Fresh Prince Stereotypes

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There were many icon shows during the 90s in media, from Friends to All That, as well as well-known cartoon shows such as Rugrats and Family Guy. Among these there came icon and game changing Black Television shows like Martin, A Different World, and The Wayans Bros. One show however stood out amongst them all and that was The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The Fresh Prince is a timeless and was a game changing television show, especially for the Black community and Black television. This show brought a new image and perspective of the black as well as addressing certain societal issues.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is often taken into consideration as one of the most interesting TV series of the last few decades for its barrier breaking way of portraying its African American cast of characters and their way of facing daily problems. The Fresh Prince aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996, which
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The show had a few black stereotypes of its own such as Carlton, Will’s cousin, played by Alfonso Robiero, with his signature dance where Will would constantly accuse him of acting like a “white boy” based on his choice of music and clothes. (sites.psu.edu) Aside from the amount of fun and humor the show brought to its audience, Fresh Prince also addressed real-life situations and serious problems. One of the most memorable episodes of the series that brought race and ethnicity to the spotlight was “Mistaken Identity.” In this episode, Will was pulled over on his way home strictly based on the idea that he looked “suspicious.” Carlton couldn’t understand the possibility of being stopped by the police solely based on skin color, due to him growing up in a neighborhood that lacked discrimination. The episode helped show that racism is still very much alive and allowed viewers of all ethnic backgrounds to become more aware to even a bit of the discrimination people of color face in their day to day lives.