Penny is a nerdy, socially-awkward teenage girl whose only friend in the world is Tracy Turnblad. Both girls share a deep interest in the Corny Collins show, where they are seen rushing over to Tracy's house to watch in both films. After Tracy becomes an overnight sensation in Baltimore, she is introduced to Seaweed, one of Tracy's black friends, and the two are smitten instantly. Penny is also at the mercy of her racist, religiously-devout mother, who tries by all means to keep her away from blacks, even going to the extreme of locking her in her bedroom, and in the 2007 film, ties her to her bed. However, Seaweed comes to the rescue, and the two realize their love for each other, and in both films, it is implied that Penny would no longer return to her mother.