Popular Culture Review Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1993 | Page 65

Race, Class and Gender on "The Cosby Show"

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"invaded" by them, the show typically ends with the problem
banished to somewhere "out there," beyond the confines of the home
and family. David Marc proposes a sitcom generation gap, in which
current shows comment on, criticize, and "remodel" those of the
previous era (162). According to this scheme, socially conscious and
politically active sitcoms of the '70s were mocking the apathy,
ignorance, and insulation of shows from the '50s and '60s. Familycentered sitcoms of the late '80s~"The Cosby Show" among them—
attempt similarly to redefine and render obsolete the "deviant"
families of the 1970s.
According to J. Fred MacDonald, who examines AfricanAmericans in television in his Blacks and White TV, every portrayal
of black characters on TV is scrutiniz ed carefully; "[because] there is
comparatively little minority representation in radio, film, and
television, and because each performance by an Afro-American is
regarded as a chance to make a statement about black realities, each
appearance takes on added weight" (115). As Gates points out, black
performers generally have little or no influence over their characters,
scripts, and programs—a fact which must be kept in mind before one
assigns blame or criticism. An early sitcom featuring AfricanAmericans was "The Amos 'n Andy Show", an "easy" program to
watch, "for there was never a racial, social, economic, or political
issue discussed. No one was ever discriminated against, and no one
was hungry or complaining about not working or working in
unchallenging, unfulfilling jobs." When the show "Julia" was
criticized similarly in the 1960s, its producers responded that TV is
for entertainment, not for social and political relevance (Cummings
77). Each show was also accused of providing inadequate role models.
While the characters on "Amos 'n Andy" were gross stereotypes
rooted in radio, vaudeville, and minstrel shows, Julia's "character
was so positive, that she was implausible" (Cununings 78). Sitcoms of
the 1970s attempted to find a realistic medium to these unrealistic
extremes. "Good Times", for example, depicted a ghetto family who
struggled with economic problems, racism, and urban crime, and yet
also had a loving mother and father, intelligent, talented children,
and a positive sense of community and tradition. John Amos, who
played the father, left the show in protest, however, when scripts
began focusing more and more on the character of JJ, emphasizing his
infrequent emplo)anent and womanizing. Rather than replace Amos,