When discussing the definition of beauty in today's society, thin, light-skinned, and long-haired are all words that fall nicely into the top five adjectives used. These beauty standards tend to be imprinted in the brains of children, teenagers, adults, Americans, Asians, Europeans, men, women, etc. all day, every day. These ideals are represented through television commercials, billboards, newspaper ads, and all other forms of media, such as Disney Channel programs. Behavioral norms are also an important topic represented in Disney Channel programs; these programs depict certain races, social classes, and genders as behaving in certain ways, some of which are sometimes stereotypical. These ideals are aimed at children who are “reaching an age where they are developing an awareness of self and comparing that self to ideals presented in the media” (Northup and Liebler 268). At what point do we ask by what standards this is normal? Should we continually live in this box of subjectivity and suffer while trying to reach this “standard”? Is this standard really a standard or a cultural norm? These depictions are said to shape children's behaviors and actions and influence their self-esteem and self-image, but this is not always true. Most children in today's society are mature enough to distinguish between television and reality. As a youngster, I remember watching the Disney Channel regularly; I remember the countless films from The Little Mermaid to Zenon. As a child, I saw the ideals presented, but I didn't recognize or understand the message that was being sent through the characters in these films. I didn't understand why I questioned my darker skin tone or my five foot frame or my tomboyish ways until I got to the end......middle of paper.... ..gro Education 75.3 (2005): 221-29. Network. September 30, 2013. Nealon, Jeffrey T. and Susan Searls Giroux. "Culture." The Theory Toolbox: Critical concepts for the humanities, arts, and social sciences. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 51-88. Print Nealon, Jeffrey T., and Susan Searls Giroux. "Subjectivity". The Theory Toolbox: Critical concepts for the humanities, arts, and social sciences. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 35-50. PrintNorthup, Temple, and Carol M. Liebler. "The good, the bad and the beautiful." Journal of Children and Media 4.3 (2010): 265-82. Network. September 30, 2013. Robinson, T., M. Callister, and T. Jankoski. “Representation of Body Weight in Children's Television Sitcoms: A Content Analysis.” Body Image 5.2 (2008): 141-51. Network. 30 September 2013.The proud family. Creator Bruce W. Smith. Disney Channel. DIS, Atlanta. 2001. Television.