The Disney Channel's Loss of Innocence

As the parent of a five year old girl and thirteen year old stepdaughter, I have been an avid Disney Channel watcher for many years, and became a fan of shows like "Even Stevens" (due in large part to Shia LaBeouf and his spot on portrayal of the family misfit), "Phil of the Future", "The Proud Family", and "Lizzie Maguire". While these shows followed the adventures of teenagers and their families, they rarely approached controversial teenage subjects like drinking, sex or drugs. This was fine with me. My young daughters didn't need that education yet.

Over the last two years, however, more than the shows and actors have changed. There has been a subtle (or perhaps not so subtle) shift in the tone of both the shows and their characters. New shows like "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "Hannah Montana" are still tame fair when compared to most cable offerings, but the humor in the shows has veered from mainly site gags and embarrassing situations like food in the teeth to a more earthy, slightly more edgy tone. In one episode of "Hannah Montana", main character Miley Stewart wears her bra on the outside of her shirt because of fatigue, while in another episode, her brother Jackson makes a bathroom tools' holder out of her bra. Bras are necessary undergarments for women, but that doesn't mean I want my five year old daughter taking notice of the types of bras Hannah Montana wears. Wanting to sing like Miley Cyrus is one thing. Wanting to have the same kinds of bras as her characters have is quite another.

Even some of the cartoons have given over to underwear humor. In the cartoon "Kim Possible", sidekick Ron loses his britches so often that the Disney Channel eventually made an advertising montage of scenes from the show where Ron loses his pants.

If undergarments are garnering a lot of attention on new Disney shows, outer garments are not being ignored either. The fashion plate London in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" is constantly in outrageous outfits not fit for watching television in or doing chores. Even the supposedly poor Maddie gives in to the $125 Ugz boot craze. Nice clothes are an integral part of any show, but many of the Disney Channel shows have devolved into little more than expensive fashion shows with characters showing up for work in $100 jogging suits with matching $100 shoes, or teenaged female characters that wear stiletto heels everyday. The days of watching a show and seeing an outfit that might be found in any old shopping mall seem to be over.

It is not just the under and outer garment focus the new shows have taken that bother this mother, however. The tone of the newer teen/tween sitcoms goes beyond underwear and excessive gas jokes. Many of the shows now rely on constant male/female tension and the quest for a date to center the plot around. Some may argue that "Phil of the Future" used this as a main plot point, but one never felt that best friends/almost boyfriend and girlfriend Keelie and Phil were seconds away from a make out session in the time machine.

In shows like "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody", the quest for a partner is always present, and first kisses along with boy-crazy/girl-crazy antics are inherent in every show. Miley's desire to be left alone with a boy has spanned several episodes, and a recent episode of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" included a clandestine game of spin the bottle.

Some may say these complaints are nit-picking, but recent news articles about Disney television and movie stars compromised by private photo sessions are enough to make this mom nervous. The situation of Jamie Lynn Spears and her teenaged pregnancy brings to the forefront the need to closely monitor shows and channels that have historically been safe fare for all ages. The changes on the Disney Channel shows, their content, and even the actors themselves have been slow and subtle over the past few years, but there is a definite loss of innocence that is creeping into many of The Disney Channel's most popular shows.

Parents are ultimately responsible for monitoring what their children watch on television, but if kids aren't safe with a family-oriented powerhouse like The Disney Channel anymore, then where are they safe?