So, I just felt like I needed to post something about this, because it sort of upset me in that "I can't believe children actually watch this crap" kind of way.
I am not a religious viewer of Disney Channel by any means. I used to be - Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire were my shows, and I never missed an episode. Ever. I even watched That's So Raven, and Phil of the Future. And of course, who could forget when Boy Meets World was on Disney Channel? Those shows were - if you don't mind me using 90s terms - the bomb. Heck, I even watched The Suite Life of Zack and Cody for a while.
My problem lies with one of the shows that Disney has on now. It's called "Shake it Up." It's about two girls (around the ages of 12 or 13) and they're dancers. That's the basic gist. First of all, the show isn't even that good. I watched about ten minutes of one episode and the only part I found funny was when the girls actually tried dancing. (Emphasis on "tried.") And did I mention they're only 12? And they wear makeup so they look like they're at least 16? It's disgusting, if you ask me. Clearly they have no idea how much that can impact a child in today's world. I mean, teenagers already have a tough time with "the image" and how we as women are supposed to look in order to be "beautiful." And did they ever take a minute to think that this was just going to push that image along, possibly to a younger age range? Probably not.
Now, if you have any idea who Demi Lovato is, you would know why this next part spurred so much controversy. If you don't, she is the star of Disney Channel's Camp Rock (alongside the Jonas Brothers) and another Disney show called Sonny With a Chance. She left the show and cancelled part of her tour when she came out to the world with an eating disorder, but has since gotten better. The following clip was taken straight from an episode of Shake it Up:
Seriously?
a PR from Disney said that they meant no harm in this joke after Demi said something about them making an eating disorder joke in light of one of their own stars leaving the network because of such a disorder.
Am I overreacting about this? I just don't think a show that is directed at a 7-12 year old demographic should be making jokes like this. Personally, I don't think a show like this directed at 7-12 year olds should exist. I mean, I remember in That's So Raven, there was an episode about her being uncomfortable with her weight. And the lesson was to be comfortable in your own skin. Where did that Disney go??
Bring back the old generation of Disney, please. I miss it.
I actually watched this entire episode. It was a joke, and not the good kind. I really don't think there are any shows out there that are actually good models for any kid. The characters are basically either money hungry (Cory of TSR, the little bro from LM whose name escapes me) a complete and total idiot (Chelsea, Eric, etc.) or concerned with lying and scheming (Raven, and sadly Kenan if we must go even more retro). If I had to pick two shows that did the best job of it recently it would have been TSR and Phil, TSR mostly because they had built-in race-related episodes they could turn to (episode where they both get hired at a clothes store, reminiscent of today's Panera). The problem is that nobody wants to watch a show with good role models because it's not for lack of a better word "sexy". It's not just kid shows but every movie ever made about high school / college. Animal House, Van Wilder, American Pie, even the horrendous College starring Drake Bell (ashamed to have seen that). Everyone eventually realizes that College isn't like that (or if it is you'll probably get kicked out after a semester cuz you'll fail) and that television shows aren't where you should be finding role models. Basically up to the parents at this point to make that distinction.
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