Like 44 million other viewers, I watched The Cosby Show on Thursday nights. Though it aired from 1984 to 1992, I rewatched episodes of the sitcom just last week.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner played the only son in a family of five children. His sisters were played by Sabrina LeBeauf, Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam.
At thirteen years old, he was Theodore “Theo” Huxtable. Warner rose to fame, became a household name and a member of our families, too.
In the early seasons, Theo was depicted as a typical teenager struggling with school, particularly in subjects he found uninteresting. His parents were often concerned about his grades and future. But they always supported him, even when his academic performance was less than stellar.
Despite the class differences compared to shows like Good Times, The Cosby Show was incredibly relatable. The matriarch, Clair, played by Phylicia Rashad, was a successful lawyer and no-nonsense mother who challenged sexism and traditional gender roles in a memorable speech. She once confronted her daughter’s boyfriend, Elvin, about his outdated views on women and marriage, emphasizing the importance of equality and mutual respect.
Her character subverted the typical 1980s sitcom portrayal of women and families. Clearly, she could do both, a departure from the typical portrayal of women in television at the time. Surrounded by women and a mother who commanded the room, this is how Theo grew up.
Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby, delivered babies and memorable one-liners. Their often-humorous father-son relationship was characterized by open communication, playful banter, and a shared willingness to learn from each other, even when navigating serious issues like dyslexia.
While I had very little in common with Theo, I aspired to have engaging communication marked by the warm relationships depicted on The Cosby Show. Theo had what I always wanted: a family. He gave me what I needed: good childhood memories.
Remember when Theo came home with that $95 Gordon Gatrell shirt? After his father, Cliff, discovered the cost, he delivered one of the most easily remembered lines: “No 14-year-old boy should have a $95 shirt, unless he is on stage, with his four brothers.”
Then his older sister, Denise, played by Lisa Bonet, offered to make him the same shirt for $30? In the episode titled “A Shirt Story,” Theo is trying to impress his crush, Christine.
The result of the one-time sewing class attendee is comical. I can still hear him scream, “Denise!”
Or when Theo learned how to win Justine back by singing the blues? Or that time when he thought he could live on his own and the entire family rallied together to teach him a life lesson?
One of my favorite episodes is when the family lip-synced to Ray Charles’ “The Right Time” with Theo acting as the pioneer of soul music. It started a tradition in my neighborhood.
A neighbor we called T-Gloria, short for Auntie Gloria, began filming us kids lip-syncing our favorite songs. It went on for years and eventually included coordinated costumes.
The Cosby Show changed the face of television and Theo’s character provided a more nuanced portrayal of young African American boys than was common in media at the time. He wasn’t a stereotype like a delinquent or a criminal, but a relatable, developing teenager with aspirations, academic struggles, and everyday challenges.
A child star and a New Jersey native, Warner also managed to avoid embarrassing scandals and the common pitfalls of fame in real life. I’ll always be grateful for that as a proud little sister.
The actor tragically drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, Jul 20. It was during a family vacation at Playa Grande beach in Cahuita, Limón, which makes it even more heartbreaking.
While the actor went on to star in dozens of other sitcoms, was a Grammy Award-winning artist and a poet, he was a member of “America’s family.” The fictional Huxtables revolutionized American television in the 1980s, which is why Malcolm-Jamal Warner will always be Theo Huxtable.
So, join me in celebrating the beautiful life of Malcolm-Jamal Warner while we grieve the loss of our brother, Theo Huxtable.
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Director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, an associate editor, host of the Good Faith Media podcast, “The Raceless Gospel” and author of Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church.
