Can you remember when you liked Raven-Symoné?
It was long before The View. Before she became best known for spouting wildly offensive and outlandish comments. All the way back in the early aughts.
Admit it: You loved Raven-Symoné. Or really, did you just love Raven Baxter?
Sure, she was psychic—and did that weird, lifeless gaze thing when she had a vision of the future—but she was just like us! Only funnier, with cooler everyday events, and a seemingly endless allowance for elaborate costumes and disguises.
It's been nine years since That's So Raven ended. But in its time on the air, That's So Raven was early 2000s comedy at its best. With a female lead who wasn't scared of pratfalls, fake mustaches, or even being a champion for body positivity.
With Freeform (the channel formerly known as ABC Family) reairing the show, in what can only be called a programming block built specially for millennial nostalgia, it's time to take a look back at the best That's So Raven moments of all time. Gaze into the past, and relive Raven-Symoné before the cray.
When We Met Boyz N Motion
That's So Raven aired just when America had reached peak boy band. Hence, Boyz N Motion. The episode's plot doesn't matter. All that matters: There are boys in motion, they twerk on stage, and Raven tries to pretend to be them. Also, there's a song called "When Bianca Says Run, You Run," which is the scariest/saddest bully song ever recorded.
That Time Raven Pretended To Be A Pop Star
"Does you know who I be? Does you listen to music? Do you watch TV? Do you carry a lunchbox?" If you answered yes to all of these questions, then no doubt you knew about Liz Anya. That's the pop-diva disguise Raven uses to try and save her dad's job. The bad news: That might be one of the best outfits from the show. The good news: Her dad's firing leads to the Chill Grill.
Every Time Raven Said "Oh Snap" Or "Ya Nasty"
It's a big deal to have a TV show. And it's an even bigger deal when that show creates memorable catchphrases. Now look, no one was walking down the street quoting Raven Baxter, but you knew every episode would include at least one quality shout of, "Ya nasty!" or "Oh snap! " Be honest: You know you still use this "Oh, snap! " gif, too.
That Time Raven Tackled Racism
This show wasn't always hilarious costumes and weird wigs. Sometimes it hit on major issues. In "True Colors," the Disney Channel actually tackled workplace discrimination. In the episode, a store manager hires an unqualified Chelsea rather than Raven. Chelsea wears a hidden camera and captures the manager saying,"I don't hire Black people," on tape. While everything ties up neatly in the end, it's still a big issue for a kids's show to cover.
That Time Raven Pretended To Be Her Mother
"Betrayed by the booty," might be one of the funniest lines ever made on the show. And that's thanks to the episode "Mother Dearest," in which Raven impersonates her mother for a parent-teacher conference. The end result? A woman who looks like a Prince fan heading to church. Loved you, Raven!
Every Time Raven Had A Vision
Gazing into the future never looked so uncomfortable. There are few things in life as hilarious as Raven Baxter's face when she had a vision. Also fun: Those top-notch Disney Channel wormhole special effects.
That Time She Pretended To Be A Plumber
Remember when Raven thought her best friends were hooking up? So she decided to spy on them and then pretend to be a plumber? It was the most ridiculous plotline, but worth it for the costume and the awkward drilling.
That Time Raven Was All About Body Positivity
When Raven wasn't fighting racism, she was busy calling out the modeling industry for pushing an unrealistic body image. In "That's So Not Raven," a magazine photoshops a model's body over Raven's. Her response? To walk the runway—in the clothes SHE designed—and give that negative magazine editor a booty bump. Get it, Raven!
That Time Raven Reminded Us She Was A Cheetah Girl
Sometimes Raven broke out into song and dance. Why? Just in case you forgot that Raven-Symoné once had a rap career (thanks to "Hip Hop Teddy Bear "), and was one-fourth of the Disney girl group The Cheetah Girls. "Shine" was especially important thanks to its message — which is: Raven will shine, duh — and her dance sequence, featuring pants fringed with giant pom-poms.
Every Time You Heard That Theme Song
"It's the future I can see!" In a world where TV show theme songs are limited to sad piano melodies or completely nonexistent, let's take a moment to appreciate the magic of the That's So Raven theme song. And, yup, that's Raven singing.
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