kids” a step further. While “Kids” has managed to grab our attention and introduce us to this grim lifestyle, we are in need of a film that truly has something to say about this lost generation. Just as children are told by society to take responsibility for their actions, so should the filmmakers that produce these films take responsibility for theirs.

It is unfortunate that this insensitive movie comes out at a time when youth programs are being cut by our government.

“Kids’ ” negative portrayals make it less likely that people will support the agencies that try to make a difference in these young people’s lives. These youths must have opportunities and alternatives to get ahead and leave an environment that is destroying them.

While the lives of these young people may be frightening to some, the ways in which their lives and experiences are misrepresented and exploited should be frightening to us all.