Many of us have grown up watching the Disney channel. And even if we weren’t huge Suite Life or Hannah Montana fans, we’ve all at least seen a couple episodes, and know what to expect. Some teenage drama, a potential friendship disaster, a moment of family bonding, and finally, a nicely wrapped-up ending usually make up the traditional Disney show. But this past January with the release of its newest show, Andi Mack, Disney proved that it’s not as predictable as we might think.
At a glance, the show seems to fit the classic Disney image: Andi, the show’s 13-year-old protagonist, is a likeable girl who’s just trying to survive middle school. But in the first episode, a major shock is revealed. When Andi’s older sister, Bex, who is never around, comes home, we (along with Andi) find out that she is actually Andi’s mom, making the show about teen pregnancy.
For obvious reasons, a show like Andi Mack is huge. Kids are extremely impressionable, and take what they see on television very seriously. Seeing a character like Andi, who’s a normal teenager, aside from the fact that she has a teen mom, makes teen pregnancy seem much less taboo. For anybody with a tie to teen pregnancy, this is extremely encouraging. Too often teen parents are pushed to the outskirts of society. But for the first time, Disney’s offering them visability via Andi Mack. For kids like Andi who have teen parents, Andi Mack is especially empowering. Finally they can watch a character like them, one who has similar feelings and experiences.
Andi Mack is careful not to attach praise or criticism to teen pregnancy. Instead, Andi having a teen mom is simply a detail of the story. This is really important because viewers all have different experiences with teen pregnancy. The neutrality of the show allows it to be relatable for a wider audience, and also enables individuals to make their own opinions about the characters. It seems like the producers of Andi Mack are just aiming to share the story of an underrepresented group of people: teen parents and their children. Disney’s effort to be more inclusive and representative of others, without judgement or criticism, is extremely admirable.
Within the show, producers masterfully point to some of the major complications that may arise from teen pregnancy. These complications include tension between Bex and her mom, who both feel like Andi’s mother, uncertainty from Andi who is upset that she’s been lied to her whole life, fear from Bex who isn’t ready to tell Andi about her father yet, and stress from Andi who doesn’t know what to tell her friends. These complications are realistic and reasonable, and illustrate how many impacts teen pregnancy has.
As such a far-reaching and influential network, Disney shows are extremely powerful. Therefore, to introduce a new show with a protagonist who’s mom was a teen mom is revolutionary. Not only does Andi Mack push boundaries in terms of what Disney shows typically talk about, but it also works to shape the way younger generations are going to view the world. For anyone who values an inclusive society, Disney’s premiere of Andi Mack is something to celebrate.