It's Alive. It's Alive: Claire Huxtable, Dr. Cosby's Monster.

Phylicia Rashad as Claire Huxtable

What can be said about Claire Huxtable, the iconic wife and mother of long-running, “The Cosby Show", played by Phylicia Rashad? She is gorgeous: a career woman who birthed five kids and in her 40s can still fit into a size 6 dress. She wakes up every morning with her face already made up and her hair already done. She cooks in designer clothes and cleans while wearing four-inch heels and pearls. Claire Huxtable is perfect. Her legacy as the first Black television mother to portray old-money lady-like charm and grace, without any hint of snudiness or pretention, has endured for almost thirty years. "The Cosby Show" is in mass syndication nearly three decades after its debut, and much of the show’s popularity can be attributed greatly to "Claire Huxtable."




But Claire Huxtable ins't real. She is a creation, based on and modeled after Dr. Cosby-not Bill, but Camille.



Few people know Camille Cosby; besides hearing her name in Alicia Keys' "Unbreakable", many have no point of reference for Camille. The reason for this illusiveness is that in the early stages of her husband's career, she elected to stay behind the scenes. After the family's financial manager ripped them off in the early 80s, Camille stepped in to become the family CEO and guide her husband's career.




Bill and Camille Cosby

 Perhaps her greatest touch can be found in Claire Huxtable. In the world of sit-coms, all characters come from "somewhere." The similarities between the two women are too much to be a coincidence. Camille Cosby is beautiful. So is Claire Huxtable. Camille's maiden name is Hanks. So is Claire Huxtable's. Camille is a triple-threat: mother/wife/career women. So is Claire Huxtable. Camille raised five kids-four daughters and one son. So did Claire Huxtable. Camille is married to Bill Cosby. So is Claire Huxtable.




To many of us, Claire Huxtable in the form of Phylicia Rashad is Bill Cosby's wife. Years ago, I myself was taken aback to learn that the two were not actually married. But in essence they are, as the very being of Camille Cosby was extracted from her real life and placed into the character.



It was important for Camille to be portrayed by an actress who could capture the image that the Cosby's hoped to project on the show. In an interview with Oprah in 2000, Camille Cosby said that people will identify with what they see on TV because it feels real to them. In the spirit of that realness, the Cosby's gave the Black viewing world a gift: a woman who lifted the thoughts of a nation. In a family, it is the woman who has the burden to impart culture and knowledge. As TV's first family for eight seasons, Claire Huxtable imparted to the nation knowledge of Black families that destroyed all stereotypes and culture that instilled pride. Claire Huxtable mothered the ideals of a generation, and thanks to syndication those ideals are still alive.



Now, in a time when women like Claire Huxtable only exist on Nick at Nite and TV Land, it is hard to imagine that such a woman could exist in real life. Well, such women do exist. If one were to ever need proof, just look up Camille Cosby.

James Jones






jjoneswrites@yahoo.com
http://www.quickread.ning.com/
www.twitter.com/K2quared

Why women settle?

So this note was inspired by myself, and a couple other situations that I've noticed.... And my idea is to understand why we as women settle, specifically with MEN. We as women always settle for LESS than what we deserve from guys.... It must be a universal thing. But settling for a GUY because you are afraid to be alone is the WORST thing you could possibly do because in the end no one will be hurt but you. We as women have to understand that a man will ONLY do what you allow him to do, nothing more and nothing less. All I'm saying is, find a guy who is WORTH settling for, not some guy who you think will change and everything will become a fairytale, because the more you live in a dream, the harder it is for you to awake. (Let that marinate) We as women should stop letting guys trample over us just for the sake to say we have a MAN! You will never be happy with any guy you meet, good or bad, if you are not first happy with yourself. We all fall victim to a guy that you really like a great deal, hell may even love, but if they guy that you are so head over heals for does not reciprocate that same affection then what is the point of continuing to deal with him??? Every girl has a guy that they just can NOT let go, but if you DID let them go I PROMISE that you will find a guy who gives u everything you thought that guy was giving you a plenty more. As Kevin Hart says we put guys on too high of a pedestal... No that’s not the case! You just have to find the RIGHT guy that will SIT high on that pedestal with you. I’m not saying that I am perfect, I feel included in this letter just as much as any other girl, but we DESERVE soooo much better as women and until you think you deserve better as well, you will never find it. All self worth definitely comes from within, and it just takes some longer than others to realize that. So the next guy you are involved with ask yourself... "Is he making me happy and is he bringing out the best in me for US?" If your answer is negative then you already know what you should do. The saying says "Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot" and that statement couldn’t be more true! By Jahnna L. Hunter www.twitter.com/sexychoklit jahnna.hunter@asurams.edu