The Holderness Family Controversy Goes Viral After Record-Breaking Podcast on Controversial Marriage Advice
The Holderness Family, a family of four from Raleigh, North Carolina, has become popular on the internet for their Facebook and YouTube channels. They are well-known for creating parodies, skits, and vlogs that focus on their family life. With over 5 million subscribers and more than 1 billion views, the family has gained a massive following on these platforms.
The Holderness Family includes Penn and Kim Holderness, along with their two children, Lola and Penn Charles. In 2013, the family gained significant attention when they released a parody of Will Smith’s “Miami,” called “XMAS Jammies,” which was intended to be their digital Christmas card. The video became an overnight sensation on YouTube and garnered 15 million views in just one week, catapulting the family to fame.
The Holderness Family Controversy
When Kim and Penn Holderness, a couple who used to work as journalists in New York City, started creating humorous content during the COVID-19 lockdown to uplift others’ moods, they received mixed reviews. Their viral hits, “New Normal in Quarantine” and “Gimme Six Feet (Physical Distancing Remix),” were both created by Kim and her husband.
During the time when former N.B.C. anchor Matt Lauer was facing allegations of sexual misconduct, the Holderness family shared their thoughts on the situation.
The Holderness Family Scandal Explained
The Holderness Family launched their podcast, Holderness Family Podcast, in 2018. The podcast covers a range of topics, including personal issues, mental health, and fun topics.
In 2018, the #MeToo movement sparked a controversy surrounding the 1944 Christmas classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” with concerns that the lyrics have a sinister overtone. As a result, many radio stations across the country boycotted the song.
However, when a listener of Cleveland radio station Star 102 complained about the inclusion of the song in its Christmas playlist, the Holderness Family faced criticism for their support of the song. According to FOX8, the listener claimed that the song did not align with the morals of the growing #MeToo movement.
What Did The Holderness Family Do?
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Holderness Family created a series of viral parodies and skits, including a Hamilton medley that promoted wearing masks and a Frozen parody called “It’s Vaccination Day” to showcase their excitement about getting a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
The Holderness Family has released a new “XMAS Jammies” video every holiday season and has created over 300 other parodies. They have also made several television appearances, including on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, H.L.N., CNN, C.B.S., This Morning, and Right This Minute. Additionally, they have been featured on UPTV, The Food Network’s The Twelve Foods of Christmas, and The C.W. Anderson Show’s The Greatest Holiday Video Countdown.
Before returning to North Carolina to anchor the evening news for WNCN-TV, Penn Holderness worked as a video essayist for A.B.C. and ESPN in New York. Kim Dean, his wife, worked as a television reporter in Florida from 2004 to 2008 before joining Inside Edition in New York City.