I am in the process of writing a long post in the appropriate forum at TVTome (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowForumThread/showid-4900/The_Proud_Family/), that is after a post in Slashdot informed the people that Disney's The Proud Family had a "sickening" as one person put it, and apparently very biased episode about downloading music, and from what I looked up on TVtome, this is true.

Apparently they are spreading the industry's message to kids through what they watch, this episode out since October 5th, 2001 for example.

Read it and judge it for yourself.

From:
http://www.tvtome.com/ProudFamily/guide.html

5. EZ Jackster
gs: Ray J. Norwood (Mega) Gedde Watanabe (Sir Paid-A-Lot) Aries Spears (Voice of Marsha Mitsubishi) Gedde Watanabe (Mr. Min)

After Penny spends $125 on CDs with her five-cent salary, she meets a boy, Mega, who tells her about a napster-like website he made called EZ Jackster. All weekend she was sitting at the computer, downloading music from EZ Jackster. Finally, Dijonay comes over and asks what she was doing over the weekend. Penny asks Dijonay if she can keep a secret, knowing that she can't. Penny tells Dijonay to tell everyone she knows about EZ Jackster. Her telling everybody about EZ Jackster has a ripple-effect all around the world. From India to Africa to Suga Mama! But rap singer, Sir Paid-A-Lot is threatened by this because he got a five-cents salary instead of his million-dollar salary. But suddenly, after wrestling, the news interrupted the next program telling about EZ Jackster. It shows a house of where the EZ Jackster-spreader lives. Oscar comments how ugly the house is, not realizing it was their house. Trudy is mad at Penny for stealing music so she takes away her computer. Later, Penny gets a call from Mega, asking if she is still using EZ Jackster. Will Penny listen to her parents?


b: 05-Oct-2001 pc: 103 w: David Wyatt

NOTE: EDITOR'S RATING: 3 OUTTA 5

You can find addresses to Disney Channel at this "fan site" here: http://www.geocities.com/ultimate_disney_channel/contact.htm.

Are we really getting to this time and age where propoganda must be spread by using the little kids as monkeys? Share your thoughs about this episode, if this is old I apologize, but I only knew about this today.

It figures Disney would try something like this, after all, they have their own brand of brainwashing with their still-pretending-to-be-13-when-they're-now-20 song monkies. That and they haven't created anything new or unique on their own in about 15 years. Toy Story and all of the other Pixar movies don't count, since Disney didn't really make them and they were almost entirely Pixar's idea. Disney can only devour other ideas and make millions of sequels. This also applies to their song monkies. I refuse to call it music.

I'm not worried. Which is going to have more influence, this episode of The Proud Family or the corresponding episode of South Park? I think you know.

Thats a revival of an old issue...

Ive been using this as a staple in anti-disney arguements for years. Its an easy one to use - "Would you trust a company that uses its childrens programs to support its own political objectives?" - but has surprisingly little effect on most people.

Its insidious, but parents, a great opportunity to reinforce the lesson about being skeptical of TV/Advertising with your kids.

I have already iformed my kids about this whole music industry biz and the downloading..and what artists really get out of it.

They will never be swayed.

The ignorant mindless ones (beyond any help we can give) will believe it. The rest of the world knows better.

"But rap singer, Sir Paid-A-Lot is threatened by this because he got a five-cents salary instead of his million-dollar salary."

LMMFAO!!!

"But rap singer, Sir Paid-A-Lot is threatened by this because he got a five-cents salary instead of his million-dollar salary."

LMMFAO!!!

This is your brain on drugs.

"Penny spends $125 on CDs with her five-cent salary..." and gets three CDs.

The underlying moral of the story, which you all overlooked, is that one child can destroy the music business, or at least rap music.

I don't mean to be rude, but propaganda has been spread in the media for a long time.

Just look at some of the old Family Ties, Gowing Pains, shoot even Different Strokes spead propaganda.

They all had their view on how things were supposed to be. Granted the propaganda was a little more wholesome so to speak, but it was propaganda none the less.

the-erm is right.

Anyone ever see "Duck and Cover"? That one taught us to hide under our desk in the event of a nuclear attack. That'll protect you for like a microsecond. Use it to kiss your ass goodbye. Completely worthless bullshit, useful only to make sure each and every child in the country feared the certain onslaught of the Red Menace -- those evil Soviets whose country has since fallen apart.

Anyone old enough to remember Romper Room ("Do be a Doobee")? And speaking of doobies, how about "Reefer Madness"? "Hemp for Victory"?

Government propaganda is nothing new, even within the context of children's shows.

Even Gumby, dammit.

If I had children, I wouldn't allow them to watch Disney. In fact, I probably wouldn't have gotten cable tv. Any channel other than PBS is just a 24 hour commercial for toys, movies, and merchandise you will be begged incessantly to buy. Well yeah, so are the PBS kids shows, but I grew up fine without Sing n Spit up Big Bird or whatever it is...

But then I don't have children...let em watch whatever they want I guess, just not at my house.

I think this likely would have more resonance with the kids -- from the South Park episode "Christian Rock Hard":

[United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, day. Inside, a detective reviews some reports on the boys' Internet activity. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny wait on the other side of the table]
Kyle: [some seconds later] Um, sir-
Detective: Shiut up!! [the boys jump in their seats, then look down, chagrined] You downloaded a lot of songs! Says here you even downlaoded Judas Priest? That's hard time you boys are lookin' at. You got anything to say for yourselves?
Kyle: [rubs the table a bit] We d-didn't think it was that big a deal.
Detective: [pissed off] Not a big deal! You think downloading music for free is not a big deal?! Put your coats on! I'm gonna show you something! And I don't think you're gonna like it!
[A mansion, somewhere, day. The agent has taken the boys for a ride and arrived here. He leads them to the main gate]
Detective: This is the home of Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica. [they approach a bush] Look. There's Lars now, sitting by his pool. [he's seen sitting on the edge of a chaise longue, his face in his hands, softly sobbing]
Kyle: What's the matter with him?
Detective: This month he was hoping to have a gold-plated shark tank bar installed right next to the pool, but thanks to people downloading his music for free, he must now wait a few months before he can afford it. [a close-up of Lars sobbing] Come. There's more. [leads them away. Next seen is a small airport at night] Here's Britney Spears' private jet. Notice anything? [a shot of Britney boarding a plane, then stopping to look at it before entering] Britney used to have a Gulfstream IV. Now she's had to sell it and get a Gulfstream III because people like you chose to download her music for free. [Britney gives a heavy sigh and goes inside.] The Gulfstream III doesn't even have a remote control for its surround-sound DVD system. Still think downloading music for free is no big deal?
Kyle: We... didn't realize what we were doing, eh...
Detective: That is the folly of man. Now look in this window. [they are at another mansion, and they look inside a picture window] Here you see the loving family of Master P. [He's shown tossing a basketball to his wife while his kid tries to catch it] Next week is his son's birthday and, all he's ever wanted was an island in French Polynesia. [his mom lowers the ball and gives it to the boy, who smiles, picks it up and drops it. It rolls away and he goes after it]
Kyle: So, he's gonna get it, right?
Detective: I see an island without an owner. If things keep going the way they are, the child will not get his tropical paradise.
Stan: [apologetically] We're sorry! We'll, we'll never download music for free again!

LMFAO!!!!

Lars can't get his gold-plated shark tank bar.... awwwwwwwwwwww too freakin' bad. Lars doesn't deserve the opportunity to have his music shoved into the ears of America. His music ought to be shoved where the sun don't shine.

"If I had children, I wouldn't allow them to watch Disney."

Can't be done unless you lock your kid in the attic for 15 years, which is frowned upon in most jurisdictions.

First of all, Disney is everywhere. It's ubiquitous and unavoidable. If you don't let them watch it at home, they'll see it at Grandma's or school.

Another thing is that once you have a kid, every other parent you know will try to give you the Disney movies that their kids have watched so much that everyone in their house is sick of them.

And then there are Happy Meals...

Yeah, gdZ... h a p p y m e a l s !!!

Mauswitz.

EZ Jackster sounds like an autoerotic aid...like a rubber blowup doll or something!

"EZ Jackster " sounds also like a guide to hijacking things.

There's that damn pirate connection. Fuck the republicans and their fears and queers.

i had a dream i was a chicken mcnugget.

Idea... why not give it a bad review on TV.com?