Revolution Televised.pdf

108 This Ain’t No Junk
embarrassment to the middle-class image of blackness. He was not
the politicized image of the black man desired by several nationalist
strains of black politics at that time. A black junkman who did not
always make so-called moral decisions, argued frequently with his
son and sister-in-law, appeared racist toward neighbors, and was
always out to make a buck was not the poster child for either a civil
rights or a Black Nationalist agenda.
Indeed, the show is not unproblematic, and as Sanford and Son
moved into the later seasons, although still popular, the use of innovative
new material decreased and many of the scenarios were
simply repeated. But the concerns of the critics are more palpable in
the context of the times and of television, which limited the number
and types of roles for African Americans and purposely reiterated
caricatures and maintained a rigid system of exclusion. It was thus
easy to overlook some of the more relevant qualities of Sanford and
Son. Far from being irreconcilable to black life, Sanford and Son
was ensconced in traditional African American humor usually seen
in black communal sites.
Sanford and Son remained NBC’s most popular show from
1972–73 through 1975–76. 31 The popularity of the show arguably
spawned other black sitcoms, including Roll Out (1973–74), That’s
My Mama (1974–75), Grady (1975–76), and What’s Happening!!
(1976–79). However, except for Good Times (1974–79) and The
Jeffersons (1975–85), none had equal longevity or popularity. Redd
Foxx’s background as an African American comedian schooled in
the ways of traditional black humor brought to the show a legacy
of style and purpose that went beyond the initial scripts. Foxx’s
dealings with NBC also symbolized the contentious relationship
between black and white America. Because of what he perceived
as a lack of respect from executives and producers at NBC, Foxx
walked off the set in 1974 with six shows left to shoot for the
year. Foxx had many demands. At that point he was making ten
thousand dollars an episode. His demands were “whatever Carol
O’Connor gets, plus a dollar.” 32 He disliked the production approach
of Bud Yorkin and Aaron Reuben and wanted to have more
input in the casting and the scriptwriting. He also asked for a better
rehearsal space, with a window and a private dressing room. When
Foxx returned to the set
he probably had the best contract of any half hour series star who
doesn’t produce his own show: $25,000 an episode for 24 episodes