The King Street Chronicle co-opinions editors, Jessica Johnson and Emily Hirshorn, share their opinions on the change in Disney Channel and its stars.
I know that we’re only 18 at the oldest, but man, I feel like I’m in the wrong era. For once, I can say that I understand my mom when she says, “kids these days,” because kids these days have changed. I was in the mall the other day and it was swarming with kids ranging from ages five to 11, waiting for the newest Disney Channel star, Jessie. Feeling out of the loop, I went home, turned on the Disney Channel and waited for her show to come on so I could see what all the hype was about. I didn’t laugh at all… (Note to self: never trust the hype). To revive myself from the every bit of bad that I had just endured, I went on YouTube and watched reruns of the greatest show alive, That’s So Raven. Crying from all the laughter and pain my abdominals were feeling, I thought to myself “kids these days.”
There is nothing like a Disney Classic, filled with wit, an overarching message, and most importantly… humor. But lately, Disney’s gone wild. My favorite Disney role models have taken a couple detours on their way to adulthood. Miley’s riding a wrecking ball to her destination, Selena Gomez is waiting for people to come and get it and Zac Efron at this point just needs to get his head in the game. Though this may seem funny, what we fail to realize is that these people represent our generation.
Because we do not have (not yet anyway) global notoriety, the actresses and actors we grew up with are all we have to represent us and sometimes we don’t notice how serious that is. Though we cannot do much to change the celebrity culture, what we can do is keep the strong morals that the Disney Channel taught us alive. We all will make mistakes just like Raven, who misinterpreted her visions almost every episode, but she always fixed her mistakes. And Phil, from Phil of the Future was stuck in the past for two whole seasons, but he made it back to reality. It is up to us to remember our Disney roots even if that means going on YouTube and watching reruns of our favorite Disney show.
– Jessica Johnson, Co-Opinions Editor
Convent of the Sacred Heart students are reprimanded if their skirt is two inches above the knee. In the most recent Miley Cyrus videos, viewers are lucky if she is wearing anything at all. How did the Hannah Montana that we knew and loved turn into such a wreck (or even a wrecking ball as she proudly calls herself in her song.)
Miley Cyrus is just one example of many celebrities who have lost their moral values. Some people say that Miley is taking on a more “mature image” and that she is simply “growing up.” But since when did “growing up” involve sacrificing morals and wearing practically nothing?
Miley Cyrus no longer has the “best of both worlds” because her fame has cost her morality (and her fiance Liam Hemsworth for that matter). Why does she think that it’s no longer just her voice that will sell iTunes albums, but rather what clothes she (does not) wear. Now, its her inappropriate music videos like “Wrecking Ball” and “Blurred Lines” that give her constant attention. But is this attention really worth sacrificing her own self-worth?
As Sacred Heart students, we cannot do much to change the celebrity culture, if do anything at all. What we can do is not let Miley’s sharp decline in morals affect the way we think, act, and dress. As Sacred Heart students, we are grounded in our faith and the school’s mission.
If we expect to be respected, we in turn have to treat ourselves with respect. This means that we have to stop supporting and obsessing over celebrities that demean women. So instead of watching Miley’s music videos to see how far she has descended, we should start listening to music that is measured by talent, not immorality.
– Emily Hirshorn, Co-Opinions Editor