Let's revisit the contrived "unappealing white guy" topic, shall we?
Ok so, first of all I cannot believe that a show with a primarily black cast that only has 50 episodes has so many 'white knights' championing against how Mackey was portrayed as the dumb character. And that to balance this out, Yvette (who btw was the only regular female cast member on the show) should have been portrayed not as she was (smart/strong) but as doofy as Mack? Have several seats, because we are about to go to school. 📝
I'm also here to address the egregious notion that all black sitcoms have this supposed trope hidden within them.
Just as an aperitif, here is a list of black sitcoms where the "dumb" or otherwise "unappealing"(deeply flawed) character is black. However, for the purposes of saving time and sparing feelings, let's call this group the 'frequent foils'(people who exist to make the main characters look good). Because that's what the offended group of people seem to be bothered about.
Family Matters - Waldo Geraldo Faldo, Steve Urkel (regardless of his genius he was still portrayed as a clumsy doofus)
Eve - Nick Delaney
Fresh Prince - Jazzy Jeff, Hilary Banks
Moesha - Dorian Long
A Different World - Ronald Johnson
Sister Sister - Roger Evans
Living Single - Maxine Shaw/ Kyle Barker (although these characters were by no definition of the word "dumb", they brought out the absolute worst in each other)
One on One -Duane Knox
Girlfriends - Lynn Searsy (In one episode, she even confronts others in the group that the only reason they keep her is because her failures make them feel better about their own lives)
My Wife and Kids - Junior
Martin - Shenehneh (this should be multiplied by 10 because that is how offensive this character potentially is)
Kenan and Kel - Kel (HELL-O!)
And that is just going back to the 90's and moving forward. Don't make me reach all the way back to the 70's, or worse. 🙈🙉🙊
My guess is most of the "offended" at the "unappealing white" character that has appeared in Jett Jackson, Smart Guy and That's So Raven, only even know about these shows because they were on in time slots and channels frequented by said party. The fact that these shows were probably the only times these individuals even saw a family of color on their TV screens is probably what helped warp their view into believing that "unappealing white guy" is some kind of rampant token used by black people as a way to subliminally oppress them and put them in their place. Whatever would put that idea in your heads? Hmm...
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/03/25-token-black-characters-from-90s-tv-shows-and-what-happened-to-them/jackie-chiles
My apologies to the offended party who felt for 20 minutes in the middle of June on a Tuesday, that you, for once, were not the hero of the show. 😢🙏