Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a white kid from the 80s with a dysfunctional family, MJW was my pretend brother (and then boyfriend), Bill Cosby was my pretend dad. My home was very strict but somehow TV between 8-9 pm was totally fair game every night in a way that it definitely is not in my UMC circles now. Along with the families from Growing Pains and Family Ties, the characters from all of these shows were as real to me as my own relatives, but far better role models and huge influences in my life. I would never tell anyone this, but I was sincerely disappointed that real college was not like it was on A Different World and one of the reasons I applied to Columbia is because Carol Seaver went there. I even wrote that in whatever short essay asked the "why Columbia" question and they actually accepted me in spite of that.

…

I can’t tell you have much I love all of this. ♥️

[Anonymous]

I hear that he had an 8YO daughter and that she was with him when he drowned swimming though fortunately she is okay.
However I find that if she were witness to seeing her father actually drown, that must be very traumatic for her.
There are signs at the beach now basically warning that the waters there are very dangerous.

I just wonder if they were put up before or after Malcom’s death.

He is missed by many of his fans now - most especially the ones who grew up watching him Thursday evenings on The Cosby Show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white kid from the 80s with a dysfunctional family, MJW was my pretend brother (and then boyfriend), Bill Cosby was my pretend dad. My home was very strict but somehow TV between 8-9 pm was totally fair game every night in a way that it definitely is not in my UMC circles now. Along with the families from Growing Pains and Family Ties, the characters from all of these shows were as real to me as my own relatives, but far better role models and huge influences in my life. I would never tell anyone this, but I was sincerely disappointed that real college was not like it was on A Different World and one of the reasons I applied to Columbia is because Carol Seaver went there. I even wrote that in whatever short essay asked the "why Columbia" question and they actually accepted me in spite of that.

…

I can’t tell you have much I love all of this. ♥️

Me too. ♥️♥️

Plus PP, I have to admit that I am plenty impressed that you were admitted to such a prestigious university too.

My niece is going to Columbia this Fall as a Freshman and I am super proud and excited for her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Or simply don't swim on a beach with no lifeguards and posted red flags. And with a child, such a poor decision.

Oh no - - here we go….
It was bound to happen.

It always does in this forum > sooner or later someone begins playing the “blame” game.
😤

Malcom’s death was an accident - pure and simple.
A tragedy but an accident nonetheless.

What good does pointing fingers do at this point in time??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Or simply don't swim on a beach with no lifeguards and posted red flags. And with a child, such a poor decision.

Oh no - - here we go….
It was bound to happen.

It always does in this forum > sooner or later someone begins playing the “blame” game.
😤

Malcom’s death was an accident - pure and simple.
A tragedy but an accident nonetheless.

What good does pointing fingers do at this point in time??

There but for the grace of God go I. I've swum on many beaches without lifeguards, and I don't regret it. The ocean is powerful and a marvel and this could happen to any of us who go into the ocean. He did what most people who travel and adventure and swim in the ocean would have done. Rip tides happen in many different settings and it is not his fault he got pulled out by one. My wife got sucked into the ocean in a rip tide in Ecuador and thankfully the life guards pulled her in. Malcolm Jamal Warner's death was tragic. And when he died he was doing something many of us have done or would do. We all wish he would have stayed on the beach that day. It's a normal part of grief, but he made a very typical choice.

[Anonymous]

But is it really a "typical choice" to swim out while there are red flag warnings? It's a terrible tragedy for sure. I just hope this accident will cause more people to heed the warnings in the future.

[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.

As a white kid from the 80s with a dysfunctional family, MJW was my pretend brother (and then boyfriend), Bill Cosby was my pretend dad. My home was very strict but somehow TV between 8-9 pm was totally fair game every night in a way that it definitely is not in my UMC circles now. Along with the families from Growing Pains and Family Ties, the characters from all of these shows were as real to me as my own relatives, but far better role models and huge influences in my life. I would never tell anyone this, but I was sincerely disappointed that real college was not like it was on A Different World and one of the reasons I applied to Columbia is because Carol Seaver went there. I even wrote that in whatever short essay asked the "why Columbia" question and they actually accepted me in spite of that.

I follow the actors closely because it's always a little heartbreaking when one of them is a bad person in real life (Bill Cosby, Kirk Cameron). I haven't read a bad word about MJW.

Kirk Cameron has been a wonderful role model in real life.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t want to be ghoulish but with rheee drownings I always really want more details. I posted before I had a colleague die in similar circumstances and I just wonder — how far out were they? How bad were the waves? Were they swimming alone? I think it’s part the desire to think I could do something differently. I rarely swim past the point where I can touch the ground but maybe that doesn’t matter in these circumstances. I feel so awful for his child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear that he had an 8YO daughter and that she was with him when he drowned swimming though fortunately she is okay.
However I find that if she were witness to seeing her father actually drown, that must be very traumatic for her.
There are signs at the beach now basically warning that the waters there are very dangerous.

I just wonder if they were put up before or after Malcom’s death.

He is missed by many of his fans now - most especially the ones who grew up watching him Thursday evenings on The Cosby Show.

He probably saved her and exhausted himself similar to Naya Rivera. Ocean riptides are so cjaotic she probably didn't see him down of that's any consolation

[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.

As a white kid from the 80s with a dysfunctional family, MJW was my pretend brother (and then boyfriend), Bill Cosby was my pretend dad. My home was very strict but somehow TV between 8-9 pm was totally fair game every night in a way that it definitely is not in my UMC circles now. Along with the families from Growing Pains and Family Ties, the characters from all of these shows were as real to me as my own relatives, but far better role models and huge influences in my life. I would never tell anyone this, but I was sincerely disappointed that real college was not like it was on A Different World and one of the reasons I applied to Columbia is because Carol Seaver went there. I even wrote that in whatever short essay asked the "why Columbia" question and they actually accepted me in spite of that.

I follow the actors closely because it's always a little heartbreaking when one of them is a bad person in real life (Bill Cosby, Kirk Cameron). I haven't read a bad word about MJW.

Kirk Cameron has been a wonderful role model in real life.

If you’re MAGA, sure. He is a Christian evangelist who says homosexuality is unnatural, supports Trump, says Covid is an act of God, etc. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t want to be ghoulish but with rheee drownings I always really want more details. I posted before I had a colleague die in similar circumstances and I just wonder — how far out were they? How bad were the waves? Were they swimming alone? I think it’s part the desire to think I could do something differently. I rarely swim past the point where I can touch the ground but maybe that doesn’t matter in these circumstances. I feel so awful for his child.

If you look around there's an account by the former lifeguard who tried to rescue him that gives details.

[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.

As a white kid from the 80s with a dysfunctional family, MJW was my pretend brother (and then boyfriend), Bill Cosby was my pretend dad. My home was very strict but somehow TV between 8-9 pm was totally fair game every night in a way that it definitely is not in my UMC circles now. Along with the families from Growing Pains and Family Ties, the characters from all of these shows were as real to me as my own relatives, but far better role models and huge influences in my life. I would never tell anyone this, but I was sincerely disappointed that real college was not like it was on A Different World and one of the reasons I applied to Columbia is because Carol Seaver went there. I even wrote that in whatever short essay asked the "why Columbia" question and they actually accepted me in spite of that.

I follow the actors closely because it's always a little heartbreaking when one of them is a bad person in real life (Bill Cosby, Kirk Cameron). I haven't read a bad word about MJW.

Kirk Cameron has been a wonderful role model in real life.

Surely this is satire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear that he had an 8YO daughter and that she was with him when he drowned swimming though fortunately she is okay.
However I find that if she were witness to seeing her father actually drown, that must be very traumatic for her.
There are signs at the beach now basically warning that the waters there are very dangerous.

I just wonder if they were put up before or after Malcom’s death.

He is missed by many of his fans now - most especially the ones who grew up watching him Thursday evenings on The Cosby Show.

He probably saved her and exhausted himself similar to Naya Rivera. Ocean riptides are so cjaotic she probably didn't see him down of that's any consolation

Naya Rivera was found to have significant drugs in her system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear that he had an 8YO daughter and that she was with him when he drowned swimming though fortunately she is okay.
However I find that if she were witness to seeing her father actually drown, that must be very traumatic for her.
There are signs at the beach now basically warning that the waters there are very dangerous.

I just wonder if they were put up before or after Malcom’s death.

He is missed by many of his fans now - most especially the ones who grew up watching him Thursday evenings on The Cosby Show.

He probably saved her and exhausted himself similar to Naya Rivera. Ocean riptides are so cjaotic she probably didn't see him down of that's any consolation

Naya Rivera was found to have significant drugs in her system.

No, not significant levels. The drugs, like caffeine, were not considered factors in her drowning. But back to Malcolm-Jamal...it was cool to see a child actor grow up and have a career and family.

[Anonymous]

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]

What a silly comment.

Theo Huxtable was loved by a generation of kids, of all colors and backgrounds.

He is not as well known now because of the me too movement cancelling the Cosby Show, even in syndication, punishing the ensemble cast, not just Bill Cosby.

This.

Fwiw the Cosby show holds up well. It’s still funny and endearing. If you haven’t heard Claire Huxtable lecture her kids, you are missing out. I’ve literally sent my kids links to clips from the show as funny teachable moments…and when I don’t have the words to convey what Claire so aptly expressed.

Everyone should watch/rewatch that show…and perhaps remember or learn what Gen X understands: the fact that a sitcom about a black family was the most popular show on tv for many years demonstrates that American society was actually not as racist or divided as some choose to believe these days. Everyone watched that show and everyone loved those characters. MJW was a teen heart-throb and so was Lisa Bonet. Claire Huxtable prompted tons of girls to go to law school—including this white girl. Americans of all races and ethnicity aspired to have a life (and home and family) like the Huxtables.

I'm a white GenXer who loved the Cosby Show and understands that there was and is a lot of racism in American society. The fact that we all watched a show with the "right" black family (wealthy, suburban, non-threatening to white audiences) doesn't mean there was no racism. But we white folks could feel good about the fact that we/society weren't racist because we loved the Cosbys, or later because we voted for Obama, etc.