# How is Black-ish faring with black folks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493 "2014-11-03T12:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/1 "2014-11-03T12:02:51Z")
I know Black-ish has been doing very well in the over all ratings, but I’ wondering how well is it doing with black people specifically? I’ve been watching this show with mild interest. So far, the only episode that’s really stuck out for me was the “The Black Guy Nod” episode. Anyway, I’m not sure why, but something in my gut is telling me there are no shortage of black people doing face palms every time they see this show.(I don’t know, reinforcing negative stereotypes maybe?) Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/2 "2014-11-03T12:36:30Z")
Being black-ish (biracial) myself, I don’t get the appeal. Although I have seen only two episodes, rather than take a golden opportunity to explore what it means for one of the main characters to be biracial and having to straddle both worlds in a humorous way, the program seems to focus pretty exclusively on issues of being black and middle-class which, in my opinion, is not nearly as interesting. The program is simply a different twist on “black people do this…” and feels a little exploitative to me, especially in 2014 when it shouldn’t be remarkable for black people to be middle-class. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/3 "2014-11-03T12:42:02Z")
I think Black-ish is great and have been following it every week since the pilot. I’m not sure that it reinforces stereotypes so much as poking fun of them due to the premise (What defines “Blackness”, and how does a family keep that cultural identity while growing up in an exclusively white community?). Regardless the cast is phenomenal and the family dynamic reminds me of the classic tv shows of yesteryear. Very funny throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/4 "2014-11-03T12:52:42Z")
> [@Roundabout](#): > > I think Black-ish is great and have been following it every week since the pilot. I’m not sure that it reinforces stereotypes so much as poking fun of them due to the premise (What defines “Blackness”, and how does a family keep that cultural identity while growing up in an exclusively white community?). Regardless the cast is phenomenal and the family dynamic reminds me of the classic tv shows of yesteryear. Very funny throughout. Yes, it is an updated “The Jeffersons” and just as, if not more, cringeworthy, in my opinion. Sorry. Pass. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/5 "2014-11-03T12:55:14Z")
> [@Roundabout](#): > > I think Black-ish is great and have been following it every week since the pilot. I’m not sure that it reinforces stereotypes so much as poking fun of them due to the premise (What defines “Blackness”, and how does a family keep that cultural identity while growing up in an exclusively white community?). Regardless the cast is phenomenal and the family dynamic reminds me of the classic tv shows of yesteryear. Very funny throughout. It’s a very funny show, which is why the ratings are quite good. I watched the halloween ep the other day and laughed my ass off several times. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/6 "2014-11-03T13:12:55Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Although I have seen only two episodes, rather than take a golden opportunity to explore what it means for one of the main characters to be biracial and having to straddle both worlds in a humorous way, the program seems to focus pretty exclusively on issues of being black and middle-class which, in my opinion, is not nearly as interesting. Aren’t all of the characters biracial except for Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne? I’ve only seen “The Nod” and I’m as white as they come, but I thought it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/7 "2014-11-03T13:26:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Yes, it is an updated “The Jeffersons” Pretty much. Though I don’t think that influence is necessarily a bad thing. Anthony Anderson seems to be doing a fine job as a modern day George Jefferson (perhaps even more three dimensional), while the addition of a grandfather and four children allow these topics to be hilariously discussed from nearly every viewpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/8 "2014-11-03T13:32:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I watched the halloween ep the other day and laughed my ass off several times. That halloween episode was absolutely hilarious. Maybe even more so to me because my family actually went trick or treating as some of the Jacksons when I was 8 haha. I still have my MJ wig to this day. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/9 "2014-11-03T14:08:49Z")
It’s a funny show, and I’m enjoying it. It reminds me most of the Bernie Mac Show, which I guess isn’t surprising because a lot of the same people worked on that show. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/10 "2014-11-03T14:20:02Z")
I’ve only seen two episodes. The one about the kids not being black enough made me cringe, even though the dad came around at the end. The episode about spanking was kind of funny, but it didn’t have anything to do with the “black-ish” theme. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/11 "2014-11-03T16:15:34Z")
Here’s a long-form article from Buzzfeed [How “Black-ish” Reflects My Own Experience As A Black Person In America](http://www.buzzfeed.com/kelleylcarter/how-black-ish-reflects-my-own-experience-as-a-black-person-i) Here’s reviews of the episodes on the [AV Club by Pilot Viruet](http://www.avclub.com/tv/black-ish/) who is a black woman. I’m a white person so I can’t answer the OP but I like the show. The kids are hi-lar-i-ous!! ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/12 "2014-11-03T16:22:45Z")
I have seen two episodes and being Black myself (not “Black-ish”) I just find the series to be very tired. If they used better writers, if Lawrence Fishburne wasn’t just nine years OLDER than his SON on the series, Anthony Anderson and if the kids were actually funny, it would be tolerable (sort of an updated _ **Family Matters** _). However, the series seems to want to force its laughs on people and it usually falls short when it does. Frankly, I’m surprised at the show’s success when it is as tame as it is and there are better offerings elsewhere on television. At least it’s keeping Black actors working, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/13 "2014-11-03T16:25:29Z")
I suppose it’s an age thing that will be lost on younger generations, but… I did a spit take when the Halloween episode of BLACK-ISH was was announced as part of Spooktacular Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/14 "2014-11-03T16:28:25Z")
Anecdotal, but one of my African-American friends just recently posted on Facebook how much he loved the show and other African-Americans chimed in on his post about how they were enjoying it. So to me it seems like it has an audience there. Personally, I am really enjoying the show, but I’m South Asian so I’m not exactly who you are asking about, but some of the fish-out-of-water compared to white people stuff is just universal for all racial minorities. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/15 "2014-11-03T16:46:40Z")
I found the pilot episode offensive and stupid. The spanking epsidoe was hiliarious, and the Halloween episode was nearly as funny. I haven’t seen any in between, but based on those three I’ll watch further installments. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/16 "2014-11-03T17:16:47Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I found the pilot episode offensive and stupid. > > The spanking epsidoe was hiliarious, and the Halloween episode was nearly as funny. > > I haven’t seen any in between, but based on those three I’ll watch further installments. I found the pilot offensive and stupid also. Mainly stupid. I haven’t watched any more episodes, but if there are other episodes that are a better I’ll give it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/17 "2014-11-03T17:22:27Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I found the pilot offensive and stupid also. Mainly stupid. I haven’t watched any more episodes, but if there are other episodes that are a better I’ll give it a shot. The two latest episodes–one about spanking, the other about Halloween–were so much better than the pilot that I can only assume that the writer(s), director, and producers from the pilot were not merely fired, but shot, and their heads placed on pikes in front of the studio as a warning to others. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/18 "2014-11-03T17:47:52Z")
Anecdotally, most people in my circle of friends and ‘friends’ (which is largely black) enjoy it. Some enjoy it more than others. I don’t know anybody who actively dislikes it. The biggest complaint is about how on-the-nose and unsubtle it can be sometimes(including the name of the show). Overall my corner of the black universe is on board with it, though. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/19 "2014-11-03T20:00:49Z")
I quite like it. I thought the pilot was pilot-y (sitcom pilots tend to be a bit off, somewhat clunky, and over the top), but funny & with a lot of potential. Some of the subsequent episodes have been great. I’m a black woman who was raised in an almost all-white, middle/upper middle class environment. I find the show ridiculously familiar. Some of the scenes in “The Nod” episode happened to me when I was a teenager, almost word for word (my parents would go through my yearbook every year and count the black kids). The title is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/20 "2014-11-03T21:12:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I found the pilot episode offensive and stupid. > > The spanking epsidoe was hiliarious, and the Halloween episode was nearly as funny. > > I haven’t seen any in between, but based on those three I’ll watch further installments. Well, maybe I should give it another chance then. Only saw the pilot and that was mostly meh, with a little bit of “that was kind of offensive, I think, or maybe only black people think that’s funny?” When I saw that the next episode dealt with spanking I purposely tuned out becasue I can imagine all kinds of offensive stuff there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493.md?page=2)