It’s pahhhhttty time! And also time to make the Disney Company even richer.

Because kids are growing up way too fast these days, our 4- and 9-year-olds are joining the ranks of crying, love-sick tween girls in anticipation of High School Musical 2, debuting tomorrow on Disney Channel.

It’s hard to believe there is any money out there that Disney doesn’t already have, but you have to give credit where credit is due — they know how to pick attractive theater geeks and write catchy tunes, combined with blitz marketing schemes that span their many TV shows and turn robotic teens with mediocre singing and acting skills into franchise juggernauts.

If you haven’t heard that Corbin Bleu has, like, the coolest hair and that Zac Efron is dreamy, then your kids are too little to be in the know or too old to be so dorky. I cannot escape the dorkiness however, so our Tivo is set.

The cast of “HSM: 2″ gaying it up

If you don’t believe me, chew on these stats:

7 million: Dollars budgeted for “High School Musical 2″ (the original was made for $4.2 million).

2,000: U.S. schools and community theaters that have licensed to do “HSM” stage productions.

100 +:Countries in which “HSM” has been televised.

42: Cities visited on the sold-out “HSM” concert tour.

18: Age of Corbin Bleu, the youngest member of the cast.

9: New songs featured in the sequel.

2: Emmy Awards won by “HSM” (best children’s program and best choreography).

1: The ranking held by the “HSM” soundtrack in album sales for 2006 (3.7 million units sold).

Please don’t tell me I’m alone in having to listen to this crap, at least in the background while I write blog posts.

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