Mickey and Miley

The other day my kids returned from the neighbor’s house with an old “Disney Classics” book with several famous stories, like “Lady and the Tramp” and “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Part of me was honestly a little annoyed that they saw it, since I’m trying to keep them away from all that. The other part of me, however, went back in time and reminisced over the countless times my parents took us to Disney.

In particular, I fondly remembered being the world’s first official Fast Pass, way before they were actually invented. You see, as a child who didn’t yet understand the borders between unacceptable and unbelievable chutzpah, I was given the honor/humiliation of being placed somewhere in the middle of those long, winding, seemingly never-ending Disney lines. Three hour wait for a 45-second ride? Who needs it?! My parents put me in the line as a placeholder- never mind the hundreds of people that I just cut off! No one would dare tell a sweet, innocent child like myself that they just cut off more than half the line. Where was the rest of my family? I never saw them, but they were probably snickering in some hidden corner somewhere. All I know is that when I finally reached the front, poof! In a moment of Disney magic, they reappeared, just in time to get onto the ride. (Dare I mention the several times my little brother was placed in a wheelchair so we could use the handicapped lines??)

Seriously.

Fond memories aside, Disney is not as innocent as it portrays. Let me explain. The Gemara says that the yetzer won’t tell you to worship idols outright. He’ll start with something seemingly innocent and permissible, like telling you it’s okay to let your kids watch innocent kids programming. Slowly, gradually, he tightens his grip on your kids, until before you know it, they’re teenagers who are out at all hours of the night, partying and drinking. Does this sound far-fetched and fanatical? Actually, it’s as realistic as it gets. Let’s progress through the Carousel of Time, one of my favorite rides in Tomorrowland. But this time, we’ll do it my way…move over, Sinatra.

We’ll begin our journey in the middle, so to speak – when the kids reach the “Tweens”age. Not satisfied with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse anymore, these so-called almost adults who have been watching TV for 99% of their lives suddenly need more adult-type entertainment to capture their ever-diminishing attention spans. Enter one of the greatest cult icons of the millenium, “Hannah Montana.”  Hannah was a young girl who led a double life, playing a regular schoolgirl by day, but her true identity was hidden. She was actually a famous pop singer. How no one in school never recognized her is beyond me.

Let’s backtrack. An average child begins his life exposed to innocent children’s programming, sitting in his high chair or bouncy chair with his eyes glued to the screen as his brain is temporarily shut off. You can read more about what actually happens to a child’s brain in my article, “Killing Us Softly.” Anyways, as mommy uses her precious free time to do her household chores, her child is being turned into a lobotomy patient using the latest pain-free, non-surgical techniques. Not only is the child completely absorbed in the program, he’s becoming addicted to TV. I challenge anyone to prove to me that TV is not an addiction. If it wasn’t, would it be so hard to stop?

Now the child is about 10 years old, and needs her daily fix of 3-4 hours of TV. No problem! The yetzer’s got it covered! Hannah Montana and friends are here to save the day and rescue the child from an afternoon of complete and utter boredom! Bubbly and beautiful, witty and smart, Hannah is a supposed great role model for all girls… No wonder she became a cult phenomenon.

At 13-14 years old, the now teenager is too cool for Hannah. She’s got to move on to something racier, sexier… enter Kim Kardashian and MTV. Taking her cue from more adult-oriented programming, she’s learning all kinds of important life-relevant stuff, like how short of a skirt is too short, or how much cleavage is really too much… or if the guy she just slept with the night before really likes her. Before she realizes it, this girl (or boy) has had her innocence completely stripped away from her. She already knows all about sex and how to attract a guy (but not how to keep him!) Her head is filled with all kinds of trash, constantly bombarded with sexual and violent images from magazines, internet, and TV. Do you think she really cares about the future that she’s put in jeopardy?

What do you think happens to such kids?

How many young adults in their 20’s are getting married these days, compared with 20 or 30 years ago?  How many are having children before their mid-30’s? How many are getting divorced, compared with 20 or 30 years ago? How many are living together indefinitely without getting married? How many are having kids without getting married?

Where are these influences coming from? In my opinion, they’re coming from media, social environment (influenced by the media), and family/home environment (influenced by the media!)

Ultimately, all roads lead to the yetzer (who, incidentally, lives in Rome.) This is the fundamental problem that the Gemara was describing: TV shows start out innocent, but they lead to very dark places.

One such dark place is heresy. Case in point, as described to me by Rabbi Brody: One day you, the parent, wants to educate your kid (who goes to Jewish day school) on the history of the world, so you think you’re doing him a favor by putting on a program by National Geographic. He’s watching the 8 wonders of the world with amazing awe, and you’re proud of yourself for showing him the wonders of Hashem’s creations, such as the Grand Canyon. And then, the moment of heresy strikes like a deadly snake out from under a rock. The narrator describes in his dignified and educated-sounding voice: “Recent evidence suggests the Colorado River began its course through the canyon starting 17 million years ago.” 17 million years ago? The kid is confused- he learned that Hashem created the world over 5774 years ago! All of a sudden, his teacher’s status takes a serious and almost irreparable nosedive in his eyes. All of a sudden, the Torah is mistaken and archaic.

When we realize that our kids are bombarded with conflicting influences, is it any wonder that so many kids eventually go off the derech? A Torah-based lifestyle just isn’t as free and enjoyable as a secular lifestyle…

Here’s the second fundamental problem with TV: there is no halfway mark. If a parent realizes that TV is just garbage that goes directly into the soul and wants to protect their children’s souls by cutting out the TV, how do you think that’s going to go over with the kids? What if the kids are teenagers? Is there not going to be WWIII in the house?

Like all seemingly innocent beginnings with tragic endings, Disney is no exception. Let’s continue our journey on the Carousel of Time and find out… where are the stars of popular Disney kids’ shows today?

Kirsten Storm, “Zenon, 21^st Century”- arrested for DUI in 2007.

Shia LeBeouf, “Even Stevens”- arrested for DUI in 2008.

Lalaine, “Lizzie McGuire”- arrested for possession of meth in 2008.

Dutch Elijah Whitlock, “High School Musical”- arrested for trying to rob a pizza place at gunpoint in 2008.

Orlando Brown, “That’s So Raven”- arrested for drug possession and DUI in 2008, and DUI again in 2011 and 2012.

Jason Weaver, “Smart Guy”- arrested in 2011 for defecating on someone’s lawn.
Mitchel Musso, “Hannah Montana”- arrested and jailed for DUI in 2011.

Brian Bonsall “Blank Check”- arrested for DUI in 2001 and 2004, and charged with second-degree assault against his girlfriend in 2007.

Mackenzie Phillips, “So Weird”- arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin in 2008.

Lindsay Lohan- is she more famous for her roles in TV and movies, or for how many times she’s been arrested for DUI?

Phil Louis, “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”- charged with manslaughter for killing a girl while driving drunk in 1991.

Demi Lovato, “Camp Rock”- provocative pictures of her with other girls circulating on the internet.

Miley Cyrus, “Hannah Montana”- provocative pictures, pictures of her doing drugs, shaved head, ridiculously inappropriate performances, etc., etc. Smoked a joint on stage at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards. Stated in a recent interview with W Magazine, “I love weed,” and, “I just love getting stoned.”

Britney Spears, “Mickey Mouse Club”- need I say more?