Marvelous Happy Things

 The time has come for the next round of HSM Songs, Ranked. This tier is HSM: The Concert (minus Zac). Again, these are in no particular order. See if you can guess which original film is my least favorite. You are the Music in Me (Sharpay's Version)- Sure, Sharpay can flaunt her choreography, but the fact that Troy has zero idea of what he needs to do during this means it isn't winning any "awards." And since she is in costume, this could be a dress rehearsal. Bonus point for the fog machine or pyro that startles Troy. Gotta Go My Own Way- #2 in Gabriella's songs list, although this is technically a duet. Bonus point for the dramatic acting from both characters. Everyday- This is a nice group song, but it is a little sleepy. I guess we could cut them some slack as this is a talent show performance at a formal event. (I suspect they sing a reprise of this as they look at the stars and Troy and Gabriella almost kiss, but I haven't seen that scene enough to know...

Summer vibes and the arrival of HSM the Musical the Series Season 4 in August led to this ranking. My idea was to list all of the rankings in one post, but it will be too long. Songs are from the original trilogy. I'm starting at the bottom, and these songs are in no particular order. Sunday School Musical tier (yes, this exists)- Humuhumu song- originally only on the extended version of HSM 2, but now included on Disney+ *stuck in your head for days When There was Me and You- 3rd in Gabriella's solo songs. An impressive showcase of Vanessa's voice, but not the best in comparison. High School Musical (who says we have to let it go)- I understand the appeal of this being one of the few "musical style" songs in the trilogy, but I don't enjoy it.

 It's spring! Spring means wedding season, and for me, a reflection on 3 romantic comedies that have issues. *The following section has spoilers for Never Been Kissed, 13 Going on 30, and Something Borrowed. Never Been Kissed (1999) This movie loses a lot of romantic innocence because it has a lot of adult-teen romantic moments. The main character Josie pretends to be a teen for most of the movie even though she is an adult, and her brother does as well. Josie crushes on a teen for part of the movie. Her brother does stop the charade at one point as a teen girl is about to kiss him, but I don’t think it redeems the premise. Drew Barrymore plays Josie very well. If you took the student-teacher romance away, Josie and Sam could have a cute relationship. 13 Going on 30 (2004) Jennifer’s character Jenna is emotionally a teenager for most of the movie. She is friends with teens for part of the movie, and they don’t seem to notice. Her innocent reactions to the adult jokes help move the ...

It's now December, and such begins the Christmas season hubbub. I'm quite behind  on finishing this Disney/Nickelodeon show rankings series. If you need something trivial to be frustrated about, then you can be angry with these shows. Or, perhaps you like them. Thankfully, I have 5 shows for this list. They are in no particular order. Sorry, Babe Shows (as in, "Sorry, babe. You didn't quite make it.") Fish Hooks (2010-2014) (moved at some point to Disney XD) I generally enjoy Kyle Massey's humor, but if you ask him to be the voice of a fish, then it all goes downhill from there. The animation was not compelling. Are they trying to make an off-brand SpongeBob show? (I know many folks in the Gen X/Millennial generations grew up with SpongeBob, and I mean no offense to that show. I'm making a point for a commonality.) A.N.T. Farm (2011-2014) The one redeeming quality from this show is the Halloween episodes (1 for each of the 3 seasons), which I am not counti...

Happy November! Thanks for continuing to read this series. *I've chosen to leave a couple of shows off of this list that I originally included. (The final post will have more shows.) Workout Shows These are in no particular order. These are shows that you turn on when there is nothing else on, and you need to work out at 4 p.m. (this show or the news?) or you are eating lunch during the summer. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: This is a funny show if you don't care much about a plot. The kids get in some outrageous situations. Many of the jokes are too middle school age for me. (The characters are in middle school.) Bunk'd: I'm talking about the early seasons including the Ross kids, not the later ones. The theme song is pretty catchy, and the rich kids learn to rough it, which can be funny. Some of the jokes can be too elementary style. You may watch this show with a younger niece or nephew who would enjoy it, but probably not one to binge-watch.  Shake It...

This is part 2 of my series dedicated to ranking Disney and Nickelodeon shows.  These are in no particular order. Grade B KC Undercover: This marked Zendaya's return to Disney in a main role. (She first starred in a show we'll see later on.) The plot lines are fairly interesting, with lots of stunts. This show also doesn't take itself too seriously, like when it refers to the organization where they work as The Organization. Liv and Maddie: Twins! Played by one girl! The family dynamics and the plot twist that led into the final season make this show Grade B. There was also a real-life romance between Dove and her character Maddie's boyfriend for a period of time, which added to the cuteness factor. Jessie: This show earns points for including adopted children. Despite the Ross family's rich status, the kids are fairly down-to-earth. Jessie's adjustment to city life could also keep you watching. Plus, the theme song will stay in your head. Victorious: Talk about...

Here are four movies featuring songs or themes about summer. 1) High School Musical 2: "What Time is It?" The movie takes place during summer, but the first song is a celebration of a school year ending and summer beginning. This song popped into my head often during high school summers. 2) Disney Channel's Starstruck: "Something about the Sunshine" This mention could be a surprise for you. The movie also takes place during a summer vacation, but during this song the characters connect over outdoor fun and get to know each other better. 3) Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie: "Surf's Up" This song reflects the joyful fun of a summer spent on the coast. (I'm not sure if it was an end credits song or not, but it mentions summer more than "Surf Crazy." I included it because of that.) 4) Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension: "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)" Since the series is centered around summer day...

*I started this analysis with Season 2 of the show, so moments from Season 1 are not included. Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper's relationship could be one of the first enemies to dating plot lines in Disney Channel TV. Chad is stuck up and selfish. Does his relationship with Sonny make him a better person? He asks her on a first date suddenly and is generally nicer once they start dating. He is nicer to her friends, though not to his costars on Mackenzie Falls . Sonny's friends tolerate their relationship, and they occasionally work with Chad to help Sonny. Sonny and Chad face pressure from friends and the media to show off their relationship to the public, including their first kiss. They decide during one episode to only be friends but then share their first kiss in private. They admit that their connection is strong and decide to continue dating. In the last few episodes, Chad starts putting his wants before others'. For instance, So Random! (Sonny's show) beats M...

1) Louis and Tawny from Even Stevens- If you’ve never seen this adorable love confession via VHS tapes (yes, VHS tapes), then go search for it online. Though Louis flirts and acts like Tawny is his girlfriend for a lot of the time, he eventually realizes that he has deeper feelings for her, and she has them for him, too. Though they are young, this moment sticks out to me as particularly sweet and creative. 2) Phil and Keely from Phil of the Future- Another couple from early 2000s Disney, these two were best friends for a long time. They go to a dance with other people and spend the whole time trying to make each other jealous. We get one kiss from this couple during the last episode. I don't think the fact that they were "just friends" during most of the series diminished their relationship in any way. I think it added to their connection. 3) Lizzie and Gordo from Lizzie McGuire- Okay, so this couple may not count as being underrated, but I felt it was necessary to i...

The Jonas Brothers 2019- "Burnin' Up," "Year 3000," "When You Look Me in the Eyes," "Lovebug" Here's a confession: When the original JB were first around, I didn't really like them. I grew to like Lines, Vines, and Trying Times  and appreciated their earlier stuff nostalgically. When "Pom Poms" came out, I remember thinking, "What are you doing?" I don't like that song. Some would say I'm not a "true fan" since I wasn't there from the beginning. I'm definitely ready for this comeback. We're all older, and it will be fun to see how they view the world through music this time around. I was disappointed that they only sang part of "Burnin' Up" on Carpool Karaoke . It would have been fun to hear Nick's "red dress" lyric live. The lyrics to "Year 3000" are silly. I wasn't as familiar with "When You Look Me in the Eyes" before this vid...