Animated Remake Of ‘Good Times’ Upsets Black People Over Negative Images

Facebook Twitter EmailThe streaming service Netflix is facing backlash from mostly Black viewers after it released a trailer for a cartoon reboot of the 1970s Black sitcom “Good Times.” Scheduled to stream on April 12, the “Good Times” cartoon may remind viewers of previous Black animations such as the movie “BeBe’s Kids” and “The PJs.” Similar to those productions, “Good Times” has an all-star cast of voices featuring Wanda Sykes, J.B. Smoove, Jay Pharoah and Marsai Martin. “Laughing at caricatures of Black people is one of the oldest, and most poisonous, forms of entertainment in American history,” said Walter Gleason, professor of history at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. “It is no coincidence that this form of minstrelsy has re-emerged in animation when white nationalists have gained new platforms since 2015.” In a surprise to many, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time world champion Stephen Curry serves as an executive producer along with comedic actor and animator Seth McFarlane, as well as the late Norman Lear, who is credited with creating the original “Good Times.” “I was offended, surprised, and extremely disappointed,” said Patty Jackson, longtime radio personality at WDAS-FM in Philadelphia. “Especially knowing such great actors as...