For once Disney seems to be doing something right. Its primary role models for girls have, for years, been princesses. Sure, the ones created in the past couple years have been more dynamic, with more in their lives than just wishing that “someday my prince will come,” but at the end of the day, they’re princesses. That’s usually the notes on which their movies end. They’ve found men or are living in a castle: that’s the happily ever after. The princesses are also all so very “white as snow.” Most of the princesses are white, and everyone else just gets … Continue reading →

Heads up, children of the 90s: according to Entertainment Weekly, the Disney Channel is planning a “Boy Meets World” sequel. The teen sitcom, which aired in the 1990s as part of ABC’S “TGIF” Friday night lineup, starred Ben Savage as Cory Matthews, a kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia. I was a kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia, just a bit younger than Cory. Of all the childhood shows that had a strong influence on my development, “Boy Meets World” wasn’t one of them. But it’s a show that I enjoyed and watched faithfully from beginning to end, so the … Continue reading →

As I was poking around on the refurbished Disney.com site (it’s very pretty and well-organized now, I’ll have to do an overview of it later) I noticed something called “Girl vs. Monster.” Immediately my hackles rose. I know I should give Disney the benefit of the doubt, but I guess I was just jumpy after the premiere of “Once Upon A Time,” where Belle stays with Rumple again to “change him with the power of love,” or some other terrible abusive-vibe thing like that. I’m glad I followed the link to learn more about it, though, because “Girl vs. Monster” … Continue reading →