Let’s be real: Nickelodeon, especially Teen Nick, always reigned superior to Disney. While conventional wisdom would say Disney was more popular, that doesn’t mean it was more loved.
Looking back to when I was very young, nothing compared to the entertainment of shows on Nickelodeon and Teen Nick. Disney never had the holy trinity of “iCarly,” “Sam & Cat,” and “Victorious.” Those were spectacular examples of shows that changed pop culture and shaped my personality. The creativity of the writing and the near-constant laughing was a characteristic that Disney just couldn’t match.
Laughing at shows on Nickelodeon didn’t require a laugh track because it was funny in the first place. Shows like “Spongebob Squarepants” gave me a taste of adult humor, something Disney would never do and could never match. Nickelodeon was adventurous, risky and innovative. Disney was bland, boring and basic.
Nickelodeon tackled mature subjects in a direct way, such as showing different family dynamics in “iCarly” and the troubles of being a teenager in “Sam & Cat;” Disney barely did that. Nickelodeon also had imaginative, wild game shows that Disney didn’t even attempt. These game shows and the mature subjects were a part of one of Nickelodeon’s prime successes: appealing to all ages and audiences. Teen Nick was way more intriguing than Disney, which often catered to the youngest of the young. Nickelodeon had something for babies, toddlers, teens, and yes, even some adults. “Nick at Nite” allowed adults to watch their favorite sitcoms like “Friends.” The diversity of the programming offered at Nickelodeon was out of this world.
The difference in characters on Nickelodeon compared to Disney was also a huge factor in why Nickelodeon was better. Disney characters felt whiny and spoiled. They were often disrespectful and set poor examples. But Nickelodeon characters were more realistic. They were caring, responsible human beings who were way more relatable and set good examples.
I remember my sister would often develop an attitude from characters on Disney shows, like Emma Ross from “Jessie.” But when we would watch Nickelodeon, she would become sweet like Cat Valentine from “Victorious.” Media have an impact on how kids act, and I feel as though Nickelodeon had a better impact on kids as opposed to Disney.
Don’t get me wrong, Disney had good content, too. Disney aired way more movies, especially original ones, than Nickelodeon ever did. Outside of TV, Disney’s movies that aired in theaters were also generally good. Disney had better leadership compared to the accusations of mistreatment Nickelodeon leadership had against them. Disney also did a good job at having a good spread of live-action and animated content. But I never got the same spark of enjoyment from Disney as I did from watching Nickelodeon, which is why I will always stand by my opinion that it reigns supreme to Disney.
