What happened to Disney Channel?

The Disney I grew up with...

The Disney I grew up with was the reason the people of my generation love Disney so much. Not only did we have amazing films like The Lion King, Mulan, and The Little Mermaid - which gave us both powerful messages and amazing music - but we also had influential TV shows like Kim Possible, That's So Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. The strong female leads are who made these TV shows so appealing to me. Kim Possible was an ordinary teenager who had unusually good reflexes and good kick butt, without relying on a boy to save her. Sure she had help - who can forget the great Ron Stoppable, Rufus, or Wade? - but in the end Kim was the one to save the day, and everyone knew it. Draken says, "You think you're all that, Kim Possible!" and doesn't even remember Ron's name.

That's So Raven was another amazing TV show starring a powerful teenage girl. The thing that made Raven great was that even though she could be considered heavyset, that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Even more amazing was the fact that she had the power to see the future, and even though she tended to get herself and her friends in trouble, she also was the one who got them out of trouble. Raven was a great role model for us girls, teaching us that we could be whoever we want to be. Raven Simone also starred in the Cheetah Girls movie around this time, and I will never forget their song "Cinderella." The song began with a mother telling a fairy tale about a princess in distress. Of course, the princess waits for her Prince Charming to save her. The following lyrics I feel wrap up the sentiment of the song:

Then one day I realized
The fairy tale life wasn't for me.
I don't wanna be like Cinderalla,
Sitting in a dark, cold, dusty cellar,
Waiting for somebody to come and set me free.
I don't wanna be like someone waiting
For a handsome prince to come and save me
On I will survive
Unless somebody's on my side.
Don't wanna depend on no one else.
I'd rather rescure myself.

These lyrics pretty much explain why I love this song, and why I loved Disney when I was growing up. Finally, someone was telling me that I am just as strong as any boy, and that I can take care of myself, and don't have to rely on a "prince." The Disney I grew up with was exploring in TV shows and characters that would give kids positive role models - from girls who stood up for themselves to families who taught us that everyone is equal and deserves our respect (The Proud Family anyone? ABC Kids on Saturday mornings? Now that was a good show). Where did they go so wrong?

Today on Disney Channel...

Today on Disney Channel, the most popular shows are probably Jessie, Austin & Ally, Dog with a Blog, and Liv and Maddie. I have not watched much of Liv and Maddie, and so I won't comment, but the other shows seem rather ridiculous and pointless. I will focus on the first two.

Jessie is about an 18-year-old, who, instead of going to college, decides to move from Texas to NYC to find an acting job. The audience identifies a potential love interest almost immediately, unlike in Kim Possible, where we do not meet Kim's crush Josh Menkey until after the first episodes. Instead of becoming an actress, the main character Jessie almost immediately stumbles upon a nannying job for a movie star and movie director couple who have a bunch of adoptive children and a giant pet lizard. The first thing I obviously find wrong with this is the suggestion that up-and-moving to NYC will be a piece of cake - no nannying job just falls in your lap like that! Life takes work, but according to this TV show, Jessie is more like a friend than someone who can care for children and keep them safe. Jessie spends most of her extra time writing songs about her multiple boyfriend failures from high school - why does any teenager need that many boyfriends? Get a grip and start making a life for yourself!

Austin & Ally is another TV show that seems to have no lesson to teach. Ally is a song-writer with extreme stage-fright and Austin is a singer and dancer who loves the stage, but can't song-write to save his life. Of course Austin is going to be a "typical boy" and steal one of Ally's songs in order to launch his career, which begins their partnership. Of course Ally is going to team up with the thief instead of revealing him for the fraud he is and taking credit where credit is due. Girls, you do not need a guy to tell you that your work is good. Go out and be proud of yourself! And don't let an arrogant guy swoop in and take credit for your work. Again, becoming famous is hard work, and it doesn't just fall in your lap. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, I'm saying that you should take your life into your own hands and go out to achieve your dreams instead of waiting for a guy like this Austin to reach them for you.

I have not figured out exactly what sent Disney Channel spiraling into disaster, but I do hope that future shows will prove that Disney still knows how to inspire children, both boys and girls. One show that has been announced for 2016 is The Lion Guard, which will follow Simba and Nala's second child, Kion. We will also get to see more of Kiara! I hope that this TV show will live up to the standards and expectations set by The Lion King, The Lion King 2, and Lion King 1 1/2, as well as the older TV series that followed Timon and Pumbaa. I wish the creators at Disney luck!

-- The Ranting Dragon

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