Did Drummond keep Arnold and Willis away from their culture?

[GARFIELDKOOL]

I mean, he loved the boys and at times was color blind. But it seems he always wanted the boys to live in his world. He wanted them to go to that racist prep school, and they did not fit in, he wanted them to join that racist health club, where blacks never been a member. Mr D was so white with loot, he didn't even know what was really going on in the world. It had to take episode "Roots" for them to bring that to Drummond's attention. And when Willis wanted to have his birthday in Harlem, Drummond was to scared to go. So yes, Mr. D kept Arnold away from their culture.

[Ireneparalegal]

I don't think he did it on purpose per se. I think he thought the boys would appreciate the lifestyle he had known almost all his life. I think it is a goof and misinterpretation that children who are removed from a poor lifestyle, wouldn't want to have some sort of connection with what they knew. I don't know how much of a negative lifestyle they had with their mother, but these boys were exposed to a lot of negative stuff living it up on Park Avenue in a penthouse. I mean Arnold was a victim of a sexual predator and he was held against his will along with Kimberly, he probably had more drama in the "white world" than he did in his "black world".

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I don't think he did it on purpose per se. I think he thought the boys would appreciate the lifestyle he had known almost all his life. I think it is a goof and misinterpretation that children who are removed from a poor lifestyle, wouldn't want to have some sort of connection with what they knew. I don't know how much of a negative lifestyle they had with their mother, but these boys were exposed to a lot of negative stuff living it up on Park Avenue in a penthouse. I mean Arnold was a victim of a sexual predator and he was held against his will along with Kimberly, he probably had more drama in the "white world" than he did in his "black world".

No, he didn't do it on purpose. But he should have seen Willis's attitude in the pilot episode. He should have seen that he couldn't easily reach out to Willis. He was comfortable with the Harlem lifestyle. Willis was street and Drummond was cracking jokes left and right that young blacks couldn't relate to at the time.

[Ireneparalegal]

True. I think the adjustment was what was hitting Willis hard. They had lost their mother and here they were becoming the children of a rich, white man. Willis did have an attitude and who could blame him?

I do agree it would have been nice to see Mr. D. expose the boys to some of their culture and history. Too bad Mr. Huxtable was not around.

[Jude The Obscure]

This sort of reminds me of the FOL episode where Tootie is challenged by that black delivery guy that she has been made over into the white image. When she goes to Mrs G for advice, Mrs G truthfully explains that as much as she would like to help Tootie, she can't because "the black experience isn't my experience"

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

True. I think the adjustment was what was hitting Willis hard. They had lost their mother and here they were becoming the children of a rich, white man. Willis did have an attitude and who could blame him?

I do agree it would have been nice to see Mr. D. expose the boys to some of their culture and history. Too bad Mr. Huxtable was not around.

I agree and Arnold was too young to understand why willis was feeling the way he was

[OnTheMarkTexas]

I find this to be a very interesting question. Hard to believe it hasn't come up before.

Had the show perhaps been going for a more serious tone -- like a Norman Lear sitcom -- I think the issue of Arnold and Willis lacking exposure to their heritage probably would have come up.

However, aside from the occasional "very special episode", DS was just your typical schmaltzy family sitcom. It was obvious that the writers/producers were going for laughs, not thought-provoking storytelling.

And I thought that THE FACTS OF LIFE, while also being a typical sitcom, did a much better job of pushing the envelope at times and dared to tackle some pretty big issues. Heck, they even did an episode addressing Tootie's lack of exposure to her African-American roots. That was one of my favorite episodes as a matter of fact.

It was always my personal opinion that DS would have made a better hour-long drama than a 30 minute sitcom.

[Ireneparalegal]

DS was more than a family sitcom, it brought forth many episodes that dealt with serious issues, such as the molester episode, the bed-wetting episode, hitch-hiking, drugs, etc. And DS came around shortly after all the Norman Lear shows, so it is a wonder why their culture and how they were dealing with being the black children of a white man was never really thoroughly mentioned.

[MikeLutton]

i also noticed they never went back visit their old neighborhood visit their friends in harlem brought them all back visit i know they did once i like the episode when they got all them kids jobs at drummonds company.

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Originally Posted by OnTheMarkTexas

I find this to be a very interesting question. Hard to believe it hasn't come up before.

Had the show perhaps been going for a more serious tone -- like a Norman Lear sitcom -- I think the issue of Arnold and Willis lacking exposure to their heritage probably would have come up.

However, aside from the occasional "very special episode", DS was just your typical schmaltzy family sitcom. It was obvious that the writers/producers were going for laughs, not thought-provoking storytelling.

And I thought that THE FACTS OF LIFE, while also being a typical sitcom, did a much better job of pushing the envelope at times and dared to tackle some pretty big issues. Heck, they even did an episode addressing Tootie's lack of exposure to her African-American roots. That was one of my favorite episodes as a matter of fact.

It was always my personal opinion that DS would have made a better hour-long drama than a 30 minute sitcom.

If I am not mistaken, the show was created by someone on Norman Lear's staff, though not a Norman Lear show, but it had a connection to his shows, just like Three's Company.

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Originally Posted by MikeL

i also noticed they never went back visit their old neighborhood visit their friends in harlem brought them all back visit i know they did once i like the episode when they got all them kids jobs at drummonds company.

It would have been nice to see Vernon, Charles and Jimmy in the later years though.

[MikeLutton]

yeah n go visit their home anyone notice willis and arnold didnt have many birthdays but mr drummond had 2 did kimberly even have a birthday

[Jude The Obscure]

While Norman Lear himself did not create the show, it was his company behind it.

But I do seem to recall one episode where the boys did explore their African roots, dressing in traditional native clothing, etc. Am I wrong?

Sorry, Mike, but Arnold had at least three episodes devoted to his birthdays

[TVFactFan]

I couldn't stand Charles

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by MikeL

i also noticed they never went back visit their old neighborhood visit their friends in harlem brought them all back visit i know they did once i like the episode when they got all them kids jobs at drummonds company.

You are right, it was as if once they became Drummond's children, their past was definitely behind them.