Wednesday, July 25, 2012

George Jefferson vs Barack Obama: The contrast and lesson that can be learned.

As you all might have heard, the actor Sherman Hemsley died yesterday at the age of 74. Sherman was famous for his character George Jefferson which started on the television show All In The Family, but his true fame came when Sherman got his own spin off show that centered around his character George Jefferson on the television series The Jeffersons. The Jeffersons was one of my favorite television shows during the mid eighties. The show lasted for eleven sessions. The theme song to the Jeffersons is a cult classic to this day.



The bio behind the character George Jefferson was that of a young black male who grew up with nothing but worked hard and started a dry cleaning business, through continued hard work and dedication to his business, George turned that one dry cleaning business into a slew of stores, and in the process made himself and his wife rich. Because of George's success, he was able to move with his wife Weezie to a deluxe penthouse apartment on the upper East Side of New York City. When I listen to theme song of the Jeffersons, I hear a song about blacks who want to succeed and get their piece of the American Pie like everybody else in America.In the actual intro of theme, many people didn't pay attention to Weezie wiping away tears and George holding her hand with joy knowing that they have achieved the American Dream.

Well we're movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up,
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.


Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin',
Just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues,
Gettin' our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it's you and me baby,
There ain't nothin wrong with that.

I still can't forget what Obama said a week ago about how entrepreneurs and successful people aren't directly responsible for their success. I wonder what would the exchange have been like if Barack Obama played himself on the Jeffersons, and he said what he said to George Jefferson that he didn't really build his dry cleaning empire,the government had a role. I believe George would have been ready to beat the crap out of Obama, throw him out of his apartment and slam the door in his face.George Jefferson was a character who believed that he wasn't owed anything in life, he believed he had to go work and acquire what he wanted. Obama believes in redistribution of other peoples hard earned wealth. The reality in life is that giving people who don't have what other pepole have earned will not elevate them up the economic ladder. Even though George Jefferson was a fictional character, many people who believe that they are entitled to other people's wealth could learn a lesson from George. Thanks for the laughs Sherman.

5 Comments:

Blogger Paladin said...

I found your blog today and enjoyed reading your work. I'm going to add you to my blogroll. Keep up the good work.

2:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I first remember George Jefferson from the parent show "All In The Family". I loved that show, but for some reason, I could not get into "The Jefferson's".

George was a successful, black businessman. And like his opposite, Archie Bunker, he was also a bigot and a chauvinist. The difference was between he and Archie, other than their skin color, Archie was blue collar worker, who would later buy Keslie's Bar and turn it into Archie Bunker's Place.

I'm a little iffy about how George, if he was a real person, would react to Obama today. Would he really like you said Tyrone, beat the crap out of him and throw him out of the apartment and slam door in his face because of Obama's remarks about entrepreneurs were not directly responsible for their success and that government played a pivotal role.
On the other hand, George was a bigot and referred to white people as "honkies". Would he still have supported Obama, like majority of blacks here in the country who voted for Obama, because he was black?

3:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You nailed this one to the wall. I reposted your blog entry on my show page at The Shocker Show on FB. Thanks for speaking the Truth.

2:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I own a small business, and I couldn't do it without my suppliers and the good guy who adventure his money in my ideas. Is because of my effort and the private help of others that I have an income. And this mean also income for them.

Also I thanks the government when they do the work they suppose to do, because governments are also OUR employees and we pay them so they can have a job repairing streets, protecting private property and sustaining a fair legal system.

Without our taxes Obama will not have a job. You didn't do it yourself either mr. President.

6:38 PM  
Blogger Alpha Conservative Male said...

anon "I'm a little iffy about how George, if he was a real person, would react to Obama today. Would he really like you said Tyrone, beat the crap out of him and throw him out of the apartment and slam door in his face because of Obama's remarks about entrepreneurs were not directly responsible for their success and that government played a pivotal role." On the other hand, George was a bigot and referred to white people as "honkies". Would he still have supported Obama, like majority of blacks here in the country who voted for Obama, because he was black?

anon "You nailed this one to the wall. I reposted your blog entry on my show page at The Shocker Show on FB. Thanks for speaking the Truth."

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.




Maybe he wouldn't beat the crap out of him. But he would tell Obama off though. As for George being a bigot, he was. He was the black version of Archie Bunker. As a character I respected his business entrepreneurship accomplishments, that is why I mentioned that specifically.

Paladin "I found your blog today and enjoyed reading your work. I'm going to add you to my blogroll. Keep up the good work."

Thank you Paladin.

1:57 PM  

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