Effect of African-American Comedies on My Childhood and Growing UpWhen you are bored, what do you do? I find that when boredom strikes, reading a book simply puts me to sleep. I find that boredom is cured by television; but as you probably already know, even television can sometimes bore you to tears! I've discovered that I like watching comedies for entertainment, but not pointless, plotless comedies; just jokes. I'm drawn to comedies with a good plot and that teaches me more than just how to make someone laugh. I watch shows like The Cosby Show, Good Times, Living Single and The Jeffersons. These are just a few examples of comedies that entertained me while I was growing up while also teaching me solid life and family lessons. It's no coincidence that all of these shows are created and starred by African Americans. It was not and is not uncommon for African American shows to depict a great sense of nurturing, family and love. There is a never-ending negative aura around African-American performances; particularly those whose cast is predominantly or entirely of black descent. The stereotype is violence, drugs, foul language, rude behavior and manners, etc. African-American comedies have undoubtedly had an impact on me in more than one way. Whether through memorable running gags or episodes that touch on poignant societal subjects; African-American comedies had a major effect on my childhood and growing up. Whether or not they had a more positive or negative effect on my life at this point is a mystery. I hope that by exploring the comedies I have watched, I can solve this mystery. Let me first explore the possible negative effects. Some negative effects I've found are due to poorly morally connected content; content that is ...... middle of paper ...... whether it's the dangers of violence in the community or the importance of learning about HIV/AIDS , these sitcoms hit on a variety of issues. I am an advocate of using programs closely related to real-life issues such as teen pregnancy, valuing your education, growing up without a father, not having to eat, homelessness, etc., to educate viewers about what's really happening in the world. I hope this will bring us closer to finding a method to cure the ills within our community.BibliographyChitiga, Miriam Miranda. “Black Sitcoms: A Black Perspective.” » Circle.com. Circles, 8 2003. 46-58. Internet. August 2003. “Reports.” State of the Media: American Television Trends by Ethnicity. Nielson, March 30, 2011. Web. September 11, 2013. Williams, Lashaun. “Part of our culture.” Review pages. The New York Times, August 14, 2011. Web. September 11. 2013.