Here are the (long, long) transcriptions from the first two interviews I conducted over break. I deleted some irrelevant asides and interruptions. I also ended each answer before they began to trail off or become redundant. I left out the names just to be safe.
INTERVIEW WITH:
Senior VP Original Movies, Disney Channel
CB: Where did the idea come from? How did it get started?
MH: From the very first day I got here, we were looking to do a musical. The kinds of movies we did were more classic (?) comedies and sports movies and things like that, all things with kids in the lead, but we thought that a real win would be to do a musical with kids driving the picture like they drive all of our others, but we never found it. We got in business with some people at one point and they were going to do more of a broadway musical kind of style, but we didn’t want to do that style of music really, we wanted to do musical stuff that our audience of 6 to 14 year olds would respond to, and not have to sort of try to educate them about the history of broadway. We try not to be too school-like. We’re not PBS. We try to entertain.
So when the producer named Bill Bordin talked to Gary Marsh who’s my boss about doing a story about a high school musical with two kids from different sides of the school getting together to eventually be in it, he presented it as sort of a performance piece, and we’ve done those with, like, Cheetah Girls, which was all performance-based rather than breaking into song, but for this one we decided, well, maybe this is the perfect opportunity to turn it into a real musical, so we hired Kenny Ortega... to direct. So we brought him in and he said ‘well, when I saw this project High School Musical I thought it was going to be a musical, but it’s really not. It’s about a musical.’ He said, ‘I’d like to make a musical,’ and we said ‘well, we’d like to make a musical.’ So, with his help, we went through the script and found the places that were not only performances-- like the karaoke thing at the beginning and the Sharpay and Ryan on-stage stuff-- but also the places where we could actually, legitimately, break into song and use that to push the story forward...
CB: Why do you think it was so successful?
MH: I think first and foremost it was that cast... I think if these had been actors and actresses who were very skilled but didn’t have that extra something that Zac Efron has and that Ashley has, I think it might have been successful, but I don’t think it would have been nearly as successful. The other thing is, I think that it was about something that I think kids responded to, which is, wouldn’t it be great if high school were the kind of place where all the problems could be solved with a song. The kids who watch our shows go to places where they have to go through metal detectors to get into school, they have to go past the drug dealers and they have to deal with the gang members and stuff like that doesn’t take place at East High. You know, East High is an idealized kind of place, so I think that that wish fulfillment aspect of the movie made it popular, and it’s made it popular across the world I think.
I even talked to the Russians: the Russians wanted to do a version of the story, but they said ‘well we don’t have schools like that. We have schools where everybody’s the same. All the ballerinas go to the same school and all the scientists go to the other school’ and I said ‘well suppose you have a guy, a principal, who comes in and says I’m going to start a school where everybody mixes up and he’s the catalyst.’ They said, ‘oh, yeah that would work. There would be a lot of conflict and kids would get to know each other”...
CB: Why do you think there is such a broad appeal?
MH: I think the music has a lot to do with that. I think we really lucked out with the songwriters who we hired to do this. Each individual song, you know, is done by [a different person]. I think two or three are done by the same composers. But they really just hit it out of the park I think. Songs like “Breaking Free,” and in the second one, “You are the Music in Me,” and things like that, I think they had genuine pop appeal, sort of crossed-over...
CB: How do you think HSM has impacted or solidified values in American culture?
MH: Well, I think its hard to say what kind of impact anything has. I think, as Kurt Vonnegut said about his subjects, ‘It’s good propaganda for compassion.’ But I do know that across the country in high schools when they are doing High School Musical, because its something like 15000 different schools that were doing it, that the people who turned out for the auditions were not the usual kids who did it. They turned out but also athletes turned out, kids from across the spectrum turned out, so if that’s the only change that it makes-- that people feel free to try stuff that they haven’t done before-- I think that that’s monumental in terms of what a little entertainment can do.
CB: In general, do you think television should be a positive force in shaping cultural values?
MH: I don’t know. I think it’s a neutral thing. I mean, I think that in terms of shaping values, I don’t know how much impact it really has. I think that if you make stuff that people really love, maybe it makes them more aware of what they love. You know, everybody’s so bombarded with media and television. There’s so many different choices and so many of them are horrible. I suspect that it doesn’t have much of an impact except to sort of... reflect the coursing of the culture. But what we do is sort of a little different, because our stuff is definitely for kids and it doesn’t try and take on the issues... (interrupted)
CB: How does HSM compare to previous Disney Channel Original Movies?
MH: I think its within the realm. I think that without all the movies that went before it I don’t think that we could have succeeded with this, because I think that we’ve created a brand, which is, you know, these are movies that are made specifically for our audience with stars that are their age, that are stories about things in their lives, questions in their lives, identity and ‘who am I?” and things like that. Not a wide range of topics or of issues, but I think that without that 8 years or 9 years of setup, I don’t think that it could have been as big as it turned out to be because I think that it would have been ignored... I think that the other movies helped a lot.
CB: Do you think the solo careers of the stars in HSM are consistent with the feel-good, positive structure of HSM?
MH: They’re all aging themselves up a little bit. Corbin’s music is a little bit harder edged than what we would do, but still very much [within it]. I think that Ashley’s music is a little bit older, you know,more boy-girl stuff than aspirational stuff like in the movies. We don’t begrudge them the fact that they grow up. We just don’t do it on air, particularly. Vanessa, who’s got maybe the best voice of them all, I think she’s still finding her way. And Zac doesn’t have a music deal yet.
CB: Is there anything important that I missed?
MH: One of the things you might think about is that this is a very unusual way for musicals to be written. They are usually written by one composer and one lyricist and workshopped and changed and tested before audiences. We wrote all the songs in a couple of months, and we had to do it so quickly that we had to hand it out to different people. A guy named David Lawrence who does the underscore for High School Musical and High School Musical 2, is wonderful at taking the themes of the various songs and pulling it all together so that it feels like a unified musical but its committee-run.
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INTERVIEW WITH:
Editor-in-Chief, Tiger Beat Magazine
CB: What audience does Tiger Beat cater to?
LC: We cater to 10-14 with an emphasis on a medium age of 12.
CB: Why is this audience important to cater to? Why is this the chosen audience?
LC: I think it’s just an audience that is underrepresented in general that most people cater to, you know, sort of an older audience because they think those are the people that consume media but in turn there is the demographic of 10 to 14 year olds. And they are savvy to media, they are savvy to celebrities, they are savvy to pop culture, and there really isn’t anything out there for them and when Tiger Beat started in 65 it became very clear that this was an audience that wanted to consume this type of media. So we’ve been doing it ever since.
CB: Who are the most popular stars of today?
LC: Right now it’s the Jonas Brothers [who] are becoming hugely popular. They are probably the most popular thing that we are going to see in the past five years, which is when we started back up here in Los Angeles and prior to that it would be, for us, the popularity of *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears, but in terms of nationally popular, it’s a little bit different now because with the internet you have people consuming all kinds of media. So say with NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, those were hugely popular, sort of adults like them, kids like them. Now, young people are perpetuating such popularity with the Jonas Brothers that maybe adults still don’t know who they are, but they are huge for us. They stand to be, I think, potentially bigger than what NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were because I think that more young people are sort of paying attention to the media.
CB: When did the scales tip from High School Musical and Hannah Montana stars?
LC: Well, you know, Miley, I would say, is our second most popular, and then Zac our third. You know, High School Musical has now gone through two movies, so the people who were the core audience became a little bit older and the people who are new to High School Musical are a little bit younger, so the Jonas Brothers have an appeal to younger audiences, but also have that tween and older teen demographic because they’re not a youth-oriented project, per say. Soon enough you won’t have to watch the Disney Channel to see the Jonas Brothers. They are getting airplay on KIIS [LA’s pop radio station]. They are sort of transcending. You know, you weren’t hearing High School Musical songs on, like, KIIS or the big major market radio stations. So, I’d say it changed, really, within the past six months. But Miley is a really close second. And I think the reason why Miley isn’t on par with the Jonas Brothers is just because they’re boys and we cater 99% to girls, and they like boys better. But we have seen a lot more female cover celebrities also in the past five years than we’ve seen in a long time, with, like Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Aly & AJ, Emily Osment, now Selena Gomez is coming up...
CB: What makes the Jonas Brothers different?
LC: They’ve got a really catchy sound, which first and foremost is really important, but they’ve also got a band de lour (?) and generally, if you are looking at the big picture, like over time, bands are always going to be more popular than a TV show or movie star. Because, like I said they can have a wide variety of audience. You don’t have to watch the TV, you could be anywhere listening to the group or what have you. I think with the Jonas Brothers, their sound’s just really catchy, but also they are three cute boys. The slightly older teens might be attracted to the fact that they are sort of hip and cool, but the younger teens are liking the fact that they’re cute and they’re message is very positive and they’re not too edgy, so they aren’t edging out a certain population. They’re really mainstream, so when you look at if something’s going to be hugely popular with the young people it really has to be very clean, not mature... Their whole thing is wearing their purity rings and everything... When you’re kids, you have to sort of gauge what your parents allow you to consume so that, I think, perpetuates them. That’s the same thing with NSYNC, the same thing with Backstreet Boys, the same thing with Britney. But, in terms of the Jonas Brothers, I think its just sort of the right time as well because their hasn’t been a huge band since the late 90s for this demographic, so they were ready.
CB: Let’s back up a bit. Why do you think High School Musical found so much success?
LC: I think its the same thing with High School Musical is that (pause) there was this time where maybe the popular music is a little bit more hip hop and rap-oriented... and when you have that, that sort of automatically pushes the demo higher I think, because their videos are more risqué, their lyrics are more risqué, you know the whole thing, their whole image is a lot more mature. So I think that, like I said, there really wasn’t something out there for them to consume, that they were allowed to, that they didn’t have to hide. It came along-- It’s the same thing as Grease, sort of all-American, mainstream clean music that was catchy but also had a positive message. The feedback I got from a lot of readers is that they actually really did relate to a character, be it the character who felt popular but didn’t know which way to go, or the person who didn’t fit in. I really think that they did a very good job of writing that movie even though it was written for kids. They did a very good job of sort of hitting what you are going through at that period, so they just nailed it. And the time was right. It just spread like wildfire. And since they were allowed to consume it it just kept going and going and going. And High School Musical I think saw the popularity with the first run and maybe didn’t so much with the second run, but again the stars are getting older and you are seeing a little bit more of their personal lives. That maybe could have some effect on why maybe the success didn’t last as long for them. And the fact that the Jonas Brothers are coming up. There isn’t room for having too many of the hugest acts. There always has to be a latter.
CB: Hannah Montana? Same reason for success?
LC: Same reason. The thing with I think both Miley and the Jonas Brothers that have and will really help them is that they are both really fan friendly and have used the media. The Jonas Brothers actually cultivated a myspace forum and presence well before they had ever released their second album, which was with Hollywood Records. So they already had a huge audience, which is sort of unusual. I think that if you sit down with them, and you see their presence online and everything, they seem normal. They seem funny, they seem cute and endearing. So they had already cultivated that. And the same thing with Miley: when you hear her talk or when see her, she feels really tangible. And I think that’s what helps her is that the girls feel like they both want to be her best friend, but want to be her, so both of those things with the younger stars is just really helpful. And Miley, you know, she’s very self-deprocating, she tells a good story, she has all of those things that really project well in the media. And people pick up on those things.
CB: How do you represent the stars in your magazine? Visually, content-wise?
LC: It depends. We do a little bit everything. We do the silly content of just being sort of dreamy and cute. We do a little bit more of the positive sort of messages, that we talk about, using celebrities to focus on their positive attributes or how they deal with the life phases you are going through at twelve-years-old, like if you are not feeling very self confident or maybe you don’t have enough money to buy clothes, then we’ll highlight somebody like Selena Gomez or Ashlee Simpson who like to shop at thrift stores. So we try to make the reader feel as normal as possible using messages from the celebrities, who granted, have a superhuman life that is not relatable on so many levels, but on certain levels they are. You know they did at one point, even before they became famous, go through like everything that the kids have gone through, so for us, we don’t deal with the scandalous side. We don’t talk about drugs. We don’t talk about smoking. We don’t talk about sex. I mean, that stuff can and will be handled by others. We don’t need to do that. We really focus, as I said, on trying to get positive messages out there, but without being too heavy-handed because I think they really do listen to and absorb this media in a way that sort of affects them...
CB: How do you portray the boys differently than the girls?
LC: We will talk some style stuff from the girls or we will talk some beauty stuff. We don’t handle a lot of style or beauty. If we do beauty the girl is usually talking about how it’s nice to just wear lip gloss and mascara. You know what I mean? Because they’re not really allowed to wear make-up. But for the boys... it’s really focused on, like, Corbin doing his zero gravity thing-- He actually went up in a zero gravity plane, so we have a first person talking about how cool it is to learn about science, because that’s important to him. The same thing-- how they deal with, even a broken heart or whatever. I guess they are treated differently because you can’t really pose the girls; we don’t say how beautiful they are and how much you want to be like them. But we do talk about the guys looks more, we build up their looks more than we talk about how gorgeous the girls are.
CB: How does Tiger Beat solidify cultural values and ideals, even if they aren’t the most realistic?
There is definitely a fantasy world that you live in when you dive into a magazine that’s all celebrity. Regardless of whether the intent is there, everybody builds up celebrities as if they have perfect lives or what have you. You’re sort of exposed to that [other] side, exposed to those elements in your life at all times, so its sort of nice to be able to not have to deal with that when you are consuming this. Yeah, you know, there are always messages, I can only speak for us, in terms of, you know, not giving up, or following your dreams, or words of encouragement or words of self confidence and what have you. However, I don’t think we explicitly let on that these steps will make you a star. It’s more like, in your everyday world. Like if you are having a bad day, or you’ve got your heart broken or somebody tells you you can’t do something, you know, you can. And, you know, it’s sort of those words of encouragement, even if its through a magazine, even if its just a small percentage of people, internalize it and it can affect them.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Exciting News!
I'm going to be quite busy over Thanksgiving break because I have some important plans for the development of my research.
First of all, I intend to watch at least six hours straight of the Disney Channel (which is not accessible at Brown), so I can re-familiarize myself with the formatting and become introduced to any new faces. I can also get a sense, first hand, of how they advertise and promote their music along with their movies and TV shows. How often do they play music videos? What music do they use as the soundtrack to their commercials? What stars recur most often?
I have also scheduled an interview with the editor-in-chief of Tiger Beat, which is the publication I interned at over the summer. I am going to focus on the media perspective when I talk to her, including topics and stars often covered and why. Then, it is also important for me to ask about the fans, and the magazines continual interaction with them. What kind of responses do they get, and to what (or to who?) Afterwards I am going to meet with my old boss, the photo editor, and ask her about the visual representations of stars in the magazine. How does Tiger Beat choose to portray the different genders and ages of the musicians and actors? How might this conflict with a PR representative who wants them to grow out of the Disney image? What does this say about moral awareness in tween and Disney culture?
Finally, I have an interview with the head of Original Movies for Disney Channel. I think he is going to be a really valuable source because he can give me a business/corporate perspective. How did the concept for High School Musical come about? Why does he think it was so successful? How did it effect their revenues, their focus? How often does he come in contact with Disney Records? Does Disney have the intention to cross-pollinate their stars before they even hire them, or is that a happy coincidence that happens to occur again and again?
I think I am going to try to focus my research on the intersection of morality, business, and cliché to create success.
First of all, I intend to watch at least six hours straight of the Disney Channel (which is not accessible at Brown), so I can re-familiarize myself with the formatting and become introduced to any new faces. I can also get a sense, first hand, of how they advertise and promote their music along with their movies and TV shows. How often do they play music videos? What music do they use as the soundtrack to their commercials? What stars recur most often?
I have also scheduled an interview with the editor-in-chief of Tiger Beat, which is the publication I interned at over the summer. I am going to focus on the media perspective when I talk to her, including topics and stars often covered and why. Then, it is also important for me to ask about the fans, and the magazines continual interaction with them. What kind of responses do they get, and to what (or to who?) Afterwards I am going to meet with my old boss, the photo editor, and ask her about the visual representations of stars in the magazine. How does Tiger Beat choose to portray the different genders and ages of the musicians and actors? How might this conflict with a PR representative who wants them to grow out of the Disney image? What does this say about moral awareness in tween and Disney culture?
Finally, I have an interview with the head of Original Movies for Disney Channel. I think he is going to be a really valuable source because he can give me a business/corporate perspective. How did the concept for High School Musical come about? Why does he think it was so successful? How did it effect their revenues, their focus? How often does he come in contact with Disney Records? Does Disney have the intention to cross-pollinate their stars before they even hire them, or is that a happy coincidence that happens to occur again and again?
I think I am going to try to focus my research on the intersection of morality, business, and cliché to create success.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Yahoo Answers saves the day!
So the written surveys have been trickling in, but none of them are particularly enlightening (might be partially my fault because the questions are not particularly leading), but I've recently been experimenting with posting mini-surveys online. I thought of this earlier, but could not find any HSM fan sites or forums in which posting was easy and response was quick. Then I saw Sabrina's blog and I was re-inspired. I posted a topic on an HSM forum, but no response. Then I posted three questions on Yahoo Answers and... wham! Loads of responses in an hour.
Although the responses are not necessarily articulate, it is still interesting to see the variety of reactions I get to the questions. I will definitely use this site as a resource!
Here are the threads I started. Take into account these questions were experimental and not necessarily getting to the heart of the issue (but what IS the heart of the issue?)
Survey
Why do people hate High School Musical?
Who do you think is the most popular Disney Channel star?
Here are some other relevant threads, started by others:
Why is HSM popular?
High School Musical????!!!!?
Why does Disney Channel try to create pop stars?
Why do people watch the Disney Channel?
And there's more where that came from.
If anyone has an idea for a question that will spark a lot of response, I'd love to hear it.
Although the responses are not necessarily articulate, it is still interesting to see the variety of reactions I get to the questions. I will definitely use this site as a resource!
Here are the threads I started. Take into account these questions were experimental and not necessarily getting to the heart of the issue (but what IS the heart of the issue?)
Survey
Why do people hate High School Musical?
Who do you think is the most popular Disney Channel star?
Here are some other relevant threads, started by others:
Why is HSM popular?
High School Musical????!!!!?
Why does Disney Channel try to create pop stars?
Why do people watch the Disney Channel?
And there's more where that came from.
If anyone has an idea for a question that will spark a lot of response, I'd love to hear it.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Initial Survey Responses - UPDATED
I sent out some surveys, through various connections (friend's sisters friends, etc). The groups of people include:
• 15-year-olds who go to public school in Westchester, NY
• 9-year-olds from a girl scout troup in Minnetonka, MN
• college students at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA
Some of these surveys I sent out a week ago, some several days ago, and some I have yet to send out. I have received five back so far. The questions are fairly general; I just wanted to get a sense of why people from different age groups like (or don't like) High School Musical and Hannah Montana, two Disney Channel productions that have arguably made a big impact on mainstream culture. The responses are fairly brief, but some of them are quite telling.
The first two questions are a rating of different musical artists/bands related to the Disney Channel. I will put this information up when I get more responses and can do some averages.
3. Do you like High School Musical? If not, why not?
Abby 15: Yes, I like High School Musical
Berit 9: I like it. I like all of the songs and the dancing. They have good choreography.
Carly 15: Yes, I like high school musical.
Julia 15: Yes, I love the corniness, the songs, and how there is barely any conflict!
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: Yes, I thought it was a cute, fun movie and had catchy songs with some nice dancing.
Marcy 20: YES
Natalie 9: Yes
Nicole 20: LOVE IT!
4. What do you like most about High School Musical? What do you like least? Why?
Abby 15: I like that it is easy to follow and a fun watch, but it can get annoying after a while.
Berit 9: I like the singing the best. I like the music. I saw the play and I liked it a little bit less - so I like the actors and actresses in the movie better. Vanessa Hudgens is a really good Gabriella.
Carly 15: I like the idea of a Disney channel musical. I like the songs and the dances. I also like that it's not just a regular kiddie movie; it actually has a message.
Julia 15: I like the songs and the dancing, mostly because they make you feel happy… and you can sing along. It makes you feel like everything is perfect, there is nothing I dislike about it.
Katie 10: It was fun to watch!
Marcy 20: I like that High School Musical is hilarious and that the songs are catchy. It's so bad it's good. How could any one not love a movie in which Zac Efron prances through a dessert and sings to his reflection? I dislike the parts were they are not singing or dancing. Most of the kids can't really act and the story is pretty stupid, so it's kind of tedious to watch Vannesa Hudgens try to express how singing with Zac Efron is like kindergarten. I also hate it when she sings her emotional ballads.
Natalie 9: All the songs and all the people and all the dancing. The love songs are icky.
Nicole 20: The movie is hilarious because the writing and the acting are so terrible. I also actually like most of the songs (more so in the first movie than in the second).
5. Who is your favorite character? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite character is Ryan because he has the most complex character and has the best voice out of all of them.
Berit 9: Gabriella because she is so nice in the movie
Carly 15: Troy is my favorite character because 1) he's pretty cute and 2) he stands up to his friends and follows his dreams.
Julia 15: Ryan, he's funniest.
Katie 10: Gabriella, she makes everything simple
Kendra 20: Maybe the kid who secretly loves to bake because he talks about crème brulee and it's my favorite. Otherwise, probably Zac Effron because it's really adorable how much he likes Vanessa in the film, or Corbin Bleu because he is a really good dancer.
Marcy 20: My favorite character is Ryan. He is funny and has an amazing singing voice.
Natalie 9: Vanessa Hudgens - cause she is cool.
Nicole 20: Troy, because he plays basketball and because he is so in love with Gabriella, but mostly because he is played by Zac Efron.
6. What is your favorite song? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite song is Breaking Free because it is the big turning point and is very powerful. Troy and Gabrielle sound good together on this song.
Berit 9: I like We're Breaking Free…I think it is really pretty
Carly 15: “Stick to the Status Quo” is my favorite song because it has good lyrics and a good beat. It also has to do with standing up to your friends, being your own person, and following your dreams.
Julia 15: Breaking free, it is a great song to sing along to and makes you feel very happy because everything in Troy and Gabriella's life worked out perfectly.
Katie 10: Betting on the Right Time….it is good
Kendra 20: I have only seen the movie once and can't right now remember any songs except “Get your head in the game” - which I don't think is my favorite.
Marcy 20: My favorite song is the Ryan and Sharpay version of “What I've Been Looking For”. It is the catchiest, happiest song ever.
Natalie 9: All of them, no particular favorite.
Nicole 20: “You are the Music in Me” is my favorite overall, “Breaking Free” is my favorite from the first movie.
7. How did you hear about HSM? When did you first see it? What was your first reaction to it?
Abby 15: I heard about it from watching Disney Channel. I saw it the first day it came out, and it was fun to watch but very predictable.
Berit 9: My friend Ana. On my 8th birthday. I liked it.
Carly 15: I heard about HSM through friends and from watching Disney channel. At first I thought it was ok. I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. It got better as i watched it a second and third time.
Julia 15: I heard about it on Disney channel. I saw it a few days after it came out. I loved it!
Katie 10: TV commercials. I thought it was awesome
Kendra 20: My friends; earlier this year, probably about early October; I liked it a lot
Marcy 20: I first heard about High School Musical while I was enjoying a turkey burger with my family and watching the Disney Channel. A preview for it came on, and I noticed that it was starring Zac Efron. This captured my attention because a certain raven haired friend of mine was very attracted to Zac Effron (even though he played at 12 year old on tv ). I saw it the night it premiered on Disney Channel. I thought it looked stupid and funny, so I watched it thinking that I would make fun of it for like ten minutes and then turn it off. It was stupid and I did make fun of it, but the songs were really catchy and fun so I watched the whole thing and loved it.
Natalie 9: On tv, saw commercials. Don't remember. I liked it so much.
Nicole 20: My younger sister saw it when it first came out and told me how amazing it was. We watched it together the next time it was on and I immediately fell in love.
8. Do you own the soundtrack? The DVD?
Abby 15: I own the soundtrack, but not the DVD.
Berit 9: The DVD.
Carly 15: I have some songs from the soundtrack, but not the whole thing. I don't have the DVD.
Julia 15: I own both.
Katie 10: Yes, both
Kendra 20: No, neither
Marcy 20: I illegally downloaded a few songs off of the soundtrack. I do not own the DVD.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: I have two songs from the first movie but I would love to have the complete sound track. I do not have the DVD.
9. Did you see HSM2? How do you think it compares?
Abby 15: I saw it- and I thought the plot of HSM 1 was better and it was more polished, but the music of HSM2 was more advanced.
Berit 9: YES, it has the same characters so I liked that. I liked the music in it too
Carly 15: I did see HSM2 and I loved it. There wasn't as much of the “going for your dreams” thing, but there were good songs and fun dances.
Julia 15: Yes I saw it. I like the songs better but I don't like how the storyline was cornier, (If that's even possible!)
Katie 10: Yes. It is a little better than the first.
Kendra 20: Yes, it's a lot worse.
Marcy 20: Yes. I think that on the whole it was not as good. It was funnier in a lot of ways. Ryan was genuinely and intentionally funnie, and the Zac Efron prancing through the desert and singing to his reflection was hilarious and the best scene out of both of the movies, but the songs were just very hip hoppy and sounded like every part of them had been manipulated with technology ( I know don't the correct musical term to describe them…over produced maybe?). I prefer the show-tuneiness of the first movie's music.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: On the whole, I didn't think it was as good and for the most part had inferior music (with the notable exceptions of “Everyday,” “Music in Me,” and the disaster/masterpiece that is “Bet On It”). I did love, however, how completely adorable Troy and Gabriella are in HSM2.
HANNAH MONTANA
10. Do you like Hannah Montana? If not, why not?
Abby 15: Yes, I like Hannah Montana.
Berit 9: I like her - she is a good singer
Carly 15: Hannah Montana is ok, not my favorite though.
Julia 15: Yeah I like her, (kind of)
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: Never seen it.
Marcy 20: Not really. I only like that Emily Osment is on it because she goes to my high school. Miley Cyrus bothers me. So does her dad.
Natalie 9: Yes
Nicole 20: No, the TV show is obnoxious and stupid and I can't stand the sound of her voice.
11. What do you like most about Hannah Montana? What do you like least?
Abby 15: I like her show, and some of her music. Though I like her music more when she is Miley Cyrus. The thing I least like is how some songs are annoying and sound fake or boring.
Berit 9: I like the singing the best. There isn't anything I don't like --- but I don't like her shows - I like her singing.
Carly 15: Hannah Montana can be funny at times. But Miley Cyrus can be extremely annoying. I hate her voice (not singing, talking) and her laugh. I HATE it when she says “sweet nibblets.”
Julia 15: I like her songs, but not the show as much, it is the most unrealistic show in Disney channel.
Katie 10: I like her songs, they have the “beat”.
Natalie 9: All the songs, her clothes, and everything. I like everything - no “least”.
12. What is your favorite song? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite Hannah Montana song is Nobody's Perfect because the lyrics are fun and its very catchy. My favorite Miley Cyrus song is See You Again because it has a country blues tone to it and has fun lyrics.
Berit 9: I like a lot of them. Nobody's perfect is my favorite because nobody is perfect
Carly 15: I like “Nobody's Perfect” because it's true, and it is somewhat funny.
Julia 15: Best of both worlds- It is the only one I really know
Katie 10: Nobody is Perfect. It is fun to sing along.
Natalie 9: “If we were a movie”. Because its cool.
13. When did you first see Hannah Montana? What was your first reaction to it?
Abby 15: I first saw Hannah Montana when it came out on Disney Channel. My reaction was that it was a good show and thought it would get interesting and even better.
Berit 9: I heard the CD first at my friend Katie's. I liked her music.
Carly 15: I first saw it when it debuted. I actually thought the story was kinda cute.
Julia 15: When it first aired. I T-VOed the first episode and watched it a million times. Now I don't like it as much, the story is not as good.
Katie 10: On TV I thought it was cool
Marcy: I don't remember when I first saw Hannah Montana. My first reaction was excitement that Haley's sister was on TV.
Natalie 9: On tv, don't remember when. First reaction was “this is so cool”.
Nicole 20: A while ago and I thought it was another in the new line of terrible Disney channel shows
14. Do you own either of her albums?
Abby 15: No I don't own either album.
Berit 9: NO
Carly 15: No, but I have one song on my ipod.
Julia 15: No
Katie 10: Yes
Marcy 20: No.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: No.
15. Do you think Emily Osment (“Lily Truscott”) has popstar potential? If you haven't seen it yet, go on Youtube and watch her video “I Don't Think About It.”
Abby 15: I don't think Emily Osment has very much popstar potential. She has a good voice and I think she is a good actress, but this song isn't as good as some of Miley's music and sounds a lot like Hannah Montana.
Berit 9: She is a good singer. She might become a popstar -but she kinda already is..
Carly 15: I don't think Emily Osment has popstar potential. I don't like her singing voice at all. I find it hard to believe that it's even her singing.
Julia 15: No, I don't think she has potential. Her voice is bad.
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: If you haven't seen it yet, go on Youtube and watch her video “I Don't Think About It.” Maybe, but she would have a ways to go.
Marcy 20: No. That video was horrible. So was the song. She is related to Haley Joel Osment, though, so maybe after “Home of the Giants” comes out she'll become even more famous.
Natalie 9: No - because she's just sort of different. And I don't think she can be like Miley Cyrus with her million katrillion songs, and Emily only has one.
Nicole 20: No.
• 15-year-olds who go to public school in Westchester, NY
• 9-year-olds from a girl scout troup in Minnetonka, MN
• college students at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA
Some of these surveys I sent out a week ago, some several days ago, and some I have yet to send out. I have received five back so far. The questions are fairly general; I just wanted to get a sense of why people from different age groups like (or don't like) High School Musical and Hannah Montana, two Disney Channel productions that have arguably made a big impact on mainstream culture. The responses are fairly brief, but some of them are quite telling.
The first two questions are a rating of different musical artists/bands related to the Disney Channel. I will put this information up when I get more responses and can do some averages.
3. Do you like High School Musical? If not, why not?
Abby 15: Yes, I like High School Musical
Berit 9: I like it. I like all of the songs and the dancing. They have good choreography.
Carly 15: Yes, I like high school musical.
Julia 15: Yes, I love the corniness, the songs, and how there is barely any conflict!
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: Yes, I thought it was a cute, fun movie and had catchy songs with some nice dancing.
Marcy 20: YES
Natalie 9: Yes
Nicole 20: LOVE IT!
4. What do you like most about High School Musical? What do you like least? Why?
Abby 15: I like that it is easy to follow and a fun watch, but it can get annoying after a while.
Berit 9: I like the singing the best. I like the music. I saw the play and I liked it a little bit less - so I like the actors and actresses in the movie better. Vanessa Hudgens is a really good Gabriella.
Carly 15: I like the idea of a Disney channel musical. I like the songs and the dances. I also like that it's not just a regular kiddie movie; it actually has a message.
Julia 15: I like the songs and the dancing, mostly because they make you feel happy… and you can sing along. It makes you feel like everything is perfect, there is nothing I dislike about it.
Katie 10: It was fun to watch!
Marcy 20: I like that High School Musical is hilarious and that the songs are catchy. It's so bad it's good. How could any one not love a movie in which Zac Efron prances through a dessert and sings to his reflection? I dislike the parts were they are not singing or dancing. Most of the kids can't really act and the story is pretty stupid, so it's kind of tedious to watch Vannesa Hudgens try to express how singing with Zac Efron is like kindergarten. I also hate it when she sings her emotional ballads.
Natalie 9: All the songs and all the people and all the dancing. The love songs are icky.
Nicole 20: The movie is hilarious because the writing and the acting are so terrible. I also actually like most of the songs (more so in the first movie than in the second).
5. Who is your favorite character? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite character is Ryan because he has the most complex character and has the best voice out of all of them.
Berit 9: Gabriella because she is so nice in the movie
Carly 15: Troy is my favorite character because 1) he's pretty cute and 2) he stands up to his friends and follows his dreams.
Julia 15: Ryan, he's funniest.
Katie 10: Gabriella, she makes everything simple
Kendra 20: Maybe the kid who secretly loves to bake because he talks about crème brulee and it's my favorite. Otherwise, probably Zac Effron because it's really adorable how much he likes Vanessa in the film, or Corbin Bleu because he is a really good dancer.
Marcy 20: My favorite character is Ryan. He is funny and has an amazing singing voice.
Natalie 9: Vanessa Hudgens - cause she is cool.
Nicole 20: Troy, because he plays basketball and because he is so in love with Gabriella, but mostly because he is played by Zac Efron.
6. What is your favorite song? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite song is Breaking Free because it is the big turning point and is very powerful. Troy and Gabrielle sound good together on this song.
Berit 9: I like We're Breaking Free…I think it is really pretty
Carly 15: “Stick to the Status Quo” is my favorite song because it has good lyrics and a good beat. It also has to do with standing up to your friends, being your own person, and following your dreams.
Julia 15: Breaking free, it is a great song to sing along to and makes you feel very happy because everything in Troy and Gabriella's life worked out perfectly.
Katie 10: Betting on the Right Time….it is good
Kendra 20: I have only seen the movie once and can't right now remember any songs except “Get your head in the game” - which I don't think is my favorite.
Marcy 20: My favorite song is the Ryan and Sharpay version of “What I've Been Looking For”. It is the catchiest, happiest song ever.
Natalie 9: All of them, no particular favorite.
Nicole 20: “You are the Music in Me” is my favorite overall, “Breaking Free” is my favorite from the first movie.
7. How did you hear about HSM? When did you first see it? What was your first reaction to it?
Abby 15: I heard about it from watching Disney Channel. I saw it the first day it came out, and it was fun to watch but very predictable.
Berit 9: My friend Ana. On my 8th birthday. I liked it.
Carly 15: I heard about HSM through friends and from watching Disney channel. At first I thought it was ok. I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. It got better as i watched it a second and third time.
Julia 15: I heard about it on Disney channel. I saw it a few days after it came out. I loved it!
Katie 10: TV commercials. I thought it was awesome
Kendra 20: My friends; earlier this year, probably about early October; I liked it a lot
Marcy 20: I first heard about High School Musical while I was enjoying a turkey burger with my family and watching the Disney Channel. A preview for it came on, and I noticed that it was starring Zac Efron. This captured my attention because a certain raven haired friend of mine was very attracted to Zac Effron (even though he played at 12 year old on tv ). I saw it the night it premiered on Disney Channel. I thought it looked stupid and funny, so I watched it thinking that I would make fun of it for like ten minutes and then turn it off. It was stupid and I did make fun of it, but the songs were really catchy and fun so I watched the whole thing and loved it.
Natalie 9: On tv, saw commercials. Don't remember. I liked it so much.
Nicole 20: My younger sister saw it when it first came out and told me how amazing it was. We watched it together the next time it was on and I immediately fell in love.
8. Do you own the soundtrack? The DVD?
Abby 15: I own the soundtrack, but not the DVD.
Berit 9: The DVD.
Carly 15: I have some songs from the soundtrack, but not the whole thing. I don't have the DVD.
Julia 15: I own both.
Katie 10: Yes, both
Kendra 20: No, neither
Marcy 20: I illegally downloaded a few songs off of the soundtrack. I do not own the DVD.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: I have two songs from the first movie but I would love to have the complete sound track. I do not have the DVD.
9. Did you see HSM2? How do you think it compares?
Abby 15: I saw it- and I thought the plot of HSM 1 was better and it was more polished, but the music of HSM2 was more advanced.
Berit 9: YES, it has the same characters so I liked that. I liked the music in it too
Carly 15: I did see HSM2 and I loved it. There wasn't as much of the “going for your dreams” thing, but there were good songs and fun dances.
Julia 15: Yes I saw it. I like the songs better but I don't like how the storyline was cornier, (If that's even possible!)
Katie 10: Yes. It is a little better than the first.
Kendra 20: Yes, it's a lot worse.
Marcy 20: Yes. I think that on the whole it was not as good. It was funnier in a lot of ways. Ryan was genuinely and intentionally funnie, and the Zac Efron prancing through the desert and singing to his reflection was hilarious and the best scene out of both of the movies, but the songs were just very hip hoppy and sounded like every part of them had been manipulated with technology ( I know don't the correct musical term to describe them…over produced maybe?). I prefer the show-tuneiness of the first movie's music.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: On the whole, I didn't think it was as good and for the most part had inferior music (with the notable exceptions of “Everyday,” “Music in Me,” and the disaster/masterpiece that is “Bet On It”). I did love, however, how completely adorable Troy and Gabriella are in HSM2.
HANNAH MONTANA
10. Do you like Hannah Montana? If not, why not?
Abby 15: Yes, I like Hannah Montana.
Berit 9: I like her - she is a good singer
Carly 15: Hannah Montana is ok, not my favorite though.
Julia 15: Yeah I like her, (kind of)
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: Never seen it.
Marcy 20: Not really. I only like that Emily Osment is on it because she goes to my high school. Miley Cyrus bothers me. So does her dad.
Natalie 9: Yes
Nicole 20: No, the TV show is obnoxious and stupid and I can't stand the sound of her voice.
11. What do you like most about Hannah Montana? What do you like least?
Abby 15: I like her show, and some of her music. Though I like her music more when she is Miley Cyrus. The thing I least like is how some songs are annoying and sound fake or boring.
Berit 9: I like the singing the best. There isn't anything I don't like --- but I don't like her shows - I like her singing.
Carly 15: Hannah Montana can be funny at times. But Miley Cyrus can be extremely annoying. I hate her voice (not singing, talking) and her laugh. I HATE it when she says “sweet nibblets.”
Julia 15: I like her songs, but not the show as much, it is the most unrealistic show in Disney channel.
Katie 10: I like her songs, they have the “beat”.
Natalie 9: All the songs, her clothes, and everything. I like everything - no “least”.
12. What is your favorite song? Why?
Abby 15: My favorite Hannah Montana song is Nobody's Perfect because the lyrics are fun and its very catchy. My favorite Miley Cyrus song is See You Again because it has a country blues tone to it and has fun lyrics.
Berit 9: I like a lot of them. Nobody's perfect is my favorite because nobody is perfect
Carly 15: I like “Nobody's Perfect” because it's true, and it is somewhat funny.
Julia 15: Best of both worlds- It is the only one I really know
Katie 10: Nobody is Perfect. It is fun to sing along.
Natalie 9: “If we were a movie”. Because its cool.
13. When did you first see Hannah Montana? What was your first reaction to it?
Abby 15: I first saw Hannah Montana when it came out on Disney Channel. My reaction was that it was a good show and thought it would get interesting and even better.
Berit 9: I heard the CD first at my friend Katie's. I liked her music.
Carly 15: I first saw it when it debuted. I actually thought the story was kinda cute.
Julia 15: When it first aired. I T-VOed the first episode and watched it a million times. Now I don't like it as much, the story is not as good.
Katie 10: On TV I thought it was cool
Marcy: I don't remember when I first saw Hannah Montana. My first reaction was excitement that Haley's sister was on TV.
Natalie 9: On tv, don't remember when. First reaction was “this is so cool”.
Nicole 20: A while ago and I thought it was another in the new line of terrible Disney channel shows
14. Do you own either of her albums?
Abby 15: No I don't own either album.
Berit 9: NO
Carly 15: No, but I have one song on my ipod.
Julia 15: No
Katie 10: Yes
Marcy 20: No.
Natalie 9: No.
Nicole 20: No.
15. Do you think Emily Osment (“Lily Truscott”) has popstar potential? If you haven't seen it yet, go on Youtube and watch her video “I Don't Think About It.”
Abby 15: I don't think Emily Osment has very much popstar potential. She has a good voice and I think she is a good actress, but this song isn't as good as some of Miley's music and sounds a lot like Hannah Montana.
Berit 9: She is a good singer. She might become a popstar -but she kinda already is..
Carly 15: I don't think Emily Osment has popstar potential. I don't like her singing voice at all. I find it hard to believe that it's even her singing.
Julia 15: No, I don't think she has potential. Her voice is bad.
Katie 10: Yes
Kendra 20: If you haven't seen it yet, go on Youtube and watch her video “I Don't Think About It.” Maybe, but she would have a ways to go.
Marcy 20: No. That video was horrible. So was the song. She is related to Haley Joel Osment, though, so maybe after “Home of the Giants” comes out she'll become even more famous.
Natalie 9: No - because she's just sort of different. And I don't think she can be like Miley Cyrus with her million katrillion songs, and Emily only has one.
Nicole 20: No.
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