How the Cosby Show taught me about my African Heritage

I saw a rerun of the Cosby show today and I got to thinking about what makes that show so great. First of all, what other show could make a little white kid from Wisconsin like myself (who up until the age of 10 had never even seen a black person) look at a black man as the ideal father. My girlfriend likes to talk about all the things she learned from the Cosby show, things like the importance of humor, the value of family and how to appreciate her African-American heritage. The thing is, my girlfriend isn't African-American, she's a white girl from Canada. But that's what I love about the Cosby show. It made you want to be African-American. I have heard people criticize the Cosby show for being unrealistic in portaying the experience of Black people in America. Sure, there are not a ton of black families (or families of any ethnic makeupg) that have both a doctor and a lawyer at the head of the household. But sitcoms have never been know for being realistic about things like that. What about all the white kids with unstable jobs living in their enormous apartment on "Friends?" In the sitcom world even the poor characters live in half a million dollar houses. It's par for the course. Besides, I think that the Cosby show helps show us what is possible and breaks open our perceptions. It reminds us that there is no reason why a black family should not be prosperous. Too often we see black people portrayed as poor, violent and helpless. But not on the Cosby show. And the Huxtable family became such a big part of our lives that their circumstances no longer seemed unusual. A family with a black doctor and a black lawyer (later a judge)? On the Cosby show it seems perfectly normal. That is the positive side of a show that is supposedly "unrealistic." It can make us rethink our expectations. In the episode I saw today, Theo wants money for a trip to Egypt. His friends tell him that since his parents are "loaded," surely they won't hesitate to give him the money. When Theo approaches his parents they tell him that yes, THEY are rich. Cliff then says, "YOU have nothing." I love that they actually address the fact that they have money. They don't pretend they are struggling, the way so many characters in sitcoms claim to (as they sit in their million dollar apartments). Instead of turning you off to the Huxtables their honesty only makes you admire them more. And the Huxtables were always honest, but not in that feel-good way that they were on "Full House." I remember a scene in which Theo shows his report card to Cliff. Cliff isn't happy with Theo's poor grades. Theo tries to guilt Cliff into letting him off easy, saying something like, "I'm doing my best and I just wish that you could accept me for who I am. Even if I don't get good grades, I'm still your son. " Then there is a pause. We wonder what Cliff is thinking. Might he let Theo off? Then Cliff says, "Theo...(pause)...that is the STUPIDEST thing I've ever heard!" And with that he walks out of Theo's room and shuts the door. That was part of what was so great about Cliff and Claire Huxtable. You always knew where they stood. They told they loved you, but they also told you when they thought you were stupid. Here's to the Huxtables for teaching white kids across North America about family, humor and for reminding us of why we are proud to be black (even if we're not).