Forget about politics. There’s a new burning question that our generation needs to address: What’s better, Disney Channel or Nickelodeon?

You get the best of both worlds with Disney

As we grow older and begin to stress about the SAT and college applications, we also begin to reminisce about the comforts of our past. Personally, I look back on the glory days of Disney Channel.
After a long, exhausting day of fifth grade multiplication charts, I would come home, slump down on the couch, and watch the latest episode of “Phineas and Ferb.” I find comfort and serenity in these memories, and I am not the only one.
“Disney had heart to it. There was more of a family vibe,” said Sydney Pursley (’19). “I used to sit down and watch it with my family.” Pursley considers herself to be on Team Disney, opposed to the Nickelodeon counterpart.
Nickelodeon just doesn’t cut it. The shows lack originality, as many of them were produced by the same person, Dan Schneider, and they are deprived of the drama and humor that Disney Channel exemplified.
“I’m Team Disney, most definitely,” said Social Studies teacher Nicole Maffei, who grew up with shows like “Lizzie McGuire” and “Even Stevens.” “They showed a family, and my brother and I growing up were super close and it reminded me of us.”
Obviously, Disney Channel runs Nickelodeon out of the park in the family aspect. However, there is more than just a warm fuzzy feeling when watching these shows.
“[‘Suite Life’] is the bomb,” said Marquise Burgess (’18), an avid Team Disney member. “And while watching ‘Hannah Montana,’ I would sing along to the songs because I used to think they were really good.”
Disney is known for its musical masterpieces in both the animation and sitcom departments. It is safe to assume that most people will recognize the tune “We’re All in This Together” from Disney Channel’s original movie “High School Musical.”
Not only does Disney have better content, Nickelodeon has an overwhelming amount of cons compared to Disney.
Disney Channel shows are known to go on for many seasons and years, however, Nickelodeon series have been abruptly cancelled on multiple occasions.
“What happened to “Sam and Cat”?” Burgess asked.
Unfortunately, the series was suddenly canceled before the conclusion of the first season because of salary disputes with Nickelodeon, the surfacing of racy images from Jennette McCurdy, and conflicts between McCurdy and co-star Ariana Grande, according to Hannah Orenstein of Seventeen.com.
The weird and creepy vibes of Nickelodeon must be addressed as well.
“I wasn’t allowed to watch “CatDog” because it wasn’t a creation of god,” said Maffei. For those who don’t know, “CatDog” involved an odd character that was half cat and half dog, which personally gave me an unsettling feeling.
Disney Channel has just the right amount of drama and humor that a child needs in order to stay entertained. Nickelodeon lacks the content, originality, and imagination that Disney obviously excels in.

Michael, I ain’t calling you a truther…Nick brings nostalgia
Looking back at our childhood, we remember running around playing with our friends, exploring the depths of our backyards, and slumping down on the couch to watch our generations’ classics.
There’s nothing bad to say about Nickelodeon. The Zoey and Chase chemistry seen on “Zoey 101” never ceased to keep us hooked, while we still laugh at the ridiculousness of “The Amanda Show.”
The great thing about Nick was that there was no main plot you had to follow, like in most Disney shows. You could just turn on Nick and choose a random show to watch and not be confused, while if you were to put on “Wizards of Waverly Place,” you would need to be updated on the current Alex dating situation.
And you can’t forget about “iCarly.” Seeing Spencer randomly bring home an ostrich never even fazed us, because by that point we were immune to the unique weirdness of Nick.
“I love ‘iCarly.’ I was so sad when it got cancelled,” Molly Szymanski (’20) said. Seeing Megan and Crazy Steve from “Drake and Josh” progress into Carly and Spencer was something to keep us watching and laughing through our childhood.
Now don’t get me wrong, Disney was good. But nothing can compare to the excitement when you saw 20 of the “Spongebob Squarepants” episodes that helped to define Nick.
Nick advocate, Jeremy Green (’17) describes “Spongebob” as “one of the most quotable TV shows of all time.”
This is absolutely true. “Spongebob” quotes always pull through.
Does your leg hurt?
“My leg!”
Having a rough day at school?
Just raise your hand and ask “Can I be excused for the rest of my life?”
Have self-confidence issues? Tell yourself “I’m ugly and I’m proud.”
The main reason why Nick has stuck in our hearts all these years is because it was familiar. When we were growing up, we wanted to sit down and laugh, and not sit down and worry about the drama that appeared on Disney shows. We reminisce about the days when we heard those cheesy theme songs that told us it was time to bring our armful of snacks back to the couch so we could tune in and laugh away our fifth grade troubles.
All in all, Nick beats Disney. It’s funnier and it defines our generation.