What’s up, y’all? I meant to have this article posted LONG before now, but you know me. 🙄 I still felt the need to voice my opinion on this matter.
A little over a week ago (during the week of Jun. 4 – Jun. 9, 2023), Keke Palmer was a BIG topic of discussion on Black Twitter, and I was compelled to discuss the reason behind it. Was it because of her beautiful baby boy? No, although her new baby and subsequent motherhood glow has caused her to trend on Twitter prior to this situation. Was it because she’s starring in an upcoming movie? Nope Part II, perhaps? That wasn’t it, either. Does Keke have an album that’s being released? Unfortunately, no. Keke was trending for about two to three days thanks to the following interview clip:
That’s right. Keke said she doesn’t like Clair Huxtable because she’s “uppity,” and folks were pissed.
There were a few people that defended Keke, however.
So, what’s my opinion on the entire Keke Palmer vs. Clair Huxtable debacle? I’ll tell you what it is…I side with Keke.
Now, before some of you call me the bed wench of bed wenches, allow me to elaborate further.
The Meaning of the Word “Uppity”
If last week taught me anything, it’s shown me that many members of the black community have a different definition of the word “uppity.” A lot of people stated that they felt Keke’s description of Mrs. Huxtable being uppity was lowkey racist, hence the reason they’re irritated. They believe that Keke sees Clair as stuck-up because she speaks proper English and isn’t loud. Personally, I never thought of Clair Huxtable as uppity at all, seeing as she was always kind, well-mannered, and treated all people with respect (you may see where I’m going with this).
As I normally do, allow me to tell y’all a brief story. In 2006, my mother and I visited my aunt in Fairburn, GA, which is an upper-middle class suburb outside of Atlanta. My aunt’s subdivision is very strict when it comes to their HOA…and I mean very strict. They once confronted a man for the crime of having a grill on his porch and demanded that he have it removed immediately. During the time of our visit, my aunt was one of the heads of the HOA and she was holding a meeting at her house. When the guests arrived, my mother and I greeted them, and not one of them spoke to us. Not one. That, in my humble opinion, is uppity. Quiet is as kept, as much as I love my aunt, I think it was uppity of her and her neighbors to tell that gentleman what do with his grill at his house that he pays for.
Simply put, sometimes uppity is just uppity; rude and snobbish people that have superior attitudes for whatever the reason. If there’s any TV characters I’d put in the category of uppity, it’d have to be Regine Hunter, Kyle Barker (hence the reason I used the Kyle GIF), and Hilary Banks. It has nothing to do with their extensive wealth, lucrative careers, high-priced taste, or being well-educated and articulate. That’s all the stuff I love about them. They’re uppity because they’re snooty as hell! They’re all lovable, thanks to their big hearts, but they’re also super snooty.
Let’s Not Forget…Keke Is a Youngin’
The folks criticizing Keke didn’t seem to realize The Cosby Show went off the air over thirty years ago. I distinctly remember that, because I was in fifth grade when the series aired its final episode. Keke Palmer is only 29, so she came along a few years after the phenomenon known as The Cosby Show ended. I’m well aware that re-runs of the show aired on Nick at Nite and a few other channels (this was before Bill Cosby became the disgrace of a nation), but Keke may not have watched too many episodes. If she had, she’d see that Clair Huxtable got folks all the way together when need be. I’ll never forget the episode where she went off on Vanessa for sneaking off to Baltimore to have ” big fun.”
And let’s not forget how Clair gracefully—yet effectively—told Denise off.
Keke may have not watched too many episodes of The Cosby Show because she didn’t find it very funny (this is just a theory, mind you). I know what you’re going to say, “But you just showed two clips from the show, and you claimed they were hilarious!” Yes I did, and I stand by that. The Cosby Show had some really memorable scenes, such as Clair’s aforementioned blow up with Vanessa, the time Sondra had to tell off Clair as well as her mother-in-law about taking Sondra’s then infant twins without her permission, Cliff’s famed speech to Theo, and Cliff’s “tap dance challenge” with Sandman Sims. However, when I reached a certain age, I noticed that although The Cosby Show had funny moments, it wasn’t as funny as I remembered. As a matter of fact, A Different World was funnier, and has proven to stand the test of time. For all you youngins around Keke’s age or younger that aren’t aware, A Different World was a spin-off of The Cosby Show. You had to be around when The Cosby Show was airing to feel the effect of it. Keke Palmer is of a different generation than me, so she may not have cared for the show, and/or certain characters. And speaking of characters…
Let’s Also Not Forget…Clair ISN’T A REAL PERSON!
Let’s be honest about one thing here…there’s no rule that says that Keke has to like Clair Huxtable. Have you ever heard the term “Different strokes for different folks?” It’s one of the truest sayings in the world. Different people like different things. Take me and my mother, for example. She loves onions, and I hate them. She can watch horror flicks all day, whereas I have to limit the amount of those bad boys, and I can’t consume the ones that are too scary (i.e., The Exorcist…shoot, even Mom can’t watch that one). Those are just a few of the differences between us. Now, I totally understand that Clair is an icon in the black community as well as in the realm of TV sitcom mothers, but that still doesn’t mean that Keke is obligated to be a fan of hers. After all, Clair is a fictional character.
I’ve been seeing more and more people go hard for fictional characters lately, and it really boggles my mind. I understand taking up for a friend, family member, or even an admirable public figure and/or celebrity, to a degree (which I’ve done myself). They’re real people. Again, as long as it’s a reasonable extent—don’t go out here harassing, doxxing, or harming people just because they talked shit about Nicki Minaj or Beyoncé—I get it. What I don’t understand is why folks are raising their blood pressure to defend a woman that never existed. Keke jokingly talked trash about Clair Huxtable, not Phylicia Rashad. I believe some people are equating the real woman with the TV character, which is what most people—myself included—did with Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable and Dr. Bill Cosby once upon a time.
I’ve had people come for my neck because I said I didn’t like Brianna Fraser (unfortunately, that was on the now defunct Creators.co/MoviePilot site, so you can’t see where the readers drug me, but feel free to read my other Brianna Fraser rant). And oh my Lord, I’ll never get over how folks dragged me by my 4C edges because I said Elektra Abundance was trash! I eventually came to like Brianna, and I wound up falling in love with Elektra, but guess what? I still stand by what I said.
I didn’t like Brianna at first. She was a whiny, hotheaded, disrespectful brat. When we were first introduced to Elektra, she was rude, petty, quick to anger, and treated her kids like crap. I despised her. However, there’s no rule saying I had to like either one of them, and in turn, there’s no rule saying someone else couldn’t like them. There’s plenty of people that don’t like the main characters/heroes of a certain movie, or book, or TV show. I never cared for Christian Grey. Whenever I would watch The Last Dragon with my family, my cousin let it be known that his favorite character was Sho’Nuff, not Leroy. We all have the right to like what we like, and Keke is no exception to that.
In conclusion, y’all give Keke a break. So she thinks Clair Huxtable is uppity. I disagree, but at the same time, I respect her opinion. That hot take shouldn’t automatically mean that she’s an ignoramus that believes all black women should be loud and ghetto. She just doesn’t care for Clair. No more, no less.
—Written by Nadiya
What do y’all think about what Keke said? Do you think it’s wrong of Keke to dislike Clair Huxtable? What’s your definition of the word “uppity”? Is Keke’s opinion of Clair a mere critique on a fictional character, or is it commentary towards how she feels black women should or should not act? What are your thoughts about Clair Huxtable? Are you or were you ever a fan of The Cosby Show? Which main characters in books, TV shows, or movies do you not like? Let me know in the comments section!
Insights from a Southern Girl 