I'm glad you did this episode. 1st 1 I've been excited about for a while. A lot of your episodes... recently... seemed like it was just for USA/NorthAmerica or (maybe) the West...❣
Yep ! The creatures who least deserve a break are teenage girls, because they are sooo desired. Except burgers are desired too. Ask a turkey on Thanksgiving if it feels special...
@@sharpaycutie2 femininity isn’t the sin. The commoditization and strict adherence to one narrow definition of what is feminine is what is at issue here. Please don’t purposely misinterpret the argument to change the subject. Let’s have a “good faith argument” online, just once 🙏
The story of the Olsen Twins is so tragic. They were only babies when they started on Full House, and had to deal with the media sexualising them. I hope that they're far happier away from the spotlight.
To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
Hollywood has a huge expectations even as a child actor/actresses/performer, i'm glad that their sister Elizabeth came later on her acting career. I hope bothーor i should say the three of the sistersーdoing fine and even better right now.
@@madnessarcade7447 many of these people have told of their struggles, so no they aren't just fine. They dealt with the same bs media expectations. And it hurt them and they had a very hard time learning how to deal with this and learning how to be authentic to who they are.
“I was probably the least paid person on my [Hannah Montana] cast because I didn’t know any better. I was just like, 'I can be on Disney! Yeah, I want to do it!' My name was Miley on my show, but I didn’t own my name.” -Elle, 2016
Poor Miley, you have to pity her, in a way. She was so young when Hannah Montana started, and you can't blame her for her public breakdown years later.
Her father was on the show so what was up with him?! He should've had enough pull (and interest to), to get her her money's worth. When you're young and you don't know your worth, your parents are suppose to make sure you and everyone around you does.
I think this went a little too easy on the "new generation" Disney is churning out. It's just as manufactured as the one of the early 2000's and the stars are likely just as exploited, it's just been repackaged to reflect modern ideals.
I'm more impressed that she is still on disney channel but can swear in her songs. Little things like that can make it easier for disney kids to transition to adulthood.
tbh that's highly probable. Olivia's role and "public break up" basically skyrocketed her album and career. These are definitely calculated moves , but still, today's "disney" kids like her have more liberties and that is definitely much more positive and healthy for the actual people behind these roles.
What's so cynical about this is that the public image is innocent while the industry literally abuses, sexualizes and drugs (or enables drug use) it's young stars.
Olivia Rodrigo I don't know...she seems like she loved her time at Disney (She is still working there) but she has a contract with them that allows her to write songs fot her TV show. I think it was good these stars spoke out because they warned the future generation about reading their contract carefully
If you had told me that the biggest pop star on Earth right now was the lead actress of a shitty Disney sitcom, I would've questioned your age and assumed you only listened to Radio Disney(rest in power).
We all owe the early 2000s Disney stars the biggest apologies ever. When their lives were falling apart, when they were struggling and when they needed help we mocked them, made them the butt of jokes. We just sat back and watched these people suffering. We became part of the problem.
There was an episode of Hannah Montana where Miley couldn't do or say anything without kids blindly following her example, so she was forced to never take sides or have her own opinions in order to not upset any parents or accidentally indocrinate any children who were too young to think for themselves.
Yes I remember that episode. Even though the exact topics were a bit goofy and the exact reaction was a bit of a reach, the message overall was that what you say as a major name in pop matters alot - especially when all those kids look up to you, so you have to be careful. Even though it ended on a good note of Miley as Hannah saying that everyone can have their own opinion or whatever, I still think Miley Cyrus herself was reading the script for that episode and thinking that it relates to the kind of feelings that she herself dealt with as part of the Disney machine
I remember that episode! Wasn’t that the episode where Miley said she didn’t like carrots and she had a fan wind up not liking carrots because she didn’t like carrots then by the end of the episode the message was everyone has their own opinions?
One relevant topic you guys could've discussed is nude leaks - Vanessa Hudgens, Jeanette McCurdy, and Adrienne Bailon all had their careers potentially threatened by it. In reality for girls growing up this is a real experience/life lesson that many people face and just move on from. But the media blows it out of proportion because they're held to that impossible child moral standard. Obviously Bella Thorne faced this too but she was already way post Disney
I think Zendaya and Hilary Duff were so clever in how they slowly started detaching themselves from their disney persona. It's sad how kids they have to mature so fast but I am glad these two used that maturity for their advantage to owning their image as they slowly detached and grew up in front of the harsh scrutinizing tabloids and just claimed their adulthood so smoothly.
All of it feels so manufactured to me. Whether it’s the ‘pure girlhood’ or the ‘young adult rebellion’ or the ‘modern tolerance’, it’s all just a neat corporate package, designed to be a bland money making vehicle. There’s no challenge to anything, just status quo.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the fact Disney stars were talking about wearing purity rings to save themselves for marriage in the early 2000s. Things have changed so much in the past decade.
It makes me so sick they were made to do that. I'm just digusted at how invested people are in the sexuality of minors PERIOD. It's fucking gross and bizarre.
I remember seeing a comment section somewhere that pointed out Disney was the only one who consistently had female leads in their animated movies and they were sad when they halted that in the 2000's. I imagine the same thing here, television was willing to cater to boys and teens, while Disney Channel had multiple female-driven shows, from sitcoms to Kim Possible, that must've been like finding water in a desert.
It's also great that she's an amazing relationship with her family, because usually bad or even non-existent relationship with family is usually what turns child stars...to go the bad route
@@melissarodriguez21 Zendaya is the most popular star to come out of Disney, though she’s half Black. It’s racist bullshit to say a Black girl isn’t marketable, especially with how successful and popular Raven and her show was, how people only liked the Cheetah Girls when she was their lead, and she would have been bigger had they promoted her like they did the white girls
@@witchplease9695 Raven was part of early 2000s and shes way darker skin than Zendeya. Also Zendeya is marketable now yes because she is talented but also because 1) light skin privilege and 2) she came into the limelight in the late 2010s
@@melissarodriguez21 the point is there’s no reason a Black girl shouldn’t be marketable, People like you are the problem. They don’t need white validation as Black fans will support them.
@@melissarodriguez21 Raven isn’t dark skinned? She’s literally light brown and almost Zendaya ‘s shade. Dark skinned is Coco Jones and China Anne McClain who ALSO deserve to ge promoted and are just as beautiful and talented
To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
Most of the 2010-2020 generation actors were growing up without any kind of controversy (in comparison to the 2000-2010 generation) like Zendaya, Laura Marano, Peyton List, China Anne McClain, etc.
@@alejandraayala8815 and the hairstyling!!! The ladies always had these intricate up do's and sometimes colored pieces of extensions! Im like (ok yall have to be at school around 7:30 am with THAT hair!??!) Haha 😄
@@TrulyMademoizelle Their shows, yes. But they have yet to produce superstars like Disney. The only one who is truly successful post-Nickelodeon is Ariana Grande. While Disney has Jodie Foster, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Britney, Xtina, Hilary, Raven, Miley, Demi, Selena, Zendaya, and now Olivia Rodrigo.
One thing that bugs me about the Disney channel brand of femininity is that when a brown-haired girl acted feminine or put on a dress, it was sweet and wholesome. But when a blond character acted feminine, she was stupid and shallow. I'm not saying this applied to every blond character - there are certainly some noticeable exceptions. But more often than not, girls with chocolate brown hair were presented as smart and down-to-earth, while blond characters were presented as vain peppy airheads.
I mean idk if the child star is even an ethical thing to do especially when it comes to TV. I mean we have 12 year olds working full time jobs. We agreed that's a bad thing to do, but entertainment gets a break? Seems a bit icky that we literally exploit children for our entertainment. I mean I could be thinking about it wrong, but lately I've started to question if this is even a thing we should be doing.
@@kittykittybangbang9367 No, but I looked it up, and maybe you can tell me what your point was in bringing up that law, because my point wasn't even from a monetary prospective, but even if we were to go there, Coogan's law only withhold 15%. The remaining 85% still leaves children to be exploited financially. All this law does is protect children from being completely drained.
@@birdiewolf3497 Well the reason why I brought Coogan's law, it's because I feel like it needed an update so that children can't be exploited by their parents.
It's been really great seeing the new generation of disney stars beautifully transition into adulthood without any visible struggle (olivia rodrigo, zendaya, dove cameron, sabrina carpenter, peyton list, etc) because it really symbolizes that if done right, it IS possible for a girl to uphold an image in a disney channel show and at the same time be real and honest outside of that show.
Dove Cameron has gone to a lot of problems, but not because of Disney, i actually think Disney was good for her. It made her confident and she told she was happy to make kids happy.
Also take into account which on this kids were kids of nepotism or good families, that would absolutly affect the result.... the ones that come come from nothing and had negligence parenta who explout them had the bigger let downs.... ones whith safety family networks do good
tbf there's still time for olivia. she's only 18 and still a disney star, albeit disney+ and no longer disney channel. i think she'll turn out fine though
I am an Indian. From an early age I heard stories about how kids in the West are so hard working and independent and our culture is lazy as most of us stay with our parents till at least mid twenties. Many people stay with their parents even after marriage. Our culture like any other culture has its faults and needs to be really mended at many places. But I don't think the idea of kids working SO early in the West is very healthy either. I don't like Indians who want to imitate the West completely to solve our problems. Shows like Euphoria have actually disturbed me how teenagers literally ruin their lives. The West is a deeply consumerist society where the burden of looking good and "hot" fall on kids who are 12. A 12 year old kid in India is mostly really simple and doesn't care much about how they look because they don't have this much of resources and many parents discourage that.The West is seemingly clean and successful because they have sucked the blood of countries like ours to make their and economy and people flourish. India too have a huge chunk of people who can't take a word against the West as if it's the goal. It's just a society with its faults. This video shows how manufacturing kids is so normalised. India suffers from its FAULTS but the West is no solution.
I think it's hard for many people who have grown up with a certain culture within their country to see outside of it and be critical and want to see us all have the best futures possible, I think you brought up a lot of really great points and agree that no country is perfect but idolizing another culture/living situation isn't always the solution. I'll be the first to say America has a lot of issues and is the definition of how extremes are insanely harmful and balance is key---we'll probably never learn to change that because a huge part of the population views the country through rose-colored glasses but change doesn't happen overnight and I hope all the generations to follow can find ways to bring our world to a better place than before. I wish you the best, sending love from the US!
"The West is seemingly clean and successful because they have sucked the blood of countries like ours to make their and economy and people flourish. " couldnt have said it better
Zendaya, miley, Hilary Duff, britney, Lindsay, etc these stars all deserve the respect and so much more. I can't even start with the sort of scrutiny miley faced which she's subtly hinted about throughout the years. It's undeniable she was their biggest brand at the time, unfortunately, she owned none of it. All these women deserve your affection, respect and more.
I think Girl Meets World and Andi Mack were canceled by Disney for trying to show a more mature and three dimensional version of their characters. Disney Channel didn't want the show to grow up with the actresses.
@@AJ-xc4qe That show isn't going to last too long. Especially considering the fact that Disney is getting rid of its shows after 4 seasons. Sometimes the shows are gone a lot sooner.
@@KungEMuller Disney doesn't care anymore and gave Bunk'd a fifth season. And it's not announced that Raven's Home will get a fifth season, but there's multiple sources online that they will
@@AJ-xc4qe The only reason why that show got another season is the fact that the show gets new cast members almost every 2 years. As for the other show, you're not going to get that dream. So, with that being said, as good as STTM is, it's not going to last as long as some of Disney's most popular shows did, and I will lose my mind if it is still on the air next year.
WOW.... I can't believe what I'm hearing (or rather what I'm not hearing). You guys are completely forgetting the first Mickey Mouse Club, and the original Disney Girl who set the mold all these girls have had to try/been forced to fill ever since; Walt's darling, Annette Funicello. The Disney manufactured "purity culture" that was cultivated around and for her followed her throughout her adult career; into beach party movies with Frankie Avalon, Pop cultural references (she had a couple of name drops in "Grease") and Peanut butter commercials. This is not a new phenomenon. It's still tragic, but it's Not new. Walt started it himself.
Thanks for making me realize how ancient I am. I don’t even know who tf Olivia Rodrigo is. It’s truly the first sign of aging, when you don’t know what the kids are into.
While I know I can't speak for everyone, this is why I think it's better for actors to wait until they're adults ready for the consequences of societal influence, while if they have a passion for acting, it might help to transition into that level of attention by starting small like with theater or stage.
If your parents are tough and remember above all else, they're your parent and looking out for your best interest, it can work out. Look at Hilary Duff.
My dad used to joke about making us famous at a young age and I was actually TERRIFIED about the prospect. (Mind you the Jackson 5 biopic came out so I had SOMETHING of an idea). Mind you my dad was not a Joe Jackson-type but I wasn’t willing to risk finding out if he could become one.
yeah, honestly a big part of the problem is that most sane, good parents would never let their kids be child stars. my sister and i both love performing and would mention it to our parents, but my mom was like “over my dead body-if u want to be an actress i will support you every step of the way but your first audition will be AFTER u turn 18 cause you need to be a child when you’re a child” many of these stars would probably be a LOT better off with less exploitative/more involved and informed parents…but no good parent who is ACTUALLY informed about what goes on in the industry would let their child do that
I'm grateful for all these actresses/actors who gave me a form of escape and made my childhood, and sorry that they had and still have to go through all that unnecessary hardship :(
"You gotta give the people what they want, even if it kills you, even if it empties you out until there's nothing left to empty. No matter what happens, no matter how much it hurts, you don't stop dancing, and you don't stop smiling, and you give those people what they want." - Bojack, Prickly Muffin
I feel like in Harry Potter, there wasn't that much focus on the three young actors. They seemed protected while the focus stayed on the movies themselves. But with Hannah Montana, there were merch everywhere, the bookshop was covered with her face: backpacks, pencil cases, posters, etc. Obviously, Hannah Montana was about more than just the show. I'm really against exposing minors like that, even though they are being more careful today. The company should absolutely not profit from the personal life of kids, and should rather put in effort to give them a normal childhood.
You know what? You are right, when they put the children's or young teen faces on everything they are clearly selling more than just the character, they are selling the ideal of that person, which wasn't the case with the HP main cast, most of the merch had the logo or had a magic theme.
@@Cloverfr Thanks mate! I also feel like the Disney stars are doing a way bigger job than just acting in a TV show. They are in addition being full time celebrities, which they are likely underpaid for. Even though being famous can seem tempting, it's not healthy for their age, and they are being taken advantage of.
Disney: “girls rock! We should all be proud of who we are as girls” (“unless you’re not white tho, and you’re not from a middle class family. You have to have two parents, you can have boyfriends but keep it cutesy and innocent. Don’t talk like an adult! It’s ruining your child-like image but also behave like an adult and has big words. Make sure have long hair and wear what the girls in the magazines are wearing but called it $unique$. You’re not allowed to be fat but you have to pretend to eat like you are.” “Anyways, yes, GIRL POWER” “oh yeah, never ever talk about periods or feminism”
@@christine4829 well I'm not the one with the video essays but I spent my teenage years drown on the Disney Channel and all its gossip from Hilary and Raven, HSM and Miley, Selena, Demi and the Jobros and I got to see all of this unfold, and yeah the expectations that Disney puts on its stars are a big part, and also how little care did they give, it's all profit for them and throwing their stars under the bus. Two examples when Vanessa Hudgens nude underage photos leaked and when Demi was clearly abusing substances and even showing up to red carpets with cuts on her arm, and they did nothing to help them. But there are two other powers at play that abuse these kids, the general media with their raunchy cover magazines, the paparazzi culture all over minors, and all the deep speculation on their personal lives even before turning 18 from all kinds of media, but the most important one that the Take doesn't even mention is the parents, where the heck are the parents of these kids??? and how are they allowing them to grow and live through that abuse. They are as much to be blame, most of them do prefer the profit rather than the mental and physical health of their kids and it shows. Parents that rather play the manager role or the cool best friend role are for the most part the kids that grow up to have all kind of issues. And some of these stars do have troubled childhoods to begin with. So yeah it's Disney, and the media and the parents, and how the law allows all of this to happened to minors too.
I got scouted to be an anchor on a new kids TV channel when I was six because I accidentally met the producer/director on the train and he liked me. I remember always going upto his seat and playing with him, obviously I didn't know who he was. He asked to speak with my parents and then told them if they consented I would be his first choice for the position. To this day, I can't believe my parents said no. And that new channel is now vastly successful. I often half jokingly ask them why on earth. But they always give me these reasons for what they did: First being that they didn't want to choose for me and they thought I was too young to consent to a commitment like that that might prevent me from having a normal childhood. Second they didn't want to ruin my personality with childhood fame and if not addicted to substances didn't want me to turn out shallow. Third even though I have an uncle who is an anchor and successful frankly they didn't trust me with anyone since show biz is filled with pedos. And fourth they thought if it was meant to be I would grow up and become an actress anyway. Ik for a fact that they just thought since they were both researchers I would end up being some kind of academic genius and didn't want to mess with that which is kind of sad cause I'm dumb. And the thing is these opportunities are literally so rare. I often think about how crazy it is that if they had said yes my life and personality would have been completely different. But I'm grateful to them. I had a fulfilling childhood and a chance to develop my own hobbies. I want to become a writer now and I've won several prizes for writing. And if I change my mind I can always try my luck the old fashioned way.
I’m so lucky I grew up with Disney shows and movies that never demonized femininity! Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, Suite Life, Phill of the Future, Kim Possible, Camp Rock, Sonny with a Chance, and Cheetah Girls were my childhood! I respect Selena and Hilary so much! Demi was always beautiful and talented!
This video came just at the right time . I recently stumbled upon old Mickey Mouse clubhouse videos and that was when I realized Ryan Gosling and Kerry Russell were also Disney Kids alongside Justin T , Britney and Christina . It took me down this rabbit hole of old children's entertainment ,trying to figure out how many transitioned well into adulthood and how many child stars crashed and burned and how many of them are still mentally stable. It's even worse when you look at other 80s/90s kid's shows like Kids Incorporated and realize the only one still sorta famous from that one as adults are Fergie and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Nickelodeon is worse with the number of troubled former child stars ; Drake Bell , Amanda Bynes etc The best transition I've seen so far is Ryan Gosling , Zendaya ,Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo (so far) . It seems there are 3 choices when you grow out of this kind of fame 1) Beautiful transition into serious actor/singer -Ariana , Ryan Zendaya ,Olivia 2) Success to some extent but many mental health and personal issues that make you wonder if it was worth it - Britney ,Demi etc 3) No success and and lots of problems - Amanda Bynes , Drake Bell etc. The one who breaks my heart is Britney Spears ,she has worked her entire life and has paid a steep price for her success every step of the way but her net worth makes absolutely no sense to me.
Growing up we never had cable tv so all these Disney kids and shows never affected me. We watched what was on UPN, fox kids, pbs, or TGIF. I wish this episode would have acknowledged that. When Christina and Britney came out as pop stars, I had no idea they were Disney kids because we didn’t have cable. So our relationships to these stars is different.
I’m surprised that there was no mention of all the explicit songs on Olivia‘s album. That album is proof of how much Disney has changed. 10 years ago Disney would’ve never let one of their stars put out an album like that.
I don't remember exactly but some random channel had posted a picture of Ariana Grande as a teenager with some major stakeholder of her Nickelodeon show. Honestly, the man looked so creepy and was touching her in such an uncomfortable way and Ariana's smile was kinda fake. I thought I was the only one but when I saw the comments, so many people had noticed it! I wonder where their parents were when this was happening to them.
I definitely felt so bad about myself when I compared myself to those perfect Disney channel characters when I was younger. I really hope the next gen has less perfect and more relatable characters to look up to as kids.
It's a sobering thought to realize how damaged most celebrities are and how they live in toxic environments that are controlled by corporate execs, and are disconnected from how most people live and yet people adhere to advice about life from them constantly.
Instead of trying to force children into being role models for children, how about parents cut off the TV and the Ipad and spend time with their own kids?
There are three routes that many of the Disney Channel stars end up in following their time at Disney: 1. Have successful careers as singers or Actors 2. Become either mentally unstable, go crazy or become M-rated due to the peer pressures that they faced during their time at Disney. Or 3. A mixture of the first two
@@benwasserman8223 To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
@@madnessarcade7447 Well i think social media also helped. Today’s Disney stars have more room to express themselves and bypass Disney PR limitations that didn’t exist in the 2000s. Kind of like how Brittney Spears’ troubles were driven in part by an ongoing media critique against her with no way to counter their photos.
I kinda find it funny how Zendaya on Disney looks like some happy optimistic quirky kid, but most of the characters she plays these days, whether MJ or Rue Bennet, look like they’re so done with everything.
I would love for you to talk about the MARY SUE trope. I've lately heard about it but I can't help to realize that this term is used to devaluate strong female leads while strong male leads are praised.
Lot Mary sues than their male counterpart. Mary sues feed some weird desire feminists have to make women act like men. And then their movies and shows tank, and its the fans fault
@@christophermcdonald5306 "to have women act like men"? Or, wow, maybe to portray a more diverse example of what women are like. There is no "acting like a man", there's just sets of traits that people decided are only for guys, and that it's weird when women do it too. Sure, there's the constructs of femininity and masculinity, but those are just stereotypical ideas. The fact that some people bizarrely find it threatening when women act in ways that are "only for men" is down to their own weird prejudices.
It’s one thing to complain about positive discrimination (that is, women have to be practically perfect in every way, which “Mary Sues” are), but nobody would ever call MacGyver a “Mary Sue”.
@@beethovensfidelio But imagine if that character was a woman. Then all of a sudden, everything is an agenda. A movie about a female soldier? Whaaaaat? And they have tons of skills in science and are really smart? Yeah, right. Oh no, the lefty liberals are pushing their agendas! back in the good old days, movies about hyper competent heroes only featured white men!
Disney still makes more stars than any other kids channel. Disney: Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Britney, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Hillary Duff, Demi Lovato, Zack Efron, and many more in the music and film industry. Nickelodeon: Ohhhh Ariana Grande.
More on NIckelodeon: emma roberts, kenan thompson, Ryan reynolds, Amanda Bynes, Jessica Alba., Melissa Joan Hart. Keke palmer, Nat Wolff, Even if they aren't high as Ariana grande, they are notably recognized in other areas of the industry.
I'm always glad to see "child starts" transition into successful adult careers. It seems very difficult for them to get everyone to see them as real adult entertainers after having been a "manufactured" child/teen star.
Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Raven Simone, and so many other millennial Disney and Nickelodeon pop stars walked so that Gen Z stars could run, and hopefully take celebrity culture in a healthier direction.
Yeah, it’s a really messed up part of the entertainment industry. The level of child exploitation they’ll do just to make a profit is pretty disgusting. Good video. By the way, can you talk about Loki on Disney+?
Zendaya is actually a late Millennial. 1981-1996 are the Millennial years. Zendaya was born in '96. It's funny that so many people feel sorry for these kids for having to be "perfect", yet most of society today still DEMANDS these celebrities to use their channels or platforms "responsibly" or in other words "perfectly". Celebrities are not politicians. They are entertainers. Yes, if they do something unlawful they should be held accountable. However, I never understood why people feel celebrities should be the spokesperson for every issue in the world or to keep a certain image.
It was really humbling for me when I first heard the stories of Britney spears and the Olsen twins. I also really hated on Hannah Montana as a preteen and when she started being provacative as Miley Cyrus. I've always been a hater of the mainstream and still am, but it occured to me that I hate the systems that created these characters and corrupted these young girls who were just trying to get by with the lives they didn't necessarily ask for. I also feel society's tendency to pit women against eachother played a role in my disdain for their over sexualized performances in adulthood. I'm glad to hear newer generations of child stars have a fighting chance.
It speaks volumes that some of the most beloved, empowering girls from our childhoods suffered from the very thing they fought against behind the scenes. It's the definition of corporate girlhood. Companies like Disney couldn't grasp the concept of practicing what you preach. The 2000s era of girlhood will always mean the world to me. Loving feminine/girly things, while still being able to accomplish anything, is STILL an important message. But I am glad that we are addressing these concerns now more than ever.
Imagine in the future, Olivia comes out saying that Disney did not let her date any other guy for years because her whole brand revolved around her entire relationship with her ex and his new blonde girl!!
Back in the 2000s, particularly when I was in high school, I thought there was something really gross about the way Disney Channel, and to a lesser extent the live action side of Nickelodeon, presented girlhood, which felt to create more harm than good, and despite claiming to know exactly what was wrong in reality I couldn't really put my finger on it, and sadly my response was far more sexist than I realized it was at the time.
Love it. I want to say that all these TV shows and products that were marketed towards girls, were part of training them to become future consumers. Ya'll forgot Annette Funicello?
THANK YOU, Jessica!!!! I trust "The Take" to do their research, and I can't believe they totally failed to mention "Walt's darling". C'mon guys! If there is a "Disney Standard" it's because they set it through her.
2:39 -- Nooo, that goes further back than 1989. The original version of the Mickey Mouse Club was made in the 50s too, which gave the world Frankie and Annette--also giants of pop culture in their day
5:30 after Miley says that, the little girl tells her she doesn't want her to change ( an unhappy coincidence or a manipulative move by disney? conspirancy) ironic either way
Hope you could consider discussing the straight-laced, uptight older sibling trope. It's tiring to see how older siblings (especially the eldest) are often portrayed as "boring" characters who are only there to scold the protag younger sibling and don't get all the adventure. Eg: Darry Curtis, Susan Pevensie, Mallory Grace, Olga Pataki and Candace Flynn. Edit: either that or the bully ones like Trina Vega (victorious) and Roderick from Diary of a Wimpy kid.
This video was understandably Miley-heavy, but I feel like there's more to be said about Hilary Duff, who was shown but not mentioned. She was the first to have a show centred around her character, and her own starring movie. Her first album Metamorphosis is the first CD I ever desperately wanted. Because of the success of Avril Lavigne, some of the tracks on that are quite punk rock inspired, so I don't feel like Olivia Rodrigo's sound is particularly fresh but rather nostalgic. I remember feeling quite betrayed as a fan when Hilary became anorexic and dyed her hair, but by the time Miley Cyrus started changing I was fully on board and completely understood what she was doing. I felt like I was going through those same radical changes at the same time, cause I was 17. The term "corporate girlhood" is so perfect; Alyson Stoner's recent testimony and Jennette McCurdy's podcast are excellent resources for understanding how making a 9-year old the breadwinner for an entire family is an extreme amount of pressure in itself.
3 ปีที่แล้ว +2
Also, I haven't watch hsmtmts but I have to say I love the fact that the gay couple features two "femme" boys, it's just so refreshing to see something other than the typical "masculine top/femmenine bottom" dynamic
I’m starting to think it’s intentional; this video is whitewashed Raven Symone paved the way for the girlhood trope and it was just briefly mentioned. We all know THAT SO RAVEN set the standard and Her life literally reflects everything that was mentioned but instead Y’all chose frame Demi , Miley and Selena as THE trailblazers. guys try to come across like you care about black representation but you ALWAYS skip over it.
Probably bercause Raven issues into adulthood are way beyond partying or wearing less clothing so I don't blame them for focusing on the positives of the character and skipping the negatives with theperson herself... same can be said about Vanessa.
I'm not saying you're wrong about the video being whitewashed, but about them choosing demi, miley and selena could be maybe because many of their generation became succeful and also their continus impact on the lives of many?
So many of todays stars started out as child actors. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Zendaya, Hilary Duff, Ariana grande, Demi Lovato, Vanessa Hudgens all got their first fame from teen shows. But then you've got Jeanette Mccurdy and Bella Thorne who faced the worst end of it. Miranda Cosgrove and Bridget Mendler could have had great career but weren't willing to sell their soul for it and opted out. And then you've got Ariana Grande who knew exactly what she wanted, and used her show as a stepping stone to launch her into the industry, and became the most successful (which is cool considering she was only a supporting character). I'd say Olivia comes under this category too.
don't ask me why but this video almost made me cry multiple times. all of these women dud so much for us growing up and are continuously treated so badly. i think it's a testament to their strength that they're able to come out the other side ❤❤
I think my favorite thing about Lizzie McGuire was that she didn’t have this secret talent or ability and her best friends weren’t simply her sidekicks as they had their own talents and interests with Miranda being a fashionista and Gordo being the smartest of the three friends. That ordinariness of her character as well as the nuanced depictions of middle school and the growing pains of growing apart from elementary school friends like with the mean girl Kate actually having been one of Lizzie’s best friends. And of course I’m biased because she has a great name too.
I love Miley Cyrus so much. I did judge her a little when I was 12/13 cos I was a big fan of Hannah Montana too. But I quickly found her daring, inspirational, fearless, HERSELF, all things I want to be myself. And that is why I love and support her.
Alyson Stoner did a wonderful video on her experience, “The Toddler to Trainwreck Industrial Complex,” that both highlights the struggles of the child star while ALSO proposing possible solutions!
All Disney characters seem asexual to me, since they are teenagers in kids shows and nothing can be sexual😅 I'm asexual, and watched Disney Channel longer than my classmates because there was nothing sexual related, just romance (and yes,it took me longer to found out some things about allos). Btw, asexuals can fall in love and have relationships😊
I think we really jumped from one extreme to another when it comes to representation like it feels very much « tokens » on screen rather than meaningful and realistic representation of minorities.
I was hoping for you to talk about maitland ward and how she become a business woman now. She is very interesting, specially being one of those disney girls of the early 2000s, late 90s.
It's kinda feasible for celebrities to be not fond of their child star time of their lives, considering it was filled with constant peer pressure, stupid beauty standards and over-sexualization by media all which no children should experience 😢
I'm a little disappointed there was nothing about Hilary Duff in this reflection. Great video though, I knew nothing abut the gen Z child star actors. Interesting development.
I feel hypercritical about it, but I always hated the Disney Channel, yet I watched it religiously from the time we got in like 2007 when I was about 12. It was probably mostly for the animation, which has always been the thing that made me love the Disney name - until now when I had to go cold turkey since their business conduct is adding to my depression. Anyway, everything about those child stars always seemed off to me. They were supposed to be these great heroines, but most of them were really horrible: Hannah Montana made it clear Miley was the dad's favourite child over Jackson who was always the butt of the joke, while the whole secret identity thing was always mentioned as a brilliant idea, despite all of the drama and stress it brought Miley; Wizards of Waverly Place had Alex as this completely selfish lazy brat who never learned anything, but always came out as the hero in the last second, stomping on her more ambiguous brother (equality should be based on hard work and earning what you get); Shake It Up had CeCe and Rocky claiming to be the bestest of friends, but they always ragged on each other (they also decided it was a good idea to bring up CeCe's dyslexia in an early episode, though they never brought it up again, so whenever Rocky reminded CeCe how stupid she was, it just made me hate the whole thing). I never felt any of those characters could be role models for children. Then there was all of the dating between the stars, which I still think was more manufacturing to create intrigue for the media. It is a gross practice.
Agreed. I watch Disney Channel a lot when I was a kid, but now that I'm older I could see that their cartoons were way better than their live action shows.
Get Honey for FREE today ▸ joinhoney.com/thetake
Honey finds coupons with one click. Thanks to Honey for sponsoring!
@@smartass0124 Both used to cater to everyone instead of rendering everything.
the thumbnail should be miley, selena and demi. Disney’s holy trinity
@@smartass0124 now maybe. In the 90s (and very early 2000s) it was just about kids
I'm glad you did this episode. 1st 1 I've been excited about for a while. A lot of your episodes... recently... seemed like it was just for USA/NorthAmerica or (maybe) the West...❣
Could you please do a video on the quiet kid trope
Lindsay Lohan was used as such a punchline and now I realise people were literally putting a young girl down and being so cruel.
Yep ! The creatures who least deserve a break are teenage girls, because they are sooo desired. Except burgers are desired too. Ask a turkey on Thanksgiving if it feels special...
That’s the internet culture for u, my friend
hi fellow Tiss army!
Watch Mila Tequilas video about her.... The way she was treated us disgusting
That's why I never judged her when she had her mental breakdown or started getting in trouble with the law. I felt sorry for her.
"corporate girlhood" -- wow. Couldn't have phrased it better.
What? Feminine? Didn't know Feminine was SUCH a sin🙄
@@sharpaycutie2 femininity isn’t the sin. The commoditization and strict adherence to one narrow definition of what is feminine is what is at issue here. Please don’t purposely misinterpret the argument to change the subject. Let’s have a “good faith argument” online, just once 🙏
Children are sexualised but are then expected to be cute and innocent. WHAT DO YOU WANT?!
It is so messed up!
@@oliviabonon902
Can I get a vomit bag, please?!
It's the same with the media portrayal of women tbh
Ik it's creepy 😭
@@QueenBee-pb6bt Christian patriarchy 'worship the pure virgin.'
The story of the Olsen Twins is so tragic. They were only babies when they started on Full House, and had to deal with the media sexualising them. I hope that they're far happier away from the spotlight.
To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc
I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
Hollywood has a huge expectations even as a child actor/actresses/performer, i'm glad that their sister Elizabeth came later on her acting career. I hope bothーor i should say the three of the sistersーdoing fine and even better right now.
@@madnessarcade7447 many of these people have told of their struggles, so no they aren't just fine. They dealt with the same bs media expectations. And it hurt them and they had a very hard time learning how to deal with this and learning how to be authentic to who they are.
Yeah. It is still weird that the Olsen Twins' sister has become the popular actor while they've completely backed out of our pop culture memory.
I blame the parents , they put their babies in show business for money .
“I was probably the least paid person on my [Hannah Montana] cast because I didn’t know any better. I was just like, 'I can be on Disney! Yeah, I want to do it!' My name was Miley on my show, but I didn’t own my name.” -Elle, 2016
Poor Miley, you have to pity her, in a way. She was so young when Hannah Montana started, and you can't blame her for her public breakdown years later.
Her father was on the show so what was up with him?! He should've had enough pull (and interest to), to get her her money's worth. When you're young and you don't know your worth, your parents are suppose to make sure you and everyone around you does.
@@matxalenc8410 Precisely what I was thinking. Her father wasn't a novice to stardom. Billy Ray Cyrus had been a star in his own right.
Wasn't she under age ? Wasn't her father responsable for her contract and how much she got paid ?
Who TF is Elle
I think this went a little too easy on the "new generation" Disney is churning out. It's just as manufactured as the one of the early 2000's and the stars are likely just as exploited, it's just been repackaged to reflect modern ideals.
I agree. This is pure marketing, the DC's aim is STILL to make money of child stars.
EXACTLY!
I'm more impressed that she is still on disney channel but can swear in her songs. Little things like that can make it easier for disney kids to transition to adulthood.
tbh that's highly probable. Olivia's role and "public break up" basically skyrocketed her album and career. These are definitely calculated moves , but still, today's "disney" kids like her have more liberties and that is definitely much more positive and healthy for the actual people behind these roles.
And HSMTMTS SuCkS🤢🤮
What's so cynical about this is that the public image is innocent while the industry literally abuses, sexualizes and drugs (or enables drug use) it's young stars.
Demi was straight up doing coke while on her disney show thanks to her management or whatever.
Certain Disney managers are pretty terrible people too.
Ya, it's technically a CULT, Hollywood is a CULT.
Olivia Rodrigo I don't know...she seems like she loved her time at Disney (She is still working there) but she has a contract with them that allows her to write songs fot her TV show. I think it was good these stars spoke out because they warned the future generation about reading their contract carefully
She’s on Disney Plus and isn’t signed to Hollywood Records which can allow her more room to do what she wants
Who is she hahaha
@@Beefstraganoff umm
If you had told me that the biggest pop star on Earth right now was the lead actress of a shitty Disney sitcom, I would've questioned your age and assumed you only listened to Radio Disney(rest in power).
Maybe because the new Disney is less puritan and is a bit more diverse they feel a little bit more comfortable to be themselves
I feel bad for the child stars whose parents sold them out. Many of them were exploited and preyed on by pedophiles. 😔
Try all.
Exactly.
It’s so disgusting AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT!
True
God will deal with all of them 🔜
We all owe the early 2000s Disney stars the biggest apologies ever. When their lives were falling apart, when they were struggling and when they needed help we mocked them, made them the butt of jokes. We just sat back and watched these people suffering. We became part of the problem.
I always remember people laughing at Miley Cyrus when I related to her we both just wanted to be seen.
I think we were kids tho so
whos we
@@vivienbissell4848 Society
No, the mainstream media mocked them and people who aren't media savvy got caught up in it. Media savvy people could see right through that.
There was an episode of Hannah Montana where Miley couldn't do or say anything without kids blindly following her example, so she was forced to never take sides or have her own opinions in order to not upset any parents or accidentally indocrinate any children who were too young to think for themselves.
Yes I remember that episode. Even though the exact topics were a bit goofy and the exact reaction was a bit of a reach, the message overall was that what you say as a major name in pop matters alot - especially when all those kids look up to you, so you have to be careful. Even though it ended on a good note of Miley as Hannah saying that everyone can have their own opinion or whatever, I still think Miley Cyrus herself was reading the script for that episode and thinking that it relates to the kind of feelings that she herself dealt with as part of the Disney machine
I remember that episode! Wasn’t that the episode where Miley said she didn’t like carrots and she had a fan wind up not liking carrots because she didn’t like carrots then by the end of the episode the message was everyone has their own opinions?
@@andreasmeelie1889 yes, yes it was
One relevant topic you guys could've discussed is nude leaks - Vanessa Hudgens, Jeanette McCurdy, and Adrienne Bailon all had their careers potentially threatened by it. In reality for girls growing up this is a real experience/life lesson that many people face and just move on from. But the media blows it out of proportion because they're held to that impossible child moral standard. Obviously Bella Thorne faced this too but she was already way post Disney
Vanessa isnt the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Word on the street is she was sending those pics to be a Harvey girl.
@@maximusprime3459 stfu u missed the point
@@maximusprime3459 which street exactly
@@alim.9801 If you have to ask, then ita better you find out for yourself.
Stupid question to begin with, too.
@@maximusprime3459 stupid statements beget stupid questions 😘
I have the problem both with Dan Schneider and parents of future stars who tolerated his behavior for the sake of success
I’m pretty glad Zendaya ended up becoming one of the best modern Disney girls. That Emmy win was well-deserved.
@Makiah Jackson she hasn’t done anything close to what Zendaya has done
@@meme0218 Sabrina made her broadway debut last year!
🙄
@@daviddabi9760 very well said!! 👏🏻 👏🏻
I think Zendaya and Hilary Duff were so clever in how they slowly started detaching themselves from their disney persona. It's sad how kids they have to mature so fast but I am glad these two used that maturity for their advantage to owning their image as they slowly detached and grew up in front of the harsh scrutinizing tabloids and just claimed their adulthood so smoothly.
they're not nearly as famous but sabrina carpenter and dove cameron as well
@@laurabelacqua9064 zendaya is that famous
@@bgos4727 she's saying Sabrina and dove aren't as famous as Zendaya and Hilary
I mean most of the stories about Disney was due to them attempting to make the next Hilary Duff,
All of it feels so manufactured to me. Whether it’s the ‘pure girlhood’ or the ‘young adult rebellion’ or the ‘modern tolerance’, it’s all just a neat corporate package, designed to be a bland money making vehicle. There’s no challenge to anything, just status quo.
I feel the same. It was all a lie and a lot of abuse was going on behind the wholesome purity culture.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the fact Disney stars were talking about wearing purity rings to save themselves for marriage in the early 2000s. Things have changed so much in the past decade.
They said it around 4:00 with Demi Levato
It makes me so sick they were made to do that. I'm just digusted at how invested people are in the sexuality of minors PERIOD. It's fucking gross and bizarre.
@@alim.9801 Hollywood is a CULT that's why, is runned by peripherals who are on other terms DEMONS.
@@alim.9801 Pedophiles
I remember seeing a comment section somewhere that pointed out Disney was the only one who consistently had female leads in their animated movies and they were sad when they halted that in the 2000's.
I imagine the same thing here, television was willing to cater to boys and teens, while Disney Channel had multiple female-driven shows, from sitcoms to Kim Possible, that must've been like finding water in a desert.
I love Zendaya so much it literally makes me so happy to see her becoming so successful
It's also great that she's an amazing relationship with her family, because usually bad or even non-existent relationship with family is usually what turns child stars...to go the bad route
I don’t think I can forgive Disney Programming for not acknowledging Raven’s potential. She is such fun and so talented.
yeah but she was also black so not as marketable as a white girl
@@melissarodriguez21 Zendaya is the most popular star to come out of Disney, though she’s half Black. It’s racist bullshit to say a Black girl isn’t marketable, especially with how successful and popular Raven and her show was, how people only liked the Cheetah Girls when she was their lead, and she would have been bigger had they promoted her like they did the white girls
@@witchplease9695 Raven was part of early 2000s and shes way darker skin than Zendeya.
Also Zendeya is marketable now yes because she is talented but also because 1) light skin privilege and 2) she came into the limelight in the late 2010s
@@melissarodriguez21 the point is there’s no reason a Black girl shouldn’t be marketable, People like you are the problem. They don’t need white validation as Black fans will support them.
@@melissarodriguez21 Raven isn’t dark skinned? She’s literally light brown and almost Zendaya ‘s shade. Dark skinned is Coco Jones and China Anne McClain who ALSO deserve to ge promoted and are just as beautiful and talented
You should read/listen to Alyson Stoner on being a child actor. It's chilling.
!!!
Poor Alyson, her stories of her child star days really shook me to my core, and made me realise how toxic the entertainment industry really is. 💔
I’m surprised that The Take didn’t mention her at the end!
Alyson is Isabella in Phineas and Ferb
I personally think that the least problematic and sometimes even kind of forgotten disney girl is Hillary Duff. 🤷♀️
That's true, Hilary has grown up to be a respected actress, and not a washed up former child star.
To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc
I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
@@trinaq a lot of them grew up to be respected actors like Zendaya dove and Selena
Don’t judge them all based off the problem minority
Most of the 2010-2020 generation actors were growing up without any kind of controversy (in comparison to the 2000-2010 generation) like Zendaya, Laura Marano, Peyton List, China Anne McClain, etc.
@@zoser595 exactly this
I loved the outfits of the 2000s Disney. It’s like an Aesthetic Acid Trip.
10+ layers of clothing had me dying XD
@@alejandraayala8815 and the hairstyling!!! The ladies always had these intricate up do's and sometimes colored pieces of extensions! Im like (ok yall have to be at school around 7:30 am with THAT hair!??!) Haha 😄
@@MeowMeow_95_ Colored extensions were a trend at the time. Like Avril Lavigne with the green and pink ones in the mid/late 2000s.
Nickelodeon also tried to emulate Disney's success with their stars.
Nickelodeon had a longer history of influential kids shows excuse you
@@TrulyMademoizelle Their shows, yes. But they have yet to produce superstars like Disney. The only one who is truly successful post-Nickelodeon is Ariana Grande. While Disney has Jodie Foster, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Britney, Xtina, Hilary, Raven, Miley, Demi, Selena, Zendaya, and now Olivia Rodrigo.
It only worked with Ariana Grande
I think the word you're looking for is 'harem'
@@R7v4 I mean Big Time Rush was kind of the One Direction of Nickelodeon 😂
One thing that bugs me about the Disney channel brand of femininity is that when a brown-haired girl acted feminine or put on a dress, it was sweet and wholesome. But when a blond character acted feminine, she was stupid and shallow. I'm not saying this applied to every blond character - there are certainly some noticeable exceptions. But more often than not, girls with chocolate brown hair were presented as smart and down-to-earth, while blond characters were presented as vain peppy airheads.
That's why suite life of zach and cody was so important. Maddie and London breaking all sorts of stereotypes.
I mean idk if the child star is even an ethical thing to do especially when it comes to TV. I mean we have 12 year olds working full time jobs. We agreed that's a bad thing to do, but entertainment gets a break? Seems a bit icky that we literally exploit children for our entertainment. I mean I could be thinking about it wrong, but lately I've started to question if this is even a thing we should be doing.
You are very right.
Ever heard of Coogan's law?
@@kittykittybangbang9367 No, but I looked it up, and maybe you can tell me what your point was in bringing up that law, because my point wasn't even from a monetary prospective, but even if we were to go there, Coogan's law only withhold 15%. The remaining 85% still leaves children to be exploited financially. All this law does is protect children from being completely drained.
@@birdiewolf3497 Well the reason why I brought Coogan's law, it's because I feel like it needed an update so that children can't be exploited by their parents.
@@kittykittybangbang9367 yeah, I would like to see those numbers flipped for sure.
They broke wild, just like the preacher's daughter the first semester in college. What in the world did they expect?
It's been really great seeing the new generation of disney stars beautifully transition into adulthood without any visible struggle (olivia rodrigo, zendaya, dove cameron, sabrina carpenter, peyton list, etc) because it really symbolizes that if done right, it IS possible for a girl to uphold an image in a disney channel show and at the same time be real and honest outside of that show.
Dove Cameron has gone to a lot of problems, but not because of Disney, i actually think Disney was good for her. It made her confident and she told she was happy to make kids happy.
Also take into account which on this kids were kids of nepotism or good families, that would absolutly affect the result.... the ones that come come from nothing and had negligence parenta who explout them had the bigger let downs.... ones whith safety family networks do good
@@jjba3571 dove didn't have a "good family" and selena came from a economically lower background it all boils down to how they were treated
I don't think it's them it's just a new slightly more accepting generation of Disney itself
tbf there's still time for olivia. she's only 18 and still a disney star, albeit disney+ and no longer disney channel. i think she'll turn out fine though
I am an Indian. From an early age I heard stories about how kids in the West are so hard working and independent and our culture is lazy as most of us stay with our parents till at least mid twenties. Many people stay with their parents even after marriage. Our culture like any other culture has its faults and needs to be really mended at many places. But I don't think the idea of kids working SO early in the West is very healthy either. I don't like Indians who want to imitate the West completely to solve our problems. Shows like Euphoria have actually disturbed me how teenagers literally ruin their lives. The West is a deeply consumerist society where the burden of looking good and "hot" fall on kids who are 12. A 12 year old kid in India is mostly really simple and doesn't care much about how they look because they don't have this much of resources and many parents discourage that.The West is seemingly clean and successful because they have sucked the blood of countries like ours to make their and economy and people flourish. India too have a huge chunk of people who can't take a word against the West as if it's the goal. It's just a society with its faults. This video shows how manufacturing kids is so normalised.
India suffers from its FAULTS but the West is no solution.
I think it's hard for many people who have grown up with a certain culture within their country to see outside of it and be critical and want to see us all have the best futures possible, I think you brought up a lot of really great points and agree that no country is perfect but idolizing another culture/living situation isn't always the solution. I'll be the first to say America has a lot of issues and is the definition of how extremes are insanely harmful and balance is key---we'll probably never learn to change that because a huge part of the population views the country through rose-colored glasses but change doesn't happen overnight and I hope all the generations to follow can find ways to bring our world to a better place than before.
I wish you the best, sending love from the US!
@@christmastiger Very well said! Loads of Love!
Thank you so much for your comment. This is excellent and eye opening.
@@watevehdood ♥️😊
"The West is seemingly clean and successful because they have sucked the blood of countries like ours to make their and economy and people flourish. " couldnt have said it better
Zendaya, miley, Hilary Duff, britney, Lindsay, etc these stars all deserve the respect and so much more. I can't even start with the sort of scrutiny miley faced which she's subtly hinted about throughout the years. It's undeniable she was their biggest brand at the time, unfortunately, she owned none of it. All these women deserve your affection, respect and more.
I think Girl Meets World and Andi Mack were canceled by Disney for trying to show a more mature and three dimensional version of their characters. Disney Channel didn't want the show to grow up with the actresses.
Right now, Sydney to the Max is the closest we're gonna get to that quality.
@@AJ-xc4qe That show isn't going to last too long. Especially considering the fact that Disney is getting rid of its shows after 4 seasons. Sometimes the shows are gone a lot sooner.
@@KungEMuller Disney doesn't care anymore and gave Bunk'd a fifth season. And it's not announced that Raven's Home will get a fifth season, but there's multiple sources online that they will
@@AJ-xc4qe The only reason why that show got another season is the fact that the show gets new cast members almost every 2 years. As for the other show, you're not going to get that dream. So, with that being said, as good as STTM is, it's not going to last as long as some of Disney's most popular shows did, and I will lose my mind if it is still on the air next year.
@@KungEMuller
Sorry, I meant Raven's Home. Don't know if Sydney will get that far.
I don't know why but I started crying for no reason at some point of the video and can't stop. Let's hope for a better future for Disney child stars.
This was the millennial jam for everyone who watched. We all wanted to draw the wand logo- no denying it.
millenials and old gen z**
WOW.... I can't believe what I'm hearing (or rather what I'm not hearing). You guys are completely forgetting the first Mickey Mouse Club, and the original Disney Girl who set the mold all these girls have had to try/been forced to fill ever since; Walt's darling, Annette Funicello. The Disney manufactured "purity culture" that was cultivated around and for her followed her throughout her adult career; into beach party movies with Frankie Avalon, Pop cultural references (she had a couple of name drops in "Grease") and Peanut butter commercials. This is not a new phenomenon. It's still tragic, but it's Not new. Walt started it himself.
Agreed. The lack of acknowledgement of anything pre Disney Channel is sad.
Thanks for making me realize how ancient I am. I don’t even know who tf Olivia Rodrigo is. It’s truly the first sign of aging, when you don’t know what the kids are into.
Right?? I'm only 21 and its like... who? huh? Suddenly you're out of the loop and shaking your cane angrily at the kids stepping on your lawn.
@@sammartin913 kids these days and their tik toks
@@dddddddddddddddd6368 Oh please I'm 16 and the only Tik Tok I knew was Ke$ha's.
@@sammartin913 I’m also 21 and I know about Olivia Rodrigo, she is amazing
Me neither. But to be fair, I didnt know who Bella Thorne, Hailee and Demi Lovato were either. I'm old.
I would not trust Disney with a kid.
Also the parents
@@hiimellen-jks6075 Giving the parent that turned Brittny spears Into s mony making machine full control över het life is a very strange thing 2 do.
✨👏
@@edj8008 Coogan law really needs to be updated
While I know I can't speak for everyone, this is why I think it's better for actors to wait until they're adults ready for the consequences of societal influence, while if they have a passion for acting, it might help to transition into that level of attention by starting small like with theater or stage.
I wanted to be a child star but my mother had the better sense to know that it’s a very tough profession. It’s exploitative and that’s all.
If your parents are tough and remember above all else, they're your parent and looking out for your best interest, it can work out. Look at Hilary Duff.
@@MargaritaOnTheRox She’s an exception rather than the rule.
My dad used to joke about making us famous at a young age and I was actually TERRIFIED about the prospect. (Mind you the Jackson 5 biopic came out so I had SOMETHING of an idea). Mind you my dad was not a Joe Jackson-type but I wasn’t willing to risk finding out if he could become one.
So did I when I wanted to escape my boring high school cause it was just dead !
yeah, honestly a big part of the problem is that most sane, good parents would never let their kids be child stars. my sister and i both love performing and would mention it to our parents, but my mom was like “over my dead body-if u want to be an actress i will support you every step of the way but your first audition will be AFTER u turn 18 cause you need to be a child when you’re a child”
many of these stars would probably be a LOT better off with less exploitative/more involved and informed parents…but no good parent who is ACTUALLY informed about what goes on in the industry would let their child do that
Harper in ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ is my favourite Quirky Girl.
I'm grateful for all these actresses/actors who gave me a form of escape and made my childhood, and sorry that they had and still have to go through all that unnecessary hardship :(
"You gotta give the people what they want, even if it kills you, even if it empties you out until there's nothing left to empty. No matter what happens, no matter how much it hurts, you don't stop dancing, and you don't stop smiling, and you give those people what they want." - Bojack, Prickly Muffin
I feel like in Harry Potter, there wasn't that much focus on the three young actors. They seemed protected while the focus stayed on the movies themselves. But with Hannah Montana, there were merch everywhere, the bookshop was covered with her face: backpacks, pencil cases, posters, etc. Obviously, Hannah Montana was about more than just the show. I'm really against exposing minors like that, even though they are being more careful today. The company should absolutely not profit from the personal life of kids, and should rather put in effort to give them a normal childhood.
You know what? You are right, when they put the children's or young teen faces on everything they are clearly selling more than just the character, they are selling the ideal of that person, which wasn't the case with the HP main cast, most of the merch had the logo or had a magic theme.
@@Cloverfr Thanks mate! I also feel like the Disney stars are doing a way bigger job than just acting in a TV show. They are in addition being full time celebrities, which they are likely underpaid for. Even though being famous can seem tempting, it's not healthy for their age, and they are being taken advantage of.
Disney: “girls rock! We should all be proud of who we are as girls” (“unless you’re not white tho, and you’re not from a middle class family. You have to have two parents, you can have boyfriends but keep it cutesy and innocent. Don’t talk like an adult! It’s ruining your child-like image but also behave like an adult and has big words. Make sure have long hair and wear what the girls in the magazines are wearing but called it $unique$. You’re not allowed to be fat but you have to pretend to eat like you are.” “Anyways, yes, GIRL POWER” “oh yeah, never ever talk about periods or feminism”
This take is not wrong but it's only scratching the surface
Do you feel as though you could elaborate more? /gen
@@christine4829 well I'm not the one with the video essays but I spent my teenage years drown on the Disney Channel and all its gossip from Hilary and Raven, HSM and Miley, Selena, Demi and the Jobros and I got to see all of this unfold, and yeah the expectations that Disney puts on its stars are a big part, and also how little care did they give, it's all profit for them and throwing their stars under the bus. Two examples when Vanessa Hudgens nude underage photos leaked and when Demi was clearly abusing substances and even showing up to red carpets with cuts on her arm, and they did nothing to help them. But there are two other powers at play that abuse these kids, the general media with their raunchy cover magazines, the paparazzi culture all over minors, and all the deep speculation on their personal lives even before turning 18 from all kinds of media, but the most important one that the Take doesn't even mention is the parents, where the heck are the parents of these kids??? and how are they allowing them to grow and live through that abuse. They are as much to be blame, most of them do prefer the profit rather than the mental and physical health of their kids and it shows. Parents that rather play the manager role or the cool best friend role are for the most part the kids that grow up to have all kind of issues. And some of these stars do have troubled childhoods to begin with. So yeah it's Disney, and the media and the parents, and how the law allows all of this to happened to minors too.
I got scouted to be an anchor on a new kids TV channel when I was six because I accidentally met the producer/director on the train and he liked me. I remember always going upto his seat and playing with him, obviously I didn't know who he was. He asked to speak with my parents and then told them if they consented I would be his first choice for the position. To this day, I can't believe my parents said no. And that new channel is now vastly successful. I often half jokingly ask them why on earth. But they always give me these reasons for what they did:
First being that they didn't want to choose for me and they thought I was too young to consent to a commitment like that that might prevent me from having a normal childhood.
Second they didn't want to ruin my personality with childhood fame and if not addicted to substances didn't want me to turn out shallow.
Third even though I have an uncle who is an anchor and successful frankly they didn't trust me with anyone since show biz is filled with pedos.
And fourth they thought if it was meant to be I would grow up and become an actress anyway.
Ik for a fact that they just thought since they were both researchers I would end up being some kind of academic genius and didn't want to mess with that which is kind of sad cause I'm dumb.
And the thing is these opportunities are literally so rare. I often think about how crazy it is that if they had said yes my life and personality would have been completely different. But I'm grateful to them. I had a fulfilling childhood and a chance to develop my own hobbies. I want to become a writer now and I've won several prizes for writing. And if I change my mind I can always try my luck the old fashioned way.
I’m so lucky I grew up with Disney shows and movies that never demonized femininity! Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, Suite Life, Phill of the Future, Kim Possible, Camp Rock, Sonny with a Chance, and Cheetah Girls were my childhood!
I respect Selena and Hilary so much! Demi was always beautiful and talented!
This video came just at the right time . I recently stumbled upon old Mickey Mouse clubhouse videos and that was when I realized Ryan Gosling and Kerry Russell were also Disney Kids alongside Justin T , Britney and Christina . It took me down this rabbit hole of old children's entertainment ,trying to figure out how many transitioned well into adulthood and how many child stars crashed and burned and how many of them are still mentally stable. It's even worse when you look at other 80s/90s kid's shows like Kids Incorporated and realize the only one still sorta famous from that one as adults are Fergie and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Nickelodeon is worse with the number of troubled former child stars ; Drake Bell , Amanda Bynes etc The best transition I've seen so far is Ryan Gosling , Zendaya ,Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo (so far) . It seems there are 3 choices when you grow out of this kind of fame
1) Beautiful transition into serious actor/singer -Ariana , Ryan Zendaya ,Olivia
2) Success to some extent but many mental health and personal issues that make you wonder if it was worth it - Britney ,Demi etc
3) No success and and lots of problems - Amanda Bynes , Drake Bell etc.
The one who breaks my heart is Britney Spears ,she has worked her entire life and has paid a steep price for her success every step of the way but her net worth makes absolutely no sense to me.
Growing up we never had cable tv so all these Disney kids and shows never affected me. We watched what was on UPN, fox kids, pbs, or TGIF. I wish this episode would have acknowledged that. When Christina and Britney came out as pop stars, I had no idea they were Disney kids because we didn’t have cable. So our relationships to these stars is different.
I’m surprised that there was no mention of all the explicit songs on Olivia‘s album. That album is proof of how much Disney has changed. 10 years ago Disney would’ve never let one of their stars put out an album like that.
I don't remember exactly but some random channel had posted a picture of Ariana Grande as a teenager with some major stakeholder of her Nickelodeon show. Honestly, the man looked so creepy and was touching her in such an uncomfortable way and Ariana's smile was kinda fake. I thought I was the only one but when I saw the comments, so many people had noticed it! I wonder where their parents were when this was happening to them.
Compared to Miley and Demi’s situations Selena’s transition wasn’t really that bad idk
Selena ended up pretty fine other than the lupus
I thought the same thing!! Zendaya did really well transition was great!!
I wouldn't say that I just think the damage was a lot less public. And Demi is definitely an extreme.
She’s a drunk
Justin did more damage to her
@@alleifloyd245 Demi has bipolar disorder and has a trauma related to bullying. It's not her fault.
I definitely felt so bad about myself when I compared myself to those perfect Disney channel characters when I was younger. I really hope the next gen has less perfect and more relatable characters to look up to as kids.
Also, the actor who played Cyrus, Joshua Rush, came out as bi shortly after the show ended!
REALLY!?
@@kittykittybangbang9367 Yeah, he talked about it on his twitter and tumblr, it was over a year and a half ago if I'm correct
It's a sobering thought to realize how damaged most celebrities are and how they live in toxic environments that are controlled by corporate execs, and are disconnected from how most people live and yet people adhere to advice about life from them constantly.
Instead of trying to force children into being role models for children, how about parents cut off the TV and the Ipad and spend time with their own kids?
Parents have work
Because parents hate their children and don't want to spend time with them.
because some parents actually dislike children and only had them because of peer pressure 😍😍😍
@@silverstarlight9395 jamaican & african parents in a nutshell!
@@indieflopqueen african parents in a nutshell!
There are three routes that many of the Disney Channel stars end up in following their time at Disney:
1. Have successful careers as singers or Actors
2. Become either mentally unstable, go crazy or become M-rated due to the peer pressures that they faced during their time at Disney.
Or
3. A mixture of the first two
Well both paths are caused by the pressures and influence of being a Disney model.
@@benwasserman8223 To be honest there hasn’t even been that many problematic Disney kids a lot of the newer ones like dove Cameron and zendaya are fine Selena is fine etc
I think it’s just a minority that seems larger than it actually is
@@madnessarcade7447 Well i think social media also helped. Today’s Disney stars have more room to express themselves and bypass Disney PR limitations that didn’t exist in the 2000s. Kind of like how Brittney Spears’ troubles were driven in part by an ongoing media critique against her with no way to counter their photos.
Disney channel has become more diverse with their shows in recent years
Alot of things have changed maybe not everything but Disney has changed a lot
Disney had to change to fit the world changes. Such as more room to lgbtq+ people and a streaming platform.
Which is so good!!
Not for the good
@@AnaLu07 yes
I kinda find it funny how Zendaya on Disney looks like some happy optimistic quirky kid, but most of the characters she plays these days, whether MJ or Rue Bennet, look like they’re so done with everything.
I would love for you to talk about the MARY SUE trope. I've lately heard about it but I can't help to realize that this term is used to devaluate strong female leads while strong male leads are praised.
The male version is called Gary Stu. Both are annoying imo, regardless of gender.
Lot Mary sues than their male counterpart.
Mary sues feed some weird desire feminists have to make women act like men. And then their movies and shows tank, and its the fans fault
@@christophermcdonald5306 "to have women act like men"? Or, wow, maybe to portray a more diverse example of what women are like. There is no "acting like a man", there's just sets of traits that people decided are only for guys, and that it's weird when women do it too. Sure, there's the constructs of femininity and masculinity, but those are just stereotypical ideas. The fact that some people bizarrely find it threatening when women act in ways that are "only for men" is down to their own weird prejudices.
It’s one thing to complain about positive discrimination (that is, women have to be practically perfect in every way, which “Mary Sues” are), but nobody would ever call MacGyver a “Mary Sue”.
@@beethovensfidelio But imagine if that character was a woman. Then all of a sudden, everything is an agenda. A movie about a female soldier? Whaaaaat? And they have tons of skills in science and are really smart? Yeah, right. Oh no, the lefty liberals are pushing their agendas! back in the good old days, movies about hyper competent heroes only featured white men!
Disney still makes more stars than any other kids channel.
Disney: Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Britney, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Hillary Duff, Demi Lovato, Zack Efron, and many more in the music and film industry.
Nickelodeon: Ohhhh Ariana Grande.
More on NIckelodeon: emma roberts, kenan thompson, Ryan reynolds, Amanda Bynes, Jessica Alba., Melissa Joan Hart. Keke palmer, Nat Wolff,
Even if they aren't high as Ariana grande, they are notably recognized in other areas of the industry.
@@dimensionalmagic I would take Amanda Bynes out of that list, but other than that I agree.
I'm always glad to see "child starts" transition into successful adult careers. It seems very difficult for them to get everyone to see them as real adult entertainers after having been a "manufactured" child/teen star.
Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Raven Simone, and so many other millennial Disney and Nickelodeon pop stars walked so that Gen Z stars could run, and hopefully take celebrity culture in a healthier direction.
Yeah, it’s a really messed up part of the entertainment industry. The level of child exploitation they’ll do just to make a profit is pretty disgusting. Good video. By the way, can you talk about Loki on Disney+?
Zendaya is actually a late Millennial. 1981-1996 are the Millennial years. Zendaya was born in '96. It's funny that so many people feel sorry for these kids for having to be "perfect", yet most of society today still DEMANDS these celebrities to use their channels or platforms "responsibly" or in other words "perfectly". Celebrities are not politicians. They are entertainers. Yes, if they do something unlawful they should be held accountable. However, I never understood why people feel celebrities should be the spokesperson for every issue in the world or to keep a certain image.
Zendaya is probably the only Disney star that I think flawlessly transitioned out of Disney. Like no drama.
Ryan Gosling???
That we know.
Hillary Duff. She transitioned so well people forget to mention her
Selena gomez?
@@RosePetal27 I mean Duff is different as all of the main stories about stars breaking down is due to Disney trying to replicate Duff success
It was really humbling for me when I first heard the stories of Britney spears and the Olsen twins. I also really hated on Hannah Montana as a preteen and when she started being provacative as Miley Cyrus. I've always been a hater of the mainstream and still am, but it occured to me that I hate the systems that created these characters and corrupted these young girls who were just trying to get by with the lives they didn't necessarily ask for. I also feel society's tendency to pit women against eachother played a role in my disdain for their over sexualized performances in adulthood. I'm glad to hear newer generations of child stars have a fighting chance.
It speaks volumes that some of the most beloved, empowering girls from our childhoods suffered from the very thing they fought against behind the scenes. It's the definition of corporate girlhood. Companies like Disney couldn't grasp the concept of practicing what you preach.
The 2000s era of girlhood will always mean the world to me. Loving feminine/girly things, while still being able to accomplish anything, is STILL an important message. But I am glad that we are addressing these concerns now more than ever.
Imagine in the future, Olivia comes out saying that Disney did not let her date any other guy for years because her whole brand revolved around her entire relationship with her ex and his new blonde girl!!
she literally is dating someone else. disney has no control over her personal life or music career.
Back in the 2000s, particularly when I was in high school, I thought there was something really gross about the way Disney Channel, and to a lesser extent the live action side of Nickelodeon, presented girlhood, which felt to create more harm than good, and despite claiming to know exactly what was wrong in reality I couldn't really put my finger on it, and sadly my response was far more sexist than I realized it was at the time.
Well, probably The Take should have comparison between Disney idols - K-pop idols - J-idols
Oh boy, this gave me immense nostalgia. I miss being a kid.
Lizzie McGuire was major when I was growing up. I remember taking a picture of her to my salon to get bangs 😂
I remember my Mom herself seeing a hairstyle that Lizzie had and wanting me to have it for a New Year’s Eve party! Lol
@@andreasmeelie1889 lmao your mom sounds amazing!
Love it.
I want to say that all these TV shows and products that were marketed towards girls, were part of training them to become future consumers.
Ya'll forgot Annette Funicello?
That's true, it's sad that many of these actresses were exploited, and didn't receive a proper childhood.
THANK YOU, Jessica!!!! I trust "The Take" to do their research, and I can't believe they totally failed to mention "Walt's darling". C'mon guys! If there is a "Disney Standard" it's because they set it through her.
@@cleverlilvixen Yes
2:39 -- Nooo, that goes further back than 1989. The original version of the Mickey Mouse Club was made in the 50s too, which gave the world Frankie and Annette--also giants of pop culture in their day
I’m glad the stars have evolved and that Disney has as well
5:30 after Miley says that, the little girl tells her she doesn't want her to change ( an unhappy coincidence or a manipulative move by disney? conspirancy) ironic either way
Lizzie Mcguire (Hilary Duff) and Raven Baxter(Symone) where/are Still my role Models, every since I was 9 years old, and I'm about to be 30 now.
Did you watch the sequel "Raven's Home?"
Its a great show!
@@ApoorvaPachori15OCT girl i need to!! it's been in my list for a while but haven't been able to get to it :(
Hope you could consider discussing the straight-laced, uptight older sibling trope. It's tiring to see how older siblings (especially the eldest) are often portrayed as "boring" characters who are only there to scold the protag younger sibling and don't get all the adventure. Eg: Darry Curtis, Susan Pevensie, Mallory Grace, Olga Pataki and Candace Flynn.
Edit: either that or the bully ones like Trina Vega (victorious) and Roderick from Diary of a Wimpy kid.
Butthurt older sibling TRIGGER ALERT lol 🤣😂😅
@@greyLeicester I obviously am lmao
Candace was not boring. She was funny as heck🤣
This video was understandably Miley-heavy, but I feel like there's more to be said about Hilary Duff, who was shown but not mentioned. She was the first to have a show centred around her character, and her own starring movie. Her first album Metamorphosis is the first CD I ever desperately wanted. Because of the success of Avril Lavigne, some of the tracks on that are quite punk rock inspired, so I don't feel like Olivia Rodrigo's sound is particularly fresh but rather nostalgic. I remember feeling quite betrayed as a fan when Hilary became anorexic and dyed her hair, but by the time Miley Cyrus started changing I was fully on board and completely understood what she was doing. I felt like I was going through those same radical changes at the same time, cause I was 17.
The term "corporate girlhood" is so perfect; Alyson Stoner's recent testimony and Jennette McCurdy's podcast are excellent resources for understanding how making a 9-year old the breadwinner for an entire family is an extreme amount of pressure in itself.
Also, I haven't watch hsmtmts but I have to say I love the fact that the gay couple features two "femme" boys, it's just so refreshing to see something other than the typical "masculine top/femmenine bottom" dynamic
corporate girlhood is such a great phrase, a spark of genius
I’m starting to think it’s intentional; this video is whitewashed Raven Symone paved the way for the girlhood trope and it was just briefly mentioned. We all know THAT SO RAVEN set the standard and Her life literally reflects everything that was mentioned but instead Y’all chose frame Demi , Miley and Selena as THE trailblazers. guys try to come across like you care about black representation but you ALWAYS skip over it.
Facts. I remember how it meant so much to me to see a BLACK GIRL as the main character on Disney. I wanted to be Raven.
@@TheLeah2344 frfr Raven did her thing. She was such a positive representation.
Probably bercause Raven issues into adulthood are way beyond partying or wearing less clothing so I don't blame them for focusing on the positives of the character and skipping the negatives with theperson herself... same can be said about Vanessa.
I'm not saying you're wrong about the video being whitewashed, but about them choosing demi, miley and selena could be maybe because many of their generation became succeful and also their continus impact on the lives of many?
THIIIIS
So many of todays stars started out as child actors. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Zendaya, Hilary Duff, Ariana grande, Demi Lovato, Vanessa Hudgens all got their first fame from teen shows.
But then you've got Jeanette Mccurdy and Bella Thorne who faced the worst end of it.
Miranda Cosgrove and Bridget Mendler could have had great career but weren't willing to sell their soul for it and opted out.
And then you've got Ariana Grande who knew exactly what she wanted, and used her show as a stepping stone to launch her into the industry, and became the most successful (which is cool considering she was only a supporting character). I'd say Olivia comes under this category too.
don't ask me why but this video almost made me cry multiple times. all of these women dud so much for us growing up and are continuously treated so badly. i think it's a testament to their strength that they're able to come out the other side ❤❤
This pressure was so toxic even for the boy disney stars.
I think my favorite thing about Lizzie McGuire was that she didn’t have this secret talent or ability and her best friends weren’t simply her sidekicks as they had their own talents and interests with Miranda being a fashionista and Gordo being the smartest of the three friends. That ordinariness of her character as well as the nuanced depictions of middle school and the growing pains of growing apart from elementary school friends like with the mean girl Kate actually having been one of Lizzie’s best friends. And of course I’m biased because she has a great name too.
I love Miley Cyrus so much. I did judge her a little when I was 12/13 cos I was a big fan of Hannah Montana too. But I quickly found her daring, inspirational, fearless, HERSELF, all things I want to be myself. And that is why I love and support her.
Miley’s life story is a whole a*s Netflix series of black mirror.
Alyson Stoner did a wonderful video on her experience, “The Toddler to Trainwreck Industrial Complex,” that both highlights the struggles of the child star while ALSO proposing possible solutions!
One of the most nuanced videos y’all have ever produced 🌷🌻
Now Disney needs an Asexual Spectrum character who isnt this perfect girly girl
We need a movie about this asap
All Disney characters seem asexual to me, since they are teenagers in kids shows and nothing can be sexual😅
I'm asexual, and watched Disney Channel longer than my classmates because there was nothing sexual related, just romance (and yes,it took me longer to found out some things about allos).
Btw, asexuals can fall in love and have relationships😊
@@AnaLu07 I know I'm ace myself I just want a character that is out as ace and isn't just a teen
I think we really jumped from one extreme to another when it comes to representation like it feels very much « tokens » on screen rather than meaningful and realistic representation of minorities.
I was hoping for you to talk about maitland ward and how she become a business woman now. She is very interesting, specially being one of those disney girls of the early 2000s, late 90s.
I remember as a kid being so confused that every Disney actor also had to release music. It bothered me.
I have one questions: where were their parents when all thoose bad things were happening to theese kid stars?
Too busy cashing in the cheques for pimping out their kids
Shitty parents are a universal experience, sadly.
Wow, the Take is really on a roll! I'm absolutely eating these tasty Takes up lately!
Zendaya had an amazing transion from Disney star to normal person
It's kinda feasible for celebrities to be not fond of their child star time of their lives, considering it was filled with constant peer pressure, stupid beauty standards and over-sexualization by media all which no children should experience 😢
I'm a little disappointed there was nothing about Hilary Duff in this reflection. Great video though, I knew nothing abut the gen Z child star actors. Interesting development.
I feel hypercritical about it, but I always hated the Disney Channel, yet I watched it religiously from the time we got in like 2007 when I was about 12. It was probably mostly for the animation, which has always been the thing that made me love the Disney name - until now when I had to go cold turkey since their business conduct is adding to my depression. Anyway, everything about those child stars always seemed off to me. They were supposed to be these great heroines, but most of them were really horrible: Hannah Montana made it clear Miley was the dad's favourite child over Jackson who was always the butt of the joke, while the whole secret identity thing was always mentioned as a brilliant idea, despite all of the drama and stress it brought Miley; Wizards of Waverly Place had Alex as this completely selfish lazy brat who never learned anything, but always came out as the hero in the last second, stomping on her more ambiguous brother (equality should be based on hard work and earning what you get); Shake It Up had CeCe and Rocky claiming to be the bestest of friends, but they always ragged on each other (they also decided it was a good idea to bring up CeCe's dyslexia in an early episode, though they never brought it up again, so whenever Rocky reminded CeCe how stupid she was, it just made me hate the whole thing). I never felt any of those characters could be role models for children. Then there was all of the dating between the stars, which I still think was more manufacturing to create intrigue for the media. It is a gross practice.
Agreed. I watch Disney Channel a lot when I was a kid, but now that I'm older I could see that their cartoons were way better than their live action shows.