Revolution Televised.pdf

134 Respect Yourself!
The characters also directly refer to published books that explore
the subjects, such as standardized tests, discussed in these pedagogical
episodes. “Michael the Warlord” (October 13, 1976) addresses
the younger son’s involvement with a street gang. The parents call a
building meeting to discuss the gang situation in the neighborhood.
Statistics about urban youth are used to support the reality of their
concerns.
One of the clearest examples of what I am describing as a pedagogical
program is “The Checkup” (May 3, 1974). The Evans family
is concerned that James’s erratic behavior may be caused by hypertension.
James has been coming home in a bad mood each day and
is easily frustrated by the actions of his children. He yells frequently,
smashes chairs, and kicks in doors. Michael conducts research
on the possible causes and reads aloud to the family a long segment
on the symptoms and causes of hypertension. He suggests that it
is “the number-one killer of black people” and is “caused by the
stress and frustration of ghetto life.”
When Florida decides to cook James’s favorite meal to cheer him
up, the menu includes “fresh collard greens, chitlins, sweet potatoes,
corn bread and butter, and pork chops.” Thelma quickly chimes in,
“Soul food is one of the big causes of hypertension. It’s not really
the soul food, but it is all the grease and salt we use when we cook
it.” Although it turns out that James does not have hypertension,
his cholesterol is high, and the doctor warns him to stay away from
fried foods and advises him to eat cottage cheese and to come in for
a yearly physical.
This program has an educational dimension, which also provides
an underlying cultural critique. “The Checkup” episode seeks
to explain the problems of hypertension, seemingly to a black audience,
and provides steps that one should take to alleviate the condition.
When the family encourages James to go for a checkup, he
worries about the cost:
michael: Daddy, the article said that most black people don’t take
enough physical examinations.
james: I hope that article also said that most black people can’t afford
to pay for physical examinations. (Audience applauds.)
florida: Oh, but, James, you can get a free one at the clinic.
The episode is a guide for how to deal with hypertension and the
routes that one can follow to alleviate the problem. In the early