If you liked the Cosby show during its original run, do you still like it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, now that I am a parent of teenagers, I like it more.

One of the early criticisms of the show was that the Huxtable family was "unrealistic." I admit that as a teen and a young adult, I was sold and bought that bill of goods.

But looking at it now, I can honestly say that Cosby absolutely nailed what it is like to raise teens and it is a totally realistic view. Cosby raised 5 kids himself and he perfectly captured the challenge. None of the kids turned out perfectly or reached the "higher than glory" expectations that their parents had for them. Sandra went to law school but turned her back on her education to follow her own dream. Denise struggled in college and eventually left. Theo had an undiagnosed LD that went unresloved until college. Vanessa went away to college and met an older man and Rudy had her issues too. Despite this great upbringing in an affluent household, life gets in the way of the best laid plans and expectations. The show gives me a lot of perspective asa parent. Seriously.

So true. I remember the episode where Theo went to jail because he was riding in the car with his friend who only had a learner's permit. Cliff and Claire are so PISSED that they cant even decide what punishment Theo will get. Theo says to them that he would like his punishment now cause there is a party he'd like to go to on Saturday night. As a parent, I'm thinking WTF but my teenage mind would totally be thinking like Theo.

[Anonymous]

FAVORITE. SHOW. EVER. Seriously. It was appointment watching growing up and I watch reruns every chance I get. I honestly find that I learn about parenting and marriage. I aspire to be Claire Huxtable as a parent - never loses her cool, always knows what to do/say, is fair, etc.

[Anonymous]

My fave episode was the money one, where Claire explains to Theo that nothing in the house is his - it's all the PARENTS, because its their money.

As a kid I was shocked by this. As a parent, I am learning these lines for future use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't like it then and I like it now. I feel like when I was a kid -- I didn't really "get" a lot of the messages and the jokes were no different than other sitcoms. I esp like the episodes where Theo is thinking about grad school/job in Ca; Elvin and Sandra come back from their honeymoon and announce they won't go to med and law school and the fallout from that; Vanessa getting engaged to the handyman and then the way she backed out on a good guy bc she wasn't ready etc. I thought the parents had a lot of wisdom in dealing with these real situations -- you don't see that in sitcoms anymore as they aren't as relatable to real life.

+1. There are a lot of lessons in that show for parents/adults - more than kids, which is probably why I thought it was boring when I was a kid and I didn't understand a lot of the sarcasm. I also liked the episodes where they dealt with Vanessa sneaking off to Baltimore (?) for a concert; Sandra & Elvin's first apartment - and their initial struggle after marriage; the one where Theo graduated; and I vaguely remember an episode that I still quote where Vanessa was distraught about being called "rich girl" at school bc she was bragging about some art that her parents bought. The dad pointed out - your mother and I are rich, you have nothing. Not a bad way to raise kids so that they aren't totally spoiled by parents' wealth which comes from the parents' hard work.

PP here - This episode!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loved it and still love it. I can separate Bill Cosby as a person from his wonderful show.

The Bill Cosbys of the world count on people like you.