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false truths about economic standings. Herman Gray addresses the issues with the trickle-down
economics theory of the time when describing how

We’ve got this incredible polarization of rich and poor. And black
people converged around the poverty end of that. And I think that,
to have then a show that mediates between that polarization, we
come away with the sense in which, "Well, the society's fine! I
mean there's no problem! You just have to work hard. You just
have to have the right values, the right kinds of desires and
aspirations, and it'll be alright! (Gray, Color Adjustment)
This misinformed thinking completely erases the struggles of Black America, and ignores the
systematic oppression in place to hinder. The Huxtables, however, played into the prime-time
notion of the good and wholesome family. Its appeal to White audiences was due to the link to
old-fashion family shows with true American morals and ambitions. Yet this created another
issue within the minds of viewers. Pat Turner addressed The Cosby Show’s effect on Black and
White audiences by stating that “Cosby's very appealing to black audiences because it does
posit a dream. Cosby's very appealing to white audiences because it reinforces the notion that
the Civil Rights Movement took care of all of the racial inequities of the society.” This further
reinforces the “mythic sanctuary” (Gray, Color Adjustment) of prime-time television and the
racially equal and harmonious world they aimed to immortalize. These notions act as a shield
against social crisis and injustice.
The representation of Blacks in television is highly important as it gives those whom are
marginalized visibility. However, when the representation is often created by Whites with
stakes in upholding certain ideologies one must question the image presented. While television