10 Times "That's So Raven" Highlighted Important Issues And Real Life Topics

I still wish the Baxters were my parents IRL.

That's So Raven was a children's show that aired on Disney Channel in the early 2000s. The show was different from others at the time, not just because the main character had powers, but because she was also a young woman of color (something that was missing from Disney's live-action shows).

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While nearly every episode challenged the usual norm seen on TV shows at the time, these are the 10 topics it especially highlighted:

1. Representing a minority family on Disney Channel.

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That's So Raven was one of the first Disney Channel shows to represent a minority family, not only that, but they represented a Black family in a way that did not include the usual stereotypes that were so predominant in media at the time. At the time the show was first released in 2003, there were just a handful of other shows that offered representation on the platform, and that is partially why the show was, and still is, favored by its audience. 

2. Having a strong young woman of color as the main character.

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Raven Baxter, the main character, is a teenager who always has silly adventures with her best friends, Eddie and Chelsea. Raven, a young black woman does not follow or display certain stereotypes usually portrayed by Black women in the media. She doesn't play the tough or angry side character, yet she does play a teenager just acting true to herself and owning her personality. This set an example for the younger audience of the show, as it showed that you don't have to fall into a stereotype and those stereotypes do not define who you are. In addition to that, Raven has goals of going into the fashion industry and breaking the stereotypes and standards within it. She is a leading character with her own story. At the time and still to this day, it was/is more rare to see an actor who's a person of color play the main character with their own storyline and interests.

3. Storylines that showed girls and women having goals, power, and success.

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That's So Raven really rejects the trend of how female characters are traditionally treated in shows. Rather than making Raven just care about "girl power" and femininity, they show that she's an ambitious young woman who wants to make it in her field and also enjoys glamor and fashion. It sends the message that girls can have both success and style. Usually boys in TV shows are empowered with messages of power, action, and success, but Raven is proof that girls can have those things, too!

4. Targeting body image and beauty standards.

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Women in the media have always been held to certain standards, some of which include body image and “the beauty standard." While this is now changing and improving with more inclusivity, there wasn't always representation of others who didn't quite land in the same categories. In the episode “That’s So Not Raven” (Season 2, Episode 11), Raven enters her clothing design into a magazine competition, and when she becomes a finalist, she realizes they photoshopped her to make her look thinner in the magazine. After confronting the chief and editor, they told her she didn't have “the look." The “look” consisted of being very thin, and after Raven realized that's not the only look, she wore her dress on the runway, proving that people are beautiful no matter their shape or size. It also showed that there are more than one body type, and that the “beauty standard” is unrealistic for everyone.

5. Addressing racism in the workplace.

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In the episode “True Colors” (Season 3, Episode 10), Raven and Chelsea decide they want to get jobs in retail. When they went into the interview, Raven knew more about fashion than Chelsea and had a better interview, however, Chelsea got the job instead. After having a vision, Raven sees the manager saying “I don't hire Black people." With the help of her family and friends, they were able to expose the racism of the manager and the store. This episode represented something that many minorities have faced in the workplace, and it offered a teachable moment to its younger audience about discrimination.

6. Peer pressure and the heavy consequences of it.

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Many lessons about "doing the right" thing are also incorporated into the show. For instance, when Cory, Raven's little brother, thinks he needs to steal in order to be friends with the popular kids. After stealing a keychain, Cory begins to feel extreme guilt, so he decides to return it to the store and do the right thing. After doing so, the “cool” group of friends who peer pressured him into stealing, get caught by the police. Having this storyline in the show allowed for younger audiences to see a different perspective on the topic of peer pressure, and that it's more than okay to not allow yourself to be influenced by it.

7. Addressing underage smoking.

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The episode about Corey being suspected of smoking was something very new to Disney Channel. While That's So Raven had already been tackling important issues that teenagers face everyday, the topic of smoking was something not seen before on a Disney Channel show. In the episode, Raven finds a pack of cigarettes under Corey's bed, however, they belong to his girlfriend and she reveals she's doing it because of peer pressure. This episode was designed to be both educational and entertaining, providing a fun way for younger viewers to learn.

8. Hazing in schools and groups.

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The importance of self-love and self-worth is a common theme within the show. When Eddie decided he wanted to join a group of "cool guys", the group assumed he was a "ladies man" since he mainly hung out with Raven and Chelsea. Eddie, however, did not fit the stereotypical masculine character who saw women as objects or accessories. He presented a more modern masculinity, while the guys of the group didn't. After being “hazed” by the group and being made to carry their stuff, clean for them, and other tedious tasks, Eddie realized he wouldn't want to be friends with them in the end.

9. Non-stereotypical friend group roles.

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In general, the dynamic of the friendship between Raven, Eddie, and Chelsea offers a great example of an equal friend group. Made up of two young women and one guy, with Raven being the lead figure, the friendship and group defies normal gender roles. 

10. And having unique personalities that define the characters.

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That's So Raven offered a wide range of characters all with different personalities. Raven is someone who loves fashion and she is passionate about becoming successful and achieving her goals. While her best friend Chelsea is the same, she pursues that passion through environmentalism. The show doesn’t follow the “model minority” writing, because they made each character who they are based around their personality. It allowed the characters to not be defined by their looks, but rather who they are on the inside.