 by scribegrrrlVideo Blogs
More Video
TV Shows
Navigation |
"Cosby" nostalgia: Where have all the Huxtables gone?It doesn't take a lot to make me reminisce about The Cosby Show, but this week I have a couple of good reasons. First, Tempestt Bledsoe, who played Vanessa Huxtable — as well as Clay's mom in South of Nowhere — has been cast in a new Oxygen movie. (Sadly, the movie is called Husband for Hire, so I'm already over it.) Second, today is the gorgeous Phylicia Rashad's 59th birthday.
After gazing fondly at a few Rashad photos — I had such a crush on her in the '80s — I decided to see what all the ladies of Cosby are up to and how they've changed over the years. My sleuthing was very cursory, so if you have any better info, please let me know in the comments. Here's what I learned: Phylicia Rashad (Clair Huxtable, the mom) has had various film, TV and theater roles and will soon be seen in a made-for-TV version of A Raisin in the Sun, also starring Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan. Cannot. Wait.
Sabrina Le Beauf (eldest daughter Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux) has turned her hand to Shakespeare, having recently starred in various Shakespeare Theatre Company productions in Washington, D.C. Isn't it just like Sondra to do something so smart and sexy?
Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable) is still acting and directing, having recently wrapped Whitepaddy — I haven't heard of it, but RuPaul is in it, so it has to be worth a look.
I covered Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa Huxtable) above, but here's her then-and-now photo:
Keshia Knight Pulliam (baby Rudy Huxtable) earned a degree in sociology from Spelman College and had a role in Beauty Shop. She can also be seen in Death Toll, a movie about New Orleans that also stars Lou Diamond Phillips and DMX. But when I say "seen," I'm not sure I mean "recognized" — would you know her if you saw her on the street?
And we all know where Raven (Denise's stepdaughter Olivia, then credited as Raven-Symoné) ended up — with her own show, That's So Raven. That's so cute. Submitted by on June 19, 2007 - 4:35pm. |
User loginRecent blog posts
Active TopicsNew forum topicsRecent comments
|
News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
i loved this show. remember
i loved this show. remember when they all went to stevie wonder's studio and sang "i just called to say i love you"? or when denise designed that hideous shirt for theo's date? or rudy's little friend kenny to whom she said "you're not a man, you're buuuud"? yeah, me either.
great show, hot mama yamas, and cool ass bill cosby. i heart the 80s.
i'm still waiting for my little lesbian dr. cliff huxtable to come along so we can recreate the magic. though , admittedly , i'm definitely not as hot as ms. rashad.
Favorite
That second clip is my favorite episode of all Cosby related episodes. Ever!
Lisa
thanks for the memory lane
the second clip brought me joy AGAIN
Thanks
Keshia Knight Pulliam
looks oh so nice in Chingy's video One call away, I believe it was about 2003 or so well anyway, she's hot.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bQBmDorsSwY
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.
~Invictus~
What about Pam?
excellent!
YES!
I knew exactly what clip that was when I read: "If you didn't already love Phylicia Rashad, you'll love her after this first clip!" That's one of my favorites.
Last season during SoN's second season, I wrote this in a note to a friend:
But I digress...
I don't think there's an episode of this show that I haven't seen. I still watch reruns regularly on Nick at Nite.
to justiceygoodness:
remember when they all went to stevie wonder's studio and sang "i just called to say i love you"? jammin' on the one.
or when denise designed that hideous shirt for theo's date? the gordon gartrell!
or rudy's little friend kenny to whom she said "you're not a man, you're buuuud"? ha...poor kenny.
Ha, I love it!
i love me some cosby show
jammin on the one was good.
CHALLENGE!! tap dancing was awesome.
but my all-time favorite was when vanessa (not boring!) got drunk playing a drinking game and to teach her a lesson the fam played the same game the next day. that was hilarious! rudy taking a shot!
Phylicia Allen Rashad is still da bomb!
Thanks for that particular scene. Definately reminds me why I looked up to her way back then, even I was just a lil thing. She absolutely rocks, and so does her sister, Debbie Allen from "Fame" - both gorgeous women with lotsa personality.
I do feel that the Cosby Show overstayed its welcome, like many other 80s hits (Who's the Boss comes to mind), shedding a few primary cast members and its creative core. Also, in retrospect, I also feel this show did not represent the average African-American family, and instead of emracing their cultural identity, the Huxtables actually attempted to assimilate within the predominantly white upper middle class.
I agreed with you till the last paragraph
What would they have to do to embrace their cultural identity? African tribal dances? Breakdancing? How about 30 minutes of Theo Huxtable slam dunking basketballs?
...
Hold it right there
What show, pray tell, did represent the average black family? Good Times? (Not that I don't love me some Good Times).The Cosby show didn't represent the average anything, they were stellar.
The Huxtables influenced me more than a TV family should influence a little girl. As a child I wanted to attend Nyu because of Theo---after, I found out Hillman didn't exist. Through freakish coincidence, Bill Cosby is one of the reasons I made it into his fictional son's Alma mater.
Black people, with some exceptions (I'm talking to you Michael Jackson!), embrace their cultural identity every morning when they wake up---black. There is not one authentic way to be African American and most of us are too busy living our lives to pull an Alex Hailey.
And I suppose your definition of assimilation is success? I'm not trying to jump on you but...ok I am jumping on you.
On a different note, who knew Rudy would grow up to usurp Lisa Bonet of her hottest cosby crown?
I did!
The cosby show was Michael Jackson
of the 80s: they embraced the values of the same culture that is responsible for repressing African-Americans (and the working class in general). It was basically telling African-Americans the only measure of success is by white-capitalist-middle-class parameters!
At least Good Times had social commentary and presented a true alternative to the culturally-dominance-crap we usually get on television, telling us what we should aspire to (rich husbands, a herd of babies and a house in the suburbs).
That doesn't make any sense, what you said there
Ok, so I've been an African American for a little while now. So forgive me if I fancy myself an expert on what I'm being told and/or by whom I am being oppressed(I believe that is the word you meant to use).And please forgive the fact that I was never so privileged as to dismiss the idea of wealth as part and parcel to the white capitalist system.
What I saw on the Cosby show was my own family (mind you I grew up in a single parent household).I saw a mother with the same mannerisms and tone of my own. A father who was a great example of what a responsible father should be. A general alternative to every f*#ked up shuckinn'jivinbugalooshrimpbreakdancin'drugdealing image of black people I'd seen up until that point.
I didn't give white folks nary a thought when I watched the Cosby show, because what I saw was black. And every time I watched I was amazed that there was 30 minutes dedicated to these people like me. I don't care if the episode was all about Rudy spilling the milk.
Good Times was a caricature of what a black family could be. It said that all black people did was struggle. And trust me they were struggling, struggling for the American dream, because no one wants to grow up riding in pissy elevators.
Contrary to your belief black people are more than social commentaries. We do lead lives for ourselves and we need not be a pet cause to any white(or even black) liberal's agenda. There is no way to be authentically black and the fact that you would insinuate as much is insulting.
Amen. I never let anyone
Black People
I think the Cosby show took a different approach. It showed that black people can be successful as well as any other race. Not all black famalies are on welfare or dope boys. Being poor is not an identity,it's an unfortunate situation.
uh huh
'cause 'who's the boss' was really representative of the average white american family. you telling us cosby wasn't black enough?
Be alert. The world needs more lerts.
Who's the boss did something similar to the
my point
--and it's a simple one -- is that sitcoms are not the best place to go looking for 'accurate representation'. I only suggested 'who's the boss' because you mentioned it. and honestly, the whole message of american society since colonial times has been to embrace the values of the white protestant middle class. television has always supported this message. i'm not saying that's right or wrong -- i'm just suggesting we don't blame bill cosby.
but i digress. think of any sitcom and figure out if it 'represents'. i swear you'll be able to criticize all of them for one reason or another.
anyhow, the subliminal message i used to get from cosby was never about race, but always about how hot lisa bonet was. strange.
Be alert. The world needs more lerts.
I don´t remember Claire...
lesbian without borders
Jodi, Phylicia and Keisha....
All in the same day.... that's it..no work for me today....
(damn you Scribegrrl...lol)
I can't believe
The Huxtables were like my family
I loved the Cosby Show growing up. I finally felt like there was an African American family that was like my own. The Huxtables always made me feel welcome. They showed me that there were other African American families out there that were not on public assistance and did not live in the projects. My mother is college educated and so are most of the members of my family.
I like Good Times, but can not relate to the family at all. I have never been on public assistance and have never lived in public housing. My family is not poor, but are by no means rich (middle-middle class is probably where we sit). I was glad to see a representation of a black family just living life. To me The Cosby Show was a welcome alternative to the "all black people are struggling and live in poverty" crap that are usually the basis of African American sitcoms. I am so thankful for the Cosby Show and for all that I learned from it. I also wanted to attend Hilman when I was younger. When I realized it was not a real school, I started to research other historically black colleges and universities. In 2004 I graduated from one. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
The Cosby Show made me proud of my culture and my people, and along the way gave me a few laughs.
The 80s...
It was GREAT to see another side to family life of Black family. I'm sorry, I could NOT relate to Good Times, What's Happenin',Sanford and Son, or any of those other Blaxploitation shows of the past. Those programs only showed blacks struggling to make a living and playing bafoons. People hate Bill Cosby because of his views on social responsibility and social justice, but he brought us great entertainment that was also realistic. He showed America that it was possible to have a middle class or upper middle class family of color with normal, everyday issues. He also brought us A Different World which was brilliant because before then, the media rarely showed African-Americans or any ethnicity of color going to college. He opened the door for shows just as Family Matters, Living Single, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, which also portrayed a very successful black family.
To the person who mentioned Good Times and meant it to be a compliment, it is an INSULT.