The show I am going to talk about is the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Fresh Prince features Will Smith as the main character as well as the rest of the “Smith” family as supporting characters. The Smith family is a very well off family living in one of the most expensive communities in the world; Bel-Air. They perfectly exemplify just about everything we talk about in our class. Both Carlton and Vanessa act like the high-end (white) characters that we expect from high class. They act as though they have never encountered someone who isn’t a part of their class and Will being from a lower socio-economic class is a hug he culture shock for them. One of the best examples of this is from an episode where the whole family goes back to Philadelphia and Will takes them to a hole-in-the-wall cheesesteak shop and they almost appalled. They are also extremely un-sure of how to act but eventually they almost revert back to what the black stereotype is supposed to be and start chowing down and can’t get enough of the cheesesteak. Will on the other hand refuses to show whiteness except when he wants to get something out of the father or mother. He embraces the stereotype that he is viewed as and it almost always is there for comic relief. Will not only embraces the stereotype but he makes it his own and gives the stereotype an educated comic and different view from the gangsta stereotype he starts the show with. I identify with him because I try not to live up to a single stereotype and I try to be my own person. I don’t typically conform to the people around me and I think that is a unique trait both him and I share.
Advertisements
Leave a Reply