Any "Cosby Show" flashbacks?

ramwella

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During high school and college, the "Cosby Show" was a big favorite at my house, and it really influenced my parents and family.

My family is bi-racial. It occurred to me that, in order for Cosby to be a #1 hit, many Caucasian households had to be watching it, too-- not just black audiences. And in fact, Cosby was a controversy among some Af-Ams who felt that the show wasn't "black enough"! (Which I consider an insulting and ridiculous comment.)

I'm just curious to know if/how "Cosby" may have influenced other families. Any Cosby show flashbacks?-- good or bad.
 

jimbob369

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My favorite "Cosby Show" moment is when Cliff is showing Theodore the importance of making money.

"Well, you need money for a house, a car, food,...(starts taking money out of his hand)."

"See, dad? I still have all this money left!"

"Are you going to have a girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah."

(Cliff takes the rest of the money out of his hand)


Sooooo true :biggrin1:
 

jorpollew

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THE COSBY SHOW IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE!!

When the show went into syndication, I videotaped all the re-runs ('84-'92). Except for maybe 2, I think I have all the episodes. I planned to replace the tapes with new dvds, but I read that some scenes were edited out!!

Here a some of my favorite Cosby shows:
  • Denise makes a shirt for Theo
  • Denise comes back from Africa with a husband and stepdaughter
  • Vanessa goes to college and gets engaged to the maintenance man
  • Sandra & Elvin try to trick Cliff with their engagement announcement
  • Vanessa & friends drive to Baltimore
  • Cousin Pam's boyfriend pressures her to have sex
  • Cliff and the son-in-laws compete to be the most romantic lover
  • Vanessa lies to spend time with her boyfriend
The only episode that I refuse to watch again and will not save is the one where Cliff and the guys get pregnant. That was silly and stupid-- a Cosby low point.
 

OKFarmer

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Funny you should mention the pregnant men episode; I was just thinking about Cliff giving birth to a hoagie and chuckling. They also had some great musicians cycle through that show.

Anyone else like the episode where Cliff helped the old father of his patient learn to read? Who was that cameo star?
 

jorpollew

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...They also had some great musicians cycle through that show. Anyone else like the episode where Cliff helped the old father of his patient learn to read? Who was that cameo star?[/quote]

The old father was Sammy Davis, Jr.

You're right. There were lots of other cameo appearances:
Lena Horne
B.B. King
Christopher Plummer
Melba Moore
Danny Kaye
John Ritter
Leslie Uggams
Iman
Miriam Makeba
CCH Pounder
Roscoe Lee Browne
Elaine Stritch
Debbie Allen
Stevie Wonder
Amanda Woods
 

jorpollew

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I also recall appearances by dancer Judith Jamison and sports announcer Dick Vitale.[/quote]

That's right. I also forgot Dizzy Gillespie and Placido Domingo!! And they're probably some other cameos that we omitted, too.

In the OP, you mentioned that some African-Americans criticized the show for not being black enough. I was in graduate school at the time, and recall a very heated debate about that. I thought that it was interesting to see shows like Roseanne and Frasier-- two radically different portrayals of American life-- be readily accepted by the viewing public. However, The Cosby Show was challenged for not being "authentically black"-- as if there weren't any professional African-American families that shared the Huxtable values. And the fact that much of the criticism came from within the black community was both embarrassing and alarming.

Although my parents weren't a doctor and lawyer, my family and childhood upbringing far more resembled "The Cosby Show" rather than "Good Times". I hated that show!! At that time, my sister and I were 2 out of only 4 black students in my junior high class. And whatever stupid antics "JJ" did on Good Times were repeated and re-enacted the next day in school by the white students. They assumed that "Good Times" was how I lived. Today, I of course realize that they were just young and naive. But at 12 years old, it was difficult to represent the socio-economic-political agenda for the entire black race! So for me, The Cosby Show was like an elixir; it healed a lot of emotional scars that I sustained from Good Times.
 

ramwella

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In the OP, you mentioned that some African-Americans criticized the show for not being black enough. I was in graduate school at the time, and recall a very heated debate about that. I thought that it was interesting to see shows like Roseanne and Frasier-- two radically different portrayals of American life-- be readily accepted by the viewing public. However, The Cosby Show was challenged for not being "authentically black"-- as if there weren't any professional African-American families that shared the Huxtable values. And the fact that much of the criticism came from within the black community was both embarrassing and alarming.


It was great to see African-American characters on TV that weren't shucking and jiving, living paycheck to paycheck on minimum wage and trying to "get over" on everybody. Cosby disproved the notion that black characterization was synonomous with ghetto life and buffoonery acting. I think we needed a show like "Cosby" to counter-act a shows like "Martin". One without the other is imbalanced and unfairly distorts a fair portrayal of American life as expressed from a black perspective.

btw: A great movie that I put in the same category is "Boomerang". It has everyday characters that are true-to-life, very entertaining and distinctively black!!
 
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yngjock20

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My favorite episode is when Vanessa and her friends make the mall music video and they're dressed all skanky


OH, I ALMOST FORGOT...

Jammin' on the 1!!!

My favorite of favorites!
 

Meniscus

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The episode mentioned in post #2 is a classic.

I can't think of any other episodes worth naming, but I do have one story indirectly related to the Cosby Show. Several years ago, a friend took me to a chocolate shop in Denver, the sort of place where you could buy gourmet chocolate in bulk, because she wanted to get some quality chocolate to make homemade candies.

Well, this black couple came in with their little boy...he was young enough he had just started walking, but wasn't really talking yet. The kid got into some "chocolate" covered dog biscuits (except they were really carob covered or something like that because chocolate is poisonous to dogs)which were loose in a bin that was low enough for him to reach, and began eating one of the biscuits. My friend and I told the guy that his kid was eating a dog biscuit. He rolled his eyes and said to the person working at the counter, "Apparently we're also buying a dog biscuit." My friend and I chatted with the couple briefly, had a good laugh over the kid's antics, and then left the store.

As we were walking down the street, I said to my friend, "Did that guy look really familiar to you?" She said yes. We agreed that we thought he was an actor--I just had this feeling that I'd seen him on TV before--but at first neither of us could place what we'd seen him in. In my head I kept hearing his voice saying, "Then what am I doing here?" but I couldn't think of where I'd heard it before.

After pondering it for a while, I figured it out. He had been in an old episode of the Cosby Show. During one of Sondra and Elvin's breakups, Sondra invites another guy over for a date. Cliff tells the guy that he's not moving fast enough because "Elvin is coming." The conversation went like this:

Sondra's date: "Who's Elvin?"
Cosby: "Elvin is the guy she likes."
Sondra's date: "Oh. Then what am I doing here?"
Cosby: "You're the guy that I like."

The actor's name is Joseph C. Phillips, who later went on to play Denise's husband in the show. I'm sorry to say he's a conservative Republican who opposes same-sex marriage.
 

deltablues2

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Most of the classic eps are in the first two seasons. The show went decidedly downhill from there and was always inconsistent in quality. Some good later eps and lots of great individual moments but it was never the same again. The kids growing up was not to blame it was more about the often lazy writing.

But to pick moments from the first 2 seasons, I'd have to single out the Huxtable anniversary ep where the family performed Ray Charles' "Nighttime (Is The Right Time)". As well as the ep where, at the end, Cliff & Clair make romantic to Big Maybelle's "Candy".

That's Heaven, to me.

"Now, what would you like in your coffee ?"
 

jorpollew

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My favorite episode is when Vanessa and her friends make the mall music video and they're dressed all skanky


OH, I ALMOST FORGOT...

Jammin' on the 1!!!

My favorite of favorites![/quote]


Those are really good episodes.
"Jammin on the 1" was from the show where Denise & Theo get into a fender-bender with Stevie Wonder's limo, and he invites the kids to sing on his album.

The name of Vanessa's all-girl group was "The Lipsticks" and they sang "Locomotion". Some of the best scenes on the whole Cosby series happened when Claire got real and went "postal" on someone. She and Vanessa had some real TKO fights.
Claire to the "Lipsticks": I don't know who you all think you are. But I know that you did not just come into my living room, swinging body parts from one end to the next...go cover yourselves!"
 

jorpollew

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The episode mentioned in post #2 is a classic.

....During one of Sondra and Elvin's breakups, Sondra invites another guy over for a date. Cliff tells the guy that he's not moving fast enough because "Elvin is coming." The conversation went like this:

Sondra's date: "Who's Elvin?"
Cosby: "Elvin is the guy she likes."
Sondra's date: "Oh. Then what am I doing here?"
Cosby: "You're the guy that I like."

The actor's name is Joseph C. Phillips, who later went on to play Denise's husband in the show. I'm sorry to say he's a conservative Republican who opposes same-sex marriage.[/quote]


Nice story.
I also had a chance meeting with Joseph C. Phillips. About 2 years ago, he was at an art auction, and we were bidding on the same item. Neither of us bid high enough for the artwork, but I spoke to him after the auction. He was stand-offish and barely cordial with 2-word answers, "oh yeah?...really?...uh-hunh...". Phillips had just written a book called "He talk like a white boy". I happened to purchase the book a few days prior, but that encounter discouraged me from reading it. The book is still sitting on my bookshelf unopened. But your post made me think of it, and I may just give it a try during the long holiday weekend.

Despite his attitude and right-wing views, I have to admit that I still found him very attractive-- tall, handsome, and the greying temples were a nice touch.
 

jorpollew

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Most of the classic eps are in the first two seasons. The show went decidedly downhill from there and was always inconsistent in quality. Some good later eps and lots of great individual moments but it was never the same again. The kids growing up was not to blame it was more about the often lazy writing.

But to pick moments from the first 2 seasons, I'd have to single out the Huxtable anniversary ep where the family performed Ray Charles' "Nighttime (Is The Right Time)". As well as the ep where, at the end, Cliff & Clair make romantic to Big Maybelle's "Candy".

That's Heaven, to me.

"Now, what would you like in your coffee ?"

Well, I think that with long-running tv series, you'll always find some hits and misses. But overall, I thought the quality and consistency with "Cosby" was very good.

That "...coffee" line was from Claire in the episode where Elvin is introduced as Sondra's "chauvinist" boyfriend. And after accusing Claire of "serving" Cliff, she puts Elvin in his place: "You're not goin to have anyone bringin you anything, anytime, anywhere-- EVUH!!
 

ramwella

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Claire to the "Lipsticks": I don't know who you all think you are. But I know that you did not just come into my living room, swinging body parts from one end to the next...go cover yourselves!"

That "...coffee" line was from Claire in the episode where Elvin is introduced as Sondra's "chauvinist" boyfriend. And after accusing Claire of "serving" Cliff, she puts Elvin in his place: "You're not goin to have anyone bringin you anything, anytime, anywhere-- EVUH!!

Jorpollew: Are you quoting this stuff from memory, or viewing the episodes as they're mentioned in the posts? Either way, it seems a little "OCD" scarey to me. (LOL-just kidding) In your first post you claimed that "Cosby" was your all-time favorite, and you sound like the series trivia expert. It's impressive. ....but why?




I never saw this site before. Don't quite understand the purpose of it. Do people post certain clips and comment on them? I assume it's done for other tv shows, too (??) Thanks for sharing it. I'm sure Jorpollew will have a field day (if he hasn't already!)
 

jorpollew

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Jorpollew: Are you quoting this stuff from memory, or viewing the episodes as they're mentioned in the posts? Either way, it seems a little "OCD" scarey to me. (LOL-just kidding) In your first post you claimed that "Cosby" was your all-time favorite, and you sound like the series trivia expert. It's impressive. ....but why?

Ramwella--
I've seen the re-runs so many times that I'm able to recall many lines from memory. And why? I've always been envious of people who know minute details about TV, movies, sports trivia-- whatever. It's fun watching guys quote lines, scores and bet who's right. The information doesn't have to be particularly revelant (which is why it's trivial). The trivia just has to be right and seemingly important enough for the expert. I'm sure that somewhere there is a trivia expert for the indigenous iguana. I just happen to do the Cosby Show. So, whatever you want to know, just ask!


Thanks nakedwally. Definitely going to check it out.
 

Meniscus

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YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Thanks, nakedwally. The link to the episode I mentioned is below. The scene I described in in Part 2, starting at about 1 minute in.

Part 1 YouTube - The Cosby Show Season 2 Episode 205-Cliff In Love (Part 1)
Part 2 YouTube - The Cosby Show Season 2 Episode 205-Cliff In Love (Part 2)
Part 3 YouTube - The Cosby Show Season 2 Episode 205-Cliff In Love (Part 3)

The coffee line which deltablues2 and jorpollew describe is in the same episode, Part 3, starting at about 1:48.

...During one of Sondra and Elvin's breakups, Sondra invites another guy over for a date. Cliff tells the guy that he's not moving fast enough because "Elvin is coming." The conversation went like this:

Sondra's date: "Who's Elvin?"
Cosby: "Elvin is the guy she likes."
Sondra's date: "Oh. Then what am I doing here?"
Cosby: "You're the guy that I like."

The actor's name is Joseph C. Phillips, who later went on to play Denise's husband in the show. I'm sorry to say he's a conservative Republican who opposes same-sex marriage.