Howard and Harold McBride | |
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The Loud House characters | |
First appearance | "Overnight Success" (2016) |
Created by | Chris Savino Kevin Sullivan Darin McGowan |
Voiced by |
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Portrayed by |
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In-universe information | |
Nickname | Howie (Howard) Hare-Bear (Harold) |
Gender | Males |
Family | Gayle McBride (Harold's mother; Howard's mother-in-law) |
Spouse | Each-other |
Children | Clyde McBride (adopted son) |
Nationality | American |
Howard and Harold McBride are a pair of fictional supporting characters in the American animated television series The Loud House and its resulting multimedia franchise on Nickelodeon. Howard is voiced by Michael McDonald and Harold was voiced by Wayne Brady until 2022 when he was replaced by Khary Payton. Their first appearance was in "Overnight Success", following an episode in which they were only mentioned (A Tale of Two Tables). The McBrides are significant as the first married gay couple to be featured in a Nickelodeon animated series. [1] The McBrides are notably also an interracial couple. Their introduction into the series was described as remarkable and caused a boost in ratings for the show. [2]
Howard and Harold are the adoptive gay fathers of Clyde McBride, who is a main character and the best friend of protagonist Lincoln Loud. Clyde's birth parents have never been seen. They shower Clyde with attention and rarely let him do anything unsupervised. Howard is sensitive and neurotic, often getting overemotional while watching Clyde grow up. Harold's parenting style contrasts with Howard's; he is calm, collected, and concerned with Clyde's safety and health above everything else, but also a little more willing to be lenient. The McBrides serve as foils to Lincoln's less worrisome parents.
The characters have been met with praise from television critics and fans for being a positive representation of an interracial gay married couple. Positive reviews of the series have also called attention to the lack of focus placed on their sexual orientations, as well as their depiction as fit and capable LGBT parents. The characters' portrayals have received accolades and nominations from organizations including GLAAD, NAMIC, and South Florida Gay News . However, the introduction of the characters resulted in some controversy and censorship of the series.
Howard and Harold are helicopter parents to Clyde and tend to be overprotective of him. Howard feels the need to protect Clyde at all times and never lets him out of sight, unless he is with Lincoln or at school. [3] Howard is also sensitive and overemotional, often needing Harold to get him to chill out when he gets worked up. Harold's demeanor is the opposite; he is straightforward and even-tempered. Both of the McBrides have a fondness for cats and have adopted two, Cleopawtra and Nepurrtiti (named after Cleopatra and Nefertiti, two Egyptian queens). [4]
A running gag is the McBrides' impractically large and ever-expanding repertoire of hobbies and former jobs, which increases to include any skill set that an episode's plot demands. Whenever one of the Loud children learns something new from Howard and Harold, they will simply say that "Mr. McBride" taught them, leaving it intentionally ambiguous as to which dad possesses each skill. [5] The only constant hobby is Harold's talent for preparing home-cooked meals for Clyde and Howard, particularly one of Clyde's favourite foods: Swiss chard frittatas. [3] The McBrides are foils to Lincoln Loud's parents, who are less worrisome and more sensible despite having eleven children instead of one.
Howard and Harold made their on-screen debut in "Overnight Success", in which they bring Clyde to a sleepover at Lincoln's house and Howard has trouble letting him leave. [6] They had been mentioned previously in "A Tale of Two Tables" and "Hand-Me-Downer", which were the first two full-length episodes of The Loud House to be released online. [7]
Howard and Harold were some of the first supporting characters to be created for the show. Series creator Chris Savino stated in an interview with Geeks OUT that he made the McBrides gay because "The Loud House is about family and we decided very early that we would try to represent all kinds of modern family." [7] Howard and Harold's sexual orientation is intentionally never mentioned on the program, and they are portrayed as any other couple would be. They do not exhibit stereotypical mannerisms of gay men, such as exaggerated effeminacy and flamboyance. According to Shoma Chaudhury's Catch News, Howard and Harold were created with the goal of "introducing children to LGBT characters who are both 'normal' and likeable." [8] Amanda Cordner of Viacom International, which produces the show, called the casual inclusion of Howard and Harold part of The Loud House's "genius" and called the program "an accurate reflection of modern life; it holds up a mirror so kids can see themselves... [LGBT representation] is increasingly normal, and that's the brilliance of it." [9] A study conducted by Nickelodeon's EVP of consumer insights, Sujata Luther, in October 2016 used the characters as an example of how Nickelodeon "is continuously shaping its shows and digital services to meet the changing face of its viewers." [10]
Critical responses to the characters have been positive. Time reported in July 2016 that "people are thrilled about Nickelodeon's decision" to include a gay couple. [11] Kaitlyn Hayes of PinkNews wrote in her review of The Loud House that their portrayal in "such a natural and accurate way still puts a huge smile on our faces." [12] Radio Times reported that the social networking site Twitter had given rise to many "overwhelmingly positive" tweets about the couple. [13] Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair stated that The Loud House "handles the topic [of same-sex marriage] in exactly the right way...this kind of casual representation in children's programming is a milestone." [14] De Elizabeth of Teen Vogue wrote, "The best part is that the show doesn't treat these characters any differently, or even introduce them with a heavy asterisk about their marital status." [15] The Frisky 's Tai Gooden noted that "kids who have two dads (or moms) will be more than thrilled to see a family they can identify with on TV." [16]
Commenting on the McBride parents' debut, the staff of Rotten Tomatoes expressed hopes that the two characters would continue to make prominent appearances. [17] Writing for The A.V. Club , William Hughes stated that he viewed Howard and Harold as more significant than previous LGBT characters in children's media, since they are recurring and not one-off characters like most others. [18] The vocal performances of Michael McDonald and Wayne Brady have also been positively reviewed; Bustle 's Jordana Lipsitz stated that "the show could not have picked better actors to portray" Howard and Harold. [19]
The characters have also been received well outside of the United States. The French magazine Yagg stated that the McBrides were "brilliantly brought into the plot" and that they had "conquered" fans overseas. [20] The Spanish news site Fórmula TV wrote, "the milestone is not only given by the sexual orientation and gender of the couple, but also by their skin colors, as it is an interracial marriage." [21] Viacom Media Networks, which distributes the series internationally, responded to the media's support of the characters by stating that "we're 'Loud' and proud of our commitment to LGBT representation." [22]
Like the inclusion of LGBT characters on other children's programs, the inclusion of Howard and Harold McBride on The Loud House have been met with criticism from a particular group; the One Million Moms division of the American Family Association objected to scenes featuring the McBride parents and unsuccessfully pushed for the episode in which they first appeared to be edited to exclude the couple, [23] saying that "Nickelodeon should stick to entertaining instead of pushing an agenda." [24] Wayne Brady commented on the issue in an interview with The Arizona Republic , stating that "it's ridiculous in 2016 an animated series would rankle so many people because it happens to depict something that actually exists in real life." [25]
Episodes focusing on Howard and Harold were pulled from Nickelodeon's African channel. [26] [27] Other episodes in which the characters are featured or mentioned briefly are edited so that the McBride parents are not included. This decision was criticized by fans from South Africa, where gay marriage has been legal since 2006. Viacom stated that, since the feed reaches other African markets where homosexuality is suppressed, they would risk losing their broadcasting license by showing Howard and Harold. [28] Their introductory episode was made available on the South African DStv's video on demand service following the controversy. [29] In the Arabic dub, Howard was given a female voice actor and addressed as Clyde's mother, as homosexuality is widely seen as taboo in the Arab world and illegal in several, if not most Arab countries. His physical appearance was retained, only his voice and dialogue are altered. However, episodes featuring LGBT characters (e.g. Howard and Harold, Luna and Sam) were banned from airing on MBC 3. [4] The McBrides are the second pair of children's characters whose same-sex relationship has been censored for foreign markets; the first was Ruby and Sapphire of Steven Universe . [20]
In June 2017, The Loud House and five other children's television shows featuring LGBT characters were censored in Kenya by the Kenya Film Classification Board. [30] The series was at the top of the Kenya Film Classification Board's blacklist, and a complaint from the KFCB argued that The Loud House tries to "normalize, glamorize, and even glorify homosexual behavior." [31] Viacom publicly responded, saying that they respected "the varied cultures and regulatory codes of the markets in which we operate" but would "be making the content available on catch up services" in markets where broadcasting codes allow. [32] In the same month, a youth counsellor from Abuja complained to the News Agency of Nigeria about The Loud House and other children's series featuring LGBT themes, calling them "subtle campaigns disguised in forms of cartoons to capture the minds of children." [33]
The Loud House 's portrayal of Howard and Harold McBride led the series to be nominated for Outstanding Individual Episode at the 28th GLAAD Media Awards and for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming at the 29th GLAAD Media Awards. [34] [35]
In October 2016, Howard and Harold's introduction was named one of the five best LGBT moments in children's cartoons by South Florida Gay News . [36] In May 2017, The Loud House's portrayal of the McBrides was nominated for a Vision Award from NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications). [37]
The widest viewership ever for an episode of The Loud House was 2.28 million for "Two Boys and a Baby" on July 19, 2016; this was the first episode to air after Howard and Harold were announced. [38] The writers of the magazine SOHH examined this and proposed the question, "are [Nickelodeon executives] looking at reality or just trying to get ratings?" [39]
Children's television series are television programs designed specifically for children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are normally broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake, immediately before and after school schedules generally start in the country where they air. Educational themes are also prevalent, as well as the transmission of cautionary tales and narratives that teach problem-solving methods in some fashion or another, such as social disputes.
LGBT representation in children's television is representation of LGBT topics, themes, and people in television programming meant for children. LGBT representation in children's programming was often uncommon to non-existent for much of television's history up to the 2010s, but has significantly increased since then.
Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in media has been largely negative if not altogether absent, reflecting a general cultural intolerance of LGBTQ individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the positive depictions of LGBTQ people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America. The LGBTQ communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBTQ communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBTQ communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.
Nickelodeon is a South African 24-hour television channel owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA. The channel was launched on July 1, 2008. North Africa receives the Arabic-language version of the channel Nickelodeon MENA.
The Loud House is an American animated television series created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only son in a large family of 11 children. It is set in a fictional town in southeastern Michigan called Royal Woods, based on Savino's hometown of Royal Oak. The series was pitched to the network in 2013 as a two-minute short film entered in the annual Animated Shorts Program. It entered production the following year. The series is based on Savino's own childhood growing up in a large family, and its animation is largely influenced by newspaper comic strips.
"Overnight Success" is the 23rd episode of The Loud House in broadcast order and the first segment of the ninth episode of the first season in production order. It first aired on July 20, 2016 and was directed by series creator Chris Savino and written by Kevin Sullivan. In this episode, Lincoln Loud manages to convince his parents, who banned sleepovers after incidents involving his sisters' owns, to let him have his first sleepover with Clyde McBride, his best friend, only to end up getting jealous, as his sisters repeatedly take Clyde for their own needs.
Cyrus Goodman is a fictional main character in the American family comedy-drama television series Andi Mack on Disney Channel. The character is portrayed by Joshua Rush and first appeared on television in the pilot episode, "Tomorrow Starts Today". Cyrus is the best friend of both Andi Mack and Buffy Driscoll, the title character and a fellow main character, respectively, and attends Jefferson Middle School alongside them. The series has been nominated for and won awards specifically for Cyrus and his coming out storyline, the introduction of which caused a ratings surge.
Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term's use as a reference to male homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the mid-20th century. In modern English, gay has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the community, practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. In the 1960s, gay became the word favored by homosexual men to describe their sexual orientation. By the end of the 20th century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBT groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex, although it is more commonly used to refer specifically to men. At about the same time, a new, pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. Among younger speakers, the word has a meaning ranging from derision to a light-hearted mockery or ridicule. The extent to which these usages still retain connotations of homosexuality has been debated and harshly criticized. This page examines gay characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.
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A Loud House Christmas is a 2021 American live-action Christmas comedy adventure family television film based on the Nickelodeon animated series, The Loud House. The film is directed by Jonathan Judge, written by Liz Maccie, and stars Wolfgang Schaeffer, Jahzir Bruno, Lexi DiBenedetto, Dora Dolphin, Sophia Woodward, Catherine Ashmore Bradley, Morgan McGill, Aubin Bradley, Lexi Janicek, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, Charlotte Anne Tucker, Lainey Jane Knowles, and Muretta Moss while Catherine Taber and Brian Stepanek reprise their respective roles from the animated series as characters Katherine Mulligan and Lynn Loud Sr. The first live-action work and second film in the overall franchise after The Loud House Movie, it aired on Nickelodeon on November 26, 2021, and started streaming on Paramount+ the same day. The film also serves as the backdoor pilot of the sequel series, The Really Loud House.
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The Really Loud House is an American live action comedy television series developed by Tim Hobert that premiered on Nickelodeon on November 3, 2022. It is a live-action spin-off of the animated series The Loud House, created by Chris Savino, and the third television series in the overall franchise, utilizing most of the actors that appeared in the 2021 television film A Loud House Christmas, including Wolfgang Schaeffer, Jahzir Bruno, Sophia Woodward, Catherine Ashmore Bradley, Aubin Bradley, Lexi Janicek, Ella Allan, Mia Allan, Lexi DiBenedetto, and Brian Stepanek, with Eva Carlton, Annaka Fourneret, August Michael Peterson, and Jolie Jenkins joining the cast.
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The Loud House is an American multimedia franchise created by Chris Savino and owned by Viacom International under the Nickelodeon brand. It began with the series of the same name which began in 2016. It is based on Savino's own childhood growing up in a large family, with the art style largely influenced by newspaper comic strips. The franchise also includes a spin-off series The Casagrandes, airing from October 14, 2019 to September 30, 2022, and the live-action television series The Really Loud House, which premiered November 3, 2022. The franchise expanded to film with The Loud House Movie on August 20, 2021, followed by A Loud House Christmas on November 26, 2021, A Really Haunted Loud House on September 28, 2023, The Casagrandes Movie on March 22, 2024, and No Time to Spy on June 21, 2024.
Nickelodeon, an American TV channel which launched in 1979, has featured lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.