I just watched The Biography Channel show called "The Cosby Show: A Look Back," and it put so many things in my life into focus. And, if you would've seen it, I'm sure it would have done the same for you. Bill Cosby is/was a pure genius, looking at this world in such easy terms, and then translating those ideas seamlessly into episodic TV and situational comedy. Part of me wishes that I was raised by the Huxtables.
But, then again, part of me WAS raised by the Huxtables. Part of all of us was raised by Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable and his lovely wife, Clair. We had Theo as our loyal brother, always there for us (and Cockroach as our trusted friend). We had Sondra to really confide in when times got tough, and Elvin to empathize with our fears. If we wanted to shake things up, we could always see Denise, crazy in her ways. Later, she would even bring us adorable little Olivia to understand and remedy our problems in simple terms. Since Vanessa was turning teenager, we felt her struggles. And, rascally Rudy was our age.
This was our television family. A gang of doctors, lawyers and generally well-behaved kids that had a strong sense of love for one another, and always eventually made the right decision. Most of all, they made us laugh every week when we needed it most. And, I have to mention this next part because of the Obama win and the consensus hot topic in America. The Huxtables didn't just break the color barrier. They disintegrated it. They made it so that there was none. That there wasn't ever one... but still taught cultural history. That's the last I'll say of it. Like I said, MOST OF ALL, they made us laugh.
Comedy is more important than any of that. The ability to make another person laugh is extraordinary, and reserved for only a select few who can do it at the national level. Bill Cosby and his TV family gave us six packs laughing (I subsequently lost mine due to daily Taco Bell intake). The setups were pure brilliance, and still enter our daily repertoire of movie lines and quotes and pop culture references. Here are a few favorites:
"Theo, that was the dumbest... no wonder you get Ds..."
"I'll ride a motorbike."
"Drink 'er down."
"Come here. HERE. HERE."
There are many more, but to me, that's one of the methods of deciding what are the best movies or TV shows - easily quotable lines of dialogue. Movies like PULP FICTION, THE DEPARTED and THE BIG LEBOWSKI are laced with them. And, it's a great way to judge high art. The Cosby Show is on the top TV list of great quotes.
As a note, in my early twenties, I got a chance to meet a few of the former cast members, one of which I worked with. As a valet in the San Fernando Valley, I met a lifetime's worth of stars, sports heroes, B-list actors, burnt-out TVers, a few porno performers and one Joey Badofucco. I parked the car of Cockroach - no kidding. He's now a drug addict, living on 80s sitcom money, having mass orgies with Valley strippers in local four star hotels (on good days) and flea bag motels (every other day). But, he was a delight as a man.
The stand-out, though, was meeting Malcolm-Jamal Warner. There are very few days that go by without thinking of my few meetings with Malcolm... Theo. And, to this day, I still don't know if I let slip calling him 'Theo'. Hell, I might have. Every time I would meet him, whether it was at a gas station or TV set, I would go into this adrenaline induced haze. I couldn't think straight, not for a minute. My hands, feet and tongue would turn numb. And, all I could think about was when Theo got his ear pierced and tried to hide it from dad... I mean, Cliff... with the headphones. I felt like he was trying to hide the earring from ME! Any normal man would avoid these encounters at all cost. That seems logical. But, I actually craved them. Thrived on them. Call it what you will, it was better than any trendy bottle of Grey Goose vodka with Red Bull and a handful of vicodin. This was real life paranoia and excitement, all in one. I lost my original train of thought. Maybe those deeply embedded feelings were just resurfacing. Either way, it was a pleasure to have met the actor, and I'm proud to still have his cell phone number.
Okay. I'm done. I just wanted to share my feelings on what I thought was an integral part of the American standard. Please offer some fun memories of your run-ins with the Huxtables. I'd love to hear 'em. We all would.
