Wow. When I posed the question Martin v Sanford and Son, I expected a split down the middle. Instead just about everybody went with Fred G. Sanford.
I can't say it was that easy for me. Most sitcoms start to stink it up after a couple of years, and Martin was no different. But the first two years of Martin were some of the funniest TV I can remember.
Still, as funny as Martin was, the center of the comedy driven completely by Martin Lawrence. Though his support cast had talent none them could really stretch out in their roles. So a lot of times it was just Martin freelancing.
Case in point the Nino Brown skit...which was hilarious.
On the other hand, watching Sanford and Son was great because of the comedic brilliance of Redd Foxx, Desmond Wilson, Slappy White, LaWanda Page and others.
Plus Sanford and Son actually allowed Desmond Wilson not only to be funny, but to also add depth to his character. Check this clip out when Lamont went African. In 7 short minutes, we cover African consciousness, Negro League Baseball, skin lightening and more...Brilliant TV. Funny and thoughtful at the same time.
This was Sanford at its best. I'll give the nod to Sanford, but only because Redd had some heavyweights on his team. Martin was a one man gang for the most part.
Reverse the Charges
My Answer to Martin v Sanford and Son
by Roland Laird
Jan 15, 2010
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About this blog:
POSRO isn't a household word in American culture, but it has been featured in publications as varied as The Source magazine and The New York Times.
For those of you that know--and those of you that don't--the name is a play on the word NEGRO. We took away the NEG-ative prefix and replaced it with a POS-itive one. We "Reversed The Charges" so to speak.
Reversing the negative charges in the thought processes that go into the coverage Black people receive in the media, even in the age of Obama, is what this blog is all about.
The subject matter will vary as the mood hits me One day I may be talking sports. The next day local news in Trenton, NJ. But no matter what I talk about, I promise to be honest, respectful and entertaining. I hope you enjoy reading in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
About this blog:
POSRO isn't a household word in American culture, but it has been featured in publications as varied as The Source magazine and The New York Times.
For those of you that know--and those of you that don't--the name is a play on the word NEGRO. We took away the NEG-ative prefix and replaced it with a POS-itive one. We "Reversed The Charges" so to speak.
Reversing the negative charges in the thought processes that go into the coverage Black people receive in the media, even in the age of Obama, is what this blog is all about.
The subject matter will vary as the mood hits me One day I may be talking sports. The next day local news in Trenton, NJ. But no matter what I talk about, I promise to be honest, respectful and entertaining. I hope you enjoy reading in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
