I never tuned-in to “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s. It was considered by teenagers to be rather lame or an older folks program. When I started watching television again, albeit sporadically, in the early 00s, I got to see the series for the first time in reruns. It was a sort of a modern, hipper, and urban version of “Little House on the Prairie;” as it covered some of the same situations and dynamics inherent in any intact family. My favorite episode is titled “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” which aired in 1988. The story revolves around teenage daughter Vanessa, her two friends, and their desire to form an all-girl musical group. In the best scene, the girls preform in front of Vanessa’s parents; a bewildered looking Cliff and Claire Huxtable. The reaction from Claire (masterfully played by Phylicia Rashad) is priceless. Although, the girls’ outfits were pretty tame in context to late-80s fashions, the rant by Claire is the prefect parental answer: swift, loud, and condemning. Even if it was somewhat played for comedic effect in the show, the message was clear. Rings more true today than it did 25 years ago.
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