These Disney Channel shows could get surprisingly dark. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the bleakest and most serious scenes from our favorite Disney Channel shows.
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00:00 "Now we're not saying that you should grow up afraid, but well,
00:02 you just better grow up."
00:04 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the bleakest
00:08 and most serious scenes from our favorite Disney Channel shows.
00:11 "And I saw Chloe straight up say I do not hire black people."
00:14 "That... that's discrimination."
00:18 We'll be keeping this strictly live action and only television, so no cartoons or movies.
00:23 Number 10. Skipping Meals - Lizzie McGuire
00:27 "How come no one's ever told me I have like six chins?"
00:30 "Because you only have one?"
00:32 "Are we looking at the same picture?"
00:35 You might not remember, but one issue Disney Channel tackled fairly regularly was disordered
00:40 eating. An episode midway through the run of Lizzie McGuire deals with Lizzie's friend
00:44 Miranda and her feelings about her weight.
00:46 "See Miranda, getting a B is not that bad."
00:48 "Yeah, I'm totally over it. I'll just work harder for the next test."
00:52 "How come you're not eating anything?"
00:54 "Oh, um, I ate a really big breakfast."
00:57 As she and Lizzie prepare to star in a music video that Gordo's directing,
01:01 Miranda begins to skip meals in an effort to make herself thinner.
01:04 The episode ends with Lizzie being able to help her friend to feel confident in her own skin,
01:09 but not before Miranda passes out as a result of her diet.
01:12 "Sometimes it's just too much."
01:14 "Try every day."
01:16 "That's what we have each other for."
01:17 "I mean, no matter what, we're always gonna be there for you."
01:22 Number 9. Online hate - Austin and Allie
01:26 Trish is one of the funniest and sweetest characters on the Disney Channel show
01:29 Austin and Allie. Making fun of someone is never good,
01:32 but watching it happen to Trish nearly broke our hearts in half.
01:35 "It's okay. People can say whatever they want."
01:38 "I don't care."
01:38 "I'm glad you feel that way, but you might not want to read the next comment."
01:45 The episode starts with Trish winning the leading role in the school's production of
01:48 Sleeping Beauty, but after she learns that people have been making fun of her online,
01:52 she drops out of the play.
01:54 "Why would someone say such mean things about me?"
01:56 "Who knows? Maybe they're insecure or jealous or just plain mean."
02:04 The comments that her classmates write about Trish are horrible and even lead to vandalism
02:09 of her locker at school. The cast gave a PSA on the issues at the end of the episode
02:13 to round out the theme.
02:15 "It might not seem like it, but there's always someone who'll be able to help.
02:18 You're never alone. And a little piece of advice,
02:21 if you're thinking about saying something mean about someone, just don't."
02:25 Number 8. Body Issues - The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
02:28 Whether they're being made to feel too large or too small,
02:31 nobody should be teased about their looks or bodies.
02:34 "We can only criticize people that we pay. Fine. Your butt is huge."
02:39 "And you have chicken legs."
02:40 "That's the best 50 bucks I ever spent."
02:43 In an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody called Health and Fitness,
02:47 London and Maddie suffer on opposite ends of the spectrum.
02:50 When the girls enter a fashion show, a competitor named Francesca claims
02:54 that Maddie's too skinny and London is too fat.
02:56 "You don't think I'm too skinny, do you?"
02:58 "No!"
02:59 "And my butt's not too big, is it?"
03:01 "Absolutely not!"
03:02 Because of Francesca's comments, London and Maddie start taking extreme measures
03:06 to change their bodies. Luckily, at the end of the day, the girls are able to learn that
03:10 they should be proud of what they look like no matter what.
03:13 "My point is, next time one of your snarky friends makes a comment,
03:16 let's remind each other that we're perfect the way we are. Okay? Deal."
03:21 Number 7. 1930s Racism. Ant Farm.
03:25 Racism still persists in our world today, but we think it's safe to say that we have it better
03:29 than we did in the 1930s. In one episode of Ant Farm, China learns this too,
03:34 luckily while in a dream state.
03:36 "But I've gotta get out of here."
03:37 "What? Ella, if you don't say anything, we'll have to answer to the boss."
03:40 "He doesn't look that scary."
03:45 While working on a Black History Month project for school,
03:48 China has a dream of traveling back in time and living as some of the greatest singers in history.
03:53 While it might be fun to live like Aretha Franklin or Ella Fitzgerald,
03:56 it's not all sunshine and roses.
03:58 "What are you doing? You know people like us aren't allowed in the audience."
04:01 "Wait, are you saying only white people can watch the show?"
04:06 At one point, someone tells China she can't sit and watch a performance because she's black,
04:11 and the show is for white people.
04:13 "We can work here and make money for you, but because of our skin color,
04:18 we can't sit in the audience as equals? Well that's stupid."
04:22 It's a tough reminder of how terrible things used to be.
04:24 Number 6. Alcohol Use Disorder. Boy Meets World.
04:29 This series originally ran on ABC but had an afterlife on Disney Channel.
04:33 Some people turn into someone different when they drink.
04:36 This is what happens on Boy Meets World when Sean takes his first sip of alcohol.
04:40 "Why would I want to do this?"
04:41 "Because your goody-goody friend Cory did it,
04:44 and you will not be able to live with yourself unless you do it too."
04:47 "I'm not falling for that peer pressure crap."
04:49 After just one night of drinking, Sean starts to drink heavily, even during the day.
04:53 When his brother Jack notices, he tells Sean to stop because alcohol use disorder
04:58 runs in their family, but Sean doesn't listen.
05:00 "Nobody's listening to me, okay? I drink this stuff because I like it.
05:06 It makes me feel good."
05:09 Things get worse and worse, progressing to the point of Sean
05:12 shoving his girlfriend Angela into the door in a drunken stupor.
05:16 Thankfully, Sean quits drinking and makes amends with everyone,
05:19 but it's still quite the shocking turn of events.
05:21 "Hi."
05:22 "Hi."
05:22 "I don't like me when I drink either."
05:27 "Good, because I sure like you when you don't."
05:30 Number 5.
05:31 Inappropriate Pictures - Sister, Sister
05:34 Here's another show that appeared first on broadcast TV before Disney Channel.
05:38 "Oh my gosh, Tia, Farik wants to do a whole photo shoot on you tomorrow night, for free!"
05:44 "Wait, aren't you gonna thank me for sending your picture?"
05:48 If the internet has taught us anything, it's that people are not always who they claim to be.
05:53 Unfortunately, Tia and Tamara had to learn this the hard way on Sister, Sister.
05:57 When Tia's offered a photo shoot with a guy who claims to be
06:00 a famous fashion photographer online, she gets nervous at the last minute and doesn't go.
06:05 "Stop letting the man push us around."
06:06 "What man?"
06:08 "Come on, Tia, get dressed. We're gonna meet Farik."
06:11 "Tamara, her parents said no! I'm not going and you better not either."
06:16 Tamara decides to take her place, but once she gets there,
06:19 realizes that the so-called "photographer" is nothing more than a creep.
06:23 Tia shows up to save her sister, and luckily the girl's parents get involved, too.
06:27 But it's a really scary situation for Disney Channel.
06:30 "I mean, I kinda got you into this. I trusted that slime ball."
06:33 "Yes, you did, baby. And now that slime ball won't be doing too much
06:37 internetting from a jail cell. But there are plenty more out there just as slimy!"
06:41 Number 4. A gun. Andy Mack.
06:43 Gun violence has become pervasive around schools in the United States,
06:47 so it makes sense that TV shows might begin to tackle that issue.
06:50 "What's the plan?"
06:51 "Nothing major. Just gonna hang out."
06:53 "Cool, cool. Definitely down for some hangin'.
06:56 Up for some hangin'. Direction doesn't matter. I can hang."
07:00 But we never expected a Disney Channel show to go all out.
07:03 On an episode of Andy Mack, Cyrus starts to hang out with a kid named TJ.
07:07 But while hanging out with TJ and his friends,
07:09 he discovers that TJ's friend Reed has a loaded gun.
07:12 "You should see your face right out, bro."
07:14 "Is that real?"
07:17 "Of course it's real."
07:18 "Where'd you get that?"
07:20 "It's my dad's."
07:21 "Does he know you have it?"
07:22 He brought it along to the hangout to shoot watermelons.
07:25 The rest of the episode shows Cyrus as he struggles with what to do with this information.
07:29 "You're doing the right thing."
07:30 "That's what my parents said. But I think TJ would disagree. He's playing me."
07:37 Number 3. Discrimination. That's so Raven.
07:40 "I'm Chloe, manager here at Sassy's. I've examined your applications.
07:46 Now I'm gonna put you through a series of tasks to evaluate your skills."
07:50 Raven's visions can reveal both great things and not-so-great things.
07:54 This revelation definitely falls into the latter category.
07:57 In an episode called "True Colors,"
07:59 Raven and Chelsea apply for the same job at the mall.
08:02 Chelsea thinks her interview goes poorly,
08:04 but Raven feels confident about her chances.
08:07 So she's shocked when Chelsea gets the job over her.
08:09 "Are you saying that I didn't get the job?"
08:11 "Yeah, I'm sorry, Ray."
08:12 "Oh, I thought you aced that interview, Ray."
08:16 "Yeah, I thought so too. I did everything perfectly."
08:19 But then she has a vision of the manager of the store
08:21 saying that she doesn't hire Black people.
08:23 Raven struggles with how to handle the situation,
08:26 but ends up being able to expose the store and the manager
08:29 for their discriminatory practices.
08:31 "I don't hire Black people."
08:33 "And there you have it. Shocking evidence of job discrimination,
08:38 right here in San Francisco."
08:40 Number 2. Intimidation. "Girl Meets World."
08:44 Much like its predecessor "Boy Meets World,"
08:46 "Girl Meets World" took on a lot of sensitive subjects.
08:49 In one episode, a character even talks deeply
08:51 about his family's connections with the Holocaust.
08:54 "My great-grandfather left Denmark and came to America
08:56 right after World War II."
08:57 "Just him?"
08:58 "I think he was the only one left."
09:00 But the episode "Girl Meets Riley Town" covers the subject of kids
09:03 being mean to each other in a nuanced and careful way.
09:06 When Maya makes an offhanded comment about Riley's
09:09 recent strange behavior, Riley starts to lash out.
09:12 "I don't like being laughed at, Maya. Nobody likes being laughed at."
09:15 "I'm not laughing at you. Who's laughing at you?"
09:17 It becomes clear that someone at school is being cruel to Riley,
09:20 and Maya's innocent comment touched on that.
09:22 The episode includes some sensitive conversations about the topic,
09:26 and ends with Riley overcoming the person being mean to her.
09:28 "I'd also like to thank you. Because this was hard.
09:33 But I've grown today. So thank you."
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09:55 Number 1. Stranger Danger - Smart Guy
09:58 Here's one more network series that re-ran on Disney Channel.
10:01 We've seen that Disney will go pretty far into dark topics,
10:04 but this one is on another level.
10:06 "Goods?"
10:07 "Why, your boyfriend is all business."
10:10 "He's not my boyfriend."
10:12 "Well, I'd grab him up. He's a real catch."
10:14 In this episode of Smart Guy, TJ's cousin Karen tells him that
10:17 she met a kid in an online chat room selling a copy of a video game
10:21 called Starship Doctor for a cheap price.
10:23 "I'm trying to meet a deadline on a new video game I'm inventing."
10:27 "Wow, he makes his own games?"
10:29 "Whoa. He says if we want to come over, we can test it."
10:32 However, the kids realize that Mark, as he calls himself,
10:35 is actually an adult. It becomes clear to the audience that
10:38 this grown man has some nefarious ideas about what he actually wants
10:42 from TJ and Karen.
10:43 "You guys can come back anytime you want.
10:46 Just don't forget our little agreement not to tell your parents.
10:49 You don't want them mad at you for buying bootleg games."
10:52 The kids come out unscathed, but it's an incredibly dark place
10:55 for a children's television show to go.
10:57 If we missed any dark Disney moments, let us know in the comments below.
11:02 "How can they do this to me?"
11:03 Do you agree with our picks?
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