1984 was a year full of events; the controversial Summer Olympics when the Soviet Union withdrew, the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, and the introduction of the user-friendly Macintosh personal computer by Apple. Though there were many breakthroughs occurring at the time, the country was taken by surprise by one of the most unexpected television shows in history—The Cosby Show.
Before The Cosby Show, America was used to television shows with successful characters to be filled white individuals. However, The Cosby Show broke those barriers of ideology in mainstream television media when the show depicted an upper-middle class African-American family with the father, Cliff being a successful obstetrician and Clair depicted as a loving mother and lawyer who seemed to be able to do it all. The Cosby Show was met with a lot of speculation and hesitation as people would ask, Is this story on the show actually a reality? The ideologies of many Americans, including blacks was that the plot was most definitely fiction and unattainable in the black community. Those ideologies of the public became the driving force of the show, as Bill Cosby’s aim was to show America that a successful black family with sophistication and morals was not as rare as everyone thought.
The success of The Cosby Show ultimately showed that the barriers the show once faced were now broken down. Now, white families weren’t the only ones who could be successful individuals on television. The show’s popularity and groundbreaking plot paved the way for more shows with successful minority families, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and closer to today’s time, The George Lopez Show. Both shows credit The Cosby Show for its efforts in breaking the silence for minorities, showing that they too can be successful individuals who can have it all. In media, only one historical moment is needed in order to change years of thinking among the general public. Thank goodness for Cliff and those flamboyant sweaters.
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