The Taunting Hour (The Loud House)

"The Taunting Hour"
Nice job, Season 6ǃ You pulled a Teen Titans Go! move.
Series: The Loud House Part of Season: 6 Episode Number: 5a (production) 3b (airing) Air Date: March 25, 2022 Writer: Andrew Brooks Director: Patrick Pakula Previous episode: Save Royal Woods! Next episode: Musical Chairs

The Taunting Hour is the first half of the fifth episode of season 6 of The Loud House.

Plot

After Lincoln tries to help Lynn get over a heckler at her soccer game, the Louds realize they all have critics.

Why This Episode Should Be Taunted

1. It basically proves that the crew behind the show see criticism as always a bad thing as the entire episode tries to make even the slightest bit of criticism look bad, devilish and pure evil. Along with that overly exaggerated idea, the episode teaches an awful moral to its audience: "If someone is criticizing you (whether constructive or more blunt), ignore them", which is not a good idea at all since criticism (although it can be nasty depending on how you state your criticism) can be a beneficial process in the case of constructive criticism that is.
   • For example: This page is constructive criticism. It’s explaining why this episode is purely bad for a number of reasons and why it should have been written better from what could have been good about it if only the writer Andrew Brooks and the director Patrick Pakula understood the difference between what counts as criticism and what does not count as criticism.
   • But the sad truth is that this episode just does nothing but paint all criticism in a very bad light, which makes them look like sensitive babies and is not going to help anyone. People need to take criticism to either step up the quality of their own efforts on what they are good at, otherwise people won't learn anything from the tips or criticism they are given.
2. Mostly everyone in this episode (except for the background characters, Leni, Lucy, Lana, Lily, Ken Mu, Mazzy, Sully, Sam, Judy Zhau, Kotaro, Todd, Cheryl, Chunk, Rachel, Dirk, Lance, Amalia, Rusty, Zach, Stella, and Liam) are unlikable in this episode for different reasons:
   • Lincoln is unlikable here, his way of avoiding criticism from everyone else only made things worse. He even fails to see the disappointment and cries in his family's eyes at the dinner table. Which of course, portrays Lincoln as a terrible role model in this episode.
   • Lynn Sr., Rita, Lola, Lisa, Luna, Luan and Lynn become very unlikable in the last few minutes of the episode by blaming Lincoln for telling them about their critics, even though he tried to help them and that he never said that he agreed with them. They even called him a "life-ruiner". However Lynn Sr. does get his karma in the ending.
   • The flashbacks where Chandler relentlessly taunts and mocks his arch-enemy Lincoln for literally no reason other than being mean are unnecessarily mean-spirited and they make him more likely a really bad kid and a bad person in general. He's so bad, he earns the title of being an unfunny version of Bart Simpson from The Simpsons. Sure, Bart Simpson is a kid who taunts and plays impractical pranks and jokes on other people, but most of the time, he never acts so jerkish to the point of being unreasonably taunting and insulting.
   • The bullies the Louds receive make no sense at all:
     • Let's mention that Scoots is really unlikable in this episode. She discourages Lynn Jr. by saying "Boo! You stink!" instead of giving her constructive criticism by encouraging her. If Scoots didn't do this then either she would not have appeared in this episode or this whole episode would have no plot. Also, if Lynn didn't like Scoots insulting her, she could've just kicked the soccer ball onto her face. Sure it would get her eliminated out of the game but at least she's shutting her up. Also, it would've made more sense if Hank and Hawk were Lynn's bullies instead of Scoots.
     • The Burnt Bean Manager insults Luna, even though she let her and the Moon Goats sing at the Burnt Bean in previous episodes. What's even stranger is that given by her similar resemblance to Sam, she is insulting Sam's girlfriend, and it somewhat would make even less sense, even though it is unconfirmed if that character would be Sam's mother, or just someone else that is not related to Sam Sharp, and the animators made this choice for some odd reason. It would've made more sense if it was Michelle and/or Doug from "Really Loud Music" insulting Luna considering the fact they are more arrogant and belittling to everyone they know than one character whom we've just met.
     • Mr. Grouse insults Lynn Sr. for his cooking, even though, he liked his cooking in earlier episodes because inconsistency has to occur in favor of a forced lowbrow joke that wasn't even funny. Again, it would've made more sense if it was either Lord Tetherby, Steak Stancko, or even Principal Huggins insulting him instead of Mr. Grouse.
   • Luan, Lisa, Rita, and Lola freezing up doesn't make sense either.
     • Luan used to have a rough audience when she was little and even had tough skin as shown in "Head Poet's Anxiety. So she managed to develop thick skin over the years in the former episode. So why doesn't she have it right now?
     • Lisa's faced a rough audience also back in "School of Shock". So she shouldn't have problems either.
     • Rita has been criticized by her own kids several times in the past. So how on Earth could a random person on the internet make a mother of eleven kids freeze up?
     • Lola, while less problematic, could've beaten her bully up as shown in other episodes. While it's possible it could be bad for her reputation, at least she would be standing up for herself.
3. Not to mention, having only one hater is something all the other characters would have is easy to deal with, since all you have to do is ignore them and look on the positive sides of life...which we guess is impossible in this episode because of it's horrible writing and it’s overly negative tone.
   • And Luan's hater "Youre_Not_Funny_123" (yes, that's their online name) on Luan Out Loud's Comedy Channel only comments stuff that is "Not funny." on it. That is not a realistic representation/portrayal of what haters are. That's a blatant stereotype that everyone has already seen before. It can be funny in most occasions, but here, it falls flat because it's not how a hater is portrayed at all.
   • Continuing from that, all the "haters" act so bland and rarely so "hater" like. In real life, haters can be more nasty, aggressive, mean-spirited, livid, hot tempered, and act more likely bigger bullies that think they know everything when they don't, and sometimes, they say some obscene language like profanity and sometimes slurs just to make them look good. And yes, we know a show like this wouldn't say slurs (outside of censored swears in "Get the Message", "Potty Mouth", and "Job Insecurity), but it's still very unrealistic, considering that those "haters" are this calm, shouldn't it be easier to ignore and enjoy what you like?
   • And most of these haters were in public places, so wouldn't someone call them out for their behavior? Of course not, because those haters don't get disciplined or reprimanded for the way they insult or make fun of other people like that, thus making them karma houdinis.
     • Then again, they would've attacked anyone who called them out or got them disciplined or reprimanded to make them feel better, like most toxic haters in real life nowadays, but still.
     • Plus, I guess this describes what punishment these people get in real life.
4. Lori, (thanks to her being at Fairway University now as of the season 5 premiere "Schooled!"), Leni, Lucy, and Lana for some reason don't have a hater, indicating the writers forgot about them.
   • Speaking of which, Leni, Lucy, and Lana do absolutely nothing in this episode but to serve as "background" characters. None of them even tried to help the insulted Louds feel better after hearing about their bullies. They don't even comfort Lincoln when he is scolded neither nor stand up to Lynn Sr., Rita, Lola, Lisa, Luna, Luan and Lynn for Lincoln.
   • Like most modern Loud House episodes as of season 5 that feature the entire Loud family, Lori is absent due to her being at college now.
5. The plot is ridiculous and barely goes along in a good way, just moving from a stupid plot point to the next one, thus most likely making you feel like you are watching a different Loud House episode.
6. Wasted potential: The concept of the episode could have been executed really well and would have taught the viewers how to deal with criticism (the right way) but that failed horribly and sadly thanks to the episode's childish and improper way of doing a good job on the subject matter, and for being one of those episodes talking down to its audience and how it shouts out "SLAM THE CRITICS!" every three seconds, even The Amazing World of Gumball could do better than that!
   • There were so many missed opportunities for old antagonists and/or jerks from previous episodes to be better bullies towards the Louds. For example, it could've been:
     • Hank and/or Hawk vs. Lynn
     • Stan Stancko vs. Lynn Sr.
     • Doug and/or Michelle vs. Luna
7. It's plot and moral is copied from "No Laughing Matter".
8. Half-bad ending: Lynn Sr. blocks his ears from Mr. Grouse who then tells him he left the car parked incorrectly, which only shows that criticism can be good. And now, all the Louds almost think to just ignore criticism. Thanks a lot, Lincoln!
9. It's yet another forced Lincoln episode, being the fifth Lincoln-centered episode following "Present Danger", "Don't Escar-Go", "Flip This Flip", and "Save Royal Woods!".

Redeeming Qualities

1. As mentioned before, the concept of the episode could have been executed really well.
2. The background characters, Leni, Lucy, Lana, Lily, Ken Mu, Mazzy, Sully, Sam, Judy Zhau, Kotaro, Todd, Cheryl, Chunk, Rachel, Dirk, Lance, Amalia, Rusty, Zach, Stella, and Liam are the only likable characters as the second, third, fourth, and fifth fomers don't participate with the other family members in being mad at Lincoln as they probably don't have haters or critics. But if they actually did, than it looks like they can actually take criticism unlike Lincoln, showing us that there is a good side to how the episode portrays the characters after all.
   • Speaking of Lily, it makes sense why she doesn't have critics because she is a toddler and is one who hasn't known about critics compared to Lincoln or Lynn Jr., or at the very least she has never known what a critic is or has ever encountered on a critic.
   • Lori also didn't participate with the other family members in being mad at Lincoln, but she can be excused as she was in college at this time.
3. Lincoln tells his family about Chandler always bullying him, his family now helps Lincoln out on showing him how to deal with this bully.
4. Half-Good and somewhat hilarious ending: Lynn Sr.'s van going backwards may be his karma for calling Lincoln a "life ruiner".
5. The animation is still decent and voice acting is still pretty awesome as usual.
6. Some callbacks to some earlier episodes are nice:
   • Stella's mother Judy Zhau from "Stall Monitor" reappears once again in the Burnt Bean scene, and it is nice to see her again.
   • "My Band" from "Band Together" makes a comeback in the Burnt Bean scene.
   • Luan Out Loud's Comedy Channel finally returns after three seasons, and it is awesome to see it again.
   • Chunk's van from "Roadie to Nowhere" finally returns as well in the scene where Luna imagines the Burnt Bean manager on Chunk's van, and it is admittedly nice to see it again.

Trivia

• The title is a clear play on "The Haunting Hour".
• Following "For Sale by Loner", "Fright Bite", "Flip This Flip", and "Save Royal Woods", this is the second episode to have characters in the themed boxes (Mr. Grouse, the lady who says mean things about Luna, and Chandler) are in it.
  • This and it's sister episode both have Chandler in the title card.

Reception

As with many modern Loud House episodes, this episode received mixed to negative reception from fans and viewers for the dismissing of criticism and currently has a 4.3/10 on IMDb.

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