You're putting words in my mouth. It's unintelligent when James praises a soup and claims how much he loves it, then asks what's in the soup.
See, this is what I mean by you being so far REMOVED from the BLACK EXPERIENCE.
Now, TO YOU, because James praised the soup and then asked what was in it, YOU see this scene as "UN-INTELLIGENT."
But, you are nit-picking and distorting the scene.
Since you're so keen on "EXTRAPOLATION," try viewing this from a REAL LIFE standpoint:
A Black man comes home from work, tired and hungry. He knows times are hard, AS USUAL, but he also knows that his wife has prepared a meal with whatever she had available to feed her man and children.
....You see, POOR PEOPLE make what my family useta call "REFRIGERATOR SOUP." ---That's when you take whatever left-overs are in the fridge, throw it ALL in a pot together, along with some rice or potatoes, maybe a can of stewed tomatoes and make a SOUP or a STEW.--Cuz PO' FOLKS can't throw nuthin AWAY.
AND I THINK/FEEL that many other BLACK PEOPLE would KNOW THIS and can RELATE to that scene as I can.
So, this very scene that YOU call "UN-INTELLIGENT" was REALITY and was expressed with COMEDY.
It's unintelligent when Willona, following a stick up, wants to talk about the sales that were going on in the store.
It's impatience when James flips out because Willona goes on that unintelligent tangent.
The weakness, impatience and un-intelligence does not relate to the 'reality,' 'poverty' or 'socio-political/socio-economic' times of the show.
It's not realistic that Willona couldn't stay focused on such a serious topic. It's nothing to do with poverty and it's nothing to do with socio-political/socio-economic times. But it has everything to do with insulting Black people.
And, perhaps, you're outta touch with the difference between men and women. (lol) "MEN are from MARS/WOMEN are from VENUS."
Cuz it is VERY REALISTIC for a WOMAN to rather talk about a SALE somewhere than a robbery!
James, being a MAN, wanted to hear more about the robbery; but a WOMAN can move right on to something more interesting to HER and her GIRLFRIEND (Florida).
Plus, when you live in the GHETTO like this family, a ROBBERY or a SHOOTING of some kind was ALL THE TIME., nothing NEW.
I coulda heard the same conversation in MY HOUSE back then:
"Did yall hear about sumbody broke in the pawn shop ova' on 6th and Main? Well, don't chu buy nuthin' from nobody cuz it'll be hotter than tha' 4th of July.........Girl, they got chicken noodle soup on sale, 4-for-a dollar, at the A & P!"
Plus, Willona had NO CHILDREN (until she adopted Penny/Janet J). So, she could spend her money on CLOTHES. So, a CLOTHING SALE was important to HER.
Cherry, I perfectly understand that the situations are realistic. But the situations don't make a Minstrel Show. What makes a minstrel show is when Black people are shown as weak, impatient and unintelligent, a collage of stereotypes.
I understand well that the situations can be imitating life. But that's not what makes a Minstrel Show. Shouting "DYNOMITE" and constantly at odds with one another is.
You will notice that these hijinks were an aspect of Black Sitcoms, not White Sitcoms. You will notice that this was a Minstrel Show if you stopped changing the subject.
Because, frankly, who cares if I don't understand, though I do? What's that have to do with the argument at hand?
Now, I already spoke to J.J. and his "DY-NO-MITE." ---But, that ASIDE,
bickering and verbal teasing and such is WHAT SIBLINGS DO.
----My Goodness!..
Brothers and sisters are gonna ARGUE with each other....But, when it comes down to the NITTY-GRITTY, that same FAMILY will STAND TOGETHER.....cuz" Blood is thicker than water". ---- And this BLACK FAMILY on TV demonstrated that in every way. ---They STOOD TOGETHER through thick-and-thin, the good, the bad and the ugly.
And, you have ADMITTED that you are just RECENTLY introduced to GOOD TIMES via RE-RUNS.
So, how can you POSSIBLY COMPARE "Good Times" to any WHITE TV SHOW of the 70s?!
Yet, you wanna try to COMPARE a BLACK TV FAMILY with a WHITE ONE!
I LIVED in the 70s. So, I WATCHED ALL THESE SHOWS BACK THEN, the BLACK shows and the WHITE shows.
Those 2 WHITE SISTERS on "
ONE DAY AT A TIME" were often "AT ODDS" with each other.
Joanie and Ritchie (brother/sister) were often "ODD ODDS" with each other on "
HAPPY DAYS."
...even the WHITE children on "
THE WALTONS" and "
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE" were often "ODD ODDS" with each other.
And, GOOD TIMES showed it from the BLACK PERSPECTIVE.
Now, as for J.J. and his "DY-NO-MITE," even THAT is RELATED TO BLACK CULTURE of the 70s.---
Expressions like "RIGHT ON!" were a part of Black language in the 70s. ---And even the ACTORS on the show, John Amos and Esther Rolle fought with the WHITE WRITERS against showcasing "J.J." in a stereotypical light.
But, over-all, GOOD TIMES was a show which expressed the REALITIES of a POOR, inner-city BLACK FAMILY in the 70s in a COMEDIC way, but that doesn't make it a "MINSTREL SHOW."
