Tiger Whisperer

Tiger Whisperer is the fourth episode in season 1 of The Proud Family. It first aired on September 28, 2001.

Overview
Penny is bored sick of her mother's veterinary job on "Go To Work With Your Mother Day", until a magician with a depressed tiger shows up at the clinic. Penny forms a bond with the tiger, but her mother is wary. Oscar tries to go to a basketball game, but the only way he can go is if he sells Ice Cream at the game, which attracts women, including Wizard Kelly's gorgeous wife.

Episode Summary
It's take your daughter to work day! But Penny doesn't want to go with her mom. She wants to go with Dijonay's mom. Well, Penny has no choice and she has to go with her mom. While she is there being a janitor, she meets a magician with a pet tiger (of whom he calls Sasha) who doesn't want to do a comedy act with him. The tiger tells Penny that he is not a girl and that his name is Ajay. Penny tells the magician, but Trudy and the magician doesn't believe it. Ajay also tells her he doesn't want to be dressed up like a girl. But when Penny tells the magician, he refuses to believe it and he doesn't even think that Ajay is a boy. Ajay tells Penny "dog". Penny tells him he can't have the dog. But then she changes her mind. Just this once. She opens the cage. Trudy asks her "what are you doing?" Penny tells her she is only giving Ajay the dog food. The magician doesn't want to believe that Ajay will eat the dog food. But in fact he loves it. And he's smiling! As a reward, the magician gives Penny free tickets to he next magic show. The next day, Dijonay tells her to "forget the magic show, because I have tickets to a concert." Penny wants to go to the concert but Trudy makes her come to the magic show. Oscar and Felix think that Bobby is getting them tickets to a basketball game, but are disappointed when they find out the only way they can go is if they work as ice cream men. At the game, Oscar makes a gaffe that leads to the home team scoring a basket. The team's star player slaps Oscar on the butt to thank him, and a cheerleader mistakes him for a friend of the player, so she invites him to be her date to a post-game party. He accepts the invitation because he thinks the woman is hot.

Back at the circus, when it was the magician-tiger act...Ajay comes out in a hula skirt with a bowl of fruit. The magician tells Ajay to give him an apple. But instead Ajay scratches him and starts growling which scares the audience out of the building. When everyone (except Penny) goes out side, Ajay closes the curtains and stops growling. He tells Penny what it was like when he used to live in India. Trudy realizes Penny is missing, she goes back into the tent to find her. Penny talks to her about getting Ajay back to India. Trudy agrees; "What ever it takes." What ever it takes.

Memorable Quotes
Ajay: I like antelope liver. . . with fava beans. . . and a nice Chianti. Dijonay: Hey Mr. Proud! Mr A2 Prud to beg! Bobby: How u doin' Mayonnaise? Dijonay: That's Dijonay! Bobby: Maybe so but there's mayonnaise on your left thich. Wipe it off!

Cast

 * Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud
 * Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud
 * Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud
 * Jo Marie Payton as Suga Mama
 * Tara Strong as BeBe Proud, CeCe Proud and Puff
 * Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones
 * Chick Hearn as Himself
 * Stu Lantz as Himself
 * Bruce Vilanch as Tristan, the magician
 * Orlando Brown as Sticky Webb
 * Maria Canals as Sunset Boulevardez
 * Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer
 * Cedric the Entertainer as Bobby Proud
 * Raquel Lee The Gross Sisters
 * Carlos Mencia as Felix Boulevardez
 * Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez

Goofs

 * When Oscar gets ice cream all over him, in the next frame, you'll see him all clean with no spots, and ice cream that hasn't been touched.

Cultural References

 * Wizard Kelly: You look just like the guy on the cereal box! They're grrrreeeat!
 * This is a reference to Frosted Flakes, which has a tiger for a mascot.
 * Episode Title: Tiger Whisperer
 * This is a reference to the movie Horse Whisperer.
 * Plot: Dr Dolittle
 * This episode is loosely based on the movie "Dr Dolittle". Penny has a telepathic connection with a tiger, and saves him from the cruel hands of captivity by sending him on a plane to India. At the end of "Dr Dolittle", Eddie Murphy saves a tiger (that he can speak to) in a medical procedure, and many people think he's crazy. Kyla Pratt plays daughter Maya Dolittle in the movie series, taking over the lead role after Eddie Murphy's departure at the end of the second movie.