MovieChat Forums > Family Matters (1989) Discussion > Was Eddie supposed to a foil, much like ...

Was Eddie supposed to a foil, much like Carlton Banks?


I couldn't help but notice in the first few episodes that Eddie was meant to be mocked, and not taken seriously, kinda like Carlton.

If that's the case, then I can accept that he says "sis."

I felt like he was Carlton. I mean he wasn't nearly as obnoxious as Carl, Laura or Harriet (and yes they could be very OBNOXIOUS)

He had qualities like Carlton Banks in many ways. He was a smart kid, though he did some stupid things.

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Are you serious? Sorry, but there are so many things in your post that's very hard to agree with. You're going to have to explain in further detail.

I couldn't help but notice in the first few episodes that Eddie was meant to be mocked, and not taken seriously, kinda like Carlton.
Maybe. Both shows were playing on the characters' respective stereotypes. Carlton being the whitewashed preppy, and Eddie being the dull-witted jock.
I felt like he was Carlton. I mean he wasn't nearly as obnoxious as Carl, Laura or Harriet (and yes they could be very OBNOXIOUS)
That's arguable. Which character is anybody's (least) favorite is anybody's own opinion. However, among all other characters, he was the one to show the least amount of responsibility, integrity, maturity and wisdom.
He had qualities like Carlton Banks in many ways. He was a smart kid, though he did some stupid things.
He was pretty damn stupid. He was irresponsible, immature, and whiny. And unlike Carlton, who was academic, educated, and pursued getting into Princeton, Eddie consistently tried to find shortcuts through life, wanted his parents to pamper him, and even a few times wanted to give up college.

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He was pretty damn stupid. He was irresponsible, immature, and whiny. And unlike Carlton, who was academic, educated, and pursued getting into Princeton, Eddie consistently tried to find shortcuts through life, wanted his parents to pamper him, and even a few times wanted to give up college.

Eddie wasn't all that stupid. And I disagree that he was whiny. Carl was the most whiny one. Whenever Harriet would win an argument, fair and square, Carl whined like a baby. You're right about Urkel, however, when it came to that Carl could be a whiny jerk. Eddie did stupid things, but nothing like Urkel or even Carl at times. He was just not liked cause he was more the guido of the group.

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He was pretty damn stupid. He was irresponsible, immature, and whiny. And unlike Carlton, who was academic, educated, and pursued getting into Princeton, Eddie consistently tried to find shortcuts through life, wanted his parents to pamper him, and even a few times wanted to give up college.

I never said he was Carlton in that department. What I meant was he wasn't as obnoxious as Laura, Carl, Harriet and even Estelle at times.
Eddie was just meant to be mocked. Like he was supposed to be the stain on the family.
He liked rock music more than anyone else, who mostly loved black music. And he was the only one who dated a Spanish girl of all the characters, who stood black.
It's like he wasn't black enough for the family.

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Maybe. Both shows were playing on the characters' respective stereotypes. Carlton being the whitewashed preppy, and Eddie being the dull-witted jock.

What exactly do you mean by "whitewashed"?

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Eddie wasn't all that stupid. And I disagree that he was whiny.
You must not have watched enough episodes, because Eddie is most notoriously known for dodging responsibility at every turn, and always whines about rules and being treated like a kid.
Whenever Harriet would win an argument, fair and square, Carl whined like a baby.
You're going to have to give an example, because there were many times when Harriet convinced him why she is right, and he willingly accepts.
He was just not liked cause he was more the guido of the group.
That's not why he's unlikable. He is unlikable because of the reasons I stated.
What I meant was he wasn't as obnoxious as Laura, Carl, Harriet and even Estelle at times.
Everybody is flawed in the series. It's just a matter of how well they learn from their mistakes, or how strongly they deserve the be identified for them.
Eddie was just meant to be mocked. Like he was supposed to be the stain on the family.
He liked rock music more than anyone else, who mostly loved black music. And he was the only one who dated a Spanish girl of all the characters, who stood black.
It's like he wasn't black enough for the family.
I don't really understand what this means. Everybody is different in their own way. And Eddie's way, as long as he's not doing anything stupid, does not necessarily make him some kind of joke in the family. And it certainly doesn't make him less black.
What exactly do you mean by "whitewashed"?
He identifies himself more as a white person on the inside instead of a black person, which was played on many times in the series. He consistently idolizes Caucasian celebrities. He dresses like white preppies. He doesn't have behavior that's typically expected of black teenagers. And one joke in an episode is when he was a child, he didn't even know he was black.

By the way, why exactly are you dividing your discussion into three separate posts?

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He identifies himself more as a white person on the inside instead of a black person, which was played on many times in the series. He consistently idolizes Caucasian celebrities. He dresses like white preppies. He doesn't have behavior that's typically expected of black teenagers. And one joke in an episode is when he was a child, he didn't even know he was black.

By the way, why exactly are you dividing your discussion into three separate posts?

No, just no!
He says "bro" in at least one episode. If anything he wants to act more Spanish, not whitewashed. NO.
Please tell me you don't think "bro" is white or black slang

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The "whitewashed" comment was referring to Carlton Banks, not Eddie.

I don't know very much about Spanish culture, and I have no idea if words like "bro" is some sort of Spanish stereotype. But in which episode did Eddie use this word, considering that he didn't even have a brother until they adopted one?

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The "whitewashed" comment was referring to Carlton Banks, not Eddie.

That's what I was saying
And yes it very much is...

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I'm having a lot of difficulty understanding you.

I described Carlton as a whitewashed preppy, you asked what "whitewashed" means, and when I answered, somehow you thought that I called Eddie whitewashed, and when I corrected you, you say "That's what I was saying"?

In any case, tell me which episode did Eddie use the word "bro" or "sis", and explain why it makes him a character meant to be mocked.

And "bro" and "sis" are English words, and I don't watch Spanish cinema, so naturally, I will think they are used by Black or White people or anybody who speaks English, just not very often, and not as slang.

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I don't really get what the OP is talking about either. If anything, Eddy was more like Will (tall, popular, a slacker in school) and Steve was more like Carlton (nerdy, unpopular, academic).

Intelligence and purity.

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You're another moron. Bye.

You know I don't even speak a lot of Spanish and even I know "bro" sounds Spanish.
You're dumb as Hell

Plus many Spanish people speak it in their language. What the hell are you smoking?

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