so. while watching the Disney Channel yesterday with my future step-daughter, I saw two things that really struck me: first, during Hannah Montana, an eco-friendly, new-agey character is introduced. When someone complimented her glasses, she replied by saying, “Thanks, they help me align my chakras.” Not that the 7-year-old beside me had any idea what a chakra was (not to mention a large portion of Disney’s viewing audience, it would seem), but I was amazed that something like that was even written into the script. I then saw a commercial for a new Disney Channel show that premieres next month: The Wizards of Waverly Place. A quick visit to disney.com had this synopsis:
“The Russo family appears to be a typical New York family, but they are nothing of the sort. Alex, Justin, and Max are everyday kids who also happen to be wizards in training. They’re preparing for a test of their magical skills that will determine which one sibling gets to keep their powers. (In each wizard family, only one kid is allowed to keep their powers when they grow up.) Their father Jerry heads up Wizard Class when he’s not busy running the family restaurant, Waverly Sub Station, with their mom Theresa. Sibling rivalry is anything but ordinary as the Russo kids figure out they can use magic for anything from household chores to getting even with each other. It’s always a laugh when we catch Alex, Justin, and Max try to clean up their messes before their parents bust them. After all, for the Russos, being a teenager can be tricky!”
I’m sure this is partially piggybacking off of the success of Harry Potter (and I’m sure there will be many untruths about witchcraft/wizardry perpetuated), but I found it to be quite interesting that something as mainstream and pervasive as the Disney Channel was picking up on these ideas.
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