Everybody Hates Chris was a sitcom that is based on the struggles of a teenager named Chris that aired from 2005-2009. It is one of my personal favorite shows of all time not only because it made me laugh, but it gave me a good perspective on what it must have been like to grow up black attending an all white school in the 70s. Not only was Chris dealing with this, but he also lived in a family of five in a neighborhood that wasn't the greatest. He often got robbed by one of his neighbors had even had to call the police on somebody that stole the register at the store he worked at. In addition, his family didn't have that much money which is way Chris's dad had to work two jobs, meaning he worked all night and slept during the day. His brother and sister were both a few years younger than him so he also had to deal constantly getting annoyed at home.
Everybody Hates Chris focuses on every aspect of his life. We see his life at home where his parents really care about him and want him to succeed but they are also very strict. We see Chris get verbally and sometimes physically punished for doing something wrong. We see his life in the neighborhood where he is friends with a lot of people but he also has to be careful not to run into the wrong people, including the neighbors who usually rob him. We also see Chris's life at school. He is the only black kid in his school and therefore is often bullied just for being black. He has to deal with the same bully who not only picks on him but also picks on Chris's best friend Greg, who is white but he gets picked on anyway for being Chris's friend. His teachers are quietly racist, however, there are many scenes where Chris's English teacher happily makes racist comments towards Chris that are unfortunately going to make you laugh.
The comedy side of Everybody Hates Chris not only includes Chris's racist English teacher, but how Chris and his siblings poke fun at each other at home. We've seen the classic, "I'm telling mom." But Chris's siblings Tanya and Drew bring it to a different level with each other including Drew accidentally breaking Chris's arm and somehow not getting punished for it. Chris's dad is also incredibly funny because he insists on being super cheap with everything and literally counting every penny and/or food servings that they have.
Despite all the comedy, Everybody Hates Chris is a show that can educate you on the issues of race, gender, family, and school. This show really opened my eyes because I have it great here in Oak Park where we don't really see much of these issues, though they are still there. In the season finale Chris drops out of high school and takes the GED test to try to get a job. This is based on real life where Chris Rock chooses to drop out of high school to become a comedian. The show ends with Chris opening his test results and we never know if he passed or not.
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