European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Fast Bill Cosby left looks like he a prepared for a to from Bart softer Bart hip Cosby a All for ratings John j. O Connor new York to mesh Quot a Quot a att Quot by what a going on Here terrible Bart Simpson Patron Saint of unde a Achig Vars is tuning out to be Surpri a singly Sweet under that Bratty be Neer. And on the Cosby show the Huxtable Are dipping their proper Middle class toes into the world of Urban rap. A to viewers chill out this is television entertainment and depending on which Way the rat Ings happen to be blowing anything can happen no cd a entrenched the Cosby show and foxes animation newcomer the Simpsons Are now fac ing off against each other thursday evenings the ratings War a rare Point of interest in what has turned out to be a lacklustre season for the net works has made the Black Well to do Huxtable and the White Blue Collar Simpsons this years most prominent to families. So far Homer Simpson and Brood Haven Tex provides the weekly quota of irresistible cuteness. That was Cosby business As usual. V this year though with the introduction oif 17-year-old Pam Clare Huxtable a Niece the Cosby show is making obvious efforts to move outside its Middle class precincts. In musical terms Cool jazz is being spiked with hot and pointed rap. Megabit status but the Cosby show Long at the top of the ratings Heap does occasionally find itself slipping below the top 10 these Days. Some Cosby changes were unavoidable. With most of their television children now old enough to be on their own the Huxtable need new faces to keep the format bubbling. Last season saw the arrival of Little Olivia an adorable tyke who now there Are some compelling reasons. Cosby has King been stung by charges that the cosy show did not relate to the harsh realities of Many Black people. Statistical charts Are not required to real ize that in the average Black family daddy is not a gynaecologist nor mom a lawyer Cosby a goal has been to show Black youngsters that they Are not automatically excluded from this level of the american dream in the process however the Cosby show was embraced with special Fervour by older and primarily White audiences who found its depictions of Well behaved non threatening Black children comforting when current headlines were talking about Nasty racial incidents and a a Wilding eruptions. But the Cosby images were increasingly be coming the butt of scathing jokes. And Cosby could hardly have failed to notice this years Boom in to shirts promoting a Black version of Bart Simpson and his anything but Middle class family. Black youngsters were clearly responding More to Sassy Bart than to affable Theo Huxtable. So enter Para and her Blue co Lar friends. But however Frisky Para is obviously malleable. She might protest that a i have a mind of my own but she is properly humbled when Clare quickly retorts a a then you a better Start using it a meanwhile Over at the Simpsons the exec Uttke producers a the cartoonist Matt Groening James l. Brooks and Sam Simon a Are making Subtle adjustments in the depiction of rebellious Bart. Responsible men All they Are evidently having second thoughts about creating a character who was fast becoming a hero to school dropouts everywhere. The new Bart retains his Devilish sense of humor but beneath the scamp Shell there lurks a youngster who is not at All proud of his under Chickc mints. A in the first new episode of the current season Bart faced the dim Prospect of being left Back in the fourth Grade. Quot of a he admitted Quot in a dumb As a Post a think in a Happy about it Quot he even resorted to prayer Quot the last Refuge of a scout a a j a a a a a. A a a a a finally a crying scene prompted his teacher to raise his test score from 59 to a just passing 60. Homer was of course bursting with Pride but Quot Bart was surprisingly Humble Quot thanks dad but part of this a minus belongs to prime time television has never hesitated to change concepts and images in Midstream. A classic Case occurred when the matriarch of dal Las was transformed during a seasonal break from Barbara Bel Geddes to Donna Reed and then the very next season Back again to miss Bel Geddes. But some of the to changes can be disconcert ing. While welcoming poor relative Pam into their Home the Huxtable have a new modish wardrobe that features an unending display of expensive sweaters and suspenders. The Simpsons Are far less confident and that May be the secret of their Success in the current economic climate. _ _ while the Huxtable strive to be warmly heartening the Simpsons fasten when you least expect it on unsettling realities. Watching Homer make a fool of himself once again sister Lisa thinks Quot Why do i get the feeling that one Day ill be describing All this to a psychiatrist a that a the kind of Simpsons moment that a should give the Cosby show Good cause for con Cem. Quot 1 a a. R december 2,1990 sunday to plus Page 5
