Abstract
- Disney Channel’s TV exhibits handle severe matters alongside their family-friendly content material, emphasizing necessary values like friendship and loyalty.
- Examples embrace episodes on points like cyber-bullying in “Austin & Ally,” racism in “That is So Raven,” and physique dysmorphia in “Lizzie McGuire.”
- The channel has additionally made strides in LGBTQ+ illustration, with “The Owl Home” that includes same-sex {couples} and non-binary characters, and “Andi Mack” that includes a homosexual principal character in a coming-out story arc.
Disney Channel is aimed toward a younger viewers, however that doesn’t imply its TV exhibits haven’t lined severe matters sometimes. Disney Channel is house to a variety of family-friendly content material in each movie and TV, however interesting to a younger viewers doesn’t restrict the Mouse Home to cowl solely sure sorts of matters. On many events, Disney Channel’s TV exhibits have taken a while to deal with severe matters and current them to its viewers in a means that their message is obvious however with out messing with the present’s tone and magnificence.
Disney Channel’s catalog of TV exhibits is kind of intensive, protecting each animation and live-action, all of them with Disney’s signature fashion and compelling characters, of which many have develop into half of popular culture. Disney Channel’s TV exhibits are all about bringing laughter to the viewers and protecting values like friendship, honesty, and loyalty, however they’ve additionally taken time to deal with extra severe points that the viewers would possibly come throughout sooner or later in the true world. Listed below are ten occasions Disney Channel TV exhibits touched on severe points.
10 Concern of Change & Rising Up – Gravity Falls
Twins Dipper and Mabel Pines spent a one-of-a-kind summer time in Gravity Falls with their “grunkle” Stan, and by the tip of the collection, because the summer time got here to an finish, they needed to face a catastrophic risk. Earlier than Billy Cipher’s plans had been set into movement, Mabel was planning her and Dipper’s thirteenth party, however her pleasure went away when her buddies wouldn’t be capable to attend and Dipper was provided an apprenticeship that required him to go away his sister.
Mabel was unable to cope with all these adjustments and extra, corresponding to going to highschool as soon as the summer time ended, which made her weak to Billy’s methods, and she or he gave him the Rift in change for the summer time by no means ending. With Dipper’s assist, Mabel finally confronted her fears and accepted change and rising up, and collectively, they saved Gravity Falls.
9 Cyber-Bullying – Austin & Ally
In Austin & Ally’s season 3 episode “Beauties & Bullies”, Trish is solid within the lead function for the varsity’s play of Sleepy Magnificence, however her win quickly turns right into a nightmare. Trish finds horrible feedback on the play’s web site making enjoyable of her, saying she isn’t fairly, that she smells like rotten tomatoes, and that the play must be known as Sleeping Not Magnificence. Though Trish laughs it off at first, she later sits on the steps of the stage and cries whereas alone. Trish is so affected by it that she plans to drop out of highschool, and after her buddies take revenge on her bully (one thing Trish isn’t on board with), Coach Simmons intervenes and Trish will get to play Sleeping Magnificence. The episode ends with the primary solid of Austin & Ally giving a PSA on bullying.
8 LGBTQ+ Illustration – The Owl Home
The Owl Home is the primary Disney property to characteristic a same-sex principal couple, a same-sex kiss, and non-binary characters, incomes a spot in Disney historical past. The Owl Home’s lead character, Luz Noceda, a bisexual younger lady, finds herself in a romance with Amity, a lesbian character, and this was impressed by the private expertise of the present’s creator, Dana Terrace, as a bisexual lady (by way of Selection). Along with Luz and Amity’s romance, different examples of LGBTQ+ illustration in The Owl Home are Willow having two dads, Raine Whispers being a non-binary character (voiced by transgender and non-binary actor Avi Roque), and King’s father, Papa Titan, being genderqueer as he refers to himself as each a king and a queen.
7 Racism – That’s So Raven
That’s So Raven wasn’t afraid to sort out severe matters, and certainly one of its most notable moments was when it addressed racism within the episode “True Colours”. In it, Raven and Chelsea apply for a job at Sassy’s, however regardless that Raven does very nicely in her interview and Chelsea is horrible at it, the latter will get the job. Raven later learns (by means of a imaginative and prescient, in fact) that the shop supervisor doesn’t rent Black folks. With the help and assist of her dad and mom and buddies, who enlist the assistance of a neighborhood tv reporter, Raven disguises herself and locations a hidden digicam in Chelsea’s hat. Due to this, they expose the shop supervisor on nationwide TV and she or he’s fired.
6 Physique Dysmorphia & Anorexia – Lizzie McGuire
In Lizzie McGuire‘s season 2 episode “Interior Magnificence”, Miranda and Lizzie are rehearsing choreography for Gordo’s subsequent music video, and through a break, Gordo makes an offhand comment about how a lot Miranda is consuming. The next day, Gordo exhibits them some images he took the day earlier than, and Miranda says she appears to be like terribly fats. This leads Miranda to cease consuming, to the purpose the place she virtually faints whereas rehearsing at Lizzie’s home. Miranda finally opens as much as her buddies about feeling pressured in lots of areas of her life, and that meals is the one space she feels she has management over.
5 Parental Abandonment – Lady Meets World
Lady Meets World follows Riley and her finest pal Maya, who, in contrast to Riley, didn’t develop up with each her dad and mom. Maya lives along with her mom (who’s at all times working to make ends meet) and her grandmother, as her father, Kermit, deserted her and her mom years earlier than the occasions of the present. Maya knew that her father began a brand new household, but it surely wasn’t till season 2’s episode “Lady Meets the Forgiveness Mission” that he made an look. Though Maya acquired to ask what she wished to her father, she realized she wasn’t able to forgive him for leaving them. Maya noticed Shawn Hunter as a mentor as she associated to him so much, particularly as they each had an absent guardian, and in some of the heartwarming moments in Boy Meets World and Lady Meets World, Shawn legally adopted Maya after marrying her mom.
4 Dangerous Consuming Habits – The Suite Lifetime of Zack and Cody
In The Suite Lifetime of Zack and Cody’s episode “Well being and Health”, London and Maddie take part in a charity trend present, however this expertise isn’t what they anticipated. Francesca, a wealthy pal of London’s, says that Maddie is simply too skinny and London is simply too fats, triggering physique dysmorphia within the younger ladies, who then resort to drastic measures to suit into Francesca’s concepts of magnificence and the proper physique: London overexercises and stops consuming, whereas Maddie begins overeating. Though Mr. Moseby tries to assist them and assures them they’re wonderful the way in which they’re, they proceed with their new, unhealthy habits, leading to London fainting and Maddie feeling too bloated.
3 Coming Out As LGBTQ+ – Andi Mack
Andi Mack additionally received a spot in Disney historical past by that includes a homosexual principal character because of Cyrus Goodman. Andi Mack can also be the primary time a Disney Channel present featured a coming-out story arc, with Cyrus’ large second taking place in season 3, when throughout a buffet, he got here out to his pal, Jonah (who he used to have a crush on), merely saying “...and I’m homosexual!”. Jonah merely gave his pal a proud look and a supportive smile, saying “oh yeah?”, they usually all carried on with their night. Cyrus grew near TJ, the captain of the varsity’s basketball crew, they usually developed emotions for one another, with them beginning a romantic relationship on the finish of the collection.
2 Becoming a member of a Cult – Boy Meets World
Shawn Hunter didn’t have a straightforward life, as his mom deserted him and his father, and was later deserted by each his father and the lady he believed was his mom. Along with that, his solely father determine, Mr. Turner, was left in essential situation after a motorbike accident in season 4. Due to all this, and regardless of at all times relying on Cory and his household, Shawn handled deep emotions of loneliness and abandonment, which made him the proper goal of a cult known as The Centre. Shawn was brainwashed and never even Cory, Mr. Turner, Mr. Feeny, and the Matthews may persuade him to go away… till Mr. Turner had the aforementioned accident.
1 On-line Strangers & Predators – Sensible Man
Sensible Man’s season 2 episode “Strangers on the Web” tackled the subject of the hazards of assembly on-line strangers, who, sadly, most of the time turn into predators. When T.J. needs to get a videogame, Karen tells him he met a child in a youngsters’ chat room named Marky412 who sells a bootleg copy of the sport for half the worth. T.J. is pushed by Karen to agree to purchase it, however once they meet “Marky”, they be taught he’s a grown man.
The subsequent day, Marky affords them different video games and convinces them to go to his home, the place he then tries to influence them to take their garments off with a purpose to pose because the characters for his subsequent videogame. T.J. realizes Marky is a pedophile after he exhibits them a binder of images of different youngsters, and after efficiently escaping, T.J. confesses to his father and Marky is arrested.