The Disney Channel Mount Rushmore Is Up For Debate
Which four stars belong on the iconic network's monument?
Design: YourTango | Photos: DFree, Tinseltown, Fred Duval from Shutterstock George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt — it’s these hallowed faces that make up the actual Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. Each of these men made important contributions to the United States.
But the question of the moment has nothing to do with American history. People online are debating which four stars belong on Disney Channel's hypothetical Mount Rushmore. Who made the greatest contributions to the television network that raised 2000s kids across the globe?
People online are debating who belongs on the Disney Channel Mount Rushmore
The conversation began with a post on X from the account Complex Pop Culture. The media outlet suggested that Disney Channel’s Mount Rushmore should be made up of Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Zendaya.
Each of these four multi-hyphenate child stars got their big breaks on Disney Channel, where they were featured in multiple shows and films. Raven-Symoné, of course, played the titular character in "That’s So Raven," and also starred in "The Cheetah Girls" franchise. Cyrus was famed for playing the iconic role of Hannah Montana. Gomez starred in "Wizards of Waverly Place" and films like "Princess Protection Program." Lastly, Zendaya was a part of "Shake It Up" and "K.C. Undercover."
Each of these women has, of course, gone on to have very successful careers after their time at the Disney Channel, cementing their status as pop culture icons. However, many online disagreed with this lineup, and the debate took off all over the internet, with posts gaining popularity on X, TikTok, and in Reddit's r/DisneyChannel forum.
People online highlighted other stars who they believe deserve a place on Disney Channel’s Mount Rushmore
While any of these women would have a strong claim to the position, several people who commented on the Reddit post felt that one very important person was being overlooked: Hilary Duff.
“Not having Hilary there, the pioneer that she was, is criminal,” one person wrote. Another user added, “In my honest opinion, it’s Hilary, Raven, Selena, and Miley.”
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Commenters were quick to point out that Duff was one of the first Disney Channel stars to make a career out of both acting and singing, and that she played the iconic role of Lizzie McGuire in a television series and movie. She also starred in other projects like "Cadet Kelly" and "A Cinderella Story."
Still, many made strong arguments for other Disney Channel stars, such as Ashley Tisdale, Brenda Song, and Demi Lovato.
"Ashley Tisdale helped carry Disney Channel for a decade straight," one commenter insisted. "She had [big roles] in arguably the greatest Disney show ("The Suite Life of Zack & Cody"), arguably the greatest Disney film series ("High School Musical"), and arguably the greatest Disney animated show ("Phineas and Ferb").
Several people took issue with the inclusion of Zendaya, who they didn’t feel belonged on a Disney Channel Mount Rushmore. “Zendaya is big, yes, but I wouldn’t necessarily equate her to a Disney empress,” one person argued. “From my perspective (born 1992), Zendaya’s mainstream success came from Spider-Man,” someone else wrote.
Disney Channel has spawned a lot of stars, making it difficult to unanimously agree on a Mount Rushmore.
While many people partaking in this debate were more focused on 2000s-era Disney Channel, other stars got their start on the network before then. "The All New Mickey Mouse Club" ran from 1989 to 1996 and helped launch the careers of big names like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, and Justin Timberlake.
Still, the argument could be made that these stars used Disney Channel as a launching pad and did little to contribute to the overall culture of the network itself, like the aforementioned actors did.
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If one uses money as an indicator of success, the four faces on Disney Channel’s Mount Rushmore would be made up of Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Nick Jonas, and Demi Lovato, according to Just Jared.
In reality, each former Disney Channel fan likely has their own four people that they believe belong on Mount Rushmore. Given the longevity of the network, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever unanimously agree on who those four people should be.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
