Walt Must be Rolling in his Grave...

Now before I begin, I will make one thing very clear. This is just MY opinion, and my opinion isn't everything. So you can love this post or hate this post; my intention is not to criticize anyone's preferences or attack anyone in any way. But this has been bothering me for years now, and I feel the need to express MY feelings.

Before my family moved to Germany, my brother and I were all about the Disney channel. When I was very little, I adored shows like Welcome to Pooh Corner. Later on, I enjoyed watching So Weird and Jett Jackson and also some of the Disney Channel original movies, such as Brink. I remember watching these shows every afternoon after school with a little plastic cup full of raisins and goldfish crackers. :)

In Germany, the Disney channel really didn't exist. I think there was Nickelodeon, but it was very different and shared with another channel, if that makes sense, so it switched to something different at around 8 PM. Anyway, when we came back to the states to visit, I couldn't believe what had happened to the Disney Channel. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody? Hannah Montana? REALLY?

I am a weird person in general when it comes to television shows. I am reeeally picky about sitcoms. I don't like the fact that there has to be a laughing audience in the background, that is basically encouraging you to laugh. I mean if the audience thinks it's funny, you probably should too, or something might just be wrong with you. I am not saying at all that I don't like sitcoms. I love That 70's Show, Friends etc., but the laughing audience has always bothered me. When you're a child, you laugh at what adults find funny, even when you have no idea why they are laughing. You laugh to laugh along. No wonder kids get such a kick out of Zack and Cody and Hanna Montana. They all have the laughing sitcom audiences in the background!

These shows also seem to be directed at preteens as opposed to children and adults. I mean, look at Aladdin! I find that movie more funny now than I did when I was little. And when I see Hannah Montana, I can't sit still long enough to listen to a full conversation because I just don't find the jokes funny. In my opinion, Disney used to be about family. My parents enjoyed watching some of the Disney shows and movies with me and my brother almost as much as we did. Today, I have no idea how parents can stand having the Disney channel running in their house at all.

And one must also keep in mind, that little children are watching these preteen shows and finding themselves little boyfriends and girlfriends in first grade. Because if Hannah Montana has a boyfriend or is kissing a boy, it is of course okay for the child watching it to do the same thing. How are the children supposed to know any better if these are the people they are looking up to? (Cooties apparently don't exist anymore...)

Family is not what Disney seems to be about anymore. As my Survey of Mass Media professor likes to say; it's all about the MONEY. And that's it! So what would make a lot of money nowadays... hmmm... how about DRAMA! And maybe a bunch of really terrible Disney movie sequels such as The Lion King LIII. Classics are being destroyed and children's minds are being filled with bad ideas and garbage on a daily basis. At this point, I would rather spend money on seasons of shows for my future children to watch than even have cable in the first place. Why would I want my children to look up to a preteen or a teenager going through preteen and teenage issues at such a young age? In my mind, that is completely inappropriate.

Which brings me to a further point: back in the "old" Disney times, you didn't have posters of the Disney actors and actresses all over your walls. And for the most part, they didn't have acting, singing, dancing, designer etc. careers all at the same time to see just how much money they could make. Does anyone even know what happened to Cara DeLizia from So Weird? I sure as hell never saw her face all over merchandise at Walmart and Target. It's probably because she doesn't need all that fame to act well in a good show.

I find it sad, that all of the harmless shows I grew up with have all disappeared and been replaced with the shows you see on Disney today. If you are a teenager and like these shows, that's cool. You have at least developed the decency to know what is appropriate for your age and what is not. And you have developed your own sense of style, likes and dislikes. But a young child has not. A young child does not possess these abilities yet, and parading all of these so called "roll models" in front of a child on Disney on a daily basis is not going to do their development any bit of good.