Top 10 Times Lizzie McGuire Tackled Serious Issues
#10: First Heartbreak
“First Kiss”
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Ah, young love, it’s such an exciting part of growing up. But it often seems to end in heartbreak. Lizzie hits a milestone by getting her first boyfriend. Like every adolescent romance, her and paper boy Ronnie’s relationship is full of mushy PDA and sweet gestures. She even gets her first major kiss — if you exclude that Aaron Carter peck! Unfortunately, that little love bubble pops when he decides to break things off. Lizzie is obviously crushed, and we watch and accompany her throughout the healing process. Many viewers could probably relate to feeling that overwhelming sadness for the first time. The episode holds nothing back, giving us a condensed reenactment of this major rite of passage.
#9: Having a Job
“Working Girl”
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Being a teenage girl is expensive! The pressure to avoid being an “outfit repeater” alone is enough to make you overspend on the latest pair of hip huggers. When the McGuires refuse to increase Lizzie’s allowance, she takes matters into her own hands and applies to work at the Digital Bean. It’s a look at what happens when one suddenly has responsibilities other than meeting up at the local spot after school. Lizzie quickly realizes how difficult having a job actually is. Although things don’t work out, she gains a deeper understanding of what goes into earning money. Gordo has to learn all about finances later in the series too, when he finds what he thinks is a magical shortcut: a credit card!
#8: Standing Up for a Friend
“In Miranda Lizzie Does Not Trust”
In this episode, a trip to the mall turns into a moral dilemma. When Miranda is accused of stealing a lipstick, she pleads for her friends to back her innocence. However, Lizzie initially questions her story. This turns into an interesting split between what’s objectively right or wrong, and it goes beyond shoplifting. The two have to grapple with concepts of honesty, trust, and what it means to be a good friend. Yes, Miranda is innocent of stealing the makeup, and she and Lizzie ultimately make things right. But the ordeal brings important questions of morality to the fore. In doing so, it addresses the importance of having friends who’ll believe you’re telling the truth, and have your back when you’re in trouble.
#7: First Bra
“Between a Rock and a Bra Place”
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Growing up comes with some uncomfortable and often taboo firsts. But “Lizzie McGuire” worked to lessen the stigma surrounding the process. Our titular character and Miranda are ready to purchase their first bras. We see the girls struggle with Mrs. McGuire’s involvement, and watch as they cringe through the department store experience. Those of us who have gone through it know that nothing can really prepare you for how awkward and confusing it can feel. But through this episode, we see that this is a universal experience, and it’s normal! This moment stuck with many viewers, touching on a big life event and reminding us that it’s okay to get guidance from someone who’s been there!
#6: Being Yourself
“Just Friends”
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You know when you like someone and you really want them to like you back? Well, this episode shows us how easy it is to take it too far when trying to get your crush’s attention. Lizzie has been into heartthrob Ethan Craft for ages. But he doesn’t want to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with her. So she takes a drastic approach to get his attention, changing her appearance and feigning interest in his favorite things. And yet he still doesn’t want to date her. It’s easy to get caught up in what society or our peers deem as desirable. But Lizzie’s experience proves that there’s zero reason to compromise who we are in a bid to force a connection that isn’t there.
#5: Defying Gender Stereotypes
“One of the Guys”
With the help of some school activities, Lizzie finds she’s actually quite the athlete! And the guys admire her strength and agility. She even joins them for some flag football, where she makes the game-winning tackle. But things become a little muddy when she starts being treated as just one of the guys. It freaks her out, as she’s worried about how it’ll affect her romantic prospects. And we see her grappling with the boxes that society puts men and women into. In a time when gender and sex had concrete assignments, this sort of blurred the lines of femininity and masculinity for tweens and teens. Lizzie comes to see that she can, indeed, embrace all the different sides of herself.
#4: Respecting Different Cultures
“Night of the Day of the Dead”
The series’ holiday episodes were always top tier, and this Halloween one was no exception. What made it extra special was that it introduced celebrating from a different cultural perspective. Miranda brings up the idea of incorporating elements from the Día de los Muertos - or Day of the Dead. But she is rudely and abruptly shut down by Kate. Thankfully, the rest of the class supports the idea. While the episode serves as a minor scare for viewers, it also lays out some baseline knowledge of the Mexican holiday. It may be a little hokey to scare someone based on contrived ideas about the Day of the Dead. But it ultimately gets the point across that we should be open to others’ cultures and traditions.
#3: Insecurities & Puberty
“Gordo's Bar Mitzvah”
Getting older is always a little awkward. Maybe your friend group is evolving, or your angsty attitude is making you fight with your parents. Either way, it can be an uphill battle. We’ve seen the woes of being a teenage girl, but now we get to see the more unsung insecurities of a boy who hasn’t hit puberty yet. Gordo thinks he isn’t “becoming a man” at the same rate as his peers, and tries to do things to make him feel like one. But none really work, until he decides to have his Bar Mitzvah, even though he’s no longer thirteen. It lets boys and men know that there’s no timeline they have to stick to, and spotlights a beautiful tradition.
#2: Gossiping
“Rumors”
How does that saying go: “sticks and stones may break my bones…”? Middle school has its fair share of cattiness, but sometimes it can be quite harmful. Lizzie is upset that Kate made the cheerleading squad, and takes out her frustration with a juvenile joke. She’s just messing around with Miranda. But the latter character inadvertently sends the message out to everyone, and initially covers for our protagonist as the story spreads. The episode shows the pain that comes with gossiping, and introduces the issue of body shaming. We see the school’s mean girl get ridiculed, and retaliate. Things get out of hand, shining a light on the vicious cycle of speaking out of anger, and the importance of owning your mistakes.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Privacy, “Gordo’s Video”
Gordo Secretly Tapes His Classmates Secretly to Embarrass Them Publicly, but Conceals Their Identities
Lying, “Rated Aargh”
The Gang Lies to Their Parents to Go See an R-Rated Movie
Copycat, “Just Like Lizzie”
Things Get Scary When a Girl Tries to Take Over Lizzie’s Life
Bad Influences, “Bad Girl McGuire”
Lizzie Learns That Hanging With a Bad Crowd Isn’t All Fun & Games
Wanting to Be More Than Friends, “Bye Bye Hillridge Junior High”
Gordo’s Feelings for Lizzie Are Given Center Stage
#1: Eating Disorders
“Inner Beauty”
Many people will experience body issues in their lifetime, with a lot of that negative thinking stemming from adolescent experiences. When Miranda sees a photograph of herself, she becomes self-conscious about her body. It starts with some negative comments, and the behavior quickly turns more dangerous. She becomes increasingly conscious of what she’s consuming, and stops eating regularly. She gets to a point where she even becomes faint. Thankfully, her friends realize something is deeply wrong, and are there for her. With their help, she sees that she overdid it, and bounces back. Granted, it’s not that simple for most people to overcome an eating disorder. But “Lizzie McGuire” showed just how easy – and harmful – it is to fall into these thought patterns.
