You Look So Familiar

So, last week, I told you about this woman in my training class that thought I looked so familiar to her. I asked her who I reminded her of. Now, I'm thinking,

"this chick knows she doesn't have any black friends, who is she kidding?"

She says maybe its an actress or someone she's seen on TV.
(Told y'all she didn't know any black people personally.)

Then, the next day, she said, "I know who it is, one of those kids from the Cosby Show!"

Immediately, I say, "Vanessa?"

"YES!"

I knew it HAD to be Vanessa because Denise is too light and too 'alternative' to be me and Rudy was just a little kid.

"So, I remind you of a bratty middle child?"

uneasy chuckle..."No! Maybe its your hair."

"Really? I've been wearing my hair in a bun all week. I don't remember Vanessa wearing her hair like that."

Now, she's starting to get that look on her face like, 'Damn! How do I get out of this?'

"Right." she says, "Maybe its your voice." I just chuckle and nod. "Yeah! I'm sure that's what it is. I've heard that before."

And I'm not lying. If I had a dollar for everytime some white person thought of the Cosby show when they looked at me, I'd be rich.

If you're not picking up on the association, let me break it down for you.

The Cosby show represents the rare 'special black' for white people. If you are 'articulate' and 'well dressed' you probably remind some white person of one of the Cosby kids. Especially those whites that don't know any black people personally. That show was their glimpse into the world of the 'uppity' black person. Now that I think of it, part of Barack's appeal probably comes from the fact that he could've been cast on that show, maybe as one of Theo's friends.

So, never mind the fact that I look NOTHING like Vanessa Huxtable. I am doomed to forever be compared to her. I remember when Sex and the City came out, there were these t-shirts that read, 'I'm a Carrie' or 'I'm a Charlotte'. I bet if I got a t-shirt that said, 'I'm a Vanessa' and walked through Reston Town Center, I would get at least 5 -10 white people that would get it, half of which would have the ballz to actually approach me and express agreement...that yeah, I do 'look like Vanessa' even though the shirt would not have the words, Huxtable or Cosby Show written anywhere on it.

That's just what it is...

Classic Cosby Clip

Holla