The Carmichael Show – Cynthia’s Birthday

By starrymag | June 28, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

Cynthia Carmichael (Loretta Devine) opens up her birthday gifts in the living room.  She is impressed with Bobby Carmichael’s (LilRel Howery) gifts, but Jerrod Carmichael (Jerrod Carmichael) remarks that the gifts are more romantic than appropriate for their mother.  Bobby counters that he doesn’t want sexless, divorced parents and Joe Carmichael (David Alan Grier) remarks that Bobby is his favorite for being his wingman.  Cynthia pulls out body oil and Joe is looking forward to her birthday turning into her birth night.

 

Maxine (Amber Stevens West) gives Cynthia her and Jerrod’s gift.   Cynthia remarks that she likes the shiny wrapping paper, but is disappointed to find a book inside.  Jerrod explains that it’s a first edition biography of Jacqueline Kennedy.  However, Cynthia is not impressed and asks if she wronged them.  Joe tells them that a kindle would be a much better gift because it has apps and movies.  Cynthia hopes that she will get one someday and Jerrod asks what’s wrong with a book.  She is uncomfortable explaining, but Bobby steps in and explains that black people aren’t avid readers.  Jerrod counters that it is the most racist thing he’s ever heard.  Cynthia squeals when she sees that Joe has given her a kindle.

 

Jerrod criticizes them for saying that black people don’t read.  Joe explains that they read when necessary and Bobby declares that black people didn’t start going to the library until they got Internet.  Both Jerrod and Maxine are offended by the insinuation.  Cynthia explains that black people liked “The Cosby Show” because it was mystical to see black people read and be doctors.  She declares that the show was her Star Wars, but Maxine counters that “The Cosby Show” was supposed to be a realistic portrayal of a black family.  Cynthia is in disbelief that that was the show’s intention.

 

Nekeisha (Tiffany Haddish) arrives and wishes Cynthia a happy birthday.  Jerrod demands that Nekeisha answer the question of how many black people she knows read.  After confirming that he means for fun, she asks if Essence magazine counts.  Joe is happy about being proven right, but Jerrod says that it’s nothing to be proud of.

 

Bobby tells Jerrod that his understanding of black people is on a fifth grade level.  Joe is surprised that Jerrod is surprised about this and declares that there are some things that black people just don’t do.  Jerrod argues that there is not a set of rules that people need to abide by.  However, Joe argues that there is and explains that black people must all like black movies even if they are bad while Bobby adds that black people must assume that all cops are bad even if they are good.  Cynthia adds that black people don’t eat halibut and Maxine counters that nobody eats halibut because it is so dry.

 

Jerrod asks if they really want to live in a world where they only do things that other black people approve of and Cynthia declares that she loves approval.  Joe argues that the rules bind them together as a community and helps protect them from the white culture that brought them over as slaves.  Jerrod comments that it’s the most eloquent explanation he’s heard for not reading.  Nekeisha comments that it would be nice to say what they think without other black people getting mad and explains that she got cut with scissors when she made a comment about Michelle Obama at a hair salon.  Joe says that Nekeisha should be prepared to be cut for that, but Jerrod takes her side.

 

Jerrod asks Cynthia if there’s any opinion she has that goes against what black people think.  She says she has one, but doesn’t want to say it.  Bobby is excited to hear it and Maxine tells her that nobody is going to judge her here.  She admits that she doesn’t think that Denzel Washington is a good actor and plays the same role in every movie.  Jerrod supports her for sharing her opinion and Cynthia admits that it feels good to get it off her chest.  Jerrod declares that the suppression is what leads to high blood pressure in the black community.  He asks Bobby is he has any unpopular opinions and he tells him that he saw a black man standing by his car and he went back inside the coffee shop until he went away.  Though Jerrod thinks that’s racist, he believes that Bobby is allowed to have that opinion.

 

Believing that they are making progress, Jerrod declares that they should go to a different restaurant for Cynthia’s birthday.  Cynthia doesn’t want to since she’s been going to this restaurant for years and it is a staple in the black community.  Jerrod suggests that they break tradition and try something new.  When he suggests an upscale restaurant, Joe says that black people don’t eat there.  Jerrod points out that it’s a nice restaurant and it would be special for Cynthia’s birthday.  Maxine asks if they can get last minute reservations there and Jerrod is confident because the family of a high school friend owns the place.  Cynthia is excited and declares that they are crossing racial barriers that they never have before.  She goes upstairs to change her outfit, and Bobby remarks that Jerrod going to an integrated high school paid off.  Joe is excited to take his wife to the restaurant and confirms that Jerrod is paying.

 

The family arrives at the restaurant and Cynthia is impressed by how nice the décor is.  Nekeisha remarks that anyplace where the employees look happy makes her suspicious.  Cynthia goes to check out the bathroom and Drew (Drew Michael) greets Jerrod.  He thanks him for getting them reservations and Drew declares that he’d do anything for him and calls him the N-word.  After fist bumping Drew leaves and Jerrod turns to find the rest of the family glaring at him.  Bobby asks what the hell that was and Nekeisha walks out.  Joe points out that things like that are the reason black people don’t eat here.

 

The Hostess (Roberta Ahrens) seats them and Jerrod thanks her.  He finds that the rest of the family is glaring at him as he sits down.  He tells them to sit down and not ruin Cynthia’s birthday.  Reluctantly, they sit down and Bobby is angry at him for letting white people call him the N-word.  Joe suggests that they leave, but Jerrod begs them to stay.  He explains that he’s okay with Drew talking like that, but Joe says that a white person using the word is someone he should get away from.  Jerrod asks Maxine to tell them that they’re overreacting, but Maxine sides with them.  Maxine isn’t comfortable eating somewhere where that word is used casually.  Jerrod argues that they don’t have to be offended every time the word is used, and that it’s another rule that black people don’t need to follow.

 

Cynthia joins them and gushes about the bathroom.  Seeing the looks on everyone’s faces, she asks where Nekeisha went.  Maxine apologizes and tells Cynthia that they have to leave.  She demands to know why she needs to be taken away from this nice place and Jerrod tells Maxine not to upset his mother on her birthday.  Cynthia tells Maxine that she doesn’t want to hear bad news, even if it involves a terrorist attack.  Joe tells her that it’s worse than a terrorist attack and tells her that Jerrod was racially slurred.  Jerrod argues that Drew didn’t mean to offend with the use of the word, and Cynthia says that she can’t stop his generation from using the word.  Bobby explains that Drew is white and Cynthia is horrified.

 

Jerrod believes that the community should be focusing on other issues like voter suppression and that a white person using the word is not a big deal.  He believes that the insinuation that black people don’t read is more offensive and he vouches that Drew is not racist, as he loves black people and black culture.  Maxine argues that doesn’t give him a pass to use the word, as he has never experienced the pain of the word as a white person.

 

Cynthia explains that she was called that word as a girl and that it symbolized that she wasn’t welcome.  Maxine apologizes to Cynthia for having to go through that and declares that she’ll get their coats.  She tells Jerrod that they can’t stay here and Joe asks why they have to suffer every time Maxine is right about something.  Jerrod asks them if they really want to leave or if they just feel obligated to as black people.  Bobby feels obligated and asks if he has to double his anger over Maxine’s as she is only half-black.  Joe says that his anger has to match his melanin, and tells Jerrod that he should be furious.

 

A waiter (Josh Rabinowitz) brings a breadbasket and the warm bread tempts the family.  Jerrod tells them that they can take a roll, but Joe says that it is a dilemma and wonders if this is how the black people denied service at the lunch counter felt.  He takes a roll and reluctantly takes a bite.  He thinks its delicious and the others grab their own roll.  Cynthia remarks that the roll makes the oppression go down much easier.  Maxine comes back and asks why they haven’t left and Joe said that he couldn’t pass up the rolls.  A waiter comes over and asks if they want sparkling or distilled water and Cynthia asks for the sparkling without hesitation.

 

The waiter asks if they want to hear the specials and Maxine asks him to give them a moment.  Jerrod tells Maxine that her getting offended by the word is only giving it power.  He believes that everyone should use the word liberally so that it loses its effect.  Bobby tells them that a white kid called his friend the word and his friend beat him.  Afterwards, his friend was expelled and he is selling drugs now.  Jerrod uses it to argue that obsessing over the word ruins lives.  He doesn’t want to deprive his mother of a nice dinner, but Maxine says the ones punished are the victims of the word.

 

She tells them that during her swim team’s championship, a white kid used the word as she insulted her.  She was so upset that she did badly in the competition and eventually quit the swim team.  They are all upset that the story wasn’t inspiring.  Maxine explains that the story was about how damaging the word is and that they can’t ignore it because of a dinner roll.  Drew comes over to check on them and Maxine loudly exclaims that they are not the n-word.  As everyone stares at them, Cynthia tells them that they should probably leave.

 

Sitting at the other restaurant, the family complains about the lack of quality and service there.  Jerrod says that they won’t be allowed back at the fancy restaurant for a while.  Maxine apologizes, but Cynthia gets annoyed with her.  Bobby says that even though he believes white people shouldn’t use the word, Maxine’s use of the word hurt him.  Jerrod points out that Drew didn’t intend to be hateful, but Maxine did in her anger.  Maxine says that she wasn’t trying to be hateful, but Joe says that hate is hate no matter what.  Cynthia calls over the waiter (Kevin Barnett) and asks if they have sparkling water.  The waiter looks at her like she’s crazy and says they don’t have any.  Cynthia laments that she misses the other restaurant and doesn’t want to eat with these N-words.