Introduction The popular television show “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” first aired on September 10th, 1990 (IMDb, 2016). The television show grew in popularity and lasted until May 20th, 1996, consisting of six seasons and 148 episodes (IMDb, 2016). The protagonist of the sitcom, Will Smith, is a young Black street-smart teenager born and raised in a working class neighbourhood who is forced to move to his affluent Aunt and Uncle's house in Bel-Air, California. Will's Mother forces him to move as a way of protecting his childhood from the violence taking place in his neighbourhood. The plot of the show follows Will as he adapts to his new lifestyle, while simultaneously addressing current issues through relatable challenges teenagers experience.
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The song is important for its symbolic representation of complex subjectivities and its insistence that pop culture holds open a space for pedagogical addresses of issues related to vulnerability and resilience. The lyrics in the song expose the societal challenges that racism and classism impose, and helps us understand what Will faces through examining the intersections of race and social class. In this paper I work towards creating a dialogue surrounding Black youth and authenticity which is characterized through the theme song of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I take up the following three themes: Popular culture and the connection to aesthetics; race/class and how they are interwoven with identity; and finally, Will’s resilience amidst adversity and the prospect of a hopeful future. I will relate each theme to specific song lyrics while critically deconstructing Will’s displacement from his childhood home to his Aunt Vivian's house in …show more content…
Initially, Will explains that his mother is forcing him to move with his relatives in Bel-Air out of fear. “I got in one little fight and my mom got scared, she said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air” (AZLyrics, 2016). This expresses Will's mother's need for protecting his childhood in hopes of providing him with better future. Next Will's lyrics explain how he does not associate to his families way of living which is demonstrated through the following lyrics: “Wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that. Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat? I don't think so” (AZLyrics, 2016). This reveals that although they share familial ties he does not identify with them or the chauffeur. However, as the song progresses he avoids what he thinks could be a possible arrest as he just arrived to California. When he hails a cab he notices “When it came near, the license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror” (AZLyrics, 2016). This recognition of the cab creates a connection with the cab driver as he see's a similarity in their social position compared to his bourgeois Bel-Air family. The subsequent verse is “And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo home smell ya later', I looked at my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air”
The song is important for its symbolic representation of complex subjectivities and its insistence that pop culture holds open a space for pedagogical addresses of issues related to vulnerability and resilience. The lyrics in the song expose the societal challenges that racism and classism impose, and helps us understand what Will faces through examining the intersections of race and social class. In this paper I work towards creating a dialogue surrounding Black youth and authenticity which is characterized through the theme song of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I take up the following three themes: Popular culture and the connection to aesthetics; race/class and how they are interwoven with identity; and finally, Will’s resilience amidst adversity and the prospect of a hopeful future. I will relate each theme to specific song lyrics while critically deconstructing Will’s displacement from his childhood home to his Aunt Vivian's house in …show more content…
Initially, Will explains that his mother is forcing him to move with his relatives in Bel-Air out of fear. “I got in one little fight and my mom got scared, she said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air” (AZLyrics, 2016). This expresses Will's mother's need for protecting his childhood in hopes of providing him with better future. Next Will's lyrics explain how he does not associate to his families way of living which is demonstrated through the following lyrics: “Wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that. Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat? I don't think so” (AZLyrics, 2016). This reveals that although they share familial ties he does not identify with them or the chauffeur. However, as the song progresses he avoids what he thinks could be a possible arrest as he just arrived to California. When he hails a cab he notices “When it came near, the license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror” (AZLyrics, 2016). This recognition of the cab creates a connection with the cab driver as he see's a similarity in their social position compared to his bourgeois Bel-Air family. The subsequent verse is “And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo home smell ya later', I looked at my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air”