Rebecca Grace
AFA Journal staff writer
April 2008 – The widespread success of made-for-TV movies like High School Musical (HSM) and sanitized TV series’ like Hannah Montana and Zoey 101 is a phenomenon that’s sweeping the country, mesmerizing tweens, ages 8-12, and prompting parents to breathe a sigh of relief.
Even the young actors and actresses associated with this craze of wholesomeness are classified as a new crop of well-behaved celebrities who are ready to replace the young partiers in Hollywood and become real role models for their young followers.
But are they really? Can parents trust the content of these tween- and teen-targeted shows? Are the faces behind the camera as wholesome as the characters in front of the camera? Some claim to be, but their actions prove otherwise.
Nice and naughty
Vanessa Hudgens, who stars as innocent Gabriella in HSM and HSM 2, recently admitted to posing for a nude photo that appeared on the Internet. Some reports say it was taken for her real-life boyfriend and HSM co-star Zac Efron.
Hudgens’ publicist Jill Fritzon said, “This was a photo which was taken privately. It is a personal matter and it is unfortunate that this has become public.”
The photo surfaced around the same time that Teen magazine published an interview with Hudgens in which she was quoted, “I’m a good kid. I’ve been brought up with very good morals, and I’m not going to go out and do something I don’t want other kids to do.”
Yet, only a few days later, Hudgens found herself apologizing to fans.
“I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos,” she said. “I am thankful for the support of my family and friends.”
According to the New York Daily News, it was less than a week later when more objectionable photos of the actress appeared online. This time, she was pictured kissing another girl and inappropriately touching a girl. No public comments were made about these photos.
Instead, Disney, the company that created the HSM franchise, explained away the nude photo as an opportunity to learn from a bad decision.
A Disney Channel spokesperson said, “Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she’s learned a valuable lesson.”
Talk vs. walk
Teen starlet Jamie Lynn Spears of Zoey 101 is also in store for a hard lesson. In interviews, Spears, 16, has spoken of her faith in God, family and traditional values.
So it was a shock when Spears cheerfully announced that she and her 18-year-old boyfriend are expecting a baby while still claiming that she favors chastity for teens.
The mixed message doesn’t add up, especially when she’s the star of a popular show for 9 to 14 year olds on Nickelodeon. The network is considering hosting a special on teen pregnancy as a response to their young star’s situation.
Although Spears will never appear pregnant on the show since filming of the fourth and final season is already complete, her pregnancy has actually boosted the show’s ratings.
According to Usmagazine.com, the third season’s finale drew 7.3 million viewers, which is more than double the normal viewership of Zoey 101.
Both Disney and Nickelodeon have decided to allow their young stars to continue to shine. It seems to be about the money that’s rolling in rather than the role models they’re putting out there.
Real or deal?
So with one tween idol nude on the Internet and another pregnant, is there anyone on TV for kids to admire?
Miley Cyrus of Hannah Montanta seems to be a promising one, for now. Cyrus is evidently staying true to the wholesome image Disney molded for her character because it’s who she really is.
Cyrus spoke out about her career and being a good role model, and she said dressing appropriately is one way to positively impact her fans.
“I like to look kind of like what girls would want to look up to, and their moms and dads will say, ‘Hey, that’s cool. That’s different,’” Cyrus said.
While many parents believe Cyrus is a good role model, Consumer Reports gave her grief over a scene in her new movie where she and her father appear in a car without wearing seatbelts. Her real-life and onscreen father, country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus, simply said, “We made a mistake.”
The scene might have been a prime opportunity to influence tweens by advocating the importance of seatbelt safety, but as the lyrics to one of Hannah Montana’s songs go: “Nobody’s perfect!”
Therefore, aside from Christ, it’s impossible to find or expect a perfect role model … on TV or elsewhere. That’s no reason to lower standards; rather it’s good reason to live above reproach and glorify Him, even in entertainment choices.
Without endorsing or denouncing this recent gush of goodness, here’s AFA’s take on these hugely successful shows aimed at tweens.
High School Musical
The Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical (HSM), and its sequel, High School Musical 2 (HSM 2), are everywhere.
HSM tells the story of Troy, the popular captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella, the beautiful academician, as they break all of East High School’s societal rules by trying out for the lead roles in the school’s musical. With romance in the air, the couple follows their dreams. By doing so, they turn their whole school upside down and learn the importance of acceptance, teamwork and being real. The story is told through music and dance.
The singing and dancing pick up the pace in HSM 2 when Troy, Gabriella and the gang return for a summer of fun as they all land jobs at the Lava Springs Country Club. There Troy is given the opportunity to live the high life, and he forsakes Gabriella, his friends, even himself, to have it all.
However, East High students rise above negative peer pressure. Unity and friendship are deemed important, and the kids hold each other accountable as they learn to be selfless.
HSM debuted in the U.S. on the Disney Channel in January 2006, and since then more than 170 million people in 100 countries have seen it. HSM 2 premiered on the Disney Channel in August 2007 and drew 17.2 million viewers. A third and final installment is expected to hit theaters in the fall.
Kids may find these movies fun and “relevant.” But parents should be aware of several questionable elements. In HSM and HSM 2, the teen romance between Troy and Gabriella progresses with the second movie ending in a lip-lock. There are also questionable elements concerning teen dating and drama.
Girls wear low-cut dresses, blouses and short skirts. Guys are without shirts and in the locker room wearing only towels, and Troy can’t seem to keep his boxers from showing. In HSM 2, skin is in – both guys and girls wear swimsuits and other revealing summer attire.
Some of the dancing is slightly suggestive as are the playful song lyrics such as “I’ll grasp your tail, then stroke each tender gill,” or “Please make a man of my fresh fish prince.”
Evolution and yoga are also mentioned. Expressions such as “shut up,” “butt,” “heck,” “gosh,” and “golly” are frequently used.
Hannah Montana
Just like her theme song says, she is the girl who has the best of both worlds. Hannah Montana is a student by day and pop star by night.
Her popular TV series by the same name airs on the Disney Channel and ABC. About five million people watch the show each week, and its fame has birthed fan clubs, Web sites, branded apparel, a 54-date concert tour and most recently a 3-D theatrical movie in limited release.
No doubt, Hannah Montana is a hit. She’s nice, funny, cute and cool. Plus, her show is relatively clean, family-friendly and fun. The main character is 14-year-old Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus) who experiences all the glitz and glamour of fame but longs for a normal life, too.
Because Miley leads a double life as Hannah Montana, deceit is part of the storyline. Miley is sarcastic in a way that’s easily imitated. Dating relationships, some involving teens kissing, are common in the episodes. Bathroom humor is also part of the series, which has a moral but worldly perspective on life.
Some of the storylines do have redeeming messages about family, friends, love and life.
Zoey 101
Zoey 101 is Nickelodeon’s original show staring Jamie Lynn Spears as Zoey. Along with her little brother, she attends a former all-boys boarding school in Malibu where she meets new people, experiences new things and gets into trouble.
Zoey 101 has a following of fans and some questionable content. The show is intended to be wholesome, but there is a great deal of immodesty. One episode, titled “Zoey’s Tutor,” contains sexual innuendoes and other comments about kissing and dating. In another episode, a character asks where babies come from; no answer is given. A boy loses his swimming trunks in the ocean and must wait for another pair of pants so that he can be “de-nudified.”
The language includes the use of terms such as “idiot,” “jerk,” “freakin’ out,” “suckish,” “butt” and multiple uses of the Lord’s name in vain. 
