Proud Family Industry Grooming Episode 🦋🦋🦋 

The most alarming part of this episode was how Dijonay's own cousin was basically grooming and exploiting them. I think that deserves its own video 🤔

One of the few times Oscar was right to tell Penny “NO” about being grown… and he didn’t get punished for it.

This is the one time where you see Oscar was right and everyone just ignored him keep in mind he rightfully chased a older teenager for leering at his daughters openly stating she's a hottie

On the subject of Dijonay's cousin, it's very common to have women sell out other women to abusers. Think human trafficking cases, like Ghislaine Maxwell.

Watching this as a kid and getting mad at Trudy and Oscar for "not understanding" Watching as a full adult and realizing they WERE RIGHT 😨

I love how back then a crop top was considered "skimpy" for a teenager... Now we're seeing 8 year olds wearing worse outfits than that 😭😭

I'm sorry, I still can't get over that dude that said they looked hott at the bowling alley. It's only their first dance and they already got preds on them. I mean, those are obviously kids, Sir. Get locked up 🤢🤮

Notice how Trudy said 'any child of mine' instead of just stopping at 'any child'. Also, why in the ever loving f*ck do they trust someone related to Dionjay? I would've been highly skeptical at best.

I would have liked to see Dijonay's mom go off on Bethany for what she put her daughter and her friends through. I really wished we got to see Bethany get busted, especially since she's the one that made them lie about their ages. Can we also talk about how Zoey's aunt made those revealing outfits for the girls? What was she thinking?

I wonder if Bethany was groomed herself. I honestly can't see her being more then 18-19 . Which , even if thats better then 14 like Penny and friends , it's still really dangerous and youre still young, even as an adult. She gives off a vibe that shes very use to this behavior from people that what to exploit and take advantage. So, I'm wondering if she went through it and didn't see it as a big deal.

Not to be a conspiracy theory person but I feel like the writers of this episode KNEW. Like they KNEW WHAT HAPPENED

To be honest Beauty contests for people under 18 need to be illegal because it some type of edp445 stuff and that is not good

I think it sad that it just doesn’t take a stranger to Groom you that it could be your own blood is frightening and sick.

Quiet On Set is traumatizing. And that only covers what happened on Nickelodeon. We need a second season about Disney Channel.

I’m saying this as someone who’s not into revealing clothing, and believe that kids should wear age-appropriate clothes, but there is something upsetting about Penny and her friends being sexualized based on the outfit they wore. They’re very obviously children, and outfits aren’t going to change that fact. Yet it felt like part of the message is that the unwanted sexual interactions is warranted because of the outfits they wore, not because people were choosing to sexualize them. They wanted popularity, sure, a lot of kids their age do, but they never asked to be sexualized. Penny has worn a variety of outfits on the show, some including short skirt and midriffs exposed, and she wasn’t harassed/criticized then. But just because she and her friends wear those kinds of clothes, doesn’t mean they should be given a hard time for the actions of others.

This and the valentine episode are my favorite. I experience this feeling in college. I dressed up showing a lot of skin thinking it would get me popular but I felt uncomfortable. I thought to myself do I really want THIS kind of attention. I can only imagine a teenager feeling like that. Also the fact that Dijonay had no idea what the boys were trying to do proves how they were too young.

This kinda makes me rethink Dijonay's statement about her cousin Bethany being from the side of the family with money.

Man, that episode literally predicted parental audiences when seeing Netflix's Cuties and being disgusted.

It's so sad that it feels like they completely ignore this lesson in Louder & Prouder especially when Wizard Kelly sent a bunch of questionable clothes for Penny to try on in one episode so she could promote products or something like that I don't remember the episode completely but I remember Oscar's reaction

"she's a hottie😌" right away, hell naw

No, you're 100% right, what was happening was a form of grooming and could have led to human trafficking. (which is scarily common in Hollywood of young teenagers being groomed into that, Example: Epstein case) I would love to see a video more in-depth about that since I genuinely feel people aren't aware enough of what predatory behavior looks like. Grooming in itself doesn't need to be sexual, it can happen to adults, women can be groomers, etc, all that matters is there's a power imbalance and an intent to get something out of them. In this case, Dijonay's cousin was older than them, someone they thought they could trust and she used that against them.

It's crazy to think that a 112 song was played on Disney channel, but the episode handles the topic of adultification well and I'm glad the girls left the party and dijnoay cousin was a red flag to begin with. It's one of my favorite episodes from the series. When I was younger, it taught me that it's all right to be a kid and that there's no need to rush to grow up. It's kind of alarming how kids and teenagers today are dressing and acting like adults due to social media... I'm glad you finally talked about this episode 🤍

Watching this again what really stood out to me in that ep was Zoe. Penny and LaCienega came from families that propped them up and Dijonay has always been always a strong character, she was the first one to smell something off with the party. But Zoe, the bony tall nerd girl, getting positive male attention for the first time in her life? She was the perfect prey. Drunk on "the power" enough that the other girls had to drag her out of it kicking and screaming while they were getting solicited for sex. How many lovebombed little girls end up trapped? What if Dijonay's self-worth was any less robust, and she was in there alone? What if, being there alone, Bethany could have used the years she's known her to disarm her threat detector, and something awful would have happened to her? Penny was already going against her parents, who knows if she would have found that strength to leave without Dijonay and LaCienega echoing her misgivings? And LaCienega, a paegent queen, would she really have found it THAT out of the ordinary if girls who didn't grow in that world pointed out this is weird? These four were lucky Penny and Dijonay were there together. I really hope Zoe grows up to be thankful she had friends who stopped her from getting raped at a highschool party.

This is like if Cuties was actually good

I love how objective and facts based you are. It feels like your not leaning left, or to the right. It’s a nice breath of fresh air and I like how you want us to form our own opinions and thoughts on these topics

Between this and hey Arnold they covered alot of adult situations and situations kids go through

Thank you for covering this topic /episode. The cousin needs her a$$ beat for trying to pimp out a bunch of little girls. Very happy that the writers called out the industry. They kept it very real in the original series. Still legit but these old episodes hit so hard especially as an adult.

This is sending a better message than that one Netflix "movie" that SHALL not be mentioned

13:27 The vaping thing is probably no different than how smoking was presented in the '50s and '60s. Heck, the Flintstones had smoking commercials. Even in the early days of Hollywood, being a child actor wasn't healthy. I remember other RU-vidrs talking about kids like Shirley Temple was forced to sit on a giant block of ice if she "misbehaved". There was also a five-year-old boy who ended up suing his parents when he grew up because they hoarded all of his money from him. The kid worked with Charlie Chaplin.

Bobby Driscole and how fast Disney dropped him...because he got too "old" and was disfunctional thanks to them...

I think one of the best parts, when showing things like this, is that this is a cartoon and not real children dressing and dancing like that to get the message across. Unlike the Netflix movie, "Cuties"

Oh man I remember working at a grocery store in the bottle return area and someone was Vaping a buttered popcorn vape. You could still smell it 3 days later in that room. It was disgusting.

Tbh this is actually a great message, and also makes young girls aware. I never really seen other shows do this that much. It's also sad how the old show taught actual good messages while the new show just ruins everything.

I remember the episode ending with the girls on a group call, sharing how their parents took their outfits. Except for Zoey, and she had them under her clothes cuz "she loves power" and all the girls laughing. It kinda implied that they didn't quite understand the danger they were in, which makes sense for young impressionable teens. "Nothing bad happened" kind of thing.

hearing about jeanette experience im not suprised at all about quiet on set as she bascially spilled otu how he mom sold her out, disgusting. .its a sad truth that the chances of kids being exploited by their parents is 99 perecent more likely than strangers.. now look at Mara wilson who had a loving dad and great relatinship with danny divito ir mae whitman who talked about her parents keeping her safe in the industry. it makes it even sadder bec it doesnt have to be this ways kids can be treated well and come out ok if they have loving parents.. . its heartbreaking how evil wins out over decenty and not treating people like objects

Dijonay’s cousin reminded me of Ronnie from “Player’s Club” that got her cousin (Ebony) into strip club culture and….well….we all know what happened to her at that “party.” Very eerily similar. 😬 thankfully, it didn’t end up that way for Dijonay or her friends. It also reminded me of the message in Destiny’s Child’s “Sweet Sixteen” song. “…slow down, you’re moving way too fast….do you know where you’re running to?”

The cousin was never arrested for grooming

It's so crazy how I see underage girls dress more "slutty" like, I could never wear what they wear. Even being 20, I still couldn't dress like that. No one should have to try to be an adult when they are still a kid. :(

This show cased the message way better than that terrible Cuties movie on Netflix.

5:49 honestly this is how the girls in my school dress at 14 I don’t but I see this every day

I always liked this episode. I thought it was a great showcase of the teens being in over their heads, and their parents were right about the situation. It was one of those episodes where the lesson was clear and well handled, the theme was good, the message wasn't mixed, and it was an overall fun episode.

So Oscar was right in the beginning and Trudy was wrong, but they still make Trudy the reasonable parent?… yeah, why am I not surprised…

my rebellion phase was my primary/middle school era lmao not the "im old enough" rebellion, just the "dont boss me around" phase but that got dealt with real quick

man, if being lame means i dont look like a fool under the influence of anything, so be it. im gonna stay lame. its better for my body anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️

Netflix did the exact same thing this episode portrayed but much worse, it’s called Cuties and I think after a couple months it was taken off due to the large amount of controversy.

When this episode aired when I was a kid. I understood what the darker tones this episode was getting at. When I was little my parents told me about why adults can be dangerous and they told me in a PG way about how kids are treated in the entertainment industry.

Also like how they showed on Quite on the Set some of these "bad" people would try and isolate some of the kids from the parents and people who were there to protect them like telling them things like the parents were the ones manipulating that and keeping them back from doing things.

Honestly this was one of my favorite, classic Proud Family episodes. A very good example of how some kids and teens want to grow up too fast. It is unfortunate that this episode is relevant today

"sometimes" Then you are living in a bubble because real life is MUCH WORSE MOST of the families are NOT "good" families Poor kids are getting exploited, abused left and right Having an ACTUALLY normal family is the rarity nowdays(not just talking about purposely abusive families but simple lack of basic logic)

I just want to say I always love these videos. I’m the exact opposite of what the proud family is made for, suburban white male teen. But when it came out on Disney plus I watched it and it became a comfort show for me. None of my friends or family knew about it so it’s great to see a RU-vidr who 1. Loves the show but also 2. Can analyze and discuss it. I love seeing someone talk about the show and discuss things I never knew. And I also love when you reference stuff that’s part of black culture. That’s one I’ve never known anything about and I love to learn about it. So thank you for the work, effort, and passion you put in your videos they’re appreciated

I find it ironic considering Disney hired Brian peck

9:59 Kids also have different ways of rebelling against their parents.

Yes do a video on Bethany and highlight some of the manipulative things people like her do

Yep everybody talking about Dan . Look what he did to Amanda Bynes and the cast of victorious and how they haven’t came out and said anything

You DEFINITELY need to do an episode about how Bethany was grooming Penny and friends.

Dude, this awoke old memories of a family we knew when I was little. Our parents were friends, me and my siblings were friends with their kids But their mum was constantly putting her kids in any and all media she could. They had some small roles in kids shows, the son was a regular cast member of a certain serial commercial for 10 years, they were in some music videos, and probably more that I have forgotten We are no longer in contact with them. There was a divorce, the mum ended up in a psych ward, the kids (especially the son) ended up in a bad place It turns out that when you're like 13 and rather rich from all the gigs all the older kids will seek you out and befriend you. After all, hanging out with the older kids is cool. You'll be the coolest kids in class. But they sorta exploited him and his money - drugs, alcohol, and so he ended up doing bad stuff at a young age. I don't know how aware his parents were with his social circle, but it spiraled. I always got a weird vibe from their mum. Chasing fame chases away what really matters, I guess The siblings are doing OK now, I think. I am just facebook friends with them but they have moved away from the media In hindsight it's a little disturbing. They grew up way to fast, their mum enabled and encouraged it. There's a lot of things to point out in hindsight, but I was a kid then and didn't question much Good and insightful video, dude! It just made me reminisce about these siblings I haven't seen in 15 years or so

So i remember when this episode was airing that year I went to Lithuanian camp in which were encouraged to come up with little skit/cheers 2 a day. The age ranges of the kids being 6 to 16 years old the youngest group of little girls did a dance where they did something like that i was around 11 at the time of the incident but there was not a dress code but the following year their was. The kids legit said they got the idea from the proud family for the drastic outfit change from normal summer clothes to skimpy swim suits.

11:17 Lol reminds me when a teenager on MTV’s ‘Sweet Sixteen’ threw a fit cos her mum revealed her new car before the party & not during like she wanted her car to be revealed, in front of all her guests 🤦‍♀️ I laughed SO HARD! 🤣

It's so crazy, I remember watching this episode as a kid and was very confused by why the parents said no but also why Penny would want to wear those clothes... And now as an adult, I couldn't agree more with Oscar on this matter and I'm also a bit creeped out by just how many people liked Penny and her "friends" despite their age 😬

This episode has lived rent free in my head for years. Im so happy to find it again.

I'm 17 and i still play with toys

Speaking of child actors and how they used to be treated, when Shirley Temple was 3 years old she played a child sex worker in a movie called War Babies. They would put her inside of a cardboard box as punishment whenever she would start acting like a child.

Absolutely wild title and holy shit has this episode only become more prevalent for the 2020's

This is so messed up, the fact that the audience was so bored and tired from looking at the girls with oversized shirts on and got excited when they ripped those shirts to reveal their more showy outfits.. ick!!

This episode of the proud family did a way better job about discussing the topic of child grooming than what Netflix’s disgusting cuties movie did.

Happy Friday yall

Parents have to be strong and firm. You have more parents going with the flow than kids these days. If as a parent you don't think your ten-year-old needs a cell phone then don't buy one. If they get mad and tantrum, "HANDLE THAT!!!" You are the parent. Parents know best.

I can honestly appreciate this episode because what Penny went through with her mom is exactly what I went through with my mom. From my perspective, definitely teaches you there’s no need to grow up so quickly and not everyone close to you has your back when game and money is involved

I literally don't understand why everyone gets mad at Oscar for saying "NO!" for something that sexual. Oscar is overhated and when he's actually right, everyone turns on him. These young girls could've gotten expoilted and assaulted. Gosh this is why Oscar is one of my fave characters

It reminds me of when I was growing up and Bratz first came out and a few other incidents growing up where my grandparents thought something was inappropriate. Sorry for the essay lmao The first is when the Bratz doll line came out. My folks thought it was "too grown" for a kid like me to play with due to the fact that the dolls dressed in a way that was trendy for teens (or rather, teens saw adults/celebs wearing and it was trendy). While they weren't forbidden in the house (I had a few dolls and played the Rock Angelz game on PC), I wasn't allowed to have them *a lot* and there were a lot of conversations about the way they dressed. In a way, given that the Bratz are now aged ~20 from being 16 and being an adult now - I kinda get what they were worried about. The dolls were dressed in a way that was fine for adults, and *debatably* for teens but absolutely not for a kid. Ofc growing up - I tried to dress like that to a degree by my folks said *nah* And then another when I was like probably 10? Halloween and I wanted to be a fairy/Tinkerbell. Went to the store blah blah and the costumes they had for kids that was a fairy barely covered my butt lmao. And it wasn't too small or anything in terms of sizing - its how it fit on the image/model they have on the package. They explain to me (even in the store) its not appropriate, too short, etc. for me to be going out in even though they're pretty much chaparoning me. They stood firm in that it wasn't appropriate and let me pick something else - even though I was sulking a bit about it I even heard one of the other parents in check out agreeing with my grandparents (I think they saw and we were in check out right behind them) that it was in fact inappropriate for a kid my age. It kinda goes to show how kids - esp young girls are encouraged to "grow up" pretty fast at least in terms of clothes. Not to say that Bratz or the maker of the costume had some nefarious intention to set out to do this or to say that they're the problem or something but rather to show how its important for parents to have these conversations and stand firm on what their kids are allowed to wear. Trudy does what a lot of parents should do - she doesn't shame Penny for wearing it or even wanting to wear it and being a woman - even knows herself how it is for teenage girls to want to be popular and appeal to their peers and gain their approval - but being older and not naieve she knows how dressing like that can bring certain kinds of attention. And that "certain kind of attention" is what the boys at the party wanted out of Penny and her friends - even though Dijonay didn't know *what* they wanted specifically - just that she didn't want to do it and it made them uncomfortable. Trudy just tells Penny to put it away for a couple of years and dress more appropriate for the age she is now. She even does a good job of explaining that the celebrities who wear those kinds of clothes is not appropriate on a child. Is it fair that clothes can be sexualized? No but humans have sexuality. People experience sexual attraction. There is a reason why celebs may choose to wear sexy and revealing outfits. There is a reason why certain clothes and styles of dress are appropriate on adults but not on kids who are still learning how to navigate their own boundaries. It also shows the distinction between how kids/teens and adults think. Penny wants to wear the outfit because its what all the hottest singers and dancers are wearing but those singers and dancers are wearing that because they're grown and know its going to garner a sense of sexual attention or appeal. They're showing off their forms and figures. I mean, even compared to someone like La'cienega the outfits are pretty revealing. It's not about "you can't show stomach", it's that the top is cropped pretty much to her chest and the skirt comes to just above her knee and she's on TV dancing in a way that probably isn't appropriate for someone her age

The part where you talked about the creams and the makeup just reminded me of the one line from the one episode of Hey Arnold where Helga goes, "we don't have wrinkles, we don't have signs of aging, we're nine years old!" And then I think, different ages have vastly different skincare needs, and what was a good idea when you're a kid isn't what's best as an adult, and vice versa. So I have to wonder, are these girls actually doing something to their skin that wasn't meant for their needs? And how will that affect them when their skin adapts? And again when they get older and their needs change?

My cousin wasn't allowed to hang out with my brother and I growing up because my aunt was weird about my brother being autistic but she was okay with him hanging out with the random neighborhood kids one of which was abusive to my cousin and got him into vaping and weed

Social media and society itself has made kids feel as if they have to grow up because any child that actually acts their age is shamed for it. I literally saw a reel on IG of a boy who looked no older than 11-12 years old being hated on thousands of mainly adults for acting his age. Parents are also to blame as well because many don't care to raise their child and would rather let phones raise their child instead. There's also the people who enable and are complicit with the overs3xualization of minors and if sane people call out said overs3xualization, they're the ones who are getting criticized and accused of being a pervert. It's really sad.

When I first watched this episode as a kid, I didn’t understand how they were groomed. I thought it was just about them becoming famous and Penny letting the fame get to her head to the point that she disowned her friends. Now as an adult I understand especially since I myself was groomed and touched by my mom’s bf at 15. 😓

I remember being in middle school and silly bands were the rage and when i finally get some no one i knew thought it was cool i had them... 😂 i swear no matter how hard i tried i was usually a social outcast. 😂 im glad idc now 😊

I literally was watching this ep last night. Insane coincidence!

I saw a video similar to this and yeah, this is pretty much the writers telling older audiences about how black girls tend to be sexualized and adultified at such a young age. This is one of the few episodes where Oscar was right to say NO because Penny and her friends were objectified while they were MINORS. And while I am a white woman, I've read enough articles and heard enough experiences to know that socially, black girls and other BIPOCS are often more sexualized and adultified than white women. It makes sense in that regard when you mix it into this episode because if anybody here remembers surviving R Kelly, R Kelly got away with trafficking and grooming and sexually abusing girls for decades because they were all black girls. If one of his first victims, Allyiha was white he would've been in jail decades ago. While the girls did get justice now IMHO true justice would've been if the first victim was believed. Think about it (this is for the white readers) when was the last time a black girl was portrayed as innocent on the news when they get kidnapped or murdered? In fact, when was the last time the news talked about missing and murdered Indigenous women or missing black girls the same way they talk about white girls? More over, when you talk about things like tiktok treands, as a cosplayer I'm also in a similar boat when it comes to the popularity of Hazbin Hotel. Many of us in the fandom are trying to push minors away from this show because it contains themes that are way too mature for them including one of the main characters being a porn star (angel dust). In addition, since a majority of the fanbase is made of adults many of us don't want to see these kids getting groomed by adults. In the days of the internet, you're more likely to find a pedo on the internet. So yeah, you get the idea.

The original proud family had so many amazing lessons. Love your analyses on this.

The title alone has me convinced. WOW!

honestly i feel like the age crops should be worn should atleast be 16-17, when teens are about to go into adulthood, already have their license, and are heading into college

Great Video Analysis! I never thought about all of this when watching this episode. To this day this is one of my favorite episodes.

I'm actually impressed with how the episode handles the subject

I remember seeing this episode when I was young and not noticing it. But now that I saw this video I’m like, wow. I didn’t even know that. Thanks for the insight

As I thirteen year old I approve of the Sephora situation, I have never been there before but my SISTER. She has been to Sephora more than once and she’s only eight.

Great commentary, Tony! I am looking forward for the next video about Bethany. And uou are right...that episode had a important message behind it.

Wow, I have never saw it like this when I was younger. Great video Tony

This for sure highlights the dangers the industry has an effect on children, and it's one of those episodes you don't perceive the same as an adult… especially after all the allegations that have been exposed the last two decades. And the thing is, it shows both sides of the coin, the positive side through the girls point of view and the negative (and mostly realistic) side from the parents and Dijonay's cousin; when we were kids, we stand by the girls side by relativity (rebellious attitude aimed at a preteen audience) but now as adults we can fully comprehend what is happening, why Oscar and Trudy are upset at their daughter and why they are fortunate for the situation to not go WAY worse. Astonishing review, Tony!

I just discovered you yesterday and your videos are BANGERS . You speak so much truth in these !

Oscar was 100% RIGHT, but I didn't fully realize it when I was a kid. D: The guy who made that comment about Penny and her friends looks like an adult too. That's creepy.

This used to be one of my fav shows ever

She’s a hottie 😂 Oscar on sight😊

Man. This video sure came out at the right time considering the various vids on Dan Schneider and now P. Diddy.

It’s probably been about a decade since I’ve thought about this episode and it is so different viewing it as an adult vs a child. It’s actually really nice to see that the Proud Family was trying to educate young kids about the risks of peer pressure/the more terrifying danger of potential grooming even if the message went wayyyyy over my head as a kid! (ESPECIALLY the grooming part! They’re so real for using a female family member too because unfortunately the most common predators are the ones closest to you 😢)

I'm glad RU-vid recommended me this ngl

Unfortunately I seen it in my own family, too, and I had no power to change anything 😢 i understand it was just "underwear" but lady why would you buy your own 14 yo daughter a thong????

The Proud Family reboot is so awful. She notices she’s developed and she get all excited about it jumping up and down like why? Seemed very sexualized. The old Proud Family was better.

ngl kids my age dress like that all the time

I still think they should put age restrictions on vaping that shit is awful for you

I vaguely remember this episode but watching this vid has reminded me of a few things. I've never cared for celebrities of any kind because I never saw the point in practically worshipping someone you don't know all because they're pretty, can sing/dance/act, whatever. They're still people. But people like Dijonay's cousin hone in on people's infatuation and the would be star's naivety. These kids aren't people, they're just a thing to be used and tossed aside when they no longer serve a purpose. What makes it more tragic is that more often than not the ones that exploit you are the one's closest to you, the ones you rely on most. I also have a feeling that if this was more 'real' than cartoon, those girls wouldn't have been able to leave that party especially if she took them to a more isolated place. That's terrifying to think about. These girls got a good ending and a reality check, they were able to walk away. Most don't have that luxury.

Found your channel about two weeks ago, and honestly your videos deserve more attention. The length of the videos is perfect, and straigh to the point, it's like I'm having a conversation! Keep up the good work man.