🐱 Not Everyone Is Happy With Bel-Air's New Queer Character

Not Everyone Is Happy With 'Bel-Air's New Queer Character

But we certainly are!

www.out.com

Peacock’s new Fresh Prince reboot Bel-Aircontinues to update the original show in clever and interesting ways. But not every fan is happy with the changes.

In the fifth episode of Bel-Air, Ashley Banks (played by Akira Akbar) is talking to one of her sister Hilary’s friends, an influencer who specializes in sex positivity. She asks whether they think the future of sexuality will be more fluid, and asks whether or not it’s even worth labeling your sexuality at such a young age.

Later, the 12-year-old confides in Hilary when she needs some relationship advice. Ashley tells her big sister that she has a crush on her friend Lucia, and follows up by asking if Hilary is surprised she’s queer. Thankfully, Hilary is supportive, and even says she’s not surprised.




A lot has changed about the characters from the original. Carlton is no longer a dorky prep, but is a popular jock. Hilary is no longer an air-headed socialite, but a proud and intelligent influencer. And now, we’ve seen one way in which Ashley, the youngest Banks child, has changed.

This seems like an exciting update to the character, and one that we can’t wait to see develop. However, some viewers of the show weren’t as happy, complaining the reboot is trying to be “woke” or is pushing a “gay agenda.” Warning: get ready for some of the coldest hot takes you’ve ever seen.

“Ashley Banks is gay on #BelAir,” one viewer tweeted. “They really got a 12 year old girl on TV talking about she’s physically attracted to women, society really needs to stop sexualizing children.”

“Is there some rule now that every show must include an LGBTQ+ character?” another viewer tweeted. “Watching the new episode of Bel-Air, and they made 12 year old Ashley gay/bisexual. I don't care who people are attracted to in life, but why change Ashley in this way on a television show?”

“Ashley Banks being gay in the Bel-Air is a prime example of the film industry forcing LGBT representation on us,” a third person tweeted.

Unfortunately, it seems there are people on Twitter who are too sensitive to see a Black girl be gay on tv. Thankfully, they aren’t the people who get to make decisions about what we see on TV.

 

[White Devil]

I loathe how they won't let black people have nice things and have to make them degenerates.

I want to see one of these retards write a serious thesis on if Kunta Kente would have been better off in Africa or the US.

 

[Random Internet Person]

Hilary was the only one old enough to remember when the Banks didn't have much money and they lived in an apartment. So her becoming a ditzy credit card junkie was interesting. It's something that they never really explored much. They could have used that as a basis for her new character. Maybe made her more money smart or charitable.

Now you're making me think of what could have been with this damn thing. And I'm sad.

 

[Open Window Maniac]

This talk of Ashley being a lesbian makes me realize how incredibly gay the idea of rebooting Fresh Prince of Bel-Air into an edgy drama is.

 

[MirrorNoir]

I... Just... I'm sorry. Words no worky.



OG Uncle Phil never would have allowed this. But I guess NuPhil is too busy being a crime boss to supervise his 12 year old daughter around adult creepers. Remember the episode where he blew his top over Hilary posing for Playboy?



Influencers. Intelligence?

Hilary was the only one old enough to remember when the Banks didn't have much money and they lived in an apartment. So her becoming a ditzy credit card junkie was interesting. It's something that they never really explored much. They could have used that as a basis for her new character. Maybe made her more money smart or charitable. But influencers are just another type of spoiled. They get free products. Paid endorsements. Some even get free trips. All you have to do is look pretty and say nice things about your sponsored freebies.

Hilary has the easiest job in the world. "I'm soooo loving this Fenty palette!"

CHING CHING!

The worst thing is that they didn't have to fuck shit up. They could easily make it work as-is with minor tweaks.

Phil is a rags to riches guy who worked hard to get where he is and you can rewrite the family tree by having Nu-Will's dad and Phil be brothers and retcon the unfortunate implications of Will having no dad by saying that Will's dad was a soldier who died in Iraq and that was why Phil took Will in/has a vested interest in raising him right PLUS give some interesting drama with Phil wanting to spare his kids the hardship that forced his brother to join the military as a sort of bootstraps method out of poverty.

Vivian is a mix of old Vivian and new Vivian. A former professional dancer/English professor who has a passionate marriage with Phil and who struggles with the idea of being a full time teacher and being an active and involved mom.

Geoffrey is former track and field star from England who got caught in a doping scandal and now works as a butler, far away from the UK so he can avoid the taint of his scandal.... He resents the Banks for being filthy rich but ultimately serves them faithfully 100% because they treat him very well compared to other families that employed him.

Carlton is a super smart creative type who plays tennis, loves Tom Jones's music, and is involved in a theater and when we meet him, is dealing with a broken heart when his girlfriend (the one who tried to trap him into marriage played by SBTB's Lark Vorhees) leaves town out of the blue one night. He resents Will showing up and upstaging him at school (plot point is that Carlton lies about being popular to his parents to hide that he is considered a geek at school) but Will ends up earning Carlton's respect by forcing the popular kids at school to include Carlton in their reindeer games in order for Will to participate with them.

Hillary is a spoiled daddy's girl who flunked out of college and basically spending all of her time trying to get launched as an influencer, with the gimmick being that Hillary's bitchiness is so great that she can't convincingly lie to shill the crap she's being paid to shill. She resents Carlton's talent and the fact that Will is now Phil's new favorite, let alone Ashley's status as the baby of the family as she's basically failed to launch and terrified of becoming a NEET. Also, for the sake of drama and humor and her status as the internet centric member of the family, Hillary is secretly a channer and actively involved in troll culture as a gag for Will, Ashley, Carlton, and Geoffrey to blackmail her over.

Ashley: the baby of the family, though she is constantly getting overlooked because of Carlton's various projects and Hillary's various fuck-ups. Is fascinated with Will's life in the ghetto and wants to be like him, creating a back and forth deal with Will trying to be a good role model for Ashley when he quickly realizes how impressionable she is. When pressed, she's also the only member of the family Geoffrey likes without any caveats.