In many ways, the Disney Channel animated series, Kim Possible, was ahead of its time. Kim was girly and pretty, and faced the same problems every basic average high-schooler must face—but that didn’t take away from the fact that she was saving the world on a weekly basis.
When I was little, a show about girls saving the world was exactly what I needed. Maybe that’s the reason I still fondly remember the series as one of the best the children’s shows the Disney Channel has ever created.
Nearly 20 years later, here are the things about Kim Possible that I still think about to this day.
(Image credit: Disney)
“Call Me, Beep Me” Is The Best Theme Song Of All Time
Kim’s ringtone could wake me from a coma. The iconic theme song for Kim Possible was recorded by Christina Milian, who shared in a 2015 interview with Vice that “[she] never realized the show would give [her] so much exposure.” If you’ve forgotten the song, it really is still a bop:
The song was track #1 on Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 5 and played endlessly on Radio Disney, making it a childhood anthem for Disney kids everywhere.
(Image credit: Disney)
Girls Run The Show
Kim Possible was a strong female role model for little girls who watched the show—but the entire series is filled with women who are smart, badass, and arguably more intelligent than their male counterparts.
Take for example Kim’s main nemesis, Drakken (voiced by John DiMaggio, who also voiced Bender on Futurama, despite his absence from the upcoming revival of the show). He’s utterly incompetent without the assistance of his parner-in-crime, Shego, a superhuman villain with the power of glowing energy that radiates from her hands.
And, while Ron is a loyal sidekick to Kim, she often has to save him in the midst of fighting evil. His last name is literally Stoppable. Don’t get it twisted—the girls of Kim Possible outshine the boys in every way.
(Image credit: Disney)
Everyone Needs Parents As Supportive As Dr. And Dr. Possible
Speaking of strong female role models, Kim’s mother (voiced by Jean Smart, the star of one of HBO’s best comedies, Hacks) is a neurosurgeon. Not to be overlooked is her father (voiced by Gary Cole), a rocket scientist.
Kim’s parents are supportive of her endeavors, whether she’s fighting evil or cheerleading. They respect her decisions and view her as a person who is capable of making those decisions.
Even though Kim’s dangerous adventures take her around the globe, there’s nothing a little fatherly motivation can’t help—her dad’s mantra, “Nothing is impossible for a Possible,” applies to saving the world from super villains as much as it applies to passing a pesky math test or dealing with a high school bully.
(Image credit: Disney)
Why Was Bonnie So Mean?
Bonnie Rockwaller is one of Kim’s teammates on the cheerleading squad. Kim is the team captain, which is the main source of Bonnie’s animosity towards her.
I get that Bonnie is meant to represent the evil that Kim has to combat in her regular life, but I’m confused. Kim never had a secret identity—it’s common knowledge at school that she saves the world and fights villains. So why doesn’t Bonnie show her some respect?!
If I had to name one gripe with Kim Possible, it would be the cattiness between Bonnie and Kim. I wish the writers could have found a way to give Kim teenage conflicts without pitting the two girls against each other.
(Image credit: Disney)
Cartoon Nachos Never Looked So Delicious
One of the most popular spots to hang out in Middleton is Bueno Nacho, a Mexican restaurant with a signature sombrero-shaped roof. If you ever played the Disney.com game, Bueno Rufus, on an empty stomach, you’ll understand why I wanted to eat there so badly.
The chips looked so crunchy. The salsa looked so chunky. The cheese looked so cheesy. The Naco looked….alright, the Naco looked slightly less appetizing. However, if you’re a fan of the YouTube series Binging With Babish, chef Andrew Rea created a real-life version of the Naco you can make at home:
You want one. Don’t deny it. Never before has a cartoon inspired such delicious-looking real life cuisine!
(Image credit: Disney)
Is It Just Me Or Did Kim And Shego Have A Lot Of…Tension
Okay, bear with me. Shego has superhuman powers and can burn through steel with minimal effort. So…why doesn’t she ever kill Kim?
I’m not alone in this theory—many Kim Possible fans have theorized that Kim and Shego are queer-coded. They certainly never share a kiss or talk to each other romantically, but their fight scenes feel a lot more like Batman and Catwoman than Batman and The Joker.
Also, Shego got her powers when she was hit by a rainbow comet….that’s as queer-coded as it gets in my opinion.
(Image credit: Disney)
Is It Even Legal To Keep A Naked Mole Rat As A Pet?
OK, I did the research. It’s not technically illegal to own a naked mole rat in the state of Colorado (where Kim and Ron live), but it’s also not recommended. Thankfully, Rufus isn’t your basic, average mole rat.
Ron’s pet, Rufus, frequently assists in Kim and Ron’s missions. If you need someone to chew through a wire or climb into a small space, Rufus is your guy. He’s also the only naked mole rat in existence to have a theme song:
Rufus’ signature squeaks and chirps were voiced by Daytime Emmy nominee Nancy Cartwright, who’s most famous for her work as the voice of Bart on The Simpsons. She helped give all of his sounds enough personality to show that keeping Rufus as a pet was essentially like having a really smart dog around.
(Image credit: Disney)
The Kiss At The End Of Kim Possible: So The Drama Changed My Life
At the end of the second Kim Possible movie, Kim and Ron kiss for the first time at prom. I was seven when Kim Possible: So The Drama premiered on the Disney Channel, so that kiss was without a doubt the most sensual thing I had ever seen in my young life.
It’s a great cartoon kiss, and while I definitely wanted Kim to kiss other characters in the series (see the Shego section), it was a fitting end to Kim and Ron’s will they/won’t they relationship.
Episodes of Kim Possible, including the Disney Channel original movies Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time and Kim Possible: So The Drama, are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. (There’s also a live-action Kim Possible movie that premiered in 2019, but maybe don’t watch it. It’s incredibly disappointing for OG fans.)
