Yasmine Artis

Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1101-041
20 October 2014
This Analysis just may be the definition of a Shitty first draft. I feel that I just may have
chosen a topic that is out of my league. I sat rereading the assignment sheet unclear of where to
start, so I thought Id just give it a try. During our peer review session I hope to receive lots, I
mean LOTS, of critical input to help steer me in the right direction. Here it is..
The Cosby Show: Unloaded
The Cosby Show, originally aired in on NBC in the 1980s, was very successful. Known for
its writer, Bill Cosby, the show is about an upper middle class African American family that lives
in Brooklyn, New York. Each episode is comical and, in my opinion, educational too. At the end
of each show the viewer is always able to depict the lesson learned, or the moral of the story.
The famous Cosby family consist of parents, Cliff and Claire Huxtable, and four children, Theo,
Rudy, Vanessa, and Denise Huxtable.
Short Piece- Johnny Carson Award acceptance speech
Bill Cosby is the face behind The Cosby Show. His personality shows through in each and
every episode of the show ever aired on television. Although the show has been off the air for
thirty years, it is very clear that Bill remains the same person he was those thirty years ago; still
warming the hearts of others through laughter. Just five months ago, on May 8 th, 2014, Bill

Cosby attended that annual American Comedy Awards and was the recipient of the Johnny
Carson Award for Comedic Excellence. Johnny Carson was an American television host and
comedian from 1962 until his retirement in 1992. The Johnny Carson Award for Comedic
Excellence, first presented in 2011, was established as a tribute to honor an individual who has
made an extraordinary contribution to comedy and whose impact and innovations have
changed the landscape and inspired future generations of entertainers. Bill Cosby was
introduced to the audience by comedian Chris Rock who refers to him as the greatest. This
short and simple introduction was followed by a loud applause. Cosby then walks onto the
stage while The Cosby Shows theme song plays distinctly in the background. He starts his
acceptance speech with an encounter he had during his early comedic years. He had an act on a
show and he let the presence of other great comedians scare him out of putting on an amazing
performance. After talking about his experience he leaves the audience with a quote that
would inspire anyone listening. I would call it the moral of the story. He spoke:
You have to show up. You cannot allow yourself to talk yourself into being scared of
who you are because you are the only person who can represent who you are. Bill Cosby
This quote can be directed to people of all ages in any situation. You know who you are
and what you are capable of accomplishing. External situations and figures should not cause
you to think differently about what you are able
achieve because at the end of the day what you did
achieve is a reflection of you.
Visual Piece- Family photo of the Huxtables

The Huxtable family is known for their warm, welcoming tone and this visual family
photo is an excellent example of that. This photo can be compared to a typical family portrait
that shows both unity and togetherness. It features the original members of the Huxtable
family, Vanessa, Claire, Denise, Cliff, Theo and Rudy, in that order. Each person has a genuine
smile on their face and they are all touching. Bill Cosby, also known as Cliff, is seated centered
in the middle of the picture and the rest of the family surrounds him. The background is plain
white which allows for all attention to be directed to the members of the family.
Popular Magazine- People Magazine The Cosby Shows 30th Year Anniversary: Where
Are the Huxtables Now.
http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20854609_10,00.html#30220049
As mentioned in my short piece section of Bill Cosbys acceptance speech, The Cosby
Show is celebrating thirty years since the airing of their first show. I found an article from
Peoples Magazine that was written to inform the viewers on what the Huxtables have been up
to since the series finale. There is no clear writer listed This article is not like a normal article
that consist of long, flowy paragraphs; instead, it contained ten different sections that held a
before and after picture of each character and a short paragraph following that told what
theyve been up to. Each picture was just as interesting to me as it would be for any other
Cosby viewer. You could compare it to looking at old baby photos of a parent, friend, or
significant other. The Cosby kids arent kids anymore. Not only is it noticeable from the photos,
but reading each paragraph will tell you that they all have gone on to pursue other jobs in
acting.

Peer Reviewed- The Cosby Show: The View from the Black Middle Class
Searching for a peer-reviewed articles I was not surprised to find that there were well
over 100 for me to choose from. While skimming titles to find one that best interest me, I ran
across an article that suggests that people have a negative opinion on The Cosby Show. This
article jumped out to me because it made me wonder why, or how, anyone could think
negatively about a how that sends such positive vibes. There are two writers listed as
responsible for this article, both Leslie B Inniss and Joe R Feagin. Joe Feagin is a sociology
professor with a PhD from Harvard University. His research studies include racial and ethnic
studies, gender relations, and urban political economy. Inniss and Feagin worked collectively to
author this article that featured in the Journal of Black Studies, a bimonthly peer-reviewed
journal that publishes works that focus on the social sciences and ethnic studies of the African
American culture. In their article, the writers tell how they interviewed a large variety of middle
class African Americans. Middle is defined as those holding or preparing to hold white color
jobs. During the interviews, each comment regarding The Cosby Show was pleasant, although
most were followed by, but Those that had something negative about the show claimed it
to be unrealistic and stated how they wished it showed some of the more serious issues that
blacks face. This wasnt the first time comments like these were made openly. Bill Cosby also
heard this from many critics wanting to see issues on racism and stereotypes. Regardless of
what others said, Bill stayed firm saying he would not let critics write his show. The Cosby Show
was meant to shed a positive light on African Americans. Arent we all tired of the negative?