5 Influential African American TV Shows | Teen Ink

5 Influential African American TV Shows

March 3, 2014
By j_smith SILVER, Cary, North Carolina
j_smith SILVER, Cary, North Carolina
9 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
" If you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention."


Scandal/ This television show involves Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, a woman who is involved in an affair with the President, (played by Tony Goldwyn). This TV show depicts black woman as powerful but very dangerous. The general depiction of an affair is something that involves ruining the lives of both parties, thus labeling African American women as life ruiners and relationship killers.


Being Mary Jane/ This television show involves Gabrielle Union as “Mary Jane” a very successful and powerful African American woman. The plot involves Mary Jane as a very intelligent individual who puts professional work above personal priorities. Mary Jane is also involved in affairs, family problems, and is addicted to her work, thus, depicting African American woman as people who see family as irrelevant and a waste of time. Also, the idea of an affair is again shown through more than one TV show, Scandal and Being Mary Jane


The Cosby Show/ This television show involves Bill Cosby as Heathcliff Huxtable, a very successful, loving, family man. The plot includes Huxtable as a successful doctor who has a lawyer wife, pleasant children, and a loving, welcoming family. Huxtable is not involved in affairs, family problems, or secret relationships with the President. Thus, depicting African American families as hard-working and honorable instead of dishonorable and fatal. The Cosby Show was a very decent role model for African American families to gladly and respectively follow.


Family Matters/ This television show involves Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow. A man quite similar to Bill Cosby, a very loving, hard-working family man. Whose family includes a successful wife, pleasant children, and a decent income. Carl Winslow was not involved in dishonorable activities but instead applied himself to more time-worthy activities. Thus, this TV show depicts African American families as hard-working and built upon a stable lifestyle, religion, and family foundation.


The Fresh Prince Bel-Air/ This television show involves Will Smith as Will Smith, a man who was cast out of his home due to getting into a fight in his hometown. The show includes Smith as a man who is involved with many women and wrongly disrespects mostly all of the women he was involved with. This show depicts African American men as “typical” player men who don’t care for the psychological, mental, and emotional aspects of the girl, but instead only care for the physical aspects. Thus, depicting African American men as men “you should stay away from if you want to be respected as a woman” an allegation that is totally and utterly in all aspects, wrong.


The author's comments:
Shows how wrong popular culture can be..

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