Erica Sims

TV Show Paper
March 21
st
, 2014
The Cosby Show
In a house filled with lovetheres always room for more (Bill Cosby). During the
1980s, television influenced a variety of cultures and one show in particular stood out amongst
the rest. The comedy series, The Cosby Show became the crucial turning point for television. The
show was able to capture the publics interest on how they perceived others in various racial
groups. It paved the way for other programs to also create shows that made an impact on the
culture of United States television. The comedy sitcom changed the standard of how African
American families were represented in American culture. The historical importance of this
inspirational series is one that cannot be disregarded.
The Cosby Shows first appearance on NBCs primetime schedule was September 20,
1984. The comedic television series aired from 1984 to 1992 with eight seasons and 201
episodes in total. The sitcom was based throughout Brooklyn, New York where the African
American Huxtable family resided in a fashionable town home. The upper-middle-class black
family consisted of a content married couple: Heathcliff and Claire, raising their five children:
Sondra, Denise, Theodore, Vanessa, and Rudy. The Huxtable parents both had very successful
careers as a doctor and lawyer respectively. The two eldest daughters were married, Sondra to
Elvin and Denise to Martin. The comedy series involving the Huxtable family centered on a
playful theme regarding the father, Cliff, and his desire for all of his children to move out of his
home and pursue lives of their own. However, as the episodes progressed, the children
consistently managed to return home to their loving mother and father. By the time the first
season was publically aired, the series was rated the second highest television program in the
whole country. Bill Cosby, the main producer, stated, Im going to take this show and make it
last as long as I can to show Black people they have something to be proud of (Norment 30).
This inspirational figure in the television industry stuck to his word and altered the cultural view
put on African Americans. Prior to the end of the series, the show as a whole and its cast,
collected three Golden Globe Awards and an abundant amount of nominations/wins. Unlike any
other television programs airing at the same time, The Cosby Show led the way in making
societys controversial issues apparent.
Prior to The Cosby Show, African American families did not have a major role in
American media. Generally when an African American was portrayed in the media they were
represented as the criminal or as subservient to the majority race. Timothy Havens supported
that, The Cosby Show, in fact, avoided most overtly political issues, focusing instead on stories
of personal and familial growth and adjustment (382). The up and coming show opened
doors for future African American producers, which enabled them to create television shows that
accurately depicted the culture. From this, several popular series were created depicting a more
positive cultural stereotype: 227 (CBS), In Living Color (FOX), The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
(NBC), and Martin (FOX) (Tucker 90). Prior to The Cosby Show altering the perception of
blacks in television, negative perceptions frequently appeared in black sitcoms such as Amos 'n
Andy (1964) and Good Times (1970). Such perceptions seemed to diminish after 1984 with the
premier of The Cosby Show.
Critics responded to this controversy regarding the false representation of African
American families through the television programs being aired. Various opinions arose from not
only blacks, but also whites. Some blacks felt the show was unrealistic because of the storyline it
presented to its culturally diverse audience. Lauren R. Tucker argues, that the key
characteristic of the discourse about black representation on U.S. television is the pattern of
conflict and contradiction that represents the ongoing struggle between the discourse of
assimilation and pluralism to control the definition of race and racial difference (95). In others
words, this was a constant competition between races. The Cosby Show gave white Americans a
sense that they could socially accept the minority culture into their homes through television.
The general consensus from the African Americans of the time was that the show was unrealistic
in representing the majority of the people from their culture. In fact, the show did not accurately
represent any life-style during that time. It was extremely rare for both parents of an upper-class
family to hold such prestigious positions. The show represented an intangible life-style for many
of the viewers. The ideological message for both blacks and whites, Jhally and Lewis argue, is
that racism will end when blacks become successful (Press 220-21). This critique contradicts
the actuality of a class-based society. Further, meaning that even if blacks were to consider
themselves economically equal, racism would continue to persist. Lynn Norment, author of a
historical newspaper article adds, To the surprise of all the networks, The Cosby Show has
appealed to a broad cross section of people, from computer analysts to cotton farmers (28). She
presents the notion that even previously when the show was being aired, people and critics were
awed by the broad array of cultural diversity of the audience. Although the show did not put an
end to racism entirely, it was a pivotal point in minimizing the effects of racism by exposing the
life of a minority race. Despite its success, the show is criticized by a few for not being Black
enough, for not dealing with more controversial issues, such as poverty and racism and
interracial dating, for focusing on a Black middle-class family when the vast majority of Black
people survive on incomes far below that of the Huxtables (Norment 29-30). The critics were
brutal to the newly developed television show introduced into the media. But little did they know
the show would become the most influential program at the time by opening the eyes of its
diverse viewers. Prior to the show, the media did not have any type of program that engaged the
different classes of society.
The Cosby Show not only made an impact on the television industry, but also on the
societies worldwide. All members of society, especially those of different racial groups, related
to events and situations that the show entertained them with. The show portrays sibling rivalries
that appeal to children, parenting problems for parents, and the romantic relationship between
Cliff and Claire for couples. Many audience members around the world can identify with one or
several of these themes (Havens 383). The show presented wholesome morals to families as a
form of entertainment. Not only does the show focus on African American and White cultures,
but also frequently introduces those of international cultures to the screen. Numerous critics and
producers were taken aback by the amount of diversity among cultures portrayed through the
episodes and seasons of this show. Timothy Havens strongly supports this notion by stating,
Finally, we see aspects of international culture [which] are part of the Huxtables taken-for-
granted world in the travels of various family members and in incidental characters, such as
Theos math teacher who is Portuguese. In addition to this, Over the course of its run, The
Cosby Show makes clear that these characters lives stretch beyond the borders of the USA
(383). This bold action of producers involving individuals of various racial and cultural groups
into their television show proved beneficial from the amount of viewers it obtained.
The Cosby Show presented its own unique ideas and thoughts on how the stylistic
elements would be shown throughout the episodes. One man in particular by the name of Bill
Cosby, put his own spin on the stylistic elements. The seriously funny television veteran has
given the sitcom a much needed shot in the arm with his refreshing wit and effervescent style,
and proven that, yes, the American television audience will tune inand stay tunedto a
weekly series about a black family (Norment 27). Bill and the other producers wanted their
show to be realistic and appealing to many audiences rather than be stereotypical towards
African American culture. They desired the portrayal of a family that appeared stable and
ordinary to the world around them. Mr. Cosby was said to have hired a Harvard psychiatrist to
insure each shows realistic touch. Each and every individual whether a famous producer or not,
has their own interpretation of the ideal style elements in television.
Throughout the evolution of television, society has put the most pressure onto its ideal
standards of entertainment. From the research presented, one television series raised above all
the others, The Cosby Show. This comedic sitcom opened new doors for other programs to
venture from their norm and introduce more culturally diverse content. This specific content
pertaining to African Americans and their stereotypical roles influenced American culture. The
historical transformation presented these new ideal standards on television over the years as a
result of The Cosby Show. This response was that of much importance to everyone in the
industry and society as a whole.









Works Cited


Havens, Timothy. "'The Biggest Show in the World': Race and the Global Popularity of The
Cosby Show." Media, Culture, & Society. Sage Publications, 10 July 2000. Web. 17 Mar.
2014. <http://mcs.sagepub.com/content/22/4/371>.

Norment, Lynn. "The Cosby Show." Ebony 40.6 (1985): 27. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web.
21 Mar. 2014.

Press, Andrea L. "Enlightened Racism: The Cosby Show, Audiences, and the Myth of the
American Dream." American Journal of Sociology 99.1 (1993): 219-21. JSTOR. Web. 17
Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/2781968?ref=search-
gateway:7ea9be1b8f726e593e68a9aee34d5f86>.

"The Cosby Show." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086687/>.

Tucker, Lauren R. "Was the Revolution Televised?: Professional Criticism about the Cosby
Show; and the Essentialization of Black Cultural Expression." Journal of Broadcasting
& Electronic Media 41.1 (1997): 90-108. Print.