• Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
The Volante
  • Campus
  • Sports
  • Verve
  • Opinion
  • State/Local
The Volante
  • Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Kenny Ortega is a godOpinion
Home
Opinion

Kenny Ortega is a god

February 5th, 2021 Sophie Swanson Opinion comments

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Dirty Dancing. Newsies. Hocus Pocus. High School Musical 1, 2, and 3. Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour. Descendants 1, 2, and 3. High School Musical: The Musical the Series. New hit Netflix show Julie and the Phantoms. What do all of these things have in common? They were all directed by one man.

Kenny Ortega is the man behind the lens in all of these. Who holds that much talent in their brains? It should be illegal to be such a musical genius. And he’s still creating this content at 70 years old.

A large majority of us should really thank this man for giving us a childhood. I can distinctly remember learning the choreography to “We’re All in This Together” in my basement surrounded by 10 screaming girls who thought Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were endgame. The younger generation is now obsessed with his new work, including a reboot of High School Musical: The Musical the Series and Julie and the Phantoms.

I will now admit I am one of these obsessed kids. These shows hit. Kenny understands shows that celebrate diversity and inclusivity are becoming increasingly successful, for good reason, and he took the idea and ran with it.

For example, we all assume Ryan Evans from High School Musical was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Kenny Ortega just recently said in an interview that he wanted Ryan to be gay, but Disney was not ready to take that step with him yet (big shocker). In his most recent work, however, Kenny has put LGBTQ+ characters at the forefront, making sure that kids watching feel accepted and heard.

Furthermore, the music in these shows is godsent. I could listen to all of their albums over and over again. I don’t know what part Kenny Ortega plays in writing, recording, and editing the music, but I’m assuming it’s a big one, because only geniuses could think this stuff up.

Kenny also directs with purpose. He hits hard subjects in a way that kids can understand and learn from in a beneficial way. In Julie and the Phantoms, the plot is centered around losing a loved one and trying to heal from it. In High School Musical: The Musical the Series, a character deals with his mother leaving him and his dad.

Say it with me. Thank you, Kenny! Thank you for giving us and generations to come classic films and shows.

Post Views: 7

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Sophie Swanson

Related Posts

Opinion

Editorial: FAFSA, Too Complicated of a Process

Jan 31st, 20230
So many jobs require more than a high school diploma and with the constant cost increase for college,...
New Consumption Over Creation Phenomena Opinion
January 31st, 2023

New Consumption Over Creation Phenomena

The Bald Uakari is the Strangest Looking Monkey Opinion
January 31st, 2023

The Bald Uakari is the Strangest Looking Monkey

Facebook Comments

E-Edition

https://volanteonline.com/eedition/

For our online E-edition click here

Weather

February 2021
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
« Jan   Mar »
Read about: Best Detox Shampoos for Hair Drug Test and Synthetic Urine and Fake Pee manual
  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
  • Back to top

Stay Connected

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Submit an Overheard
  • Contact Us
  • Submit News Tips
  • Subscribe

About

  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
© The Volante 2015. All rights reserved.