racist sitcom

[Will and Grace Fanatic]

What is the most racist show? I really can't think of one but is there one?

[Buffyboy323]

I think All In The Family and The Jeffersons were pretty racist, but it was all good fun.

[comedyfreak]

I think the Hughley's were.

[friendsfan77]

I think the Hughley's were.
The race jokes got out of hand IMO when they moved to UPN.

[kooky12]

Sanford and Son

[TVFactFan]

CPO Sharkey was criticized for being racist but it was similar to All in the family and all it good fun

[Will and Grace Fanatic]

yeah I know those were a little racist but it was for fun. Not really trying to be racist. I mean shows from maybe the 50's and 60's.

[DOPEY85xxx]

Hi guys I think on Broadcast All in the Family

[TVFactFan]

I think All In The Family and The Jeffersons were pretty racist, but it was all good fun.



Neither show was racist

[Sal]

Way back before "All In The Family" and "The Jeffersons", there was a sitcom that you may know about called "Amos & Andy". It was based on a hugely popular radio program that starred Freeman Gosden & Charles Correll. Neither of them ended up on the TV version because they were both white so an all-black cast was hired. The series ran for about 4 years and then was distributed in syndication which is when the trouble started. I've seen clips of it on YouTube and on the surface it appears to be like a typical sitcom. But there were too many complaints from people who thought the show was demeaning to blacks by featuring black characters in unrealistic and stereotypical roles. Remember, this came at the dawn of the civil rights movement in the US. The characters and situations may have been in good fun, like any sitcom that has followed it since, but the viewers strongly disagreed. So, in an unprecedented move, the series was pulled from syndication and it hasn't been seen since, except now since I believe you can get in on DVD but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, here's what a typical episode looked and sounded like and you can judge for yourself:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOTcGZnWh3U

[TVFactFan]

Way back before "All In The Family" and "The Jeffersons", there was a sitcom that you may know about called "Amos & Andy". It was based on a hugely popular radio program that starred Freeman Gosden & Charles Correll. Neither of them ended up on the TV version because they were both white so an all-black cast was hired. The series ran for about 4 years and then was distributed in syndication which is when the trouble started. I've seen clips of it on YouTube and on the surface it appears to be like a typical sitcom. But there were too many complaints from people who thought the show was demeaning to blacks by featuring black characters in unrealistic and stereotypical roles. Remember, this came at the dawn of the civil rights movement in the US. The characters and situations may have been in good fun, like any sitcom that has followed it since, but the viewers strongly disagreed. So, in an unprecedented move, the series was pulled from syndication and it hasn't been seen since, except now since I believe you can get in on DVD but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, here's what a typical episode looked and sounded like and you can judge for yourself:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOTcGZnWh3U


I read where some said the Jeffersons was more demeaning to blacks than Amos and Andy

[tvbot]

I don't think All in the Family and The Jeffersons were racist. That would imply an agenda to purposely portray blacks negatively as part of a program of hate. I think their motives besides making money was to provide socially aware jibes at society. All in the Family and The Jeffersons were both risks and considered controversial because it wasn't believed white America was ready for a mirror of society or their message.

The purpose of All in the Family was to actually make fun of bigots.

The Jeffersons were a spin-off from All in the Family. George Jefferson being the black version of Archie Bunker.

Although it probably contains some unflattering stereotypes by today's standards it was part of the joke, The Jeffersons was a hit tv series and helped pave the way for more black shows. Everybody jumps on the money bandwagon.

It was part of a boom of black comedy shows among the big 3 networks then, that have now dwindled to a handful on the CW.

As blacks became an entertainment factor and became more powerful enough to have a voice, more started relooking their roles and image. As people became more aware, stereotypes were starting to be questioned, and Amos and Andy was definitely looked at as more embarassing, stereotypical and shallow. Probably because it was started on radio by white actors didn't help. It was thought it played on what whites thought blacks should be as laughing stocks. As the poster above said, pressure by the NAACP and others helped strengthen that that negative impression.

As more felt that way or understood that, more sophisticated shows such as Julia and Bill Cosby were developed.

[Ireneparalegal]

I read where some said the Jeffersons was more demeaning to blacks than Amos and Andy
what are your thoughts on that article you read?

[TVFactFan]

what are your thoughts on that article you read?


I didn't agree, it said that the Theme Song-"Movin on Up" was offensive because it seemed like a Celebration of Moving into the White Neighborhood

[SBTB Geek]

The Jeffersons and All In the Family were both racist, but they were racist to make a point. The Hughley's was just tacky in every sense of the word. Terrible show.

[JuicyCoutureGirl]

I didn't agree, it said that the Theme Song-"Movin on Up" was offensive because it seemed like a Celebration of Moving into the White Neighborhood

Who in the blue hell wrote this article? I remember my drama teacher showing us an episode of Amos N Andy and compared this piece of crap to The Jeffersons and The Cosby Show and I can remember the whole class going 'What the hell?', Amos N Andy is the most insulting show i've ever seen.

[TVFactFan]

Who in the blue hell wrote this article? I remember my drama teacher showing us an episode of Amos N Andy and compared this piece of crap to The Jeffersons and The Cosby Show and I can remember the whole class going 'What the hell?', Amos N Andy is the most insulting show i've ever seen.



I have to search for it but lots of Blacks had poblems with the George Jefferson character because he was prejudice against White People and Poor People

[wkomorow]

I am not certain you are talking about open hostility to other races or the portrayal of stereotypes. In terms of sterotypes. The NAACP consider Amos and Andy to be very racist and offensive. Likewise, the Buelah and Birdie characters from their respective shows characters were thought to be insulting to the Black community, but both were really the smartest characters on their respective sitcoms. Koreans hated the Margaret Cho show because it feed into stereotypes.

British sitcoms were more open about their racism than are American shows. Take a look at the way in which Are You Being Served talked about Arabs and South Asians or the language used for Africans and Asians in Fawlty Towers.