*Project Islamic Hope and a coalition of Los Angeles civil rights and faith leaders have requested a meeting with Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder, and executive chairperson, to discuss delaying the airing of the new “Good Times” animated series until our coalition of leaders can view the scheduled episodes.
“Based on the ‘Good Times’ animated trailer that has been released. We have serious concerns that the characters are among the worst stereotypical negative depictions of African Americans and our culture in the history of television,” expressed Najee Ali, Director of Project Islamic Hope in a statement emailed to EURweb.com.
The original “Good Times” family show that premiered in 1974 and ended in 1979 was a show that detailed the struggle of a close-knit African American family living in the inner-city Chicago projects called Cabrini Green.
The new Good Times animated series on Netflix, based on the trailer that has been released, makes a mockery of African American family life and our culture.
Seth Mac Farlane, one of the producers of the “Good Times” animated series also has an animated series called “Family Guy” on Fox and one of the characters on that series is a white baby named Stewie Griffin voiced by Mac Farlane who’s smart and clever.
In Netflix’s “Good Times ” animated series the trailer depicts an African American baby as a drug dealer who sexualizes a grown African American woman.
“The ‘Good Times’ animated series trailer promotes the worst stereotypical images of African Americans and our culture. An African American drug dealing baby is nothing to be laughed at or celebrated. It is a clear double standard of which we are aware. We are speaking out against it and will encourage our community members to be aware of it and speak out against it too,” advised Ali.
Najee Ali added: “The original ‘Good Times’ cast members John Amos and the late Esther Rolle battled with the white producers and writers for their ‘Good Times’ show to stop depicting African Americans as buffoons. The buffoonery in the trailer of the new ‘Good Times’ animated series is everything that Amos and Rolle fought against. Our coalition of African American leaders is continuing the fight that Amos and Rolle battled against concerning Good Times.”
“Good Times” was an immensely popular sitcom back in the 70s during a critical time and an ever-changing climate for this country particularly in the Black community.
There were challenges, lessons, temptations, adversity, and obstacles to overcome. As we witnessed, the right decision was made in many cases to keep the family with hopes of a brighter and more productive future.
For Ali, this new “Good Times” animated trailer is not only disgraceful but disrespectful of African Americans. It perpetuates negative stereotypes of African Americans.
“As part of the coalition of civil rights leaders, and Western Regional Director of the National Action Network founded by Rev Al Sharpton, we support the request for a meeting with Netflix Co-founder Reed Hastings to discuss not only delaying the airing of this “Good Times” animated atrocities but also canceling the showing of this project,” shared Pastor Jonathan Moseley Western Regional Director of National Action Network.
Press conference
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Netflix Office
5808 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Yvette Nicole Brown Responds to Criticism of ‘Good Times’ Animated Series
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