# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/21 "2014-11-04T15:05:24Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > 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. When I first heard of the show I DVR’d the next episode. It hapenned to be this one on spanking… actually the first few minutes that I actually watched was more about “whipping” IIRC. I cringed and turned it off… not because I don’t think parents should be able to discipline their kids. It was just too close to the Adrian Peterson brew-ha-ha and I feared I would be pissed off that blacks and spanking would be ok in one context but not another. ---
**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 4, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/22 "2014-11-04T15:11:03Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > When I first heard of the show I DVR’d the next episode. It hapenned to be this one on spanking… actually the first few minutes that I actually watched was more about “whipping” IIRC. > > I cringed and turned it off… not because I don’t think parents should be able to discipline their kids. It was just too close to the Adrian Peterson brew-ha-ha and I feared I would be pissed off that blacks and spanking would be ok in one context but not another. Good thing you turned it off before forming an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/23 "2014-11-04T15:50:26Z")
I haven’t seen the pilot (it wasn’t available online), but heard it was pretty bad. I watched the other episodes last night. Decently funny with a couple of LOL moments, but nothing really groundbreaking I think. I thought The Boondocks was a better/funnier show on the theme of black families living in affluent mostly-white 'hoods, at least before Aaron McGruder stopped writing the show. Still, I’ll keep watching for now. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/24 "2014-11-04T15:52:04Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > 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. The wife is a Doctor and the Husband is a Partner in a Marketing firm. I wouldn’t call that middle class. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/25 "2014-11-04T16:13:47Z")
Am I the only one here that thought the pilot was hilarious? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/26 "2014-11-04T16:16:11Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Am I the only one here that thought the pilot was hilarious? You might be… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/27 "2014-11-04T16:39:13Z")
Well I guess I’m in decent company with the majority of TV critics who seemed to enjoy it ;). ---
**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 4, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/28 "2014-11-04T16:56:36Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Am I the only one here that thought the pilot was hilarious? The pilot was good, yes. ---
**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 4, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/29 "2014-11-04T17:04:55Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > The wife is a Doctor and the Husband is a Partner in a Marketing firm. I wouldn’t call that middle class. I realize that this is not at all the point of this thread, and not to be a dick, but are you sure you know what you’re talking about in this regard? My wife and I are both medical professionals and I am a partner in my business and, based on gross income alone, I consider us (possibly) upper-middle class, but at the least definitely solidly middle class. There have been a number of threads in the past on what constitutes middle class, upper middle class, etc… that we probably should not rehash here, but we can certainly begin a new thread to discuss it further, if you want. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/30 "2014-11-04T17:18:57Z")
I’d consider them rich, myself. ---
**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 4, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/31 "2014-11-04T17:30:56Z")
I like to think I have an open mind so, after reading this thread yesterday, I watched two episodes of Black-ish last night, but this time I roped my wife into it, to gauge her reactions as well, as she had not only not seen the show, but had not heard of it. The two episodes we watched were ‘_The Talk_’ and ‘_The Nod_’. I’d previously seen ‘_The Talk_’. Verdict? Not for me. I fully admit that I probably took the program too seriously, so seriously in fact that the humor completely escaped me. It isn’t that I didn’t recognize the humor, but I think I became so wrapped up in what the program attempted to portray as what it means to be _‘properly black’_ that I could not get into it, at all, and yes, I cringed at certain segments. The over-the-top caricature of the strong black man, with the father character stereotypically going so far as to tell his son that he is a man (as opposed to a potted plant, I guess) was a complete turn-off to me. Wife’s verdict? Not for her. In her defense, my wife was not born or raised in America so many aspects of the program went over her head as she asked a number of times “why is this funny?” Because there was some mention of a Halloween episode here yesterday, I asked my wife if she wanted to watch it but, by the end of ‘_The Nod_’ she was done. ---
**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 4, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/32 "2014-11-04T17:36:47Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I’d consider them rich, myself. I think the characters on the show consider themselves rich, too. ---
**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 4, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/33 "2014-11-04T17:40:48Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I’d consider them rich, myself. I wouldn’t, and neither would the characters. They work for their money; their money doesn’t work for them. And in the execreble the Tracee Ellis Ross character – Bo? – worries about the hit to their income and lifestyle if the Anthony Anderson character loses his job. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/34 "2014-11-04T17:45:26Z")
Have you seen their bedroom? There’s a goddamn hallway in their closet. They’re rich. ---
**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 4, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/35 "2014-11-04T17:50:01Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I think the characters on the show consider themselves rich, too. Who knows? It is just a TV show, so they may. In one of the episodes, I believe the wife said to her daughter that she inserts IVs into patients prior to their medical procedures. In a hospital, this is typically the task of a nurse, although I understand the wife is a doctor. What type of doctor is she? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/36 "2014-11-04T17:55:47Z")
I find the show does a pretty good job of sometimes providing humor that relates to the family being black or mixed, and of sometimes providing humor about family life in general that just happens to involve black characters. For example, I related a lot to the episode that focused on the oldest son, where he was much more interested in his geeky pursuits than being tied to a particular racial identity. And on the other side, my wife (who is not black) and I laughed and laughed at the husband/wife issues with dishwasher and refrigerator organization because it was completely us. I have found all of the episodes hilarious, including the pilot. Easily my favorite show of the season. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/37 "2014-11-04T18:00:56Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > In one of the episodes, I believe the wife said to her daughter that she inserts IVs into patients prior to their medical procedures. In a hospital, this is typically the task of a nurse, although I understand the wife is a doctor. What type of doctor is she? “Inserting IVs into patients before their medical procedures” could be how an anesthesiologist describes their job to a child. ---
**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 4, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/38 "2014-11-04T18:07:16Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > “Inserting IVs into patients before their medical procedures” could be how an anesthesiologist describes their job to a child. I initially thought anesthesiologist as well, but didn’t the wife have blood on her hands (surgical gloves) when her daughter walked in during one scene, or am I misremembering? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/39 "2014-11-04T18:25:08Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I initially thought anesthesiologist as well, but didn’t the wife have blood on her hands (surgical gloves) when her daughter walked in during one scene, or am I misremembering? You aren’t misremembering. She constantly talks about how she saves people’s lives, too. I have been fairly certain that she was a surgeon. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493/40 "2014-11-04T18:38:15Z")
She restarted someone’s heart who’d been at the bottom of a pool for like 20 minutes or something in the halloween episode. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-black-ish-faring-with-black-folks/703493.md?page=3)