Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I also think part of it is people don't understand what the Cosby Show meant to black people. For a lot of Black families, The Cosby Show wasn’t just a popular sitcom; it was one of the first times they saw a successful, loving Black family portrayed on TV in a positive and aspirational way. That representation had a big emotional and cultural impact, especially in the '80s and '90s when that kind of visibility was rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly due to lack of resources in the country, I read that there was no lifeguard on duty when Malcom drowned.

I also read that there were signs warning ⚠️ of drowning which I have never seen on a beach.

I’m saddened at this loss - Malcom was a great 80’s actor as Theo Huxtable.
He was funny, charming + oh so adorable.
He will be missed.

Sadly his death is being overshadowed by Ozzy’s death.

I don't think so, people just don't know Malcolm, he hasn't been incredibly famous for decades. I haven't heard his name or seen his face in years.

White people?

I am not being difficult, but I think this is cultural thing. He was not as popular as he was in the 80s, but he was still very known and loved. He was involved in many projects over the years, and he’s had several very public relationships.

[NP]

For what it’s worth I’m 45 and White and have seen way more about MJW than Ozzy. Then again I only really know about Ozzy from living with the Osbournes on MTV. But grew up watching the Cosby show.

It’s not a competition though. I remember my mom died the same week as Prince and it drove me crazy because people were booing over a celebrity They never knew but here I was with my world turned upside down. But I was thinking logically in my grief. Grief is never a competition.

[Anonymous]

^ illogically in my grief

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly due to lack of resources in the country, I read that there was no lifeguard on duty when Malcom drowned.

I also read that there were signs warning ⚠️ of drowning which I have never seen on a beach.

I’m saddened at this loss - Malcom was a great 80’s actor as Theo Huxtable.
He was funny, charming + oh so adorable.
He will be missed.

Sadly his death is being overshadowed by Ozzy’s death.

I don't think so, people just don't know Malcolm, he hasn't been incredibly famous for decades. I haven't heard his name or seen his face in years.

White people?

I am not being difficult, but I think this is cultural thing. He was not as popular as he was in the 80s, but he was still very known and loved. He was involved in many projects over the years, and he’s had several very public relationships.

[NP]

This is not a race thing. Ozzy was far more famous, for far longer.

Perhaps it's an age thing? I'm 50 and white and I adored and idolized Malcolm Jamal Warner. Ozzy Osborne I remember as a doddering dad on "The Osbornes" TV show. Perhaps because heavy metal is not, generally speaking, my thing? I remember Sharon and Kelly better than Ozzy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly due to lack of resources in the country, I read that there was no lifeguard on duty when Malcom drowned.

I also read that there were signs warning ⚠️ of drowning which I have never seen on a beach.

I’m saddened at this loss - Malcom was a great 80’s actor as Theo Huxtable.
He was funny, charming + oh so adorable.
He will be missed.

Sadly his death is being overshadowed by Ozzy’s death.

I don't think so, people just don't know Malcolm, he hasn't been incredibly famous for decades. I haven't heard his name or seen his face in years.

White people?

I am not being difficult, but I think this is cultural thing. He was not as popular as he was in the 80s, but he was still very known and loved. He was involved in many projects over the years, and he’s had several very public relationships.

[NP]

This is not a race thing. Ozzy was far more famous, for far longer.

In this case, I think it is. For many (most?) Black people, MJW is more beloved than Ozzy. And that’s OK. It’s not a competition. As a PP said, there is enough love and grief for both. No one is getting overshadowed.

I agree. I'm black and I couldn't name one Ozzy song. I didn't even now he was in the group Black Sabbath until I saw a clip on social media from that last tour he did and they were making a big deal about it. I also don't now any Black Sabbath songs. Everyone I know personally is talking about MJW. My SIL called me yesterday and the first thing she said was "Can you believe what happened to MJW". One of my friends texted me the day it happened. She was shocked. So many posts on social media from my IRL friends that are talking about it. Even seeing people re-post about him and Regina King (they dated for a couple of years). I've also seen some people posting that he was now with his true love Michelle Thomas. She played his gf on The Cosby Show, and they dated IRL for 7 years. Although they weren't together anymore, he was by her side when she died. I saw one post about Ozzy; a woman I went to high school with 35 years ago re-posted an article about his death.

In my community we all still love and adore Malcom just as much as we did back in the 80s watching him on the The Cosby Show.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Well said. “People just don’t know Malcolm” is the most short-sighted thing I’ve heard in a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly due to lack of resources in the country, I read that there was no lifeguard on duty when Malcom drowned.

I also read that there were signs warning ⚠️ of drowning which I have never seen on a beach.

I’m saddened at this loss - Malcom was a great 80’s actor as Theo Huxtable.
He was funny, charming + oh so adorable.
He will be missed.

Sadly his death is being overshadowed by Ozzy’s death.

I don't think so, people just don't know Malcolm, he hasn't been incredibly famous for decades. I haven't heard his name or seen his face in years.

White people?

I am not being difficult, but I think this is cultural thing. He was not as popular as he was in the 80s, but he was still very known and loved. He was involved in many projects over the years, and he’s had several very public relationships.

[NP]

This is not a race thing. Ozzy was far more famous, for far longer.

In this case, I think it is. For many (most?) Black people, MJW is more beloved than Ozzy. And that’s OK. It’s not a competition. As a PP said, there is enough love and grief for both. No one is getting overshadowed.

I agree. I'm black and I couldn't name one Ozzy song. I didn't even now he was in the group Black Sabbath until I saw a clip on social media from that last tour he did and they were making a big deal about it. I also don't now any Black Sabbath songs. Everyone I know personally is talking about MJW. My SIL called me yesterday and the first thing she said was "Can you believe what happened to MJW". One of my friends texted me the day it happened. She was shocked. So many posts on social media from my IRL friends that are talking about it. Even seeing people re-post about him and Regina King (they dated for a couple of years). I've also seen some people posting that he was now with his true love Michelle Thomas. She played his gf on The Cosby Show, and they dated IRL for 7 years. Although they weren't together anymore, he was by her side when she died. I saw one post about Ozzy; a woman I went to high school with 35 years ago re-posted an article about his death.

In my community we all still love and adore Malcom just as much as we did back in the 80s watching him on the The Cosby Show.

Same in terms of posts I've seen. The post I saw about Ozzy was an older (late 60s) former pastor of mine. I'm sure he was huge for some people, but for the people my age, MJW was far, far more important to us personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I also think part of it is people don't understand what the Cosby Show meant to black people. For a lot of Black families, The Cosby Show wasn’t just a popular sitcom; it was one of the first times they saw a successful, loving Black family portrayed on TV in a positive and aspirational way. That representation had a big emotional and cultural impact, especially in the '80s and '90s when that kind of visibility was rare.

Agree, but this was also true for a lot of white families. It seemed like everyone's familiy was watching the Cosby Show for several years then, and yes it had a huge impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I also think part of it is people don't understand what the Cosby Show meant to black people. For a lot of Black families, The Cosby Show wasn’t just a popular sitcom; it was one of the first times they saw a successful, loving Black family portrayed on TV in a positive and aspirational way. That representation had a big emotional and cultural impact, especially in the '80s and '90s when that kind of visibility was rare.

Agree, but this was also true for a lot of white families. It seemed like everyone's familiy was watching the Cosby Show for several years then, and yes it had a huge impact.

I always felt the Cosby Show represented the best family on tv when I was growing up, period. I'm white. I was thrilled to see two educated, successful, loving professional parents. That was what I wanted my future to look like. I have real affection for Malcom because of that show, but I also haven't thought about him in more than 30 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I think that's exactly it -- I'm his age, and I was surprised by my gut reaction. It felt like I had lost a brother. And one of my Black friends drew out some really interesting things about his portrayal of Theo -- that he struggled being a relatively weak student in a family where the parents were Black professionals. The storyline of him having dyslexia was compassionate and realistic, and it was before we know everything we now know about learning differences. It all combines to make for a memorable character from a good young actor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just recently a tv journalist put himself in a rip tide to show. He also had an expert with him. This expert explained why parallel isn’t always correct/-or if it is, you have to choose the right direction.

I’ve also read that sometimes it’s best to not swim at all. Just let the rip current carry you out and eventually bring you back to shore (because apparently rip currents curve back to the shore).

Right just float and save energy.

As a scout I did a mile swim in open water and you often take breaks with a deadman’s float then catch your breath and swim some more.

Maybe it’s time to normalize life jackets when swimming in the ocean?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think part of why some of us feel the loss of MJW so strongly is that he was simply an excellent actor and we really connected to his character.

I would have a similar sense of loss if we were to lose Tempestt Bledsoe (God forbid).

Vanessa and Theo were the actors and characters closest to my age and also very well written and extremely well acted.

It was all of it: the meaning of the show at that moment in time, the excellent writing and directing, the acting, the meaning of television at that time and how it brought families together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sad, he was on vacation with his daughter!

Similar thing happened to my high school classmate. He drowned on vacation with his family in OBX when a riptide/strong current pulled him out.

The currents around Hatteras Island are treacherous. Who remembers this horrible story? Young pregnant mom drowns while swimming with her husband.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/roanoke/name/jill-chenet-obituary?id=25297240

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I also think part of it is people don't understand what the Cosby Show meant to black people. For a lot of Black families, The Cosby Show wasn’t just a popular sitcom; it was one of the first times they saw a successful, loving Black family portrayed on TV in a positive and aspirational way. That representation had a big emotional and cultural impact, especially in the '80s and '90s when that kind of visibility was rare.

Agree, but this was also true for a lot of white families. It seemed like everyone's familiy was watching the Cosby Show for several years then, and yes it had a huge impact.

This.

Go back and search racial demographics in the USA when the show aired.

Hint: the black population was very small.

The reason the show was so successful was because everyone watched it—including most white families. The show was well written and well acted.

The show was important in many ways, particularly since it introduced many people who otherwise weren’t interacting closely with black people to a highly functional black family who was endearing and impressive.

The Cosby show was transformative in terms of the impact it made on Americans. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly due to lack of resources in the country, I read that there was no lifeguard on duty when Malcom drowned.

I also read that there were signs warning ⚠️ of drowning which I have never seen on a beach.

I’m saddened at this loss - Malcom was a great 80’s actor as Theo Huxtable.
He was funny, charming + oh so adorable.
He will be missed.

Sadly his death is being overshadowed by Ozzy’s death.

You have never seen red flag warnings? I’m confused by that statement. Every beach I’ve ever been to use as a flag system, including beaches in the Carolinas, where there are no lifeguards.

From NYT “ Andrea Sánchez Campos, the owner of Faith Glamping Dome, a boutique hotel in the area, said that the beach was dotted with red flags and that the Costa Rican Tourism Board had also posted a number of warning signs.”

Costa Rica isn’t known for calm water or swimming beaches. It’s actually a draw for surfers.

I’ve never understood why so many families take their kids there. As a beach lover, I found CR beaches to be dangerous and far less attractive than virtually every other beach I’ve visited in the Caribbean.

Because of the culture and language? Have you only been to the beaches on the Caribbean side?

Culture and language have zero to do with the beaches and water.

I’ve educated tons of clueless people on what CR beaches are actually like. Some people erroneously assume all beaches are the same…they are not.

Moreover, CR is a surfer destination. That should tell you something about the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised by how many see him as an icon and have such strong attachment to him. I do remember him from the Cosby show but haven’t heard or seen of him since. We had a few shows we watched regularly as kids but I haven’t heard anything about most of those actors / actresses in decades and they definitely weren’t central to my life or childhood memories.

I also think part of it is people don't understand what the Cosby Show meant to black people. For a lot of Black families, The Cosby Show wasn’t just a popular sitcom; it was one of the first times they saw a successful, loving Black family portrayed on TV in a positive and aspirational way. That representation had a big emotional and cultural impact, especially in the '80s and '90s when that kind of visibility was rare.

Agree, but this was also true for a lot of white families. It seemed like everyone's familiy was watching the Cosby Show for several years then, and yes it had a huge impact.

This.

Go back and search racial demographics in the USA when the show aired.

Hint: the black population was very small.

The reason the show was so successful was because everyone watched it—including most white families. The show was well written and well acted.

The show was important in many ways, particularly since it introduced many people who otherwise weren’t interacting closely with black people to a highly functional black family who was endearing and impressive.

The Cosby show was transformative in terms of the impact it made on Americans. Seriously.

+1 million. It also taught me what a loving family looks like and how to be the kind of parent I want to be.