https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyUMeNd1JF0
Norman Lear is arguably the most successful TV sitcom producer of all time. He stunned America by bringing Good Times into our homes and it was a hit. But did letting the break away star, Jimmie JJ Walker, run wild ruin the show for Esther Rolle (Florida Evans), John Amos (James Evans), and eventually the rest of the cast?share
They were right. The show is unwatchable now because of it.
STUPID street rhyme with forced grin. (VERY forced). Comes of as sadly pathetic.
You get the feeling the topics being worded are so new that the characters haven't had time to learn about them, Let alone how to spell them. (Michael being the exception. And even he seems overly stressed at the OBVIOUS display of ignorance.)
Interesting analysis and completely wrong.
It seems that Esther Rolle and John Amos were trying to whitewash or "blackwash" Lear's attempts to portray reality. "Good Times" would have been a farce like "The Cosby Show" if they had their way. Lear was famous for at least trying to explore issues. Rolle & Amos were only concerned about making black families look good.
I mean c'mon, Esther Rolle almost left the show because Thelma was considering sex with her boyfriend? The black church was sending her letters over it? What bullshit moralism. Stories like that, a teenage girl being pressured to have sex, are what make for hard-hitting tv. But oh, the black church won't like it!!! Gimme a break. That's why Rolle was just an actor and Lear was the genius behind the show.
And then they claim Jimmy Walker killed the show when he actually made "Good Times". I can't believe they attack the dude for saying "Dynomite!" and getting a fast food job where he had to wear a chicken hat. Walker was the show. Rolle & Amos wanted NAACP awards for uplifting the black image. But their ideas would have killed the show.
In the documentary about Norman Lear, “Norman Lear, Just Another Version of You,” Esther Rolle complains that JJ’s much-repeated line “Dyn-o-mite!” (and variations thereof) was “buffoonery” rather than comedy and laziness on the part of the writers because they knew that each instance would take up 30 seconds of time for audience laughter — which was 30 seconds of dialogue they wouldn’t have to write.
Interestingly, Lear claimed that he was visited in his CBS office by Black Panther members during Good Times’ run. They complained about the negative portrayal of black families on the show, saying that there were now blacks in America better off than the average white person. Lear said this conversation was the inspiration for “The Jeffersons”.
I understand that black critics would have been concerned about negative and stereotypical portrayals of black people. I'm gay and I hate "Will & Grace" for an analogous reason. It makes gay men look like effeminate buffoons.
So yeah, maybe as a white man I'm overlooking that element.
But I still like Jimmy Walker and think he was a better comedic actor than either Amos or Rolle. And I enjoyed "Good Times" much more than "The Jeffersons".
Compare the son JJ to the son Lionel on "The Jeffersons". Which was the more interesting character?
Oh, I agree with you. I also prefer “Good Times” and I enjoyed JJ’s antics. But I also liked the family dynamic and dramatic elements of the show and, especially, Amos’ portrayal of father James. I was surprised and saddened to learn that some of those involved in the show found it embarrassing and/or insulting to the black community.
shareYeah, that surprises me as well.
Interestingly, Lear claimed that he was visited in his CBS office by Black Panther members during Good Times’ run. They complained about the negative portrayal of black families on the show, saying that there were now blacks in America better off than the average white person.
Yeah, ironic that.
shareI thought the show was far less entertaining and interesting without Amos.
shareI thought the first season with James was the best.
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