"Father Figures" is the fourth episode of the Disney+ animated series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. It premiered on March 9, 2022 on Disney+ and aired on January 14, 2023 on Disney Channel.
Synopsis[]
When Penny discovers who Maya and KG's parents are, she becomes the lone voice of tolerance in her community, butting heads with her father Oscar's prejudices.
Plot[]
In the Proud Family garage, Oscar shows Felix a scale model of his latest creation. He will construct the “next great American amusement park” called Snackland, which is themed after Suga Mama and Proud Snacks. Felix, given his dislike for snacks in general, bails out from the plan by digging a tunnel through the garage floor. Meanwhile, Penny and her friends watch a live musical show called Wizard Kelly on the Telly, and are disgruntled with LaCienega going solo with a music video of her own. However, her attempts to win are foiled when Little Wizzy beats her by 2,325,017 votes. Penny laments over not being able to see Pink i, until Barry, who is Sunset's new partner, reveals that he is working security at the concert and invites them to come, complete with backstage passes. Felix, for some reason, doesn't want her to go. At the concert, Maya and KG's father Randall is introduced to Penny and the gang. After putting two and two together, Dijonay realizes that Barry and Randall are both their fathers and while she promises to Penny to keep her lips sealed, she goes against her promise of tweeting about it to her social media followers.
Public indignation over Maya and KG having two fathers reaches fever pitch and the two of them are ostracized at school by their peers, who obviously do not understand the concept of their family's marriage. Even Frankie thinks "double daddy's boys" mean nothing to him. LaCienega, remembering the time she was teased for her feet, treats it like it's nothing. After Dijonay confessed that she tweeted about it, Penny says it doesn't matter that Maya and KG have two dads and that they should be tolerated, citing Oscar as a better influence than any of her friend's fathers. After LaCienega, Djonay and Zoey leave for their own agenda, Michael and Penny join Maya and KG at the table. After making a couple bad jokes, Maya leaves the table. KG tells Penny and Michael that Maya is sensitive about "jokes" like that, and they shouldn't joke about who has mothers and fathers, and who doesn't. He also reveals that he and Maya are adopted. Penny is left alone at the lunch table, embarrassed over her blunder. Returning home, Penny expresses her observation of people's ignorance to Oscar, who at the same time, forbids her from seeing Maya and KG again.
Despite not taking Penny's complaints seriously, based on his own philosophy that life isn't fair, Oscar decides to move his dream from the model phase and into the real world. To accommodate funding for the construction of Snackland, he goes to the bank for a loan and is appointed to the office of Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins who introduces himself...and Barry who is revealed to be his husband. Barry arrives with Randall's lunch and the two share a kiss (offscreen), causing Oscar's eyes to crack. Even though Oscar's loan is approved, he is in hysterics at the sight of two men being married and leaves. Things get tough for Maya and KG when they refuse to loan the Gross Sisters money for their new album and Penny decides to stands up to them. Barry and Sunset come to the rescue by inviting them to have gumbo for dinner. KG, however, bails and Nubia swears revenge for making Olei cry. Penny proudly announces her success and they head over to KG and Maya's house to celebrate.
In spite of his cracked eyes, Oscar goes over to the Leibowitz-Jenkins house where he introduces Randall to Trudy and Suga Mama (calling her a "young man" in the process). As it turns out, Dijonay invited her school over to the house so that everyone, including Frankie, could apologize for their ignorance. Oscar apologizes as well, and Randall, relying on the philosophy that "brothers gotta stick together", encourages Oscar to look at the world through Penny's eyes. Oscar happliy agrees to this and joins his family and the other guests for a dance sequence set to "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire.
One week later, Oscar introduces his family to the foundations of Snackland, which is a toxic waste dump. Frightened by the sight of it and Oscar's implied insanity, they leave him at the mercy of a six-eyed fish...and some quick sand.
Cast[]
- Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud
- Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud
- Jomarie Payton as Suga Mama
- Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud
- Keke Palmer as Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins
- Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez
- Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones
- Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer
- Raquel Lee Bolleau as Nubia
- EJ Johnson as Michael Collins
- Artist "A Boogie" Dubose as KG Leibowitz-Jenkins
- Carlo Mencia as Felix Boulevardez
- Maria Canals-Barrera as Sunset Boulevardez
- Billy Porter as Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins
- Zachary Quinto as Barry Leibowitz-Jenkins
- Aries Spears as Wizard Kelly
- Aldis Hodge as Frankie White
- Kylee Evans as Pink I
- Carlos Alazraqui as Puff
Songs[]
- "Disinfect Me (With Your Love)" by Pink-i (Sierra Ne Shelle Watson)
- "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
Trivia[]
- Moral: Treat people the way you would like to be treated.
- A flashback from “Love Thy Neighbor” is shown, and in its original art style, where LaCienega recalls being made fun of for her large feet. However, Michael's lines in the flashback are re-recorded with EJ Johnson’s voice instead of Phil LaMarr's.
- She still holds it against him for making fun of them.
- Beginning with this episode, Sunset has been promoted from beat cop to detective.
- The ending of this episode directly leads into the next episode "Snackland".
- This is the first time an animated Disney production showed a kiss on the lips from a same-sex couple, as well as the company's second same-sex kiss in general, after The Owl House episode "Through the Looking Glass Ruins".
- Once the episode aired on Disney Channel on Jan 2023, it officially became the second time the channel showed a same-sex kiss on the lips after Luz and Amity's in "Clouds on the Horizon".
- This is the first episode in Disney Animation that deals directly with LGBTQ+ related prejudice.
- Second episode to feature Oscar's eyes shattering, after "It Takes a Thief".
Gallery[]
Promotional and Concept[]
Screenshots[]
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External links[]
