Background
Good Times
Good Times was a show set in Chicago during the 1970s. The cast of Good Times included Florida, who was mostly a housewife but would work occasionally. Florida was a religious woman and would often "call on the Lord" or have conversations with God throughout the show. The husband, James Evans, who was unemployed but always looking for work, would often be very bitter about the state of the economy or make cynical remarks about the government. The married couple had three children. The eldest son was J.J, a middle daughter, Thelma and a younger son, Michael. The Evans' neighbor, a fortyish woman named Willona, made frequent appearances. A very young Janet Jackson joined the cast later as Willona's adopted daughter.
It was a male-headed household where the mother was the voice of reason. Education was certainly stressed in the Evans' household. The Museum of Broadcast Communications suggests that the younger son Michael "was thoughtful, intelligent, and fascinated with African-American history who frequently participated in protest marches for good causes." Pamela S. Dean, a writer for the Museum of Broadcast Communications, summarized the time period of the 1970s and the show's response to it. She writes:
Good Times was initially successful in that it offered solace for both blacks and whites, who could identify with the difficulties the Evans family faced. During the program's appearance on prime-time television, the concurrent period of history had included the Watergate scandal, the atrocities of the Vietnam War, staggeringly high interest rates, and growing unemployment. The James Evans character made clear his dissatisfaction with current government policies, hence, the show became a champion for the plight of the underclass.
As do most television shows, Good Times serves as a social commentary for the 1970s. It interjected relevancy and realism into prime-time television by dealing with the pressing issues of the day. The percentage of both black and white students completing high school increased steadily from the 1960s to the 1980s. In the mid-1970s, twenty-three percent of black 18-24 year olds were enrolled in college which was an all-time high for the black community in the United States 14 The Evans' family certainly regarded education as a must for their children. As soon as the children came from school, it was a habit for them to complete their homework first and then help their mom with dinner.
As viewers watch Good Times, they see how the Evans' resiliency is tested through "evictions, gang warfare, financial problems, muggings, rent parties and discrimination" and the death of the father, James. During the 1970s, the cast was not only making a difference on television, but they were very involved in the direction of the show behind scenes. John Amos, who played James, was concerned about the state of J.J.'s character. His sentiments were later echoed by Florida Evans, played by Esther Rolle. They both wanted J.J.'s character to evolve to a more mature representation of blacks in the media. Instead, they felt writers were perpetuating the "coon-stereotype reminiscent of early American film...with his toothy grin, ridiculous strut and bug-eyed buffoonery." 15 J.J. lied, stole, and was barely literate and more and more episodes were centered on these images. Amos and Rolle wanted production to highlight the good parenting skills of James and Florida Evans, the father's constant and relentless search for a job and Michael's scholastic successes. 16
As the show wrapped in 1979, the Evans family had proven how resilient they really were as they could relish in what they had worked so hard to obtain – good times! The last original episode of Good Times aired in August 1979. 17 J.J. got his big break as an artist for a comic book company and had a more matured character. Michael attended college and moved into an on-campus dorm. Thelma married a football player and moved into a luxury apartment in Chicago's upscale area and offered Florida the chance to move in with them. Willona became the head buyer of the boutique she worked in and she and her daughter moved into the same luxury building.
When watching Good Times, the viewer sees how a family solves problems, gender dynamics, children dynamics, the importance of religion and the role of education. If viewers choose to look deeper, they will see how cast members were certainly aware of stereotypes and misconceptions that America had of blacks and the black family unit. Amos and Rolle understood how resilient the family was and wanted that message to resonate in the homes of viewers.
Good Times is now in syndication and can be seen on television networks like Centric and/or Nick-at-Night. Another family that subscribed to the same idea of hard-work, education, and kinship bonds was the Banks. The Banks and Will Smith were a part of the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Will Smith, the character, plays a fictionalized version of Will Smith, the actor.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is certainly a departure from some of the common themes in Good Times. The father in Good Times is an out-of-work husband who struggles to survive in an unstable economy while the father in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a successful attorney turned judge in California. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. 18 The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself who was born in West Philadelphia. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in their wealthy Bel-Air mansion in California, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his relatives. According to the theme song of the show, Will was sent to live with his aunt and uncle because his mother was concerned about a fight he had with neighborhood boys.
As the first season unfolds, viewers are introduced to the cast of the show. Philip and Vivian Banks are successful professionals. Phillip is a lawyer who later becomes a judge and Vivian, a college professor. They have four children: Hilary, Carlton, Ashley, and Nikki who all attend private schools. The family also has a live-in butler from England whose name is Geoffrey. Upon looking at the cast, set, and plot of some of the first episodes, viewers can already see how blacks have made progress since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. United States blacks, who numbered 30 million in 1991, "were more educated, earned higher salaries, worked in prestigious jobs, and participated more fully in politics." 19 All of these ideas were very much present in the make-up of the seasons and serves as another example for young blacks to aspire to achieve.
Even though the Evans family and the Banks family are in two totally different financial brackets, live in different communities, and tackle different issues, my students will see the same themes in the Banks' household. The Banks welcome Will into their home; they share their wealth, demonstrate the importance of education for all of their children, and they have a very strong work-ethic.
Comparing and Contrasting Good Times and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
A Venn-diagram will be provided to show the differences and similarities of both shows to better help students and the readers of this curriculum unit.
See Appendix A
Comments: