I remember someone posting on another message board something like, "Penny was unrealistic! I actually used to work in the Foster Care system with abused children and they were cold and distant due to the abuse they suffered. They weren't normal, happy go lucky kids like Penny was throughout most of her seasons. The only things that seemed realistic about Penny was the fear she had right before her mother burned her with the iron and her scream when Willona touched the arm that her mother injured. " I wonder if the person had a point that Penny should have been cold and distant, not happy....:confused:

Bump.

Probably, but I don't think a sitcom with a cold and distant child would be very appealing. I would expect a more realistic character on a drama. I think they did show her struggling a bit by having her burn the sofa.

Penny didn't burn the sofa on purpose. She was holding a lit cigarette, pretending to be glamorous like Mandy who smoked. She put the lit cigarette in the couch to hide it, forgetting that it was lit and that caused the cough to start burning.

Penny didn't burn the sofa on purpose. She was holding a lit cigarette, pretending to be glamorous like Mandy who smoked. She put the lit cigarette in the couch to hide it, forgetting that it was lit and that caused the cough to start burning.

I didn't say she burned it on purpose. But, she did do something that she knew was wrong. That's struggling.

You could make the same case for Ernie on My Three Sons. He was a foster child, who was reserved at first but became goofy as the series progressed. Penny, for her faults was miles ahead of Dee, on What's Happening.

Dee was supposed to be the textbook annoying little sister, according to Danielle Spencer who played her. :) I did like the episode where Dee let her mother spoil her and bossed Raj around because they honestly thought she was depressed. Turns out, it was her friend who was depressed, not Dee. The guidance counselor thought it was Dee who was depressed and told Raj and their mother to cheer up Dee. Dee found out that the counselor told her mother and brother that she was the one who was depressed and she didn't bother to tell her family that she was not the one who was depressed, and milked the undeserved attention. Her mother was told the truth by the guidance counselor and let Raj hang oit with his friends after being such a good brother to Dee. She implied to Dee that she was going to beat her side and her behind for leading them on. LOL. This is one of the rare times Dee gets what she deserves for being a brat!:D