“You think you’re all that, but you’re not!”
Except, she kind of is. While Dr. Drakken, long time arch-nemesis of Kimberly Ann Possible, may not think Kim is “all that,” I’m here today to explain to you why that’s wrong. I first must take you back to the early 2000s when Kim Possible aired, a time when skinny scarves and Ugg boots were all the rage, when we jammed out on the bus with our iPod Shuffles and when our Zac Efron obsessions began.
If you are unfamiliar with the show, Kim Possible is a Disney Channel original animated television series written by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. Kim Possible, her best friend, Ron Stoppable and his naked mole-rat, Rufus, save the world by fighting zany evil villains—all while navigating their friendships, dating and the horrors of high school. Are you hooked yet? I certainly was. Even though I was only seven when the last season aired, I was convinced that I was Kim Possible. I ran to the television after school to catch every episode, had all the KP merchandise like wallets, backpacks, notebooks and even did a dance performance in my school’s talent show to the theme song, “Call Me Beep Me.” (Seriously, ask my mom, she helped choreograph it and has the pictures and videos to prove it.)
The show and its characters defined my childhood. Unfortunately, when the show ended, it was difficult to find episodes to watch again. DVR and streaming services were really just beginning to grow, so I could only watch Kim Possible when Disney decided to occasionally air reruns. So, when my family decided to get Disney+ this summer after we had quarantine-binged everything that Netflix could possibly offer, I was THRILLED to find my show. I immediately sat down and watched the entire show again, but now through a 20-year-old college student’s eyes. The warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia was brought back, but I noticed things I never had before, connected and empathized with different experiences of Kim and Ron and found myself learning new things.
The main lesson I had learned is that anything is possible, especially together. You may have noticed the puns attached to Kim and Ron’s last names, Possible and Stoppable. Kim’s family motto states: “Anything is Possible for a Possible.” This is usually worked into the show comedically, as Ron is, well… stoppable. There is a running gag throughout the series that on almost every mission, Ron loses his pants in some endearingly clumsy fashion and must be saved by Kim. Like all women, she is a total bada**. She is a talented cheerleader, straight-A student, an employee of the month at Club Banana, and a crime-fighting, world-saving teen hero, after all! Kim is confident, passionate and accomplished, but life is not always easy. The writers kept the fantastical show rooted in reality, as she is faced with real challenges and failures. Kim can be insecure, exhausted from stretching herself too thin, and easily embarrassed. She gets bad grades on tests, she believes she isn’t good enough, she is fearful of her collegiate future and the villain gets away. But in these failures, Kim is never alone. Her loved ones are always one call—or beep—away. As cliché as it sounds, what makes Ron and Kim a good team is those failures. It encourages them to pull the other one up and fight together with a new plan, a better way than before. Anything is truly possible, and though we may be six feet apart from one another in 2020, you are never alone.
Kim Possible offered so much joy to my life, and I am so grateful to the writers, producers, cast and crew for bringing such a strong, confident and perfectly-imperfect female hero into my childhood. This weekend, after a long week of Zoom calls and online assignments, you should treat yourself with a good binge-watch session. KP can get you through any sitch. Just don’t forget to bring the nachos.
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