One of the many reboots being made in Hollywood is the classic comedy hit from the early ‘90s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, streaming on Peacock now as Bel-Air. Currently in its second season, Bel-Air is now a drama instead of a comedy and is absolutely nothing like the original.
For example, happy-go-lucky Carlton, who was famous for his cheesy dance moves, is now a recovering drug addict. There’s also a woke, CRT (critical race theory) storyline. But the biggest change of all is youngest Banks daughter Ashley (Akira Akbar), who is now a lesbian. In episode 6, Baggage,” Ashley’s mom Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) finds her and her male friend Eli (Michael Govan Hackett) alone in Ashley’s bedroom.
Ashley tells her mom it’s okay he’s there, because he’s non-binary and uses he/they pronouns. Therefore, “they’re not really a boy,” which Vivian accepts as perfectly okay, albeit with seeming hesitation:
Eli: Infinity Song.
Ashley: Black folk music.
Eli: Mm-hmm.
Ashley: Love 'em.
Eli: Tank and the Bangas, though!
Ashley: Oh, my gosh, Tarriona is a poet and songwriter. I mean, that's me all day. And their songs talk about real things.
Eli: See, that's what's so cool about music, you know? It just connects us.
Ashley: So, what do you like to write about in your music?
Eli: My life. Got bullied a lot in middle school.
Ashley: Dang, that sucks.
Eli: Yeah.
Ashley: How'd you handle it?
Eli: Wrote a song about it, then took jiu-jitsu and started, you know, kicking some ass!
Ashley: Mom, this is Eli.
Vivian: Nice to meet you, Eli.
Eli: What's up?
Vivian: I've heard a lot about you.
Eli: You too, Mrs. Banks. Thanks for having me.
Vivian: Hey, Ash, can I talk to you for a second? Eli seems nice. But you know there's no boys allowed in the room.
Ashley: Mom, Eli's nonbinary. And he uses he/they pronouns. They're not just a boy.
Vivian: Well, okay, just keep the door open, okay?
Ashley: Okay.
In episode 8, “Gimme a Break,” Vivian is taking Ashley and Eli to the pool at their country club. When Ashley’s father Phil (Adrian Holmes) sees the two of them laughing together as they’re preparing to leave, he becomes concerned about how short and tight her skirt is and how “slick” Eli appears to be.
Phil is confused and remarks to Vivian that he thought Ashley was “into girls.” He asks, “What, is it boys now?” Vivian assures him that Eli has a boyfriend, so all is well:
Eli: Oh, hey, Phil.
Phil: Hello, Eli. I prefer Mr. Banks, though. Ashley, can you help me with something over here, please? Don't you think that skirt's a little short?
Ashley: No.
Phil: Well, I do. I don't feel comfortable with you wearing that out of the house.
Ashley: I don't dress for your comfort. What?
Phil: Oh, I'm just looking to see who you're talking to, 'cause I know for sure it's not me.
Ashley: Okay, but you don't police what Will and Carlton wear.
Phil: Listen, I will shut this whole day down if I have to. So, Eli, you've been hanging out here a lot.
Eli: Uh, yeah, yeah. Me and Ashley have a good time.
Phil: How good?
Eli: Uh...
Vivian: Eli, do you mind loading the car?
Eli: You got it. See you, Mr. Banks.
Phil: I don't like how slick he is. And when did Ashley get so mouthy? Did you buy her that little skirt?
Vivian: Okay, relax. Breathe. You went through the same thing with Hilary, remember?
Phil: I thought she was into girls. What is it, boys now? And what do we know about this kid?
Vivian: I know that he's got a boyfriend. Mm-hmm, and that they like hanging out with each other. Look, I'll be with them all day. I got this.
Ashley: Happy now?
Phil: You look beautiful, baby.
Phew! Close call there, Phil! But, don’t you worry. Your daughter’s still a lesbian and her chummy male friend is gay! Isn’t that a relief?
My how times have changed! I guess now that we’re in the 2020s, boys in a girl’s bedroom can be excused with a simple pronoun change, gender identity confusion and claims of being gay from either child.
That couldn’t possibly lead to kids lying just to get their boyfriend or girlfriend into their bedroom, right? Let’s just trust them and hope for the best in the name of progress. #eyeroll
There was also a CRT storyline about Ashley’s black teacher being fired because the school was “caving to a few white parents who are upset with her,” and that “All she's guilty of is exposing her students to books that are honest about race, sexuality, and American history.”
The books were outside of the approved curriculum and the teacher had been warned repeatedly to stop violating the rule, but she refused to comply. Ashley and her family plan a huge walkout protest, which they call a “blackout,” over the firing, and the protest chant becomes, “Black teachers matter.”
Two of the books recommended were The Revolution Has Come: Black Power, Gender and the Black Panther Party in Oakland by Robyn C. Spencer and I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. The latter was chosen as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, which is pretty sad given that the first chapter is titled, “White People are Exhausting.”
Bookclubchat.com shared this description and excerpt:
In talking about history, Austin discusses about the problem with history education. A key area that she points out is how teachers try to change the narrative that the Civil War wasn’t really about slavery and say instead, that it was really about “states’ rights.” So (sic) I was told this in a high school history class (sic) and I vividly remember we were all confused and pushed back—but the teacher wouldn’t budge. Sorry, teacher, you’re wrong; the Civil War was about slavery. It’s chilling to think how history was (and still is) manipulated to serve an agenda in an effort to diminish the experiences of black people in this country.
There’s a reason there was so much backlash against CRT. It's a good thing even black parents strongly protested it at school board meetings across the country, unlike these fictional characters staging a protest in favor of it.
When even a white reader’s takeaway is that there’s some sort of secret conspiracy and concerted “effort to diminish the experiences of black people in this country,” that becomes a dangerous message to young, impressionable students. It’s also race-baiting at its finest and only serves to widen the racial divide, promoting anger and hatred between races.
Can we please just have the fun, lighthearted version of this show back instead of this woke, heavy reboot? I think most people would prefer their entertainment without the leftist political propaganda.
