Current Events > Is Good Times the most depressing sitcom ever?

(+) Yeah! (+)

The name "Good Times" might as well be an oxymoron.

The family was always going through some shit. Whether it was James never being able to keep a job, barely scraping by on a regular basis, or some tragic shit always happening in the family, it's like the family was cursed to live in the projects forever, lol.

Bad times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBUw-irQOLE

PartRaptor posted...

The name "Good Times" might as well be an oxymoron.

The family was always going through some shit. Whether it was James never being able to keep a job, barely scraping by on a regular basis, or some tragic shit always happening in the family, it's like the family was cursed to live in the projects forever, lol.

Bad times.

That's kind of the point. Appreciating the good times in all the shit. Also...damn, damn, DAMN!

The episode with dog food and Thanksgiving hit pretty hard.

It was worst then depression it was meant to show that "good" black people just take abuse from the system. They might not like it , they my call it out once in a while. But doing something to get over it is something that they shouldn't do.

Florida was an agent for keeping black people down. And JJ was the fool that made black people look bad.

cjsdowg posted...

It was worst then depression it was meant to show that "good" black people just take abuse from the system. They might not like it , they my call it out once in a while. But doing something to get over it is something that they shouldn't do.

Florida was an agent for keeping black people down. And JJ was the fool that made black people look bad.

watchu talkin bout willis

Guide posted...

watchu talkin bout willis

It is a the Booker T. Washington vs WEB Du Bois mind set.

Washington pushed the idea that if a black people kept working hard and didn't fight the system. That one day freedom would come.

Where as Du Bois said Black people should get freedom and rights now. He help to form the NAACP after Booker T. Washington used his power to stop his first attempt at a Civil Right organization.

But Washington was a lot more palatable for white people . Because he didn't buck the system that much. Florida is a Booker T. Washington. And JJ is literally Uncle Tom.. the character from minstrel shows not the slur.

Florida wanted to keep her family fed and not dead, damn son. Let a mom be a mom.

I don't think I've ever seen this show, it's almost guaranteed to have aired in Canada but I only know it by the title

Flora damn damn damning hits so hard simply because it was such bad times with James to help. Now she has straight up no hope.

And yeah, Michael's character assassination took out a lot of the messaging that they'd put in there. Which is a bummer because they could've continued with the JJ/Michael dynamic and it'd been fine

Guide posted...

Florida wanted to keep her family fed

so did jed clampett - the different results are no accident

John Amos disappearing only made it worse.

given its setting, one might think that hogan's heroes could have at least flirted with depressing topics...

I never really liked it. It is realistic though. The way the network did John dirty was also extremely depressing irl. Its an important show but a good time it is not (70s sarcasm).

toreysback posted...

given its setting, one might think that hogan's heroes could have at least flirted with depressing topics...

The 60s were probably the "wackiest" decade for sitcoms. There was practically zero social commentary in them

Hayame_Zero posted...

There was practically zero social commentary in them

Commentary in the 60s was left to Star Trek and Doctor Who.

One more thing about JJ. He is a funny character when he is around other to call him out are others who show the correct way to act. But when he gets the spot light and everyone else is just there. It is a so-signing on his nonsense.

So I don't want to seem like I am saying there can't be a funny or silly black characters. Your Cockroaches (Cosby show for you younger people) and Waldos will always be okay. If they are not made to seem to be right. It is a like if there was a TV show and Jay from Jay and silent Bob, was painted like the voice of a white people. And there was like only one other show with white people on it at the time. So it is larger than JJ just being silly it is a host of things. And as other already highlighted , others characters stop fighting the system. And Florida left her kids .