
Phil acts as if being highly successful and having a rich lifestyle is second nature to him, yet he has forgotten his rural upbringing which built his character. Hattie’s comment reveals Phil’s contradictory nature. Hattie confronts Phil over his remarks, “that is where you are from Zeke!”. “You destroyed my image!” is Phil’s mortified response, which Hattie overhears. When news reporter Susan Klein believes Phil’s life story is dull, Will gives her Phil’s childhood stories. Phil’s determination to move away from his rural background results in confrontation, once a newspaper interview goes astray. The distinction between Phil and his parents’ attire, formal suits against casual clothing, reflects the extent in which Phil has gone to maintain an image of wealth and success. Phil’s rural upbringing includes skinny dipping with his pet pig Melvin and becoming a pig racing champion, which Phil has not disclosed to the public as it is a clear contradiction of his desired image. Phil’s mother Hattie deconstructs by referring to him as Zeke (his childhood name) and his rural North Carolinian upbringing. Phil presents himself as a successful lawyer with elegance and taste in terms of his clothing, mansion and other accessories.
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Yet Will’s joke has significance once Phil’s parents arrive. This leads to Will making a class-based joke about Phil’s chauffeur, which Phil denounces due to his contribution towards black working class people. Not with My Pig, You Don’t begins with Phil’s announcement that he will receive an Urban Spirit Award as recognition for helping “our brothers and sisters in the streets”. Not with My Pig, You Don’t – Class-based Vanity Phil and his Mother come into conflict over his embarrassment regarding their rural past. The episodes listed below reflect The Fresh Prince of Bel Air‘s sincere writing quality that is usually not associated with its reputation. As a sitcom centered upon a wealthy black family, it is inevitable The Fresh Prince of Bel Air would examine issues of race and class within society. Although The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is best remembered for Will’s exploits, chasing girls and finding himself in various predicaments, there are episodes which deal with serious subject matter. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990-96) centers on Will Smith, sent to live with his biological aunt’s family after struggling in his working class background. They mention that it was done to keep up with their neighbours, but was there any productional reason (e.g.Race and Class in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air IMDb Quotes, Did The Earth Move For You? (1991)

Vivian Banks: Well yeah! I said we should keep up with the Joneses, honey, not the Jetsons! Phillip Banks: Well honey, you're the one who said we should redecorate.

Vivian Banks: Phillip, these gadgets are making my life miserable. Phillip Banks: Why didn't you set the variable speed adjustment?

Vivian Banks: Oh I just spent an hour chasing my outfit on the new rotating dressrack. S02E01 - Did The Earth Move For You? (1991) Still from episodeįather Phillip Banks (actor James Avery) even mentions the changes during the episode and speaks out to his wife Vivian Banks (actress Janet Hubert-Whitten). S01E01 - The Fresh Prince Project (1990) Still from episode In the first episode of the second season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, we can see an almost completely redesigned set when compared to the first season.
