Just to think that ABC originally rejected the idea of The Cosby Show, because they felt that America was not ready to accept the concept of an intact black middle-class family.
Father Absenteeism & Stability

Now in 2014 I realise how powerful representation in the media is, like the time I spoke about Black girls riding bikes. There’s this whole stigma around black families never having a stable father figure around, as a child I never understood this as I come from a family where my parents have been happily married for 33 years and I have been fortunate to have a Dad who has been present throughout my entire life;  not having him around is such a foreign thought to even comprehend. It’s not only until I attended secondary school and realised how much of an issue ‘absent fathers’ was, I heard time after time friends complain about their Dad ‘s being ‘good for nothings’ who made promises to come and get them as children but never showed up or in some cases some of them had never even met their Dad’s!. And here my Dad was going against the stereotype I then went on to realise how much this stigma was portrayed on TV as well as general news stories, it hurt to know that this is what society were assuming about all Afro-Caribbean males – ‘good for nothing cowards who can’t handle the responsibility of fatherhood’. Then I saw programmes like The Fresh Prince and The Cosby’s who showed positive representations of strong, stable and family orientated Black fathers. They showed my Dad! This was and still is such a significant representation. I’ll never forget going to my violin lesson in school, I forgot to bring my violin and my teacher said ‘I know things can get hard with going to different parents houses during the week’. I couldn’t believe my dainty ears, I looked at this ignorant Caucasian man who automatically assumed that because my skin colour was darker than his, my life and family was unstable, the worst thing is, he never asked he just assumed, just like society does. Tee C

The Cosbys and Fresh Prince of Bel-air will always be classic and timeless, showcasing family values and dynamics. These shows not only obliterated stereotypes of black families and lifestyles, but they also showed how the characters dealt with stereotypes as a family within the show. Both of these sitcoms showed both sets of parents in married relationships, in the best jobs – Uncle Phil as a Judge and The Cosby couple as a Lawyer and Doctor, both sets of families also lived in wealthy neighborhoods.

Showing both the ups and downs that come in a marriage, these sitcoms highlighted that as a strong partnership both families were able to make it through almost any trial. There is a particular episode on The Fresh Prince where Will’s biological father comes to find him, and by the end of the episode leaves an emotional Will feeling unwanted and disappointed. However, there to constantly encourage and support was his Aunt Vivian and Uncle Phillip. Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv also did the same with their other children Hilary, Carlton and Ashley. Examples of them encouraging their children and meeting their individual needs are: when Ashley wanted to leave private school and attend public school, and though it was a challenge for Uncle Phil to allow it, he wanted her to be happy. Additionally, when Hilary dropped out of school and she was encouraged to get a job which lead to her having her own TV talk show, Uncle P says to her ‘remember happiness comes from inside.’ However, my favourite is when his straight A grade son Carlton goes to Compton California for a dare and to prove to Will that he can survive in “the hood”. Upon a severe telling off from Aunt Viv, Uncle Phil firmly reminds Carlton that ‘courage is being yourself no matter what anybody says.’ and he doesn’t need to measure up to the stereotypical ‘blackness’of behaving like he is from “the ghetto”.

What I love in particular in episodes of The Fresh Prince and Cosby’s are scenes showing the parents communicating and advising each other on how they should best deal with certain situations. This is something far less common in today’s society, as most problems are caused due to the lack of communication in the household. These shows remind us as viewers how important these basic essentials are to sustain a happy family. Moreover, the parents in these sitcoms show how important it is for children to be shown love, support, guidance and discipline, including correcting their children when they are wrong but also praising them when they do the right thing.Producers of these shows may not have realised, but these were not just any ordinary family comedy sitcoms. For many households and audiences, it was a lifestyle, a proud representation for black families to relate to and for others a hope for change. Shara