Stuck In The Middle used to be my favorite TV show, but it has come to a point where I just can't like it anymore. There are various reasons for this.
The show focuses on Harley Diaz, the 4th of 7 kids in a Latino family. She's an inventor and she always helps her family get through tough situations. Sounds sweet, right?
Well, yes, it is. But there are many elements the show has that, as a maturing adult, I can't stand for.
The first example is with Harley herself. In the opener episode, she says that she feels left out and overlooked since she is the middle kid. This is shown when she wants to give a speech at the park and her siblings have other events that same day.
By the end of the episode, she realizes that she is what brings the family together, and even though she misses her speech, she appreciates her family, and they eat donuts on a table that she invents.
Again, that's sweet. "I'm the middle child, but that brings us together." However, before you go "aww", note something else.
In an episode called "Stuck In The Diaz Awards", the family has an Oscar-type event awarding the best moments of the past year together. After the first round, Harley notices that she hasn't won any awards. She speaks to the camera often in the episodes, so she tells us that it's bothering her that she hasn't won an award.
Understandable, however she then tells us "But I don't want to be someone who's all 'Waaah! I don't win any awards! People want to vote for a winner, not a whiner." However, she continues to whine and pouts to us when her twin brothers win instead. All is well, though, because she ends up getting a bonus award that's the biggest award of all.
Earlier, in a Christmas special, she tells a mechanic that she feels sometimes like she is left out, and that made me think- Yeah, you DO feel that way, and then you realize how much your family loves you and you feel silly for feeling that way!
Finally, in the last episode, she has a big 15th birthday party and she notes that she finally realizes that her family loves her and that she is what puts the family together. Wait, that sounds familiar. Oh, yeah, she "learned" that in the beginning! Or not, apparently.
Her siblings aren't much better, apart from Georgie and Ethan. Harley's oldest sibling Rachel is very self absorbed and she literally only cares about other people when she wants to go out of the country for college. She insults her sibling's fashion and has a better-than-thou attitude about style, even to her mother, who only gives her nasty looks instead of reprimanding her.
Harley also has a little sister named Daphne, who suckers her siblings into doing whatever she wants. For example, in episode 2, everyone forgets Harley's birthday (and, by the way, she keeps it a secret to try to get a better car seat), and Daphne agrees to keep it a secret if Harley gives her the birthday money Grandma sent her in the mail.
Speaking of Georgie, there is an episode after the one where Rachel goes to college, and everyone expects Georgie to take charge the way Racheal did. Harley even trains her to do and say what Racheal would do. For example, how would Rachel react to Mom making tuna casserole for the 4th night in a row? (On another note, why do so many Disney shows make fun of Moms who are bad cooks?)
The kids also lie to their parents a lot and they don't get in trouble for it. In one episode, they let an exchange student sleep on their couch and hide it from them so they can buy a tablet. In another, they let a fisherman rent their house out for money for a trip to Hawaii, and they keep that from her. (Plus the Dad is in on that scheme!)
In an episode called "Stuck In A Waterpark", a similar thing occurs where the kids spend too much money and they have to hide that from the parents by entering a contest. I watched the premiere of that with a friend and he told me that he hated that aspect. Now I agree with him.
I could keep going, but you get the idea. To be honest, I regret watching this for 3 years and having an obsession with it. I really don't think kids should see a show that encourages selfishness, self-pity, and disrespect to family in such a way.
My favorite show now is Sydney To The Max, and while Sydney disobeys her father for the first 3 episodes, she learns her lesson and her character (personality) improves. I can't say that for Harley and her siblings. If you want to see a great Disney show, see STTM instead.
I have rated the show a 1/10. That is not necessarily to cover the whole series, but rather a way to show my discouragement in seeing this. If you want to raise respectful, selfless kids, don't show them this Disney show.
I said that the show is sweet. But so is candy. Would you feed your kid candy repeatedly for 22 minutes numerous times? Well, there you go.
Reverse Recommendations (edited): Better Disney shows to kids would be the aforementioned Sydney To The Max, as well as Bunk'd, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, Ultra Violet and Black Scorpion, and The Villains of Valley View.
The show focuses on Harley Diaz, the 4th of 7 kids in a Latino family. She's an inventor and she always helps her family get through tough situations. Sounds sweet, right?
Well, yes, it is. But there are many elements the show has that, as a maturing adult, I can't stand for.
The first example is with Harley herself. In the opener episode, she says that she feels left out and overlooked since she is the middle kid. This is shown when she wants to give a speech at the park and her siblings have other events that same day.
By the end of the episode, she realizes that she is what brings the family together, and even though she misses her speech, she appreciates her family, and they eat donuts on a table that she invents.
Again, that's sweet. "I'm the middle child, but that brings us together." However, before you go "aww", note something else.
In an episode called "Stuck In The Diaz Awards", the family has an Oscar-type event awarding the best moments of the past year together. After the first round, Harley notices that she hasn't won any awards. She speaks to the camera often in the episodes, so she tells us that it's bothering her that she hasn't won an award.
Understandable, however she then tells us "But I don't want to be someone who's all 'Waaah! I don't win any awards! People want to vote for a winner, not a whiner." However, she continues to whine and pouts to us when her twin brothers win instead. All is well, though, because she ends up getting a bonus award that's the biggest award of all.
Earlier, in a Christmas special, she tells a mechanic that she feels sometimes like she is left out, and that made me think- Yeah, you DO feel that way, and then you realize how much your family loves you and you feel silly for feeling that way!
Finally, in the last episode, she has a big 15th birthday party and she notes that she finally realizes that her family loves her and that she is what puts the family together. Wait, that sounds familiar. Oh, yeah, she "learned" that in the beginning! Or not, apparently.
Her siblings aren't much better, apart from Georgie and Ethan. Harley's oldest sibling Rachel is very self absorbed and she literally only cares about other people when she wants to go out of the country for college. She insults her sibling's fashion and has a better-than-thou attitude about style, even to her mother, who only gives her nasty looks instead of reprimanding her.
Harley also has a little sister named Daphne, who suckers her siblings into doing whatever she wants. For example, in episode 2, everyone forgets Harley's birthday (and, by the way, she keeps it a secret to try to get a better car seat), and Daphne agrees to keep it a secret if Harley gives her the birthday money Grandma sent her in the mail.
Speaking of Georgie, there is an episode after the one where Rachel goes to college, and everyone expects Georgie to take charge the way Racheal did. Harley even trains her to do and say what Racheal would do. For example, how would Rachel react to Mom making tuna casserole for the 4th night in a row? (On another note, why do so many Disney shows make fun of Moms who are bad cooks?)
The kids also lie to their parents a lot and they don't get in trouble for it. In one episode, they let an exchange student sleep on their couch and hide it from them so they can buy a tablet. In another, they let a fisherman rent their house out for money for a trip to Hawaii, and they keep that from her. (Plus the Dad is in on that scheme!)
In an episode called "Stuck In A Waterpark", a similar thing occurs where the kids spend too much money and they have to hide that from the parents by entering a contest. I watched the premiere of that with a friend and he told me that he hated that aspect. Now I agree with him.
I could keep going, but you get the idea. To be honest, I regret watching this for 3 years and having an obsession with it. I really don't think kids should see a show that encourages selfishness, self-pity, and disrespect to family in such a way.
My favorite show now is Sydney To The Max, and while Sydney disobeys her father for the first 3 episodes, she learns her lesson and her character (personality) improves. I can't say that for Harley and her siblings. If you want to see a great Disney show, see STTM instead.
I have rated the show a 1/10. That is not necessarily to cover the whole series, but rather a way to show my discouragement in seeing this. If you want to raise respectful, selfless kids, don't show them this Disney show.
I said that the show is sweet. But so is candy. Would you feed your kid candy repeatedly for 22 minutes numerous times? Well, there you go.
Reverse Recommendations (edited): Better Disney shows to kids would be the aforementioned Sydney To The Max, as well as Bunk'd, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, Ultra Violet and Black Scorpion, and The Villains of Valley View.