Hanna Montanna

My 5 year old niece is over today, and as it happens, Disney is running a Hanna Montana marathon. I am not going to admit outright that I am a fan of the show, but I will admit that I find myself watching it...helplessly, mindlessly.

The shows usually consists of an emotional hook. Someone gets mad at someone, or someone is going to be totally screwed unless...it keeps you absorbed, you want the resolution, you want the two people to make up, or the hero to be saved, you want to know that everything is going to be OK. The cheerfulness of the people in the comedy help with this. If they were all dressed Goth you might be OK with the fact that they go on hating each other endlessly, or Miley does fail gym, or whatever.

What is certainly true is that the show is popular. My niece likes the show, all her friends like the show. Like is too weak a word, they love the show, they are obsessed with the show, they sing the theme song in idle moments, they cheer when they find it on Disney, they have the Hanna Montana lunch box, socks, sweater, and shirt. It isn't just a show to them, it is a model of life.

That said, Disney does try to stick in some positive images. Hanna brushing her teeth, or eating spinach, or jogging. The themes of the show are also good: share, be considerate to others, study hard and do well...etc... The concept of the show itself is positive, Billy Ray proving that you can have a show and keep a family together. Finding a win win with the talent of his daughter and his own talent and giving her a truly intense unique experience for growing up. It is charming.

What will become of Hanna Montana, I wonder? Will she go on for a solo career that is still fresh and works? Will she be able to escape the fame and popularity of her Disney career? Will she go all Britney Spears? I try to think of the stars I was obsessed with when I was five? Vanilla Ice maybe *shudder*, well for the sake of Miley, and the world, let's hope she is spared that fate.