Strong Black-ish women
Three generations of fabulousness! Is there anything that the women of Black-ish can’t ace?
Andre “Dre” Johnson Sr (Anthony Anderson) might be the father, the head of the house (he wishes) and narrator who always gets the last word on Black-ish (2014- current, seasons 1 and 2 can be downloaded or streamed from Showmax), but the real MVP is Dr Rainbow
“Bow” Johnson ( Tracee Ellis Ross). But she’s more than “just a sitcom mom”.
“Bow is a full woman. Her motherhood, her work-hood, her wife-hood – none of them holds more importance to her than her self-hood. This is a thriving woman. This is not a marginalised woman. Having the nuance of that is incredibly important,” says Tracee. That’s the core of what makes Black-ish such a delightfully addictive comedy for viewers across the board: you don’t have to be a mom to “get” Bow (but if you are, boy is she going to speak to you) because she’s not “just a mom” – just like you don’t have to be black to appreciate the Johnsons’ struggles and joys (but if you’re black, boy is this show going to speak to you).
MOTHER HAS ARRIVED
Series creator Kenya Barris adds, “All of us know these colourful characters, people who make up the rainbow of what our family is. And those make for the best Christmases, the best family reunions, because it’s not one point of view. The generations don’t necessarily agree but they are really connected through the spine of being a family.”
It wouldn’t be a family sitcom without a meddling in-law like Dre’s mom Ruby (Jenifer Lewis), the head-scarfwearing, Satan-hating, wooden spoon-wielding drama queen of our dreams. “When I’m Ruby, I represent the middle-aged black woman. We are the salt of the Earth. We tell it like it is. And some days we’re a hot mess!” laughs Jenifer. And while conservative Ruby is at church every Sunday calling on “Black Jesus” for aid, during the week she’s a hell on wheels because, as Ruby admits, “Sometimes Grandma forgets she’s been saved”. In season 2 episode 19, Dre and Bow’s daughter Zoey (Yara Shahidi) points out that Ruby is half teen, half elderly person and Bow quips that Ruby will outlive them since “evil never dies”.
GENERATION ME
Rounding out the cast of three-dimensional female characters, viewers have the new generation represented by Zoey, who is on the verge of finishing school. “She has her own make-up line, is a YouTube beauty guru, has dated two guys, knows how to drive…” says Yara. “[Novel] Catcher In The Rye, by JD Salinger, inspired who Zoey is. Holden Caulfield [the protagonist] reflects the teen trying to find her place in this ever- changing world. Zoey wants to be independent and is definitely sassy. At the same time, she’s still dependent on her family and wants to be successful like her parents while never wanting to grow up. She is still going through her developmental teenage phase but she is proud and self-assured. Even though she makes mistakes like everyone else, she bounces back and gets what she wants.” And Zoey has 10year- old little sister Diane (Marsai Martin) nipping at her heels, taking tips from all three women as she grows.
DESIGNING WOMEN
Fans can also look out for sitcom pro
Raven-Symoné, giving an amazing performance as Dre’s sister Rhonda in season 1 episode 22 when she discusses why she still hasn’t come out to their folks. Comedienne Wanda
Sykes plays Dre’s demanding and commanding new boss Daphne Lido from season 2 episode 9. America’s Next Top Model (2003- current) star Tyra
Banks arrives in season 2 episode 11 as Dre’s childhood best friend Gigi. And Regina Hall (Coretta, 2001-2002, in Ally McBeal, 1997-2002) joins as Dre and Bow’s nanny in season 2 episode 18.