Rewatching Lizzie McGuire as an Adult
BY CASSANDRA LITTLEWOOD ONLINE CONTRIBUTOR
I don’t remember a time in my early childhood where I wasn’t completely obsessed with Lizzie McGuire. When I wasn’t watching Lizzie fumble her way through her middle school I was listening to Hillary Duff”s (aka Lizzie, aka my queen) Metamorphosis on repeat. It cannot be argued that Hillary Duff did not own the early 2000’s.Fast forward to university, while watching Lizzie McGuire episodes when I was definitely supposed to be studying (hot tip: a lot of them are available on YouTube) I realized Lizzie was and still is an amazing role model who remains relatable and funny today.We see many Disney characters slip up throughout their adolescence. Lizzie is different from many because she’s not navigating situations that real-life people will never have to deal with, like being a wizard or a undercover teenage pop star. She’s just an average awkward girl trying to navigate the obstacles of middle school.
One of my favourite moments in the series is when Lizzie gets dumped by her first boyfriend Ronnie (who DID NOT deserve her, clearly). Specifically, when she cries to Gordo while comparing herself to Ronnie’s new GF, saying, “She’s probably prettier than me, she’s probably smarter than me.” Lizzie dealing with the self doubt that is common after any rejection-not just a break up- is the reason this scene still resonates with me today. It’s one of the most sincere moments in the show and depicts self doubt in a character that many looked up to growing up. It’s always encouraging to see that your heroes growing up have the same trials that you do.Not only does Lizzie find her way through relationships and drama of everyday life, she also just slips, falls and trips…a lot. I’ve noticed that Lizzie always accidentally walks into a locker door or trips over a garbage can (sometimes overly dramatically) but this further emphasizes that she is human! And imperfect! And it’s totally okay to be this way! Making mistakes is fine as long as you learn from them.
Lizzie provided a great example of a down to Earth heroine that doesn’t have to have it all together, all the time. She gets rejected, she has fights with her friends, she learns how to deal with confrontation and it’s so relatable at every turn.Plus, her bangs are so iconic, can this trend please come back??
