The Gross Sisters: Victims of Colorism? 🧴🧴🧴
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Were The Gross Sisters from The Proud Family victims of colorism? There were too many circumstances that made it obvious then and now. Let's discuss. Please don't forget to comment, like and subscribe. Thank You!!!
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Honestly the gross sisters are the nicest characters in either show compared to how passive aggressively terrible everyone else is.
Lol honestly ‼
This but FOR REAL because they stuck together and LOVED and stood up for each other which is something the "friends" in the main friendgroup didn't even do because they were always at each others throat
At least everyone else didn’t rob each other.
@@155chipmunkz yeah aside from their trust in each other
Never would have really considered that, but you do have a point.
The Gross sisters were low-key less toxic than Penny's friend group.
At least you knew exactly how they felt about you.
And they helped penny when she was in trouble
Yes, plus they showed up to Penny’s party when her so-called friends went to Lacienega’s
Yeah. They worse than the kids from Rocket Power. lol
I remember that episode where Al Roker turned her twin siblings into teenagers and her friends and family emotionally abandoned her because they thought they were so much cooler and so much more attractive. That episode showed how crappy Penny’s family and friends were.
Yea penny friends were the pits smh the gs was straight up
Funny how they redesigned the Chang triplets with their own unique look instead of stereotypes but can't give the Gross sisters regular skin tone.
EXACTLY ‼
Because them Anti-Asian Hate laws would get the whole show shut down with the QUICKNESSSSSSS
@@SOULarLionessW laws
I always thought making them blue would o show they ashy made them stand out
Ikkr
I actually kind of liked the Gross sisters growing up. I remember noticing that two of the girls names were basically lotions, because my mom had Oil of Olay and Nivea products in the house. I'm white and grew up in areas with very few black people and didn't hear about using ashiness as an insult until the show had been out for a few years. Then the names and treatment of the sisters suddenly made sense. It's just like the canker sisters from Ed, Edd snd Eddy. I grew up living in trailers and small apartments with not enough room for the six people in my family. So, seeing characters villainized for being poor and living in trailers bothers me on a personal level. The classism was just right there on full display, but not to be critically examined. It's cool that you're discussing these topics, and I'm glad I was recommended your channel!
Yeah this ! I grew up pretty attached to the Gross Sisters and The Canker Sisters pretty much for these reasons, cause of the feelings I got from it. 🥰 Cool to see someone else sharing similar experiences.
The canker sisters really weren't that bad. Like they didn't feel our of place compared to any of the kids in the cul-de-sac and were the de-facto genderbend rivals. That same dynamic is present in Powerpuff Girls with the Rowdyruff Boys and in Chowder with Chowder and Panini and a bunch of other shows. The gross sisters are different in that they're the same gender and race so the commentary is a deeper angle than the Cankers or other previous examples I used.
The Cankers regularly SA’d the Eds…
@@therealCrazyJake remember kids: SA is ok when it's done to males!
Man, times do change, luckily.
No tf its not just like those sister cause cankers aren't a problematic insult.... and them being blue black is another insult... stfu about what you dont know pls n ty.
"We're not picking on them because they have two dads, we're picking on them because they have two dads WITH MONEY!"
I live to see this progressive bullying.
*with JOBS
💯
So they are more progressive than this whole reboot
@@gryficowa No, if they were progressive, they would have only mugged those who had a mother and a father.
@@yanrokbowl28 -_-
Besides them being negative stereotypes of darkskin black people, they were the best characters in the original series. Pennys friends were awful and Oscar would get annoying sometimes
True smh
When I was little watching the Proud Family, I thought the Gross Sisters were ghosts and Penny was making deals with them.
@@kumikoloh9190 I mean, were you watching it with no sound and no subtitles on too? Because I don't know how TF you would've thought they were ghosts
@@gmmartines7331I thought they were ghosts because they couldn't pass onto to the afterlife because they had attachments to the neighborhood and their blue color palette meant they were upset and deceased.
How are they dark skinned they blue 😂
gross sisters were better firends to penny than her own friends
That's the most ironic part ‼
And that's crazy because they're supposed to be the "Bullies"
Even Myron was a better friend to Penny, even though she didn't appreciate him. Like coming to her party with the Gross Sisters, unlike her so called friends and wanting to hang out with her, after her "friends" ditched her for her magically turned teenage siblings.
Real
I mean, being a better friend than Penny's current friends isn't a high bar
I feel like this show has a lot of colorism in it and the one time they decided to address it they were just racist to the white girl bc “she’s ugly how dare she get the famous pretty boy [that we favor over OUR OWN BOYFRIENDS bc he is light skin with light eyes]”
Exactly‼ I just did a video about that
@@TonyTurnerI really loved that video!! It put everything into words very well :]
@@TonyTurner that video is still one of my favorite takes on this cause of the things you mention that others kind of skip over.
So you're telling me that they're blue because they're ashy? So when they gave Olei a makeover... they didn't give homegirl any lotion?
EXACTLY ‼
Kiwi is so cute!
I always asked why the Gross sisters were blue and why they were bullies. They reminded me of those girls in high school who thought they were "all that" and would bully almost everyone. I think their last name is Gross because of their gross attitudes.
They're blue because they're ashy
I thought they were ghosts who were killed in a gang fight but they couldn't pass on so they haunt Penny and her friends instead.
@@kumikoloh9190 😂
Is this a confidence? Cause there’s a 4th grade teacher at my school called “Mrs. Gross”?
I would also say that this is racist given that in the reboot we find out that they are Jamaican, which I think there is a stereotype of black immigrants being ashy. Sadly adding on to the issues between black Americans and black immigrants.
Yup‼ I forgot to mention that aspect as well
I thought the Gross Sisters were ghosts haunting Penny...
LMAO @@kumikoloh9190
@@kumikoloh9190 holy shit. Lmao I always thought I was the only one who thought that.
Is it just me, or does this show sometimes give internalized racism? Separating the "good" middle class, lighter, thin black people from the "bad ones".
Kiwi makes some amazing points. She’s a very smart cat
This video was her idea 😸
Very pretty cat!!
@@PrayerWarrior4 i agree with you
It's very tragic re-watching it and realizing that the sisters were victims of severe poverty, couldn't afford hygienic products, and were made to work on the weekends by their parents. The reboot tried to step away from this, but realizing as an adult viewer that these girls were suffering from neglect, child abuse and economic disparity hits very close to home.
I agree with your comment and I just gotta say that I absolutely LOVE your username and profile. Jareth is the bae ❤
Kiwi 🥝 is definitely the star of the show lol 😂 she was getting all her camera time lol 😂
She saw a bird outside the window and went crazy 😅 jumped all in the camera
Olei’s makeover was so wholesome. Idk how they managed to get her braces off though lol.
In original series the "Cultural Shock" episode it was insinuated that the Gross sisters were aggressive and mean because they had very strict parents compared to the other kids
I think that would make a great episode exploring that
They had to spend their time working instead of being kids because their parents were poor I believe. That explains why they steal money.
It also reveals they're part Jamaican, from their mother!
im really glad you made a video on the gross sisters. honestly seeing olei always made growl and monster notices and always thought they were funny but wow the underlying meaning with the characters is insane.
Exactly‼ They substituted her speaking with grunting like a bull 🤔
That explanation actually makes way too much sense. Like,I knew that they had ashy skin but (being white/not racist) I had no idea about the "your skin's so dark you're blue" thing but mix that stereotype with the fact that it's an over exaggerated cartoon and it makes PERFECT sense and is absolutely what they were going for.
I'm learning things.XD
I thought the Gross Sisters were had argyria. However, I learnt that some black people can have their skin so dark that it can look blue. But it never made sense during the cartoon on why they never gave them lotion. Like the adults didn't want to talk to the kids? Think about helping the gross sisters? I thought they were cool characters too. Very honest
side note: Kiwi is a cutie. You can tell Kiwi REALLY loves you. The tip of her tail is bent. It's a sign that they show happiness/respect to the person they love.
I didnt watch the show enough as a kid to realize a) they had names nor b) they were blue cuz they were ashy. I always assumed they were "so dark theyre blue" until i rewatched the show as an adult during covid. Even if they had a certain intent, there was definitely more room for interpretation than there shoudlve been
I thought blue and purple humans mean ghosts in western media....
I cannot seem to understand that type of colorism, I always found beautiful that people with dark skin come with all types of hues, some have blueish tones, others have purplish tones, some few have pinkish tones, a bunch have reddish tones, a lot have orangeish tones, some are extremely black, that is just reality, but what makes no sense to me is stripping the humanity out of someone because of their skin tone.
There is a lot of sociocultural condition that never made sense to me, I have always been amazed by rare skin tones, instead of disgusted.
Yes! I also find unusual eye/skin color combinations especially attractive.
Biologically, we're atracted to differences to improve genetic diversity. Racism is literally social conditioning overpowering nature.
My Bullies became my friends as I grew up, I went through divorce, poverty, 6 brain surgeries in 1 summer and eventually my bullies and me understood “Yeah, life sucks in different ways…”
The kids who tried to beat me up were the first ones to visit me when they could.
Learn your real friends guys and give people a chance and try to understand, not always enemies.
I kinda always just figured they were blue for the same reason Marie Kanker from Ed/Edd/Eddy had blue hair. Villains just had blue/purple/green hair/skin or whatever I guess lol.
What about skeeter from Doug 😂
@@anniem.670 There's always an exception XD
This, but for me it was like Francis from fairly odd parents being literally gray, which the show itself even remarks on multiple times.
I thought blue, green and purple means ghosts, witches and vampires aw well as black magic in western media. The gross sisters aren't ghosts?
I always thought like the saying so black that you’re blue
Honestly I always felt the original series did them dirty at moments. Like we saw glimpses that there is much more to them then being bullies.
Mainly I always enjoyed that they will ALWAYS have someone’s back. Like if they’re chill with you they will always be at your side.
They also know when something does too far. Such as when penny tries copying them and gets sent to Juvie. They say she is TOO bad for them. It shows they do have their limits.
It also shows they have a good relationship with their parents
Idk I wish we got more
Hate it when people go, "Oh it's just a cartoon/anome/for kids, the character's design/costume doesn't matter!" As if every one of those designs didn't go weeks if not months or years of thought, approval processes, and tweaking in order to give a very specific impression and look for each of them. Characters aren't subject to the genetic lottery and trials of daily life, someone did that on purpose!!! (I know you get that, but just ugh, it's such a bad take that can lead to such bad places.)
EXACTLY ‼
In the episode Pulp BootCamp, Penny mentioned being ashy in a blink and you’ll miss it line. “Yeah, I’m ashy” And we realized that’s why the gross sisters are blue.
Got it. But they really need a new episode where that is more dissected. It's always been a throw away line
I hated that they didn't give them a glow up in the reboot 😐
The Gross Sisters, their mom and their dad were all blue, even Penny turned blue in that one episode where she went to boot camp.
There are people with blue skin in real life but I think that was because of some blood disorder like with that one family in Kentucky, I think it was. The Fugates are one known example of people having a disorder that makes their skin look blue, which was caused because the family and everyone in the town were inbreeding due to how cut off they were from the rest of the world. I have heard of some guy who's skin turned blue because of mercury, I think it was.
So yeah, blue skinned people do exist!
That’s what I was thinking as well. Unfortunately if this were true in the show, that would give the implication that the gross sisters are mostly likely inbred for their skin to be actually blue.
Great video!
I felt empathy for the Gross sisters due to their toxic upbringing. They grew up with the street edge mentality. I feel they needed a more well rounded background. Blue skin color is what made them stood out but......I saw their BEAUTIFUL features and I wondered sometimes....the producers of the show did it on purpose to shade them as black women. And the episode when one of them got a makeover it was REFRESHING but ALL of them should've got makeovers. The short end of the stick mentality needs to stop because overall their dynamic and natural appeal is important for a backstory. I feel the new series will have to go on hiatus for a new era. I enjoyed this video. Keep up the amazing work!!!
Thank You ‼
@@TonyTurner 💯
When i first saw the grosse sisters i felt off about the fact they were blue, and im a white chick so i dont even know all this context, but it just felt some kind of malicious to make them smurfs.
Glad to know that i’m not the only one who feel off about it.
I always heard The Gross Sisters were painted out to be the ashiest… I could be wrong.
Right but it was never really explained why. The fans just came up with their own theories
As a child, I never understood why they were blue. It was odd to me. I also never made the connection with lotions. I didn't realize anything as a kid, and I still don't. Edit: a word. I did realize that they were bullied and poor.
My partner, ten years ago, said that, it's a long story, but used the term "blue black". I'm ridiculously naive with racism and terms like that, and that's because racism of any kind makes zero sense to me. But he said, "it's a thing that we would say, blue black, because you're so black that you're blue. In color theory, you can get a black so black it looks blue, usually in media that means "immigrants from Africa"."
So, I was like, literally when he said that over ten years ago, I was like, "oh maybe that's why the proud family gross sisters are blue." Like, literally, that was what I thought. So I just assumed that they were the darkest black people in the show who were actually immigrants from Africa, that they were designed with that in mind.
I'm not saying this is right, but, yep. You just got to the thing I was typing.
Yes, that's what I also thought.
It's not right, but, it's a thing. I think that's what was being strived for.
I literally think that's what it is though.
I didn't understand what ashy meant until college because, I knew it wasn't a nice thing to say so I never asked, but my friends there, there explained a lot to me cause, again, I'm naive AF, and I said something and hurt my friends feelings, not understanding, and, I immediately apologized. We're still friends to this day, thank God because that woman is amazing and a beacon of love and hope, but anyway.
I have a random thought that I've been having watching your videos. The writers are men, they're black men, but they're still men, and I wonder if their personal feelings have helped shape this show, regardless if it's wrong or not, because, not all men are like that obviously, but if perhaps those thoughts have shaped the show. Cause I feel like it could be the case.
You don't see this much stereotypical behavior with the males in the show, not to the capacity of the women, so I'm wondering if that's what's going on.
Good video as always, 🕊️
Edit: oh yeah, I did like their characters though. I found them to be funny and they reminded me of my friends in elementary school. I hope that we see more of their background. I've been so curious about them since forever, and I did love that episode where she got a make over. It was very humanizing and I enjoy that.
I always wondered if they were related to Dr. Drakken.
Dejonay is also prone to colorism
I did a whole video about her alone. Check it out ‼
I remember the time Olay hot a make over but she was still blue so I thought they were so black they were blue.
Watching the show as a teenager I did associate them being blue with them being very dark skinned, cause “you so dark you’re purple/blue” has always been something I heard. But of course the producers could never openly admit that it was the original intent, even if it’s quite noticeable in my opinion. I really do feel they didn’t use these characters’ full potential, and like you said hope to find out more about them in the reboot, however even tho they’re supposed to be antagonists they’re actually kinda likeable. I always liked them growing up. And tbh, they’re realer than Penny’s friends.
i always thought her name was nubia cuz of nivea i thought it was because of that reigon in sudan and egypt called nubia
Yeah its super odd that they never properly delved into their background. Their skin color reminds me of how Spiderman 2099 (iirc) is supposed to have a black and red suit, but the artists made it blue to stand out in the dark panels. The only thing I ever thought seeing the Gross Sisters was that they remind me of Deebo from Friday. The neighborhood bully/black air force one energy type of character. Fun to watch, but again, horrible archetype to give to the "darkest" skinned characters in the show.
Besides oscar and sugermama the gross sisters were my favorite characters when i was a kid. I never knew that their names were based on lotion and i thought they were blue to make them stand out more, like how the bully from Fairly odd parents is more grey looking then the other characters. I definitely think they should get more backstory.
I'm wondering if the Gross Sisters are like an equivalent to the Kanker Sisters from Ed, Edd, n Eddy. The trio of bully sisters...or if it's just coincidence
Completely unrelated. But I love Kiwi 😍😍so adorable
I always felt bad for them. They were way friendlier then Penny's friend group.
I remember during the Culture Exchange Week episode (which if you asked me has aged REALLY POORLY) we saw that the Gross sisters parents were awful people too, who put them to work.
Thanks for sharing this, I've never heard of most of these things before. I feel like there's just so much I never even knew about & still finding out new things every day. It constantly reminds me about how confused & sad I was when I first started to learn that discrimination in general even existed (still makes me sad). I'm grateful that my parents tried to shelter me from it's existence because I feel it gave me a good foundation to automatically think everyone is equal & should be treated as such. Maybe we'll get there some day. Take care everyone 💜
You should do more storytimes. I really enjoyed the last one
I got plenty ‼👌🏾
Your cat is adorable
I didnt realize they were supposed to be ashy ,I always thought they were just REALLY dark skinned. (Back to the whole 'you're so black you're purple aka. One of the insult my best friend in elementary school was 'blurple' it stopped real quick cause we beat they ssa quick fast.) The fact that when they gave the one a makeover and her skin hadn't changed only enforced it to me.
Intresting to hear this take, also love how Kiwi is watching you talk with your hands.
Kiwi is adorable, I love when she shows up
We need another episode of penny getting along with the gross sisters (especially a follow-up to penny's and olei's friendship). The gross sisters were nicer to penny than her so-called friends and Nubia definitely noticed how bad penny's friends are toward her. If penny spent more time with them, possibly nubia would tell her to dump her toxic friends and stand up to her parents. [It is too sad to see penny praise her toxic friends so much and the only time penny encounters someone telling her that she needs to stand up to her parents is one quick rematk from maya about how trudy and oscar are treating her.] The show could also bring back agatha, who basically a mix of anti-lacienga and a nicer zoey with a backbone.
I hate when people dismiss this stuff because "it's a kid's cartoon". It DOES matter! Kids are very impressionable. Proper representation isn't just important for the people getting represented. It's also important for us privaleged white kids, so we can break the cycle of hate. So we can experience life from different perspectives than our own. I credit shows like this and Static Shock for my ability to see just how privilaged I am as a cis white person with a roof over my head and a stable income.
As a kid I thought it was a visual gag about them being cold and calculated, so cold they were literally blue like they had extreme frostbite or something from being that sharp. But yeah now that I'm older I'm pretty sure it's the a play on them being darker skinned. That's kinda depressing.
You know they could have done something similar to the Kanker sisters from Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Like this trio they have last names that are meant to be as bad as they are, since canker sores are annoying and ugly. They are seen as trashy because they live in a trailer park and have bad manners, they are also thirsty for the Ed’s so some have even called them lesser names because of what they do. They are also sisters who are very tight, they fight like cats but would most likely kick someone’s butt if they made fun of their other sister. And just like the Gross sisters they each have their own personalities, the leader and mouth Lee, the wit/sass and some muscle would be Marie, and the “nice” one being May, though she is the least intelligent she is also the most emotional. However what sets them apart is the very subtle story telling elements woven without that can be drawn to make a deeper and frankly more disturbing and sad story. Everyone loves these characters because they are characters, not just stereotypes and they are given breathing room to develop and be explored. If anything needed a “here’s them but older and more nuanced” series it’s that show. It didn’t handle the more adult stuff Proud Family did, it was very silly but it had its moments and if you ask anyone at least one out of 10 people will say Marie Kanker was their first crush.(Even the artist said something similar). It would have been all too easy to make the Gross sisters have an amazing backstory and change to be more complex. They feel almost like diet versions of a Power Puff villain of the week, but at least those characters had reasons to be weird skin colors. I don’t know it just seems odd that one show can do so well exploring a sister trio and this one can’t.
I thought the Gross Sisters were named cause they get money and "gross" also means "an individual's total earnings before taxes or other deductions."
I remember being a little kid and not understanding why the Gross sisters were blue, but just sort of taking it in stride because I was used to shows like Doug, where some characters have realistic skin colors and then others are randomly green, purple, or whathaveyou. Then one day someone told me, and I didn't know how to process.
Soo glad ypu touched on the Gross sisters! I noticed this right away. I would LOVE to see a backstory on them, especially Olei. My favorite episode from the OG was when she was given a makeover. She looked so cute and happy!
I didn't understand in the OG series why the girls were blue. I though it was a medical condition or metal poisoning, or it was a Power Puff girl situation like those green skin guys
Huh... When I was younger I always thought they were blue like that one family from Kentucky, the Blue Fugates and they had some sort of rare genetic thing that made them blue. Not that they were the results of inbreeding, but just two people happened to have this very rare trait, met (possibly bonded over it) and had kids.
As for their last name I thought it was like "Gross Income", relating to them constantly demanding money from people.
...
I was a weird kid always going down the google rabbit hole. And white, so there are a lot of nuances to black culture that I would not have picked up on, but its really interesting hearing about these aspects I had no way of knowing at the time.
Kiwi is such a cute name for a cat!
I thought the blue color on them was more like an emotional state like feeling blue. Maybe cuz the're poor or have rough home life.
I was wondering why they’re blue too. Honestly I’d rather have gross sisters as friends than Penny’s friends
I wonder if they're supposed to represent Crips by being blue? It would go along with their behavior through the show
I remember one episode where Penny was super mean to the Gross Sisters, enough to make them cry, and I felt really bad for them, even as a kid. I feel like they represent those who were always picked on and othered for being poor (and thus unable to present as hygienically as other kids), so started fighting back and instigating the fights to overcompensate. I watched The Proud Family as a young child, so I never really would have thought of it how you put it here (given that I’m also not black, so I didn’t grow up with those experiences), but by the time I was in High School, I did notice teenagers being oddly prejudiced against people who were darker despite being of the same race, and that always really confused me. Hell, racism confuses me; like how hard is it for human beings to just love each other? Like, damn, why’s the world gotta be so mean?
Considering I never watched the show, I'm gonna hazard a wild guess based off the stuff you said. The Gross Sisters, their parents work like crazy so they can afford the house, but the kids can't afford lotion and are all ashy. Named after lotions, and their skin is blue. There's a theme here of appearances, even down to the characters of the sisters as bullies, being more friendly than you'd expect of them.
That's what I'd get outta it, aynway
ed: nevermind, the blue's a representation of character. To become cruel is to become alien.
Honestly, The Gross Sisters were better friends to Penny than Dijonay, LaCienaga, and Zoey…..
Trevor Noah had a joke once where he referred to someone as navy blue black.
I agree, I think they are supposed to represent the extreme in the darker skin tone. I think another reason why they chose to make them blue is due to if they colored the gross sisters accurately, it would not have looked good for the art style and their features might not be as well defined.
Reminds me of Doug Funny’s best friend who was Green.
Swear to God in the OG (superior) series as a kid I always thought their bluish skin-tone was because “pay up or they’ll beat you black and blue” … it wasn’t until Papi called them “ashy rascals” in the reboot that I finally saw what flew over my head as a kid 😅😅😅
Thanks for talking about them Tony and hug your furbabies all 💙🐱💙
Watching this show i was always confused as to why they are considered the bullys when actually they are the most honest and upfront characters. Literally everyone else in the show was a selfish covert bully
I can’t help but notice as you worded it similarly, the gross sisters kind of got reversed-Micheled: going from every other episode to becoming forgotten.
Peeping ur tlc shirt in light of this topic.
I like that one episode where they were playing baseball, and Suga Momma tells one of the Gross Sisters to steal home, and she just takes the base and runs off the field, and then she's just gone for the rest of the episode. 😂
I just thought they were blue because they were evil. Like in the Powerpuff Girls, the gangrene gang was green.
I liked the Gross sister. As a kid I never put it together that they where, 'ashy', cause as a kid I didn't know black people got ashy skin or used lotion to help with getting rid of it. I only found out about that in highshchool, when I saw some guys in my class always went to girls in the class room for lotion and the girls gave them some they had on hand. I could be wrong but I noticed that the guys and girls at school as a kid before being a teenager never had lotion on them or ever once mention it. So I guessing they used it at home and then go to school to not bother to carry it around or ask a teacher for some. This is just a guess, but if I am wrong, then I am wrong.
As for the colorism part you are on point with that. The creators/writers for the show where called out for there colorism in the past, mostly with a lot of characters and them comparing the main character, "Penny Proud" to them. She is this very light skinned black girl who is in a way good, but has some flaws with her. And how she was compared to other darker skin characters of the series who where kinda framed as bad. They did make some episodes with lighter skin black people as bad too, but to see which they did that more with I have no idea. I would have to see the series again to see for myself.
Plus I agree. The Gross sisters need a episode to themselves and why they took the path of music, which is weird, since in the first series back in the day they said, that they would never go into the entertainment industry with how crooked everyone is.
To add to all that was said in this video, I believe the shade of blue for the gross sisters is sapphire and it may reference to the the stereotype of black women known as Sapphire which was portrayed in minstreal shows of a black woman that was very aggressive, emasculating, domineering, etc. to her husband. The Behavior, actions, and depiction of the Gross sisters definitely fits the description of the "Sapphire" stereotype the creator maybe was trying to portray in the show.
I honestly didn't know that saying someone's skin "is so dark it looks blue" is an insult. I've only heard my mom (a very kind white woman) use the phrase- and always with admiration of deep skintones. I share her opinion that the way that the sky or certain light sometimes reflects in blues or purples on dark skin tones is stunning. But I will absolutely keep this in mind, and inform her that it's a hurtful phrase, and shouldn't be used.
The Grove sisters are Jamaicans as well, maybe that played a role.
I never understood why they were Blue... But I also didn't know what being Ashy meant either. I was very oblivious
Back in the day, blue was used to animate the color black. Cause doing just black made it hard to give details especially for characters.
1:13 ur cat is so cute 😭
The Gross Sisters have always been my favourite characters on the show. When i was younger i thouggt nothing of their blue skin but when i was watching it back a few years ago I realized that it was weird to alienate them. I didnt pick up that it was because they were "ashy" though, but i knew they were named after moisturizers. Honestly though, it ties into the deep rooted colourist issues in the proud family. For them to be "so dark theyre blue" and "ashy" and poor is so ridiculous to then villinize them. Like they couldve made them any other tone, not ashy and not called them Gross (even though i thought it was like a french last name bc my family has french last names but it still wasnt lost on me). They didnt have to make them such a negative stereotype. They get bad reputations like the rest of the shows darker characters. Its really gross to be honest (no pun intended) how they are representing darker skinned people on the show. I want us to see the sisters' background to make them more sympathetic characters and not just convenient antagonists.
My brother is dark af. When he was a kid he looked blue if he went too long without lotion. We would often joke with each other that somebody is so ashy “they not black they blue”. Also my cousins act like Dejé (I’m sure I spelled her name wrong).
I've been asking this for years
Aww your cat making an appearance was so nice!
When I was little, I always assumed the Gross Sisters just painted themselves blue, like it was a part of their theme or something 😅
I'm a white woman so most of the information here is very new to me. Very insightful video 👍
Skeeter from Doug was green wasn’t he? And he’s supposed to be African American.
I honestly thought it was just because they were the "bad guys" or bullies or something, like how the Gang Green Gang from Powerpuff Girls were all green. Or like how all the anti fairies from Fairly Odd Parents were all blue
I realized they were supposed to be ashy on that episode where Penny went to boot camp and was also blue, then she said something about being ashy. There is an episode where their parents are shown. They are also ashy. And Jamaican lol
Well in the original no one questioned about their skin color becoming dark blue or purple because their skin color seems purple or dark blue and there's also many things I think it's colorism and futurism have the same time the gross sisters they come from somewhere probably from the hood because they have the hood mentality because when I think of the gross sisters it reminds me of the hood rats from the ghetto so most people that come from the ghetto sometimes they could have a strong personality and a disgusting personality not all of them but some that are used to living in the ghetto and never been out the ghetto they could behave very ratchet and disgraceful
Okay I have to come up with a theory something tells me the girl sisters why they behave that way why their skin color is blue dark blue they might have come from somewhere in the environment where they used to before because I believe they come from another area that is broken and dysfunctional so probably that parents have something to do with that personality because probably they come from a broken home or from a dysfunctional family so they might have lived somewhere that made him like this the gross sisters but I believe it's a terrible name because I have analyzed at the gross sisters they are the caricature of black women portrayed in the ghetto stereotype just like in real life how they generalize black women put them in the same category as Hoodrats
The TLC Fanmail album cover shirt is iconic!
0:48 I always associated the Gross sisters having blue skin with being dark skinned Black people because they were what the Black community would call *"Blue Black"* ... In the Black community, people would call really dark skinned people *"Blue Black"* . In other words, they're so Black they're Blue like the sky at night. Also really dark skinned Black people get noticeably ashy if they don't moisturize their skin after taking a bath. Ashiness is when your skin turns an ashy gray color because of how dry their skin is. Ashiness can show up on your face, arms, and legs, but it shows up best on their knees and elbows..
All of that is just because you happened to be born really dark skinned. It's really sad because societal beauty standards made Black people hate themselves and ridicule people that are darker than themselves. Historically even if you wanted to join a so called *"pro Black"* organizations like Black Geek sororities at HBCUs, and even the *NAACP,* .. You couldn't join those kind of organizations useless you colud pass the brown paper bag test. The test consisted of holding a regular brown paper bag next to your face, and if your face is darker than the paper bag, you're too dark and couldn't join the supposedly "pro-Black' organization.
Low key I thought the blue meant they were hella dark. I never thought it meant they were ashy. I thought they used the blue to mean really dark cuz if they used straight out black it would had looked raciest. Like the old loony tune shows did.
They get called ashy all the time
I felt so uncomfortable with the blue sisters and the peanut characters. I think Pennys parents were the highlight of the show.
9:09 that’s crazy cause that purple or blue comes from the reflected light of the sky. It’s not unnatural it’s just light. Personally I thought that light effect was really pretty. I didn’t know they would say dehumanizing stuff like that.
I got bullied for being dark skinned when I got tired of it I started fighting everyone the bullying stopped
There was this one kid i saw growing up that was so black he shined purple. i thought that was the deal with their blue skin.
I always thought the joke was that the Gross Sisters were so black/dark in completion, that the creators went the 4-Kids Mr. Popo route.
When I originally watched the original “Proud Family” I never understood why they were blue I just thought it was a stylistic choice or what you mentioned like how in “Doug” everyone had different colored skin.
I’m here for the insightful commentary and the cat
Perfect
I had to hear you all the way out before commenting. Honestly I agree with everything you said EXCEPT! When Penny was blue that one time she did say “yeah that’s me, yeah I’m ashy”
However that doesn’t negate anything you said. They probably threw that in there as a half ass attempt to negate the colorism argument… but I think you’re right
Ngl, before this video I kinda thought that the writers were trying to go for a sorta Gang Greengang from Powerpuff Girls, just with blue skin instead of green since there are a couple disorders that causes bluing to happen. But after this video it definitely comes off more like it was supposed to be the same classism thing that I've seen in other coverages on this subject.
It's probably a combination of this explanation and that trope from back in the day where characters would inexplicably turn blue/grey, or just be that way from the start as a sign that they've turned cold. Often used with bullies and villains. The big example being Draken (and even Ron at one point) from Kim Possible. They may have been using it in an attempt to tone down the colorism or something. Because kids show.
You could ask the creator's exactly what's up with it but idk if they'd want to risk saying anything on the matter.