The intro clips introduce and sell you the future of the show, an African American male sudden change from living in West Philly to one of the richest and a predominantly white section of LA. This combination immediately paved the way for a huge culture clash in which I believe is partially based on certain stereotypes of blacks and whites. Beyond the stereotypes of blacks and whites it also evident that a big portion of the show is evolved around rich and poor stereotypes. Just as Andrew stated on the previous post, the opening intro clips depict West Philly as rundown and poor neighborhood filled with crime and because will is attached to this area you immediately assume he is poor. The intro clip portray Will as a poor individual and because of that all the actions that Will displays are assumed actions that all poor people participate in. The stereotypes of the rich and poor go into further depth when you analyze the relationship between Will and Carlton. A majority of disagreements and scenarios between the 2 involve the difference in economic status. As an example, during several shows you continuously witness how Carlton uses and many times overuses the privileges of having a butler in a very inconsiderate manner. When you compare how Carlton and Will treat the butler, you see that Will is considerate of the butler, who is considered part of working class. These scenarios and situations are focused around the actions and mentality of the rich and poor, and because of that the evident stereotype that is portrayed is that the rich are snobby and inconsiderate towards the working class where as the poor are not, they are stereotyped to being understanding and considerate.
Eric Murillo
