Disney Channel's hit television show, "Andi Mack," hit the airwaves on April 7th, 2017, with a bang. With its well put-together cast, thoughtfully written storylines- on subjects that make parents nervous (like Family Face Issues, Teen Pregnancy, Romantic Partner choices/preferences, growing up, et cetera), and it's non-corny, natural-feeling wit, the show doesn't insult intelligence- unlike a lot of other TV shows out there. The show has lots of controversy around it- especially with the Season 2 Opener, which aired as a One-Hour Special, on October 27th, of this year. If anything, while Disney Channel has essentially "dumped" every single plotline for the show's second season- in a vignette-esque way, and called it a "Season Opener," it did give a way for parents to have a dialogue with their kids, about what happens every day across the world: Tweens/Young Teens, finding out someone is "Different" on the Subject of Romantic Norms. It also gave us insight into what is to come. So just a few days out from "Mack-uary," let's take this time to reflect on what we have been given, from the first half of the season.
The subject of "Romantic Norms," is a touchy subject that practically NO Human-Being is equipped and/or ready to talk about, if they have offspring of their own. From my own experiences, I've seen all sorts of romantic relationships exist from Middle School, onward to today. (Middle School was only 10 years ago, this past September- for me, but was the harbinger of modern-day Teen Life.). I applaud the Mouse's TV arm, for making some forum to open discussion (If a Person can ask the question- regardless of age, they can take the answer. Just be honest, just, and fair.). If no one starts, how can people be equipped to handle such things? Having witness the beginning of this modern age, I saw people who didn't fit the norms of society, and as I reflect, I can only think of how much easier it would be to have such a resource, ten years ago. To Parents who read this, use it as a tool to discuss and teach your children (rather than have education and life, knock your kids around like rag dolls.); do so, if not for your children and yourself, for society's sake!
(Source:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cyD7E7y5X2M/hqdefault.jpg)
The next thing I want to touch on, is Bex and Bowie. Even if they don't "Get Together," they're no less a Family for Andi, than if they were. Yes, Andi was born "out of wedlock," but get over it. So are so many children today. While there is a stigma, there no less valuable as people, than any other child. Sometimes, people are meant to be together, and sometimes they're not. It's okay. If Bex and Bowie get together down the road, that's great too. I honestly believe that the growth and maturity between them- personally and mutually, is going to grow stronger, with time, and we'll see more of that as the season unfolds.
CeCe and Ham's moving, and the loss of "Andi Shack" will prove problematic for Andi. One Solution, would be to just turn it into a "Mobile Shack," and mount it on a Trailer, like many Micro-Homes are. Bowie can tow it wherever Andi needs it. However, the Writers are most likely NOT going to take that Pragmatic and Modern Approach. They'll most likely do something like a send-off for the Shack, and muddle it all up.
The Reconciliation of Bex and CeCe's stories about why Bex left, was brilliantly written. Bex leaving because Andi called CeCe, "Mama," was in the long-term, a benefit. Would Andi have had a positive upbringing to the age of 13, if both CeCe and Bex were present? Or would things have degraded to toxic proportions? Bex felt the later, and left Andi in Good Hands. CeCe understood finally, and both reconciled over that issue- very well. I can only imagine- how many parents and grandparents have been in similar situations. It would be interesting to see families who are like the Macks, when watching this episode; imagine the emotions stirred within them.
So, with all this, where does "Andi Mack" go? Where does Amber fit in? Do we see Andi spend Easter with Jonah Beck and his family? Do we see more of Andi's Pompous and Rude Aunt? Do we see "Pops" Ham get a bigger role (Which He TOTALLY Deserves!)? We'll soon find out in the New Year. Until then, hold tight, "Andi Mack" will be returning on January 12th.
NOTICE: This Would have been Posted Sooner, but I've had Internet Connection Issues, and have had a Busy Couple of Weeks. Pardon the Tardiness.
Why am I discussing a Disney Channel movie, for my first post in Months? Simple, because a Corporate Fake News Plot is aloof! Why does Cable News Network (CNN), feel it necessary to berate a family movie, about the kids of Disney's Greatest Heroes and Villains, directed by a man, who was responsible for some of Michael Jackson's greatest dance moves, and juggernaut "High School Musical," and cast with some amazingly talented people- most a tad younger than me? Simple (and please bare with me), its a Biased, Vested Corporate Interest, to take down a Corporate Rival! In essence, they're the only adults, throwing barbs in a kids fight that not even the kids are fighting! Still confused? Allow me to elaborate.
VS
On Behalf of Corporate Sister...
For those who don't have kids, or don't know cable corporate family trees, Disney Channel, is Disney's primary cable channel. Their latest "made-for-tv" film, premiered on July 21st, 2017 A.D. to over 13 Million People, across 6 different different platforms/channels, including the American Broadcasting Corporation (a Rare Occasion, as Disney Channel films haven't been seen on ABC, in Over a Decade!). Such an event, but why did this "Descendants 2" warrant such a LARGE Premier Event? Simple, the first Descendants movie, was Brilliant. We have "Once Upon a Time," but it's a little too mature for family viewing, so they created "Descendants" from this one idea "What would the Kids of Disney's Greatest Heroes and Villains, be like in a modern-esque High School setting?" Then they changed the dynamic, by telling it from the "Villain Kids" ("VKs") perspective, rather than the Hero Kids (Auradon Kids) POV. It goes from there, making a very compelling, entertaining, and captivating Television Movie in 2015. For the Second Installment (of what EVERYONE who's drawn-in wants- a Trilogy!), of the Descendants series (which includes Tie-In Novels, an CGI animated Shorts series, a collectible doll/action-figure line, other misc. merchandise, and now a TokyoPop/Disney collaborative Manga-style Comic Book retelling- minus the musical number, which REALLY captures the cast/characters likeness in Japanese animation style), it's six months later, and while everybody else adjusting well, one character, Mal, the daughter of Maleficent (portrayed by the highly-talented Dove Cameron), is cracking under pressure of being the future Queen of Auradon, along side her love, King Ben (played by Mitchell Hope), the son of Belle and Prince Adam- the Beast, as in "Beauty and the Beast" (note, the name "Prince Adam" is a story in itself, and I will be referring to Belle's beau as "King Beast" as per the Descendants series.). Back on the "Isle of the Lost" (a Penal Colony chucked full of Disney's Worst Villains are held), trouble brews as Uma, daughter of Ursula (the fiery, villain-role extraordinaire, China Anne McClain), plots her revenge on her rival, Mal (It's a Batman-Joker dynamic, as Dove Cameron had said on the ABC "Descendants 2: After-Party" TV special, that aired after ABC's broadcast.). That's as far as I'll go into details concerning the Plot; I'm going to shift gears at the moment.
So, on the Day of the Premier, CNN made a Meat-Less, Pointless Barb-Throw at the Film. For the Following Link, I have expressly inserted the Title of the Article, for use as the Hyperlink: 'Descendants 2' hits flat note in Disney sequel. Does the title of the article suit the review? No, the plot isn't drawn out, because there's a lot of new material that's relevant to this film, and its over-arcing storyline, that picks up 6 Months, after King Ben's "grand experiment" of integrating Villain Kids into Auradon Society began, because (and I quote from King Beast's son himself) "Dad, their children are innocent. Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?" - Prince Ben to his Father, Scene 1, Descendants (2015). The Material-in-Question, is that we're seeing more of this Penal Colony, that looks straight out of a mash-up of Steampunk, Tenement Housing, Shuddered Industrial Wastelands, all with a touch of Punk Rock, and a dash of Fairy Tale Dystopia. It shows us just exactly how hard things were for the four VK's that the first film revolved around, and shows how hard life is in this place, befitting the name "Isle of the Lost." The Primary VK's (Mal, Evie- daughter of Evil Queen from "Sleeping Beauty," Jay- son of Jafar from "Aladdin," and Carlos- son of Cruella de Vil from "101 Dalmatians" ), faced their fears of facing their past, but step-up as their own sort-of sibling/family, to confront it. That's not "drawing out," that's character building, that's diving in, and learning what makes the lead characters, the lead characters. CNN, is being operated by impatient, click-bait, social media buzz-concerned Yuppies, who have NO Patients for Anything that doesn't include Raunchy Sex, Fiery Explosions, and Everybody Lookin' like they belong in "Magic Mike" "Twilight" or "50 Shades of Grey" (three films I NEVER Intend to See, AT ALL). They don't get, that Kids are More Intelligent, than we give them Credit-at-Large for. The only person I've ever seen recognizing that, is Fred Rogers (God Rest his Soul). Kids, Teens, and Young Adults, really, REALLY appreciate the details that go into these films, and the Mainstream Media, has NO clue, what-so-ever, because they didn't learn how to do "proper objectivism," and "how to see the Forest for the Trees," and take it for what it is. And just what is "Descendants 2" as a film? It's Reconciling Your Past, Doing what's Just, and Facing the Consequences, with those you trust, come Hades or High Water! "Descendants 2," is the Sweet Walla-Walla Onion, you peel the layers back of, to understand these characters you are captivated by, seeing their human side, their struggles, their strengths, their triumphs, tragedies, pride and peril (and there's a HUGE lot of Peril in this film!). "Descendants 2," is a more serious, dramatic film, than the first one, which set the groundwork, strongly captivating the fans of the franchise yet again, and bringing in new fans, through it's huge, 13+ Million viewer, 5 Cable Channel and 1 Broadcast (Terrestrial) Channel Premier.
I wish I could leave this blog article at that, but I cannot, because there is something more Sinister-at-Work here, remember that "Biased, Vested Corporate Interest" line? Well, pardon me if this sounds a tad "Tin-Foil Hat," but hear me out. CNN is owned by Turner Broadcasting. What else does Turner own? Disney Channel's Biggest Rival, "Cartoon Network." So, who stands to lose a huge amount of viewership on the night "Descendants 2" premiers across 6 different outlets in the United States of America? Turner Broadcasting's "Cartoon Network." Now, how could Turner put a dent into Disney's biggest Television Event of 2017? Simple, put an article on CNN, that berates the film-at-large, so that Parents read the review, ahead of the film, and frantically try to get their kids not to watch decent, real live Human Actors and Actresses, perform a dramatic piece, that takes the kids further into this Successful Franchise, to head-off the (perceived and fake) disappointment, and have them watch the frankly MINDLESS content on Turner's kids channel; they've gone REALLY far downhill, since the DC Nation fiascos, and the cannon-merging of "Teen Titans Go" and the reboot of "Ben 10," not to mention, the "Safe-Space" stuff like "Steven Universe," "The Amazing World of Gumball," "Clarence," and "Adventure Time," that's aimed at the Millennials, who put too much stock in Play-Dough and Pink Hats, because of the "Social Awareness," that these shows are supposed to have (and don't get me started on "Rick and Morty," over on "Adult Swim."). If I've offended anybody, consider this: I was a kid, Cartoon Network had "Codename: Kids Next Door," the original "Ben 10," DCAU "Justice League," the original "Teen Titans," "Juniper Lee," "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends," "Totally Spies," and of course, to premier all the new episodes, they had the Friday-evening "Fridays" block, hosted by Real, Live Human Beings! There was also "Out of Jimmy's Head," which was really a campy-yet-innovative idea. Now, it's a "safe space," instead of being "Avant-Gard." It's nothing new; remember all the Bugs Bunny shots they skipped! They're a hot mess; Cartoon Network- has lost its fire.
"Cartoon Network"... Not very impressive today, than in days past.
Disney on the other hand (after years of being lost in Double-Life Pop-Stars, Wizards owning Sandwich Shops, and plenty of hits and misses with cartoon series), stepped-up its game and came back swinging with Live-Action shows, that are "Par for the Course" as they say. It's to the point, where Disney Channel shows, have the humor, the drama, and the actors and actresses with great acting chops, that they can safely be put on par with Family Sitcoms and Dramas, of as little as 30 years ago. An example of this, is "Andi Mack," a great show I highly recommend, that could be put on par with "The Wonder Years," or "Boy Meets World." "Liv and Maddy," is a Modern Day "Patty Duke Show," and they actually had Patty Duke, as Dove Cameron's twin-sister characters' Grandma, AND Great Aunt! "Jessie" was produced by Pamela Ellis O'Connel, who worked on "Charles in Charge," and "The Nanny." "Dog with a Blog," can be put evenly with "Mr. Ed" (though Mr. Ed gets extra points for being Studebaker's "Spokshores," which is funny, considering Studebaker started out making horse-drawn wagons!). Disney's got good writing, and it's in the vein of Television, that a whole family can sit down and watch, like when Television Viewing, 50, or even 30 years ago, was still a family affair. Oh, did I mention, that there was Fencing/Sword Fighting Scenes? Yes Parents, welcome to your kids new After School Activity!:
On top of everything, they all learned to Fence!
So, why did CNN find it necessary to dig into a movie that wasn't on their channels? Simple, because they wanted to shift focus on them, on Cartoon Network, et cetera, and hurt "Descendants 2" and it's great group of Young Actors and Actresses, who really are talented. I understand a bit, what it takes to put on a production. I did Theater in Middle School (only stopping in High School, because of "Type Casting," and being offered the role of the old man in "The Lottery," but that's a story for another time!). It's tough to put on a show, any show. You have a lot to learn, and with this movie, in addition to learning Choreography for Musical Numbers, Practicing Songs, and Learning Lines and Conveying those Lines with the Emotions Called for, the Cast all had to learn how to Sword Fight (on the evening of the 22nd- the day after the Broadcast, I was at the local WINCO Foods, and two friends or brothers, who were adults, were playing with foam swords in the aisle where the toys and magazines were. As I passed them, I muttered snidely at them, "I saw better sword fighting on KOMO 4, last night," referring to the ABC broadcast of the film. However, what I didn't mention, was that they were Disney Channel kids, and when I realized that, I practically kicked myself. That would have put them to shame!). Does "Cable News Network," feel big, picking on some decent young actors and actresses? Does CNN feel "big" because they took a jab at their Corporate Sister Channel's Biggest Rival? Are they Proud of Themselves? They're Petty. The Kids did a Brilliant Job, and we can Only Pray now, that There's a Third Film, and It's even better than the first two (a VERY TALL order, but Very Doable).
PBS "Odd Squad" star Anna Cathcart, as Dizzy Termaine. One of the funniest characters in the film!
If you haven't seen it? Go and watch the first film, then the second, and you'll see what I mean. And in Closing, to sum everything up: CNN, once again, just like how Russia gets you ratings- despite it all being "Nothing-Burgers," You're Fake News. To Actresses Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, China Anne McClain, and Anna Cathcart, Dianne Doan, and Actors Cameron Boyce, Booboo Stewart, Mitchell Hope, and to all the other Actors and Actresses in "Descendants 2," you accomplished the mission of the 2nd Film, and you made your fans very happy. Many, many Reviews, are praising the Film, and for good reason. Don't take my word, or CNN's word for ANYTHING. Check out the links to These Reviews, and see what I mean:
There's more of where these reviews came from; too many to list! Now, go grab some snacks, and go watch both films, and have some fun! These kids- These Young Actors and Actresses, Work Harder than 9/10ths of Hollywood (regardless of if that 9/10ths is Bashing on the Residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia, OR NOT!). They learned how to Sword Fight for Creation's Sake; how can you NOT appreciate that fact? Their work made a Gritty, Honest, Real Dramatic tale, with enough comic-relief (Dude the Dog eating a "Truth Gummy" and starts talking, Dizzy Termaine, Carlos and Jane- Fairy Godmother's Daughter, Chad- Prince Charming's son, and Doug- Dopey the Dwarf's son, Gil- Gaston's son, to name a few!), to keep it an accessible film for family viewing... What are You Waiting For? GO!
That's my Two-Cent Soap-Box. I leave you now with Sofia Carson and her hit song,
"Chillin' Like a Villain":
(A Real Revival of 70's/80's Pop/Funk- that "The Prince of Pop," would be proud of!
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