The Rutbreakers: "Kids Incorporated" and the Disney Pipeline of Doom

Every once in a while, I get in a rut. I keep looking at or thinking about the same old things. The same clips on YouTube, the same fanfictions, etc. Usually what breaks me out of said rut is either a completely new topic of which I know little, yet fascinates me or a return to something that I have not looked at in a very long time. In this case this is something that I knew existed but really didn't know anything about. I have decided to write about some of these under the umbrella title "The Rutbreakers".

I have been on an 80s music kick of late, listening to certain songs from Chicago, Mike and the Mechanics (which might have become m second favorite band), Phil Collins and the Go-Go's. Why? Well I like the music. It sounds nicer to me. Sue me. Anyway, I was looking for cover versions of these songs to try and expand the possibilities when I came across a link of some cover versions that were done on a show called "Kids Incorporated"

Now, to this point, I knew very little about this program. The outside edge of knowledge that I knew about this was that one of the cast members of this show was one Stacy Ferguson, who eventually rose to fame alongside the Black Eyed Peas as Fergie. So I assumed that there was singing involved in the program because of her involvement. And I was proven correct.  I began to look into these covers.  But as Lewis Black would say, "Then things got strange"

I saw this cover of Belinda Carlisle's hit "Heaven is a Place on Earth"

I have no words for this. None.

The picture says it all. The girl who eventually become Fergie hugging what appears to be a green ball with a moustache. This green ball, who is probably an alien giving the context of the song, then is green screened flying off with the kids waving at what was probably a tennis ball or a light marked spot.

And yet, it fascinated me a bit. So, given my methods, I looked into this program. It aired from 84-92, first in syndication and then on the Disney Channel. In addition to Fergie, the singer Martika, whose hit "Toy Soldiers" plays in our store a lot, and Jennifer Love Hewitt also appeared on this show.

And that got me thinking again.

The Disney Channel, for years has been a pipeline for young girls and young boys to make it in the business. What learning about this show told me was that this "pipeline of doom"stretched further than I could have thought. It essentially, in the sense of the Disney Channel itself, started with these 3 girls, then went to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake on The New Mickey Mouse Club, then Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale, Shia LaBeouf, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Debby Ryan,  etc.

It's a never ending pipeline of young stars who eventually break down or use drugs in some fashion. 

I was happy ( in terms of finding a pattern only) that Fergie did have drug problems in the 90s, which delayed her career. 

It's almost as if the Disney Channel is like a farm team for the majors and when you reach a certain age, you graduate the farm and move onto the next level. And apparently the farm team doesn't really mention the dangers of drug use, considering so many of them do.

Anyway, that's my ramble on this topic. I still dont know why I find it fascinating though? Is it seeing the young starlets and knowing the future, is it the Barney-like effects and plots, is it the music? I don't know. All I know is that it revved my mental juices and got me out of a bit of a rut. And for that I thank it.

What do you think?