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historyhermann · 1 year

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The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 2 Review

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is a coming-of-age animated sitcom and adventure by Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, two well-known producers. It is a revival and soft reboot of The Proud Family, a classic Disney series by Smith which aired in the early 2000s. This review will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the twenty-third article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on February 13, 2023.

This animated series centers on Penny Proud (voiced by Kyla Pratt), a 16-year-old Black girl in the town of Smithville. She attempts to navigates her home life, filled the antics off her father, Oscar (voiced by Tommy Davidson), who owns a failing snack business, her mother, Trudy (voiced by Paula Jai Parker), a well-off veterinarian, her grandmother, Suga Mama (voiced by Jo Marie Payton), and her two siblings, Bebe and Cece. At high school, she has four friends-of-sorts: Michael Collins, Dijonay Jones, Zoey Howser, and LaCienega Boulevardez. They are voiced by EJ Johnson, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, and Alisa Reyes respectfully. All the while, two new kids, Maya and KG, raised by two dads (Barry and Randall), try to adapt to their new life in Smithville.

The show's first season broke ground for featuring openly gay characters, unlike in the original series, such as Michael, who is also gender non-conforming. His voice actor even considered gender transition. This character is joined by an interracial couple: Barry and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins, who voiced by two gay actors (Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter). They are the adopted fathers of Maya and Francis "KG", voiced by Keke Palmer and "A Boogie" Dubose. Palmer previously voiced Izzy Hawthorne in Lightyear, a lesbian character who has a wife named Alisha. She has also stated that she does not want her sexuality to be defined by labels and that people should be fluid when giving themselves labels.

The series has been swept in the culture wars, with claims it is promoting the "gay agenda" or is "anti-White". In reality, there are various White characters, including Zoey and Barry, and often promotes themes of racial togetherness, rather than division. Additionally, Michael is the only protagonist in the series who is part of the LGBTQ community. Barry, Randall, and Makeup Boy (voiced by Bretman Rock), with the latter beginning to date Michael later in the second season, are only recurring characters. In fact, Penny and Dijonay both have boyfriends, Darrius St. Vil (voiced by Chance the Rapper) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown (voiced by Asante Blackk), by the end of the season. Furthermore, Zoey is sweet on Myron (voiced by Marcus T. Paulk), and Maya romantically connects with one of the Chang Triplets, Billy.

Like the original The Proud Family, the series is not neutral when it comes to politics. It often focuses on racial injustice, whether noting past bans on interracial marriage, reparations, prejudice of Black people toward White people, anti-Black racism, sexism, or White skin privilege. This is interwoven with an emphasis on the importance of Black history, friendship, family, indigenous rights, harmonious neighbors, paying people fairly, respecting people for who they are, going beyond the color of their skin, and the folly of celebrity worship. Many books are name-dropped throughout the series, like Africans and Native Americans, as are the names of intellectuals such as Michelle Alexander, Robin DiAngelo, Elizabeth Acevedo, Leslie T. Chang, Saeed Jones, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Many of these names are displayed during the English class taught by Kwame (voiced by Leslie Odom, Jr.).

Similar to season one, the second season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder provides more background about the characters, whether about Suga Mama's short-lived romance with an indigenous cowboy named Quanah (voiced by Wes Studi), and how Barry and Randall met, or the history of the Soul Vibrations band composed of Oscar and his brothers, and Giselle. As Penny says, in one episode, "you can't know yourself unless you know where you come from". This interconnected with the meaningful, and well-done, episode in which Bebe is diagnosed with autism, with the Proud family trying to figure out what to do with him, and coming to accept him, even if he requires more attention from them.

Other episodes focus on family conflict and fissures between friends, and neighbors, all of which are resolved before the end of each episode. This includes an episode when everyone is enamored with LaCienega's uncanny athletic ability (because of her big feet) and realize they have gone into a frenzy, another about Oscar, Felix, Puff, and Suga Mama fighting one another in an absurd parody of TV court shows, and one in which animals protest the awful Proud Snacks created by Oscar Proud. One of my favorite episodes in Season 2 featured a Princess Ball, with references to other Disney princesses: Penny dressed up as Princess Tiana, Dijonay as Cinderella, LaCienega as Princess Elena, Michael as Pocahontas, Maya as Beyonce, and Zoey as Princess Merida.

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There are many notable characters in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder like the Principal Hightower (voiced by Patricia Belcher), who insults and demans the students, reporter Vanessa Vue (voiced by Brenda Song) or incredibly wealthy Wizard Kelly (voiced by Aries Spears) who is shown as too tall to fit on the screen. However, in this season, Maya comes into her own, especially in the season two finale. In the episode, the ghost of Emily (voiced by Storm Reid), a Black girl enslaved by the town's founder, Christian A. Smith, guides her, revealing her diary which proves that Smith is a slaveowner, contradicting the common town myth.

In an interesting depiction of wealth-as-power, Wizard Kelly orders the police, clad in riot gear, to stop Maya, and her friends, who are protesting a ceremony dedicating Smith, with chants and placards. As a result, all of them, and their parents, are thrown in the city jail, despite the efforts of Barry to protect his children. His detective badge shown to mean nothing, as the police, who are serving as Kelly's goons, step over it with their boots.

Although Maya is just as determined as Wednesday Addams, in Wednesday, she does nothing equivalent to her. The latter, with the help of Thing, lights the statue of Joseph Crackstone, the Pilgrim founder of Jericho, on fire, causing it to melt. In fact, Kwame counsels his students to not pull down Smith's statue. This makes it ironic, then, that some reactionary media and personalities are all up-in-arms about the series, acting like it either "ruins" the original, or is "causing" division. Where were these people when Wednesday came out? They could have said some of the same things about that series, but they did not.

In many ways, the Season Two finale of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder sets the series apart from methods of police control over the citizenry depicted in Velma or the incompetent police force shown in The Simpsons. That is because this series emphasizes how some can control and distort history to their benefit, covering up what they don't want others to see. There is no acceptance of the town myth which Lisa Simpson conceded to in The Simpsons. Instead, the town's name is changed to Emilyville and a new statue is erected. In a possible indication of the long-standing nature of the existing economic system, Kelly becomes the mayor of the town, and faces no consequences for cracking down on Maya, her friends, family, or other town residents.

This series features many guest stars like Jane Lynch, Gabrielle Union, Al Roker, Ceelo Green, and Andre Jamal Kinney, along with other lesser-known ones like Forrest Goodluck, and sports stars Laurie Hernandez, Gabby Douglas, and Dominque Dawes. Of the guest characters, I liked Dr. Lord (voiced by Holly Robinson Peete) best as she gives Penny a chance to talk about her experiences as the oldest child in the family, in which she is given additional responsibilities.

All of the episodes of the second season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder all aired on February 1st, unlike the previous season, which aired over a two month time period. There's strong animation and backgrounds which make the show stand out, as does the voice acting and music selection, which fit with stories and characters. It is unfortunate this 10-episode season isn't spread out across two months, because it would be easier to watch the series and take in all that happens. Even so, this season is much less glitzy than season 1 and that is to the show's benefit.

Furthermore, I appreciate that the series did an episode based on the little-remembered, or regarded, but wild, The Proud Family Movie, which seemed like an episode from Milo Murphy's Law, especially when they are fighting the Pistachions. In some ways, the episode reminded me of the annual Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons.

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It is hard to know where The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder goes from here. If it follows the recent pattern of Disney series, such as Amphibia and The Owl House, it will have at least one more season. If that was the case, it would have one more season than the original series. However, it would need another 32 episodes to match the original, which aired from 2001 to 2005. This revival is different because the episodes range from 27 to 30 minutes, similar to the first season.

This series comes at the time that Disney is producing and airing series with diverse casts, like The Ghost and Molly McGee. In fact, this year, Iwájú, Kiff, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Primos, and Hailey's On It! are set to air. Disney has also contracted to produce series such as Cookies & Milk, Moana, and Tiana. On the other hand, Disney series with similar casts such as Mira, Royal Detective and Amphibia ended last year, while The Owl House is set to end this spring.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is more unique, incorporating perspectives of Black creators, unlike Hamster & Gretel, Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which likely have mostly White writers rooms and have casts largely composed of White characters. As production coordinator, Breana Navickas, recently wrote, the show's writer's room is Black, and much of the staff is Black and "a mix of asian folks, latine folks, white folks". This shows in this season even more strongly than in the first season, with the series establishing itself more, and putting the original into the dustbin.

This series is not alone. Craig of the Creek, Victor and Valentino, Carmen Sandiego, Arcane, and Glitch Techs are all recent series with diverse stories and characters. As such, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, comes at an opportune time, when some executives are cutting back resources dedicated toward animated series, or squeezing workers in tough working conditions.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the second season even more than the first, and hope that Disney orders another season sometime this year, considering the amount of people watching it. There are so many more stories to tell with these characters. This could include Penny getting new, and non-toxic friends. Even so, I doubt this will happen because the plot of the series depends too much on their existence to bring in new friends, just as Futurama would fall apart without the antics of the Planet Express crew keeping its current members. In addition, considering the issues with colorism in the original The Proud Family, and somewhat replicated in the first season, it was good to see that the Gross Sisters (Nubia, Olei, and Gina), all by Raquel Lee, only had a small part in this season. The fact that Maya had a bigger part in the season, instead of the Gross Sisters, is a welcome development.

One of the series' downfalls is repeating elements of narrative set-up in the original series. Although I still believe the series could be stronger if it focused on older versions of the cast, the second season made the characters, at their current age, workable. It didn't fall into simple tropes used in Kim Possible and Totally Spies!, both animated series centered in school environments.

Seasons 1 and 2 of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is currently airing on Disney+. While you are at it, you can watch The Proud Family and The Proud Family Movie on Disney+ too!

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upyourgeek · 2 years

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ZANG! The cast and creative team of the Disney+ Original series “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” got “loud” at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 22, 2022. Stars Kyla Pratt (Penny Proud), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy Proud), JoMarie Payton (Suga Mama), Alisa Reyes (LaCienega Boulevardez), Soleil Moon Frye (Zoey Howzer), along with creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar, took the stage for a panel and surprise episode table read, moderated by PEOPLE Magazine’s editor-at-large Janine Rubenstein. “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” season two is coming soon to Disney+. All episodes of season one are available to stream now only on Disney+ #SDCC #SDCC2022 #TheProudFamily ##LouderAndProuder https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXkDXUPmNa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#sdcc #sdcc2022 #theproudfamily #louderandprouder

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jmovielover · 1 month

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Disney+ Originals (Part 8)

The Book of Boba Fett (December 29 2021-February 9 2022; 1 Season) "On the sands of Tatooine, bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigate the Galaxy's underworld and fight for Jabba the Hutt's old territory." (Developed by Jon Favreau)

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (January 28 2022) "Buck, Crash, and Eddy try to keep the Lost World from being overtaken by dinosaurs, as they set out to find a place of their own." (Directed by John C. Donkin)

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (February 23 2022-?; 2 Seasons available with a 3rd on the way) "The series follows Penny Proud, a 14-year-old girl and her family, as they navigate their lives in the 2020s. Suga Mama returns, as do Michael, Dijonay, Zoey, and LaCienega. Two new kids, Maya and KG, who have two adoptive gay fathers, try to adapt to life in Smithville." (Developed by Bruce W. Smith & Ralph Farquhar)

Turning Red (March 11 2022) "A thirteen-year-old girl is torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the changes of adolescence. And as if the challenges were not enough, whenever she gets overly excited, she transforms into a giant red panda." (Directed by Domee Shi)

Cheaper by the Dozen (March 18 2022) "Two parents attempt to navigate their hectic home life as they juggle raising ten children from several different marriages and starting to franchise their breakfast food based restaurant." (Directed by Gail Lerner)

#disney+ originals

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alexcanine · 1 year

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tomorrowedblog · 1 year

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The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder S2 premieres today

The second season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, the TV series from Ralph Farquhar and Bruce W. Smith, is out today.

“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” picks up the story of its central character, Penny Proud, and her iconic family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and grandmother Suga Mama (and Puff!). By Penny's side is her loyal crew: Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez, Zoey Howzer, Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins and Michael Collins. Building off the standout success of the series' debut, season two of "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" continues to tell entertaining and laugh out-loud stories, while highlighting culturally specific experiences of the Black community and addressing universal topics. Various storylines this season include self-worth, interracial dating and Juneteenth.

#TV #TheProudFamilyLouderAndProuder #News

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biggoldbelt · 2 years

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Ralph Farquhar & Bruce W. Smith | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Interview | D23 Expo 2022

Ralph Farquhar & Bruce W. Smith | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Interview | D23 Expo 2022 By Big Gold Belt Media –“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder”Season Two Premieres February 2023 on Disney+ (Disney Television Animation) “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” picks up the story of its central character, Penny Proud, and includes her madcap family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin…

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#belt #BGB #big #Big Gold Belt #D23 #D23Expo #Disney #gold #New #News #Television #video #YouTube

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cherrygeek · 2 years

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The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder @ D23 Expo

The Proud Family is coming back for S2 this February @theproudfamily @DisneyD23 @disneyplus #D23Expo #LouderAndProuder #DisneyPlus

Season 2 is coming this February on Disney+ One of my favorite panels at the D23 Expo was The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder! It was Black Magic as Bruce W. Smith (Creator/executive producer) and Ralph Farquhar (executive producer) discussed working with Kyla Pratt (Penny Proud), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy Proud), JoMarie Payton (Suga Mama), Cedric the Entertainer (Uncle Bobby), Karen Malina…

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#Bruce W. Smith #D23 Expo #Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins #Sugar Mama #The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

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blackhollywoodandbroadwayelite · 4 years

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#tbt #KeKePlamer I hadn't heard of this show but I wish it would have gotten picked up! She posted:

"Omg my big bro @andrejamalkinney pulled this out of the archives. When I first moved to California I was introduced to Ralph Farquhar (one of the creators of The Proud Family, Moesha, The Parker’s etc) he took a chance on me and he landed me this pilot with Disney Channel that didn’t get picked up called Keke & Jamal lol it was loosely based on my life. A little girl named Keke with big dreams of being an entertainer and her tight nit family. I was ten years old and I can remember it like it was yesterday 😭. We filmed this on the old That’s So Raven set and that was when I first met Raven Symone. True dream come true for me and like a fairytale. I hope it makes you laugh like it has mad me hahaha whew"

Post Link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD1nLc7nTi2/?igshid=wi0xhjciymgy

#keke palmer #mtscorner with myesha tiara #black actress #black actresses #black actors #film

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ramascreen · 2 years

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And So It Begins on Disney+ “THE PROUD FAMILY: LOUDER AND PROUDER” Season 2

“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” is in production on a second season for Disney+. From Disney Television Animation, the series’ season one finale begins streaming Wednesday, April 20 exclusively on Disney+. The series, a critically acclaimed revival of Disney’s groundbreaking “The Proud Family,” is executive-produced by its creator Bruce W. Smith, and Ralph Farquhar. “The Proud Family:…

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#The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

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disneytva · 1 year

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Penny and Molly are excited to present an adorable chibi pet parade, until a group of sinister Chibi villains, led by King Andrias, arrives to take over the Chibiverse.

#The Chibiverse #Chibiverse #The Ghost And Molly McGee #Ghost And Molly McGee #The Proud Family #The Proud Family Louder And Prouder #Gino Guzzardo #Sabrina Alberghetti #Bill Motz #Bob Roth #Bruce W Smith #Ralph Farquhar #Disney Channel

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soweirdondisney · 4 years

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Another revival for the Disney list!

Disney announced a revival of the beloved animated series that premiered more than 18 years go. The revival, called "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," is currently in production.

Executive producers Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, who worked on the original Disney Channel series, will be returning for the new iteration.

Much of the original voice cast will be reprising their roles, including Kyla Pratt (Penny), Tommy Davidson (Oscar), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy), and Jo Marie Payton (Suga Mama). Karen Malina White (Dijonay), Soleil Moon Frye (Zoey) and Cedric the Entertainer (Uncle Bobby) also will return.

The company did not announce a target release date for the series.

This is official. Disney+ and Kyla Pratt each made announcements.

#Disney Plus #Kyla Pratt #The Proud Family #Zoog Disney #Article

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historyhermann · 1 year

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Glitz, Diversity, and Representation in "The Proud Family" Revival

[Screenshot: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]

On February 23, 2022, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder premiered on Disney+. This series tells the story of 14-year-old Penny Proud and her family as they navigate their lives in the California town of Smithville, from the schoolyard to the home.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fifth article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on May 9, 2022.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is a coming-of-age animated comedy and sitcom by two Black men, Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar. It is a reboot of the acclaimed two-season animated series, The Proud Family, which aired on the Disney Channel from 2001 to 2005. Smith is also known as a director of films such as Bébé's Kids and Hair Love, and co-creator of Da Boom Crew.

Spoiler Warning: This theme-centric post discusses some spoilers for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Trigger Warning: This post mentions sensitive topics such as homelessness, sexism, bullying, and abusive families.

The first season of this all-ages animated series began with a bang. The first four episodes focused on the inhumanity of zoos, power of social media influencers, basketball, remaining true to who you are, standing up for your values, and homophobia, as I pointed out in my series recommendation on March 13.

The other six episodes in season one continue to focus on pertinent themes. This includes amusement parks, ride-sharing apps, college life, homelessness, crowdfunding, Latine culture, genealogy, and reality shows.

The animation remains smooth and defined throughout all 10 episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. This is accompanied by spoken Spanish with subtitles. That's an improvement from the original, which had no subtitles for Spanish speakers, and storylines which pull you in. The same can be said for the show's pop music, with tunes which showcase the character's talents.

The voice actors shine through in all the episodes, as do the recurring or guest stars. This includes people such as Brenda Song, who voices reporter Vanessa Vue, Logan Browning, Bresha Webb, Lena Waithe, Jaden Smith, and Tiffany Haddish.

Social commentary

In keeping with the original series, The Proud Family, this series continues to engage in social commentary on various issues. This includes worker/animal exploitation by Penny's father, Oscar (voiced by Tommy Davidson). He has a monkey named Mr. Chimps who works for his business, Proud Snacks, which makes disgusting snacks but happens to stay in business.

In the show's sixth episode, Penny and her friends begin a ride-sharing business named Get-In, where people can work for a small amount of pay. All of Penny's (voiced by Kyla Pratt) friends, apart from Zoey (voiced by Soleil Moon Frye), abandon her in this endeavor. She becomes successful after gaining popularity on social media for the app. But, this doesn't last. Thanks to Oscar, her business crashes and burns, as Mr. Chimps is driving a taxi without a license.

In a later episode, Penny, tired of her parents, summons Al Roker (voiced by himself). He transports her to an alternative episode where she is in college for a week, saying that if she stays after that period, it is permanent.

While there, she becomes enthralled in the party scene, drives recklessly, and falls behind in her classes. As a result, her friends leave, with Maya (voiced by Keke Palmer) calling it a "glorified plantation". In the process, she becomes indebted to Roker, telling her that she needs to pay tuition, go to class, and pay her food tab.

A grown-up Penny hugs her father, Oscar

The episode shines a light on precarity of college students exploited through student debt and their financial situations. In order to pay off her debt, she has to sell junk and be in class or she will be there for eternity. There is also a scene where she sells school books back to the college library. She receives $3.50 for them, even though she spent over $1,000 for the books.

In other episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, homelessness is highlighted as an issue. In the show's eighth episode, Penny and her friends work together to help a strict substitute teacher, Ms. Hill (voiced by Tiffany Haddish). The school fired her after people learned that she was living in the school since she had nowhere else to live.

Although Ms. Hill causes consternation in Penny's home, insulting her family members and forcing them to take Black history classes, Penny becomes her biggest advocate. In a school assembly, she tells students that teachers should get paid a living wage. She also asks people to contribute to a fund allowing Ms. Hill to find a decent place to live.

Due to the students' perception of Ms. Hill, they bristle at the idea that that give money to her. Thanks to Zoey's dance going viral, they are able to raise enough money. In the end, Ms. Hill goes off with Penny's uncle, Bobby, and both are romantically engaged.

Family strains and the importance of family

Like Disney series such as Kim Possible, Phineas & Ferb, The Ghost and Molly McGee, and Milo Murphy's Law, there is a focus on the value of family. This follows Disney's family-friendly brand.

In The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, this is not without strain. Penny often clashes with her father, Oscar, who interrupts her date with her boyfriend, Kareem, and puts parental blocks on her laptop. However, she gets around this, in one episode, by using a burner phone.

Time and time again, Penny realizes the importance of being grown and bonds with Oscar. In one episode, she apologizes to Oscar. She asys that she thought that being alone was going to be easy but isn't ready for it. He reassures her that she has time to figure it out and that before she is on her own, her family has got her back.

Throughout the first season, Oscar and Penny have important bonding moments. This offsets any negative characteristics which could be seen as reinforcing stereotypes.

At times, Oscar seems like he is being sexist and stuck in the old ways, like when he declares that "cooking is a woman's job". However, Penny also believes that cooking is her mom's job.

Oscar is as much of a loving father as Homer is in The Simpsons or Anne Boonchuy's father in Amphibia. He cares about Penny, although he isn't always the best at showing it.

The family's dynamics are colored by continued tensions between Oscar and his wife, Trudy (voiced by Paula Jai Parker), as she often belittles him for his inane antics. At other times, they come together and enjoy each other's company.

Oscar's beliefs are not unique, in this regard. Bobby (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer) is also shown to be somewhat sexist. In one episode, he acts like he is going to help Zoey with her dancing and instead he makes her do all sorts of housework. On the one hand, he does help her by having her listen to funky music and gives her certain dance moves, allowing her to dance on stage. On the other, how he acts toward Zoey says something about his character and his treatment of women.

Suga Mama Proud (voiced by Jo Marie Payton), Penny's hip wrestling grandmother, has a continued presence in the Proud household. Even though she has her own place to live, she often hangs out in the Proud house. She is the mother of Oscar and Bobby, and has an ongoing courtship with Papi Boulevardez, a grandfather of their Latine neighbors.

Throughout the series, consistent with the original series, she often ribs on her son, Oscar. She tends to like her other son, Bobby, who often talks like 1970s funk bands, better than Oscar, to his great annoyance.

Diversity and Latine culture

In my original recommendation of the series, one of the show's creators, Ralph Farquhar, argued that The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will portray more than a singular "view of Blackness or a Black family". This is also true when it comes to Latine culture. The show prominently features LaCienega Boulevardez (voiced by Alisa Reyes), her parents Sunset (voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera) and Felix (voiced by Carlos Mencia), and others in her family.

LaCienega is the Latine frenemy of Penny, with both often disliking one another, but still have respect for one another. Although LaCienega's exact ethnicity is not yet known, the series deserves praise for focusing and featuring Afro-Latine characters. This is strongest in the ninth episode of the series.

In that episode, LaCienega, known as LaCi for short, prepares for her quinceañera, a celebration of her 15th birthday, marking the celebration from girlhood to adulthood. She is terrified by her cousin, LaBrea Avanúñez (voiced by Princess Nokia) attending, along with her aunt, Melrose (voiced Eva Longoria), who has a habit of putting people down, including her own daughter!

Sunset's jealousy of Melrose, leads her to spend a huge sum on quinceañera, terrifying Felix. Not surprisingly, Oscar does not understand why so much money is being spent. LaCi ends up lashing out at her friends and LaBrea seems like the troublemaker behind it all.

The fancy outfits, photos together, and glitz fade into nothingness, due to a plan by LaBrea to "get rid" of LaCi, by tying her to a rocket, so she can live with Sunset. When confronted with LaCi hanging from a dangerous ride, not far from death or serious injury, she gives LaCi advice that saves her life. She then covers for LaBrea, instead of admitting that she is is the cause of the situation.

On the surface it might appear that LaBrea is let off the hook for trying to "disappear" LaCi, and for the years of bullying her. It could even be argued that LaCi's gesture is unrealistic and problematic. However, there is another side to her actions.

Sunset, LaCi, LaBrea, and Melrose on stage at the end of the episode.

While it is not known whether LaCi fully forgives LaBrea, she comes out of her shell more. Both have a quinceañera together. Melrose apologizes to Sunset for being angry for all those years, saying that her divorce stressed her out. It is also revealed that LaBrea is plus-sized, a fact that her mom forced her to keep hidden. The episode ends with Felix worried about all the money they spent for it. Even so, he is glad as long as LaCi is happy, even though they spent her college fund on the party, and Sunset gives him a kiss.

In this way, the series shares similarities with Elena of Avalor, a series headlined by a Latine princess, Elena (voiced by Aimee Carrero). The latter series even has an episode where Elena's "good friend", Naomi Turner, has a quinceañera.

Hopefully these themes are expanded in the the next season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, with a continued focus on Latine and Black families. In any case, as some have argued, having one show or movie about people of color doesn't mean "equal representation."

Family roots and genealogy

Genealogy was once a pursuit for well-off White people. This changed after the airing of Alex Haley's Roots in the 1970s, the beginning of Henry Louis Gates' Finding Your Roots in 2012, and the proliferation of various groups focused on the subject. It has lead to an even greater focus by the Black community than ever before.

The season one finale of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder reflects this focus. In the episode, Trudy finds out that her family, the Parkers, can trace their roots to across the country, and North Africa. She pays over $1,000 dollars on a a DNA testing website, reflecting the focus on DNA by Black people, and discovers that Suga Mama has roots in Towne, Oklahoma.

Trudy convinces her family to travel to Oklahoma. Suga Mama comes along, but not willingly, tied to the roof of the car. Later, Trudy pressures her family embers to attend the family reunion at the Towne family ranch. While there, they meet Suga Mama's family, whose birth name is revealed to be Charlette. The audience learns that her father told her to never come back and that she left for one major reason: to escape her toxic and sexist father, who hurt her psychologically and possibly physically.

Suga Mama is given new backstory. The audience also learns that Suga Mama's dad declared that no girls were allowed in the rodeo, even though she could easily participate. It further shows him demanding that she cook him dinner and forcing her brother to participate in her place. As the episode comes to a close, it appears that Suga Mama and her dog, Puff (visual effects by Carlos Alazraqui) depart the ranch, leaving behind the rest of the Proud family.

One reviewer for Loud and Clear Reviews described the episode as a "total blast" to review and watch. They noted that it introduces "cool new characters," expands Suga Mama as a character, and centers on the conflict between Suga Mama and her father. The episode is significant since it brings the characters outside of Smithville, a town in California where most of the show takes place. It remains to be seen how future episodes will continue the story from the season one finale.

This focus on family history is not unique to this series. Amphibia, Carmen Sandiego, Mira Royal Detective, Infinity Train, Futurama, and Steven Universe have storylines focusing on family roots, connections, or history.

LGBTQ representation

As I wrote in February, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder has the "promise of breaking down barriers through its inclusion of multicultural characters and families, especially those which are part of the LGBTQ, Latine, and Black communities." There are established LGBTQ supporting characters. This includes Barry and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins (voiced by Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter), an interracial gay couple who lives in Smithville, fathers of Maya and Francis "KG" (voiced by Artist "A Boogie" Dubose). Even more prominent is Michael Collins (voiced by EJ Johnson), a gay and gender-nonconforming friend of Penny.

Michael is into dance, clothing, and his hair looks like pastel paint strokes. It gives him a certain style unique from his look in the original series. He even dances, in one episode in front of stage with ribbon wand. This is like the one that Mega Pearl, i.e. Royal Pearl or Rose Pearl as some fans called her, used in Steven Universe Future or Maron Kusakabe in Phantom Thief Jeanne.

There are additional LGBTQ guest stars. This includes Lizzo, who sees herself as part of the LGBTQ community. She has a starring role in the show's fifth episode, telling a crowd that people they need to love themselves. Princess Nokia, also known as Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, voiced LaBrea. She is bisexual, gender non-conforming, of Puerto Rican descent, and speaks about self-love.

Maya meets LaBrea and happily shakes her hand, while LaCi looks on, annoyed.

It is not known if any of the main cast have storylines which explore any possible LGBTQ identities. But, Maya hinted at the possibility in one episode, describing LaBrea as beautiful, even though she hadn't met her before.

Even though LaBrea is likely a one-time guest star, Maya's comment might hint at a possible romantic or sexual attraction. After all, Maya's voice actress said in 2017 that a person's sexuality can be fluid. She also rejected putting herself in a box and confining herself to one identity, saying that people change and grow over time.

Other guest stars showcase The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder's diverse stories. Jeremy O' Harris, who voiced a college-age Michael, is Black and gay, while Lena Waithe, who voiced a college-age Maya, is a Black lesbian.

Other pertinent themes

The series often focuses on the dangers of bad business practices, with Oscar often as a foil. He runs an unsafe amusement park, Snackland, even resulting in a terrible accident. Although the news coverage is negative, people flock to Snackland even though they know they will get hurt and it is dangerous. This contrasts with when Penny as a temporarily successful businessperson. There's also multimillionaire Wizard Kelly (voiced by Aires Spears) making his money as a professional basketball player.

One episode even provides a commentary-of-sorts on reality shows. The audience learns that Oscar once pitched the reality show, Crab Barrel, about Proud Snacks. Thanks to his weird snacks, his presentation goes horribly wrong, leading them to deny him funding. As a result, he calls the show a scam and won't believe in it. In the episode, the other competitor is taken out of the running and judges are won over. They begrudgingly fund Penny's ride-sharing app "by default."

Unlike the original series, science and technology have a big showing. KG is the techy of the series, akin to Wade in Kim Possible, Darryl in The Ghost and Molly McGee, or Player in Carmen Sandiego. KG makes the ride-sharing app for Penny. In another episode, he is able to track Penny's phone when she loses it in one episode. He also tries to save LaCi by using his drone.

It is still in contention how much the show bucks the colorism in the original series. Dijonay and the Gross Sisters, described by some as colorist stereotypes, are little changed in the reboot. Dijonay, who has a big family, is seen taking leftovers for her 10 brothers and sisters in one episode. In another, she leaks photos of Ms. Hill, the homeless teacher. She is rewarded part of a so-called "Snitches to Riches" program, wiping away her lunchroom debt. On a positive note, Pratt, who voices Penny, has said that she is attuned to the issue of colorism.

There have not been, and likely will not be, Asian stereotypes akin to those in the original series, like the Chang Triplets. Instead, Penny continues to have a "gang of girlfriends with a variety of looks and personalities". Those people would be her friends, rather than anyone she would be romantically involved with, since she has a boyfriend in this revival series.

Where the revival falls down

There are many aspects to praise about The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. You could say that certain scenes, like Penny using a night crawler suit with different modes, like a stealth mode, hearken back to Kim Possible. You could point out that Penny's singing voice sounds like Candace's deep voice in Phineas and Ferb or highlight the talented guest stars.

However, the show's seventh episode showcases a missed opportunity. The show could have made the main characters college-age, working out problems at a local university, as they adapt to being adults in a coming-of-age story with the same tenor as this series. The series could be even strong. However, the creators, staff, or Disney could have scoffed at the idea, wanting to have the characters be the same age they were in the original show.

The series also raises the question: Are Penny's friends actually her friends? Time and time again, her friends abandon her. Are they her actual friends or they leeches? That is a matter of opinion. Sometimes they work together well, like when they sing on stage as a group LMPDZ (LaCi, Maya, Penny, Dijonay, and Zoey) in the show's fifth episode. At other times they don't try to stand by Penny, throwing her away like a used dishrag.

Some fans on Reddit, Twitter, and elsewhere, have have asked why Penny is still friends with them. They have proposed that she should be a villain along with other ideas to make the series better, allowing her to be an even stronger feminist.

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Despite the show's positives, it hasn't gotten its groove yet. At times, it appears to be too hip. It doesn't have the original's magnetism, with episodes focused on topics such as graffiti, Kwanzaa, spoken word poetry, karate, advertising, genetic experiments, Islam, wild animals, vacations, and elder abuse.

Unfortunately, this revival series negates 2005 film, The Proud Family Movie, as Penny is 14 years old, whereas in the film she has turned 16 years old and is exploring her life as a young adult. This series sadly implies that the whole wild film, which contains a cool battle dance scene and a Totally Spies-esque plot with human experimentation and cloning, is not canon.

Looking forward to Season 2

The season one finale ended on a cliffhanger. Since Season 2 is currently in production, the beginning of the season will continue the story from the finale. Most were excited about the news but others said it would be the second part of season 1 and that they weren't fooling anyone. They asked when Disney would have "original animation" like The Dragon Prince, Arcane, or Tales of Arcadia. While the latter is a valid criticism, due to Disney's focus on reboots/revivals than other original content, it is not pertinent to discuss in length in this theme-centric post.

The second season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will need to answer many questions raised by the finale. The ranch where the Proud family is staying is a strange place, akin to Camp Wannaweep in Kim Possible, a source of Ron Stoppable's trauma.

Penny encounters a huge man-fish and learns that Suga Mama's father has blocked cell service. Trudy may suffer consequences for dragging everyone to the ranch, resulting in fissures in the Proud family. Kareem, Penny's boyfriend, might even save them from the ranch. The whole finale gives off vibes which remind me of Jordan Peele's Get Out.

There is a possibility that Sticky (voiced by Orlando Brown) who left in the show's first episode, may come back in the future. My hope is that he does not return. If he became a major character again, it would up the character dynamics and cause a disruption. The new characters added in the revival are better than Sticky and build out the story more than he ever did.

The second season could also expand on Penny's possible vegetarianism. In the season one finale she mentioned that she wanted a veggie pizza but her father rejected it. He declared it had to be a meat pizza and she did not object.

If the second season expands on Penny's comment, it should be a bigger part of the plot than Steven Universe's off-hand comment that he is vegetarian in an episode of Steven Universe Future. At the time, Steven's comment led to division among the fanbase on whether the fans should embrace it or denounce it. Penny is a woman with strong principles who could make the leap, but is the show's staff willing to make it canon?

Due to the integral role of meat in Black culture, the show staff may fear that changing Penny in this way would lead to anger and challenge the beloved status of the original series and this revival. Even the writers structure an episode on her vegetarianism like other episodes, it could lead to hostility from some Black people.

Furthermore, if Penny becomes a vegetarian in the show's second season, it could blow the doors wide open for such type of representation. Such a category includes few Black people other than M'Baku in Black Panther. And they are mostly supporting characters rather than protagonists.

Closing words

Hopefully, the series improves in the second season. Characters from other Disney series, like The Owl House, The Ghost and Molly McGee or Amphibia, could appear. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder does work to expand diverse animated stories of Black people, also showcased in the currently airing Karma's World, and older series such as Static Shock, The Boondocks, and Afro Samurai.

The success of this series will likely inform future projects by Farquhar and Smith. In December 2020, both signed a "wide-ranging, multiyear overall deal" to produce various series for Disney. It may do the same for Latoya Raveneau, a series director. She entered a deal in April of this year to "develop and produce animated projects" with Disney.

In the end, while I have my criticisms of the series, I look forward to seeing where it goes in the show's second season, and beyond. This series has the potential to run for three seasons and have an animated film, similar to the original series.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder can be watched on Disney+, as can the original series, The Proud Family.

#the proud family #black characters #bruce w. smith #colorism #the proud family louder and prouder #homelessness #unhoused #student debt #al roker #college #latine #disney plus #gender nonconforming #keke palmer #princess nokia #lgbtq #Youtube #vegetarianism #feminism

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‘The Proud Family’ Is ‘Louder and Prouder’

‘The Proud Family’ Is ‘Louder and Prouder’ Than Ever Before If you were a kid in the 2000s, Disney Channel likely dominated your viewing habits. Whether it was an original movie like Halloweentown, or a coming of age sitcom like Lizzie McGuire, there were plenty of options to keep your interest. But 2001 saw something super special arrive for Black kids: an animated show featuring a family that looked just like their own The Proud Family was the first show of it’s kind and a historic moment in Black history. It left a cultural footprint with it’s catchy theme song from Destiny’s Child, and it’s storylines based around key parts of the Black experience.

Now, more than 20 years since it’s premiere, The Proud Family is back with a sequel series called The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

“It never left,” Tommy Davidson, who plays the patriarch Oscar Proud, told EBONY. “People were touched so much by it, and my children were too. So when there was talk of it coming back after 15 years, we talked to Ralph Farquhar and Bruce Smith, and all the people involved in it. And finally it came. And we just got back to work. We got back to work because we knew how good we were.” Stepping back into their roles “wasn’t hard,” according to Kyla Pratt, who plays the show’s main character, Penny Proud. She got the gig when she was just 15 years old. “I feel like this character helped develop me as a young woman,” said Pratt. “It helped me become the person I am today. So it wasn’t difficult to get into a studio and be able to flashback to those times where I had those teenage years of thinking a certain way, or feeling a certain way or dealing with family a certain way.”

Jo Marie Payton’s distinctive voice is back to bring Suga Mama to life, and she didn’t skip a beat.

“That 20 years seemed like 20 minutes once we got back together,” said Payton. “We were with our same wonderful producers, and we had wonderful writers and the scripts, the storylines were so good. They made it easy for us to just activate back into our space and our reason for doing it.” For Paula Jai Parker, returning to role of Trudy Proud was a major personal milestone in her career. Let’s be honest. Women, you know, we kind of are told we have a shelf life in Hollywood and life in general,” said Parker. “When the call came in, it just really reconfirmed that women, we’re not just things you can put on a shelf. We are ageless, we are priceless. And for Disney to recognize that and bring the Proud Family back just at this time in my life… This, this has been a blessing.”

Unlike 2001, Louder and Prouder entered production in a global pandemic.

“I don’t know about everybody else in the cast, but it seemed like Armageddon to me the March before last,” said Davidson. Instead of recording lines together like they did in the early 2000’s, the cast had to pivot to what so many Americans are now accustomed to; working from home. Each actor was set up with their own recording studio to track their lines. “Boy, I got another skill set going on!” said Payton. The Family Matters actress is based in Miami and had help from her grandkids and children to get her studio together, but recording in the summer proved challenging. “You have to turn off everything, the air conditioner and all that stuff, and you’re in a dedicated closet. It’s hot!” “I literally have pictures of me putting a pillow over my head trying to get the sound to stay in,” joked Pratt. Now a mother of two, the actress also had to juggle taking care of the kids between reads. “I have to tell my kids like, ‘Hey, y’all have to be quiet for a little bit,’ which of course is difficult. They’re my children. They’re loud as you know what. So I’m like ‘baby, please sit down for an hour. And just don’t yell nothing.’ So it was a struggle.”

The new series continues the story of Penny Proud, now 14-years-old, while updating the content for current times, with a “woke” neighbour who gets a little preachy, social media bullies, and new neighbours from the LGBTQ+ community.

“It still has the same essence of the original. But of course, we had to update it for 2022.” said Pratt. “We had to make sure that we tackled things and talked about things that need to be talked about. And that’s the best thing about our show back then, we talked about things that everyone shied away from. And now it is not any different.”

“You understand how important it is that family is family no matter what or who they are, where they are, who they love, or where they come from,” said Payton. “Now we’re bringing some of that to you.”

“It actually speaks to what’s going on now,” said Davidson, who sees the follow-up series as a way to appeal to those who grew up with the show and a new generation. “There were a lot of social shifts over this pandemic. That generation that grew up is the one that instilled a lot of change. And so we’re going with that change. We’re just riding the wave of what’s happening. We actually are helping the younger people that are watching it—the kids—we’re helping them understand what’s going on now without having to get complicated,” adds Davidson “We’re doing it through this family.” The Proud Family; Louder and Prouder premieres on Disney+ February 23. Read the full article

#2001 #2022 #Animation #beyonce #BlackTV #destinyschild #DisneyPlus #FamilyMatters #JoMariePayton #KylaPratt #LouderandProuder #OneOnONe #paulajaiparker #TheProudFamily #themesong #TommyDavidson

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