OK their is a classic episode in season one where will and carlton are driving in a white neighborhood and get pulled over by 2 cops because they were speeding over the speed limit on the road will has a theory that the 2 white cops were racist carlton has a diff'rent theory that the 2 cops were just doing their job by protecting lives who were also driving on the street by the end of the episode his father phil gives a long 5 to 10 minute speech about how he was polled over by cops because he was a black man and carlton still was not convinced by the emotional story his father told him, do you think carlton was in denial or do you think he was really pulled over because they drove over the speed limit on the street ???

OK their is a classic episode in season one where will and carlton are driving in a white neighborhood and get pulled over by 2 cops because they were speeding over the speed limit on the road will has a theory that the 2 white cops were racist carlton has a diff'rent theory that the 2 cops were just doing their job by protecting lives who were also driving on the street by the end of the episode his father phil gives a long 5 to 10 minute speech about how he was polled over by cops because he was a black man and carlton still was not convinced by the emotional story his father told him, do you think carlton was in denial or do you think he was really pulled over because they drove over the speed limit on the street ???
Carlton was not speeding. He was pulled over for driving too slow. You might want to re-watch the episode.

this is true, he was going too slow.

Thats what i was talking about but will think they were pulled over because for a diff'rent reason.

That's because Carlton is a weird person and it's obvious that Will slaps Carlton's head most of the time when Carlton does weird things.

Well, Carlton grew up in a wealthy and privileged family. I don't think he was a "fool" just very naïve about what could happen to people in the world.

Ed.

There was a flashback scene in a different episode to when Will, Carlton and Hilary were little, and it was revealed that Carlton didn't even have any idea back then that he was black! That might have been a slight exaggeration of his personality, but I have to agree with Edward that Carlton had lived a very sheltered life. And really, who would have expected something like that to happen in the 1990s? Carlton just probably thought that society had made more progress than that by then. Will and Phil probably made him think it through though.

Well, Carlton grew up in a wealthy and privileged family. I don't think he was a "fool" just very naïve about what could happen to people in the world.

Ed.


Good analysis. It was clear that they were stopped because they were black. Surely going to slow is not a good reason to be stopped.

That is the problem with Carlton. He'll believe anything.

I have mixed feelings. Driving too slow is why they were pulled over, but it never should have gone as far as it went.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

My mother and I watched this episode yesterday, and I was surprised to hear that Mum supported the policemen. She argued like Carlton did, that they had only done their job. I had to disagree and try to explain, that if Carlton and Will had been two white guys driving through the same neighborhood, things would have turned out differently. It is very telling also that the policeman in charge just disrespected Viv and Phil until he understood that Phil happened to be a lawyer. Before then, he had only shown respect towards Henry Furth, who of course happened to be white.

Carlton is a real idiot, that I can tell.

Then I want to know your definition of "idiot". Sure, Carlton seemed to lack some "people skills". And he could be too naive at times. But he was also a straight A student in school, who eventually got into Princeton. So he was not stupid.

An idiot is an utterly foolish or senseless person.

Carlton did something foolishly and senselessly on anything weird and eccentric in some of Fresh Prince episodes, especially most on season 6.

Will slaps Carlton's head whenever Carlton acts like an idiot most of the time, IMO.

I don't think he was a fool, just very naive and sheltered.

He's more of a real idiot than a pure fool, besides being naive and sheltered.

I gotta agree with the others. Carlton came from money, grew up in an upper-class neighborhood, and went to a ritzy private school. Plus, being so spoiled he felt that having money would help him, regardless of race.

Other episodes made fun of him not being "black enough", but not being around black culture until Will moved in, he wasn't familiar with issues like "driving while black", and lacked the street smarts Will had. He was definitely naive, but again, it was more because he was sheltered and unfamiliar with black culture.

Me being a black man, the episode is very interesting, as are others that explored just how "black" Carlton was. See the fraternity pledge episode from season four to get a similar perspective.

He is sometimes a real idiot for doing weird things, according to Will.