La famiglia Proud

An original production from the Disney Channel, "The Proud Family" isn't far removed from live-action sitcoms like "Moesha" - in fact, with all the stock characters present and correct (stable mum, slightly silly dad, energetic grandma, bratty youngsters, stuck-up rich girl, clique of friends, etc) and de rigeur plotlines about finding out who your real friends are, staying true to yourself etc., etc., once you take away the cartoon element you're left with a watchable but unsurprising family show.

But Penny, the teenage girl around whom most of the action revolves, is quite appealing (unlike Brandy Norwood); and though it does come with the message baggage it's less oppressive than some - mainly because it's funny enough to make the morals bearable. (And Destiny's Child fans note the terrific trio doing backup on the title song - sung by Beyonce's sister Solange.) It won't change your life, but this is more proof that the Mouse has moved beyond repackaging their old characters.

The New Disney continues to get more and more calculated with its material by the minute.

Honestly, the only new animated television show they've managed to produce during the past several years that is genuinely good is "House of Mouse". Other than that, the "marketeers" and ridiculous focus groups are getting more and more out of hand. Now to be fair, this is pretty much the case with all of Hollywood and not just the current Disney studio: the current contempt for audiences is producing more pap here in the United States than ever before. I keep hoping that maybe things will eventually turn back around, but the marketers in this country have simply too firm a vice-grip on creators.

But unfortunately, Disney's new animated stuff is also showing just how calculated and out-of-touch the studio really is, as "The Proud Family" is a show which looks, feels and is written like something out of the eighties instead of something current.

Despite its good intentions, there is precious little to be said for this show, which comprises of a ton of wildly cubist limited/abstract designs that were all the rage back during the eighties and were already greviously worn out way back when "Hammerman" and "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" had ripped them off from Bakshi's "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures", and major major references to trend-following and clothing styles also out of said long-past era, each and every single one of them audience-appeal-programmed to the max. Adding to the problem is the fact that all of the voice acting is wildly overplayed in the "Just The Ten Of Us" mode; only "Sugar Mama" provides any respite. Now and again, the plots will actually begin to write something remarkably tender for a show so determined to be cool, but unfortunately Disney smothers everything with too much political correctness (and by that, I mean a strong "Let's not show TOO MUCH emotion between friends here, otherwise it will be uncool and nerdy!" bias) before you can savour the show's sentiments for very long.

I actually found the TV station's advertising for the show far more entertaining that the show itself. One ad which featured a brief interview with the voice for "Sugar Mama", for example, is a delight and fun to watch all on its own.

All in all, though, "The Proud Family" is about nothing more than the current Disney quest for trend-following, audience-hopes and lots of money money money. Virtually every laugh, every gag, every loud shriek of "Party over HERE!" and jagged design line and abstract character creation and rap music guest seems calculated to induce tweens everywhere to stare in rapture and go, "HOOOO, YEAH!" ...and to spend more money on Proud Family merchandising and videotapes. In other words, "The Proud Family" is "Rainbow Brite" with funky illusions to style and a hip-hop soundtrack.

This show is like every African-American stereotype rolled in to one offensive digestible quantity. The dialogue is more laden with slang then Trainspotting (the book not the movie) and this is...

Well, it reminds me of a minstrel show, I am just waiting for the episode where they reveal it to be exactly that. I love Recess and Fillmore and a lot of Disney cartoons but this one is just terrible.

Yeah, and a couple years later and I still feel the same way. And my African-American roommate says the exact same thing so I feel somewhat vindicated. He even actually tried to contact the NAACP about the show.

And to be honest, on top of all the stereotypes, the show itself is really pretty bad.

I began watching this show a good while back and I found it to be quite good. I look forward to watching this cartoon everyday. I love the characters, especially Dijoney (Karen Malina White) and Sticky (Orlando Brown). It's a great show for viewers of all ages I think. I get quite a few laughs out of watching this show. It's not one of the best shows Disney has produced but it's definitely gonna be around for a long time.

Alright, some of these reviews are irritating me.

Seriously, how is the show racist or stereotypical? Its a regular freaking Disney Show. There is nothing stereotypical about it. Its not like any of you actually know to the tee on how every single race act. What part of Penny's character is ghetto? The use of slang? I am eighteen, and trust me, everyone from every race uses slang. Most of the reviewers would not know that, since most are most likely pass the age of thirty and think of themselves to be "Critics".

Suga Mama and Oscar's characters are made to be "Funny", this is a animated Disney Show. This is not The Cosby's, its not suppose to be realistic, what Disney show(real or fake) is realistic? Even Stevens? No, Lizzie Maguire, No. Thats So Raven, No. And the list goes on, a lot of you all sound ignorant, to be honest. The show is very funny, in my opinion. It even has some morals every once and a while. Though the show is no longer on air, i still believe it is a great show to buy for DVD and show your children. At least give it a try, listening to people who feel the need to judge the show as if it was a Oscar movie or something, won't get you anywhere.