The Lizzie MaGuire Movie

The Lizzie MaGuire Movie

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            Growing up watching the Disney Channel, the show Lizzie Maguire was a big hit, perhaps the Hannah Montana of my generation. Staring Hilary Duff, the show follows a young blond girl name Lizzie and her life at home and in middle school. A threesome since elementary school, Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo have been best friends for as long as they can remember but now that they’ve entered middle school and it’s all about cute boys and climbing the social ladder. Along with Kate, the most popular girl, Lizzie’s number one enemy and used to be best friend and Ethan, the heartthrob of their class, Lizzie is faced with the daily struggles of middle school life. Based on the hit show, a movie was made that follows Lizzie, Gordo and their classmates on a trip to Italy before they enter high school. While in Italy, Hilary Duff’s character runs into an Italian Pop Star Paulo and is mistaken for the famous Isabella that is his singing partner. Throughout the film, Lizzie tours Rome on the back of Paulo’s vespa and practices on what will be an out of this world performance at the end of the movie in the Colosseum.

                   While I actually enjoyed this movie, it quickly grew frustrating when Lizzie is mistaken for an Italian Pop Star and ends up singing at the end of the movie. One thing I truly don’t understand is that every actor and actress can now sing and become instantly famous pop stars. This movie is essentially building on the Hilary Duff brand and is the beginning of her singing career. Despite being this girl who deals with mean girls and wondering if she’ll ever be kissed by Ethan, the cutest boy in school, Lizzie now becomes a pop star, wears designer fashion and ‘girlfriend’ of the biggest Italian Pop Star. What kind of message does this send little girls, that is normal?! With shows like Hannah Montana that focus on a girl who is a normal little girl by day and pop diva by night and Lizzie Maguire becoming the it girl in The Lizzie Maguire Movie, we’re playing on the idea that a girls only ambition is to become pretty, perfect and famous! 

The Idol In Me

Hannah Montana Season One: The Idol In Me

           Considered one of the Disney’s Channels best and most popular shows, Hannah Montana was an extremely successful series that launched the Hannah Montana brand and literally became a nationwide phenomenon. With a huge fan base following, Miley Cyrus became the “it” girl after making Hannah Montana the must watch show in 2006 when it aired. The show focuses on the double life of Miley Stewert, she’s secretly the singing sensation known as Hannah Montana. Dealing with the life as a tween and life in middle school, she’s also the hottest thing around when she portrays the super popular Hannah Montana. In the episode, The Idol side Of Me, Hannah participates in a reality singing competition, Singing with the Stars she’s paired with her enemy, the queen bee Amber and gets her into the top three to humiliate and embarrass her but ends up regretting her decision.

                   A show about a normal girl living a double life as a teen pop star, it’s every girls dream to live the life of Hannah Montana. Already a story about the life (the ups and downs) of being a famous celebrity, Hannah must learn to keep her life as a pop star to her family and closest friends. An episode that focuses on popularity, fitting in, fame, self promotion, this may not be such a good show to promote to young and vulnerable girls. Although a show that emphasizes the life of Miley Stewart and her life with her friends and fitting in at school, girls may relate to that side of Miley but notice and focus more on the glitz and glamour of the pop princess that Hannah is. While the show may be fun and entertaining, it’s unrealistic and terrible example for children. A wig magically transform Miley to Hannah and her mean, sarcastic and trashy attitude is far from what we want our children looking up to.

Stars Dance

Stars Dance Album by Selena Gomez

           Another Disney Star with many followers known as ‘Selenators,’ has stepped out of the Disney spotlight and has grown up with her music in her latest album titled Stars Dance. Pursuing a more grown up look and vibe, is this at all appropriate for her listeners to be following. Her first solo album since breaking away from her band Selena Gomez and The Scene, Gomez admits artists like Britney Spears and Skrillex were the inspiration for her fourth album. Following with the trend in pop, dance and electronic music this album is about getting your dance on. The music video of Slow Down, features Gomez very grown up looking with her wardrobe and makeup while the setting of the video takes place at a dance club and along train tracks. Although the lyrics of speak of taking a relationship slowly rather than rushing into things.

            Although Selena has been praised for keeping somewhat of a good image with her tween followers, she has certainly grown up and is ready to leave her Disney days behind her. Her first solo album certainly seems to be a big step in the direction of taking on more of a sexual appeal than her previous albums and her on screen time with Disney. One thing that has set these Disney stars a part is they have this wholesome image while working on Disney channel shows but once they leave and try to grow up and look for work in more mature content, this leaves their fan base to look up to their new found identity. As we watch some of these stars grow up like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, we see these kids not only struggle with identity and privacy but their fan base is influenced by the decisions they make on and off screen. As parents, this is something we don’t want our kids growing up with.   

The Fame

The Fame Album by Lady GaGa

          An album that is definitely intended for high school and even college kids, Lady GaGa has become a favorite among many different age ranges. An artist that truly loves her fans and sings about being an outcast and not fitting in, Lady GaGa is definitely popular amongst today’s tweens. In her debut album titled The Fame, her music expresses her fascination and obsession with becoming famous and being loved by her fans, she even admits she’s afraid of not being in the spotlight. With an artist who is as influential as Lady Gaga, is this the right message to be sending kids? Her most famous tracks off her first album include titles like ‘Just Dance,’ ‘Starstruck,’ ‘Paparazzi,’ and ‘Pokerface.’ Although catchy and fun to dance and sing too, most of her songs and lyrics are superficial and definitely not G-rated. Her song Pokerface plays out explaining a bisexual relationship, Starstruck is exactly what it sounds like and the rest of her album would not be considered appropriate for eight to fourteen year olds, yet the listen to it and know every lyric to her songs.

                   As much as I enjoying listening and dancing to her music, Lady GaGa is definitely not meant for kids. The lyrics, content and visuals are meant for young adult and adults. But with radio and access via television and the internet, it’s so easy to watch and read information that is too mature of kids. Simply goingto YouTube and searching for Lady GaGa, Beyonce or any other artist and watching their music videos, it’s no wonder how kids know so much information that is clearly not acceptable for them to be aware of. Which brings me back to a point I made in an earlier review, is there such thing as parental supervision or control on what children should be allowed/not allowed to read or watch. While I don’t think it’s ok for a parents to be overly controlling about what their children watch or read, there definitely needs to be barriers of what children are allowed to view. 

Miles to Go

Miley Cyrus: Miles to Go

            In the same fashion as the Justin Bieber juvenile biography, reading and writing about the life of Miley Cyrus seemed like another biography that needed to addressed, particularly for tweens sake. Before Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus was virtually unknown. She was the daughter of a famous country singer and enjoyed her home life in rural Tennessee before she got her break with the out of this word popular Disney Channel Original Show, Hannah Montana. Miley gets up close and personal in this honest ‘memoir’ of life and growing up in the spotlight. From the girl next door to mega pop star and actor, Miley’s story from then and now is one unique wild ride. As we look at Miley from her early days becoming a star on the rise to now being somewhat of a mess, what are the consequences with too much fame for someone so young and still finding herself in the world as a teenager and celebrity? Do young actors really have the chance at a normal life, or are they forced to grow up too young?

            If every young girl who grew up watching and listening to Miley Cyrus had the option of becoming Miley Cyrus, they would jump at the opportunity to become a Disney Channel star and the next big thing in Hollywood. Now as Miley is entering her early twenties we’re seeing the consequences of growing up under the spotlight. Do these young stars have a chance at being a little girl and growing the normal way? Are they forced to grow up in a life that is unrealistic to most people? Is someone like Miley really that great of a role model to little girls? The audience that Miley/Hannah Montana appealed too was young middle school (even elementary school) girls who dreamed and wished they could live a life just like Hannah, her TV personality that launched her career. Miley ultimately kick started this obsession with fame for young minds, now as we look back is it safe to say, maybe she was not the greatest influence little girls need at such a vulnerable age?

Jut Getting Started

Justin Bieber: Just Getting Started

A little old for Justin Bieber, the importance of keeping up with who (and what) is popular in the media plays an essential part in our kids world today, not knowing someone like Justin Bieber makes you sound like a fool to any middle school girl. Therefore seeking out material that focused on specific people and getting to know artists like Justin Bieber and other young pop stars and actors, it seemed like the way to go. In 2008 when Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube by mega pop star, Usher, YouTube became the place to be discovered. He was talented, an instant heartthrob and it was the perfect time for entertainment to turn to the next big thing, Young Stars. What happened was our kids became obsessed with stars like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus and knowing intimate details about their lives, creating a whole culture of the celebrity lifestyle and how to get it. Turning to juvenile biographies, Getting Started opened my eyes to how much the celebrity lifestyle has become of a part of the average American’s tween’s life. This book primarily focuses on Justin Bieber, his rise to fame and life on the road. In a nut shell, it’s expanding the brand ‘Justin Bieber’ and screams self promotion.

      A hundred years ago the American Dream was defined by immigrants coming to America to find a better life and doing whatever it took to provide a happier and healthier life than back at home. It meant time, effort and lots of hard work. In today’s culture and society, we continue to go school, get jobs and continue to become successful. But somehow within the last few decades, the American Dream and success is measured by fame, money and independence. Sure young kids look up to Justin Bieber as a talented artist, hot and a bad boy but he is no Benjamin Franklin, so how is this healthy for our kids to want to aspire to be people like Justin Bieber? This idea of fame and the role it plays in our children’s lives is an important topic to bring to the table. What we see on TV and the news is influential in a family’s home, it’s time to change, it’s time to consider that celebrity lifestyle isn’t the most important thing happening in the world.