That's so Raven Doesn't Take Animal Rights and Environmental Issues Seriously

That's So Raven is about a psychic teenager (played by Raven) and her family and two friends, Eddie and Chelsea. To add humor to the show, Chelsea (played by Anneliese van der Pol) is really quite stupid most of the time. However, one redeeming quality about Chelsea is that she really cares about animals and the environment. But since she's so dumb, no child would pay much attention to anything that she says. And Raven always takes the opposite view of Chelsea on animal and environmental issues. That's So Raven (and Disney since it's their show) doesn't take animal rights and environmental causes seriously. They act like these issues are unimportant. This isn't the message that anyone should want children to be receiving. The below are examples from the show that I remember, but there are probably more.

Example #1 - Using real fur in clothing

In a recent episode, Raven is working for a famous clothing designer. When her boss looks at her sketches, she decides to make one of Raven's shirts. But it needs something extra - a chinchilla fur collar. Raven admits that she doesn't have a problem with it, but that she knows someone who will. She tells Chelsea about it, and in the end, the shirt doesn't get made. But this happens because Raven is trying to be a good friend, not because she realizes that using real fur is wrong.

Example #2 - Saving a tree

In this episode, it's been decided that an old tree referred to as Old Oakey at their school will be cut down. Rather than help her friend with the petition to save the tree, Raven goes shopping, leaving Chelsea to save the tree alone. In the end, Raven climbs up the tree, but it's just like in the episode about the fur - Raven doesn't care about anything but herself.

Example #3 - Creating their own opera

Raven and Chelsea do an opera together, but can't decide on what it'll be about. Chelsea wants to do one about acid rain, but Raven wants to do one about shopping. In the end, they go on stage together because Eddie tricked them. Raven makes it clear again that she doesn't care about environmental causes.

Example #4 - Vegetarian camp

Chelsea's friend from vegetarian camp comes to visit, and Raven gets jealous. Raven makes it clear in this episode that she doesn't care about animals or the environment by making jokes about eating meat and then using hairspray from an aerosol can.

Example #5 - The goat mascot

In this episode, Eddie stole another school's mascot - a goat. Chelsea, not approving of the animal being used in this way, liberated the goat. Raven comments that it's just a goat, acting like its life isn't important. At the end of the episode, Raven admits that the goat got to her, but it's a bit too late after everything else she said.

Final Thoughts

That's So Raven is still on hiatus. I doubt they make any more episodes. But if any more are made, the show needs to stop making jokes about important causes. Animal rights activists and environmental groups have enough problems without the next generation believing they are nothing more than a joke.