Believe it or not, prior to Disney XD, shows like "Jessie," "Ant Farm," "Austin and Ally," and "Dog With a Blog," there was a whole different kind of Disney Channel. From the years 2000 to 2010, Disney Channel shaped the lives of kids and preteens all over, myself included.
Today, I watch Disney Channel with my kid sister and cant help but feel badly. Kids today don’t get to experience Disney Channel at its greatest like we all did. Disney Channel is nothing at all like it used to be.
I have some questions for Disney Channel:
Why is it that Disney Channel parents seemed to have become more and more stupid over the years?
Back when Disney was good, the parents used to help their children.
Reprimanding them, giving them advice, and assisting them through whatever rough situations life threw at them were just some examples of how great these parents were to their kids. Nowadays, Disney Channel depicts the parents as absent or just plain stupid if they are around. It’s extremely rare to find a parent who has any kind of sense on a current Disney show. How do your parents not know that you have a talking dog?!
What happened to all the important life lessons?
We used to learn important lessons from TV shows. Raven taught us that your size doesn’t matter, you are still beautiful. Miley taught us that even when your dad gets you an ugly sweater, you shouldn’t just throw it aside because it’s the thought that counts.
Why are the story lines so unrealistic?
Although some story lines were far-fetched (“Phil of the Future”/”Wizards of Waverly Place”), there were still some shows that had pretty realistic story lines. Now, almost every story line involves some sort of fame or unlikely situation as the premise of the show. How are kids supposed to aspire to be like their favorite characters if they are so far from ordinary?
Why is everyone so wealthy or fortunate?
Lizzie McGuire lived in a middle class family, along with Raven, Louis Stevens, and so many more. Even Miley Stewart lived a normal life when she wasn’t Hannah Montana. Who wants to watch a show about a bunch or spoiled kids living in a penthouse in NYC? Not me.
What ever happened to some good old sibling rivalry?
Lizzie and Matt, Zack and Cody, Derek and Casey, Ren and Louis, Miley and Jackson, Raven and Cory, and Phil and Pim were all siblings that fought constantly on Disney Channel, creating countless laughs for the viewers. At the end of the day, these siblings realized how important their bond was but still fought during the next episode. Disney Channel really got it right when they realized how often siblings fought. It doesn't seem as common on current Disney Channel.
Why are the characters so much less relatable?
We had it all with Zack and Cody, one super smart and hardworking brother and one super lazy and girl-crazed brother, but both just wanted to have fun. Lizzie McGuire related to almost every preteen girl out there, addressing all the major issues of turning into a teenager.
But my most important question is: What happened to the nightly Disney Channel Original Movie?
The best part of my night was when a Disney Channel Movie started. The anthem to my childhood was actually: let’s watch a Disney channel movie. And if you sang that in your head, it was yours too. I can still remember begging my mother in order to stay up to watch my favorites, like the “Thirteenth Year,” “Pixel Perfect,” “Zenon,” “Double Teamed," “Cadet Kelly,” “Luck of the Irish,” and so many more. And how could you forget all the super scary Halloween movies that played throughout October? Kids today will never know how great watching a Disney Channel movie before bed was.
