The "Eye Acting" of Raven Symone and other "Tween" phenomenon

There comes a point in anyone's life when he/she is characterized as "out of touch." What I want to know is, when exactly does that happen?

My friend from high school and I talk about this all the time. About 2 years ago she said, "Do you realize that people who were born in the '90s will be starting COLLEGE??" I nearly fell off my chair back then, and it still boggles my mind to this day. I was definitely alive and kickin' it back in the early '90s, so the thought of these younger people maturing before my eyes is a concept that I'm not quite sure I want to accept.

Case in point: today's trends for the "Tweens" - roughly the 9-to-15-year-old demographic. Networks like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel have blocks of programming dedicated to this audience, and some of these stars have really hit it big (despite some marginal talent). Like Raven Symone, "Cosby Show" alum and star of the show "That's So Raven" on the Disney Channel. Here she is in her earlier years:

After an observant comment from a co-worker, I noticed something - she definitely tends to overact a little on her new show, and it usually comes in the form of wide-eyed reactions or extreme facial expressions:

Before writing it off as an isolated incident, I "dug" a little deeper. Another culprit of this kitschy school of acting is "Drake and Josh" on Nickelodeon:

(ED's Note: "Josh" on this show - whose real name is Josh Peck - was a childhood friend of mine...up until he became the amazing Thespian that he is today).

The "pies de resistance?" Hillary Duff and Miley Cyrus, who have both made a fortune from their music-inspired TV shows, "Lizzie Maguire" and "Hanna Montana:"



(I'd also like some clarification on something: Is Hannah Montana the name of Miley's character on TV, or is that just her alter-ego on stage? If so, what's the name of her actual character on the show? Is it Miley Cyrus? Is it Miley-something else? Is there another Hannah involved? I'd really like to know).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember any shows that we grew up with being this contrived. Now, there are the occasional exceptions, but generally speaking, it would be tough to characterize "Ren and Stimpy," "The Adventures of Pete and Pete," or "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers" that way. Another show that often gets overlooked is "Garfield and Friends."

It was written by Mark Evanier, and his writing style inspired other great shows like "Animaniacs" and "Pinky and the Brain." Some of the best ones feature John Arbuckle's exploits with the opposite sex.

The humor was dry, sarcastic and sophisticated to the point where even adults could watch these shows and get a lot out of them. The only things I can remotely compare them to are the slew of Pixar movies (Toy Story being the first), and other similar movies like Shrek. They are aimed at kids, but oftentimes the adults walk away liking the movie more. For the "Tween" demographic, this is a little less common - just watch TEEENick, the Disney Channel, or ABC Family. I mean, "America's Prom Queen?" Seriously?

So the younger generations are now required to either sit through or sift through some really bad stuff. Unfortunately, the standard has been lowered - even since we were their age - and it's just one sign of our impending maturity. Are we ready for this disconnect? In some ways, yes. But as with a lot of things, we're straddling this gray area between complete maturity and college-age sensibility.

Well, at least we don't over emote. Much.