Can you recite the opening theme song of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Well if not, let me tell you about the main character's story. A young Will Smith was growing up with his mother in West-Philadelphia, born and raised. He spent most of his time on the playground with his friends relaxing, playing ball and other teenage activities. Of course, the good times came to an end when an altercation began with some local hoodlums. Will's mom wanted to shield him from further trouble and sent him to live with her sister's family in Bel-Air. The well-off and seemingly Republican household accepts Will with his wild antics and hilarity ensues.
Most people would end the story here, but I believe there is a bit more to analyze. Considering the lack of realistic representation of low socioeconomic life, this show may also give outside viewers a skewed perception of what those situations entail. I know you're probably thinking, "Give me a break, it's a sitcom." But whether or not a show is created with the intent of humor or drama, you cannot deny that the representation is still there.
The portrait that I think this show paints for those watching is that there is an escape for poor troubled youth when that is not always the case. For more privileged families there may be the option of sending a problem child off to live with a better off family member to keep them away from the irresponsible temptations of their own neighborhood, but for most families of low socioeconomic status, that is simply not an option. This is a problem because when we begin to believe that there is always a way out of a predicament, we also begin to see those stuck in a certain situation as people who are not utilizing their options.
Some situations force a family to make changes in the household and sometimes that includes living with someone else. However, that someone else may not be a rich uncle, in most cases it is a lateral movement just to take that person out of that environment. In the show, Will gets the opportunity to live in a safer neighborhood, get better education and overall, he gets access to more fruitful opportunities. As I said before, to a person who is not afflicted by the problems Will faced prior to moving, the show seems like the obvious solution to his problems. It can make someone wonder why more people haven't handled their situations in the same manner.
All I want to point out is that we can enjoy the humor that sitcoms provide, but we should not be ignorant to the representations we are shown. I don't want to spoil any shows for you but I guarantee that if you look close enough, you will find an inaccurate representation of some minority group. Don't let your entertainment stop you from learning.
I like your post. It sheds a light on the myth of meritocracy which I think is positive. I think you could mention how enlightened racism relates to even this show from The Cosby Show.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood example, but I do not feel as if it really explains what we learned last week. It may be a good idea to add some information about enlightened racism and how we see that in the Fresh Prince. You could add something like, how Will's life would have been different if his rich uncle was not there to make his life better.
ReplyDelete