"It's a different world" then when I grew up....
I dedicate this post to all the TV shows I watched growing up. More importantly it's for the black shows I watched when growing up. I look at TV these days and wonder why we have to single Girlfriends instead of Hillman students, why when kids move to Cali to live with a rich uncle we have to specify that the mother is a crack head (Bernie Mack Show) instead of the family just wanted to put the kid in a better situation and raise him right TOGETHER (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), how come the only boy in a family raised by succesful parents can't end up successful by overcoming (Theo and his learning disability on Cosby Show) instead of being an idiot with no hope that falls victim to his own stupidity (Junior and his idiocricy on My Wife and Kids)???
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that TV these days is trash...not at all. I'm just noticing that there is a little bit of a shift in a negative direction within the little bit of quality TV we have left. And we all know how the snowball affect works! I just want us to get back to Quality in our TV shows...we already have too few on television as it is. What bothers me the most (personally) is the thing that inspired me to write this one. I was in Circuit City about a week ago and this teenager of 17 years old was working there and I asked if he could tell me when the second season of "A Different World" (my favorite show of all time) was coming out on DVD and the kid had no earthly idea what "A Different World" was. I was floored!!!! I mean he had NO IDEA even after I tried to describe it and explain the correlation with The Cosby Show.
It kind of bothered me because that show was one of the few that actually made a point to be socially conscious and always paint a good picture of black people or give a good message. It made me think about what kids take from TV these days. I know what I took back in the day....I am an engineer today because I wanted to be like Dwayne Wayne...No Bull! (My mom and sister can vouch for that) I just hope that the TV of today doesn't fail at providing those same types of images I had to look up to. That breif moment in Circuit City gave me some perspective.
Let me know what you think....
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that TV these days is trash...not at all. I'm just noticing that there is a little bit of a shift in a negative direction within the little bit of quality TV we have left. And we all know how the snowball affect works! I just want us to get back to Quality in our TV shows...we already have too few on television as it is. What bothers me the most (personally) is the thing that inspired me to write this one. I was in Circuit City about a week ago and this teenager of 17 years old was working there and I asked if he could tell me when the second season of "A Different World" (my favorite show of all time) was coming out on DVD and the kid had no earthly idea what "A Different World" was. I was floored!!!! I mean he had NO IDEA even after I tried to describe it and explain the correlation with The Cosby Show.
It kind of bothered me because that show was one of the few that actually made a point to be socially conscious and always paint a good picture of black people or give a good message. It made me think about what kids take from TV these days. I know what I took back in the day....I am an engineer today because I wanted to be like Dwayne Wayne...No Bull! (My mom and sister can vouch for that) I just hope that the TV of today doesn't fail at providing those same types of images I had to look up to. That breif moment in Circuit City gave me some perspective.
Let me know what you think....
posted by Daneger at 2:28 PM
4 Comments:
It's funny that you mentioned that about going to an HBCU because of "A Different World". The crazy thing about that show is it showed us the true power of television in that the enrollment at HBCU's tripled when that show was on the air. It had a huge influence on me that stuck with me all thru highschool and college even after the show ended so I defeinitely understand the correlation. And I guess Dwayne Wayne was that White-Collar brother I saw on TV that was enough of a role model to me for me to choose the direction I have. Plus the story with him and Whitley was OFF THE HOOK...LOL. But yeah I agree that the kids these days need that sort of direction coming at them from EVERYWHERE possible.
You make a good point Dane. I didn't think about the tint on our black t.v. shows now (My Wife and Kids - Junior). That was a really good observation.
There's nothing to do but agree with you here. But this goes right along with the corrosion of our minds and the degradation of our race. Should we be surprised?
Of course, it's not only our future generations going through this. It's the adults too. Look at 'Flavor of Love'. =( I just read something in Essence that said that that show completely undid everything that Sidney Portier and Billy Dee Williams did for black people. I'm glad some black media outlets are recognizing that.
As for a Different World...I'm so proud of that show. It makes me smile just thinking about it. Remember the wedding episode!! I still remember the anticipation the day that episode aired. We had a family night that evening and even taped it! Yep. VHS baby!
Of course I am all late and everytihing...
BUT I also wanted to say that I truly agree...and love the observation and parallels with black TV...I don't even watch TV anymore, not like sitcoms and stuff...nothing really says anything to me, I mean you have Girlfriends and the new one the Game is nice too...but there are NO Black family shows out there...that have a nice positive story line, that shows the OTHER side of the story (my side of the story, a two parent house hold, kids in college, parents working...) So I totally feel you....
I totally see where Miss Alisa is coming from working with the Kiamsha Kids and these kids are OFF the HOOK but not even really...they are mild compared to other kids...
NBC was the hub for us...Fresh Prince, Cosby, Different World...man....them was the days!
Young, I was watching the Fresh Prince of Bel Air on DVD last night (4th Season) and it's so wild that even thru all the crazy nonsense that Will Smith did on the show they still tried to apply something in the show throughout the season that had a message. I wathced the episode where Uncle Phil had a heart attack when Carlton wouldn't go to the hospital....it's so funny to see where Will started to flex his true acting skill with some of the serious episodes. TV was so much better then and we don't even realize it hald the time.
And the crazy part about my blog is that I was picking on the shows I consider the "good ones", I dare not speak on what I think about the "bad ones".
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