Ok, time to stand out like a sore thumb...
I'm 33 years old and I'm a massive fan of Old School Disney, both the animated classics and the live action films. I never had Disney Channel growing up, as a matter of fact I had never even seen it until about two years ago, but thanks to Wonderful World of Disney I have some very fond memories of watching the animated classics and live action films on TV as a child and they were a big part of my childhood. I hope and pray that we never lose sight of those films and characters as they are the heart of Disney.
Walt was known for his belief that we should keep one foot firmly planted in the past so that we will always know where we came from and learn from and appreciate the past but at the same time he strongly believed in keeping things fresh and making sure that things are constantly evolving and changing.
As a relative newbie to The Disney Channel I must admit I was very disappointed in the lack of classic Disney in the programming but It's not a big deal for me since I've never known otherwise. I have a quite extensive collection of Disney DVDs so if I want to watch The Old Mill, So Dear To My Heart, The Alice Shorts, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit, Song Of The South, Lady and The Tramp, etc. all I've gotta do is pop a disc in the DVD player. I have learned to appreciate the programming on The Disney Channel and my wife and I are huge fans of Hannah Montana(both the music and the show).
One of my biggest pet peeves in life are those annoying people who think they are "too hip for the room" and they think that anything with wide commercial appeal is "mindless drivel served up to the brainwashed masses who have no taste so they don't know any better". Those people are so sad to me, they have gotten so caught up in being "edgy" and "enlightened" that they have forgotten how to appreciate things at their basic level. These people honestly think that they are more intelligent than me just because they listen to (insert current edgy,artsy,indie artist here)and love to watch(insert whatever edgy, independent, artsy film is popular amongst intellectuals right now). These are the people that look down on me with pity because I love to watch Hannah Montana and listen to Hannah, Miley and the Jonas Brothers(we have...and enjoy...all of thier CDs)...because I just don't know any better.
Folks, I can appreciate both Old School and New School Disney programming, it all has it's place. I in no way view Hannah, Suite Life and High School Musical with the same awe and esteem that I do Disney animation but I can still appreciate it none the less. While I'm at it, let me say that I think Hannah Montana is the best written comedy on TV right now and every member of the cast has brilliant comedic timing, especially Miley Cyrus and Jason Earles. This show isn't just mindless drivel, it truly is a hilarious show that does a great job of entertaining both the tweens it is geared toward AND their parents...all while incorporating a great moral lesson into each episode(GASP!...how dare they be so unrefined!).
My solution...Disney should keep it's current programming on one channel and focus on Old School Disney on the other channel so we can all have...wait for it..."The Best Of Both Worlds". Since music plays such a huge role on The Disney Channel right now I think it would be a great idea to also convert one of the channels over to strictly music based programming.
Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to finish watching the Hannah Montana:Best of Both Worlds Concert with my wife while we wait for our High School Musical DVDs to arrive in the mail.
Oh, by the way, for those of you who are dumb enough (like me)to actually enjoy well crafted pop music...be sure to pick up the new Miley Cyrus Breakout CD, it's one of the best pure pop CDs to come down the pipe in years.
-Matt
