< 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' is still (mostly) fresh, all these years later

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AISHA HARRIS, HOST:

The '90s were a golden era for Black television, and it seems safe to say no other show from that time had quite the same reach and impact as "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air." Its theme song is instantly recognizable. It catapulted Will Smith to movie stardom, and it remains infinitely meme-able (ph). In many ways, it was a goofy fish-out-of-water sitcom, but the series also revealed layers and heft. With humor and occasionally some very special drama, it frequently touched on class and race. I'm Aisha Harris, and today we're talking about "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" on POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR from NPR.

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A HARRIS: Joining us today is NPR editorial assistant LaTesha Harris. Welcome back, LaTesha.

LATESHA HARRIS, BYLINE: Hi, Aisha. Thank you.

A HARRIS: And also joining us is J.C. Howard, a producer of NPR's How I Built This. Welcome back to you too, J.C.

J C HOWARD, BYLINE: Hello, hello.

A HARRIS: Quick note - we had some technical difficulties during this recording, so please excuse the audio quality for this episode. Now, the gist of "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air," for the maybe five people who don't know this, is Will Smith plays Will Smith, who was born and raised in West Philadelphia. He gets in one little fight on the playground with a couple of no-good guys, and his mom sends him to live in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles with his rich Auntie Vivian and Uncle Phil, played by Janet Hubert and James Avery. Now, Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil have three children of their own. Tatyana Ali plays Ashley, who's the youngest and innocent one. Karyn Parsons plays Hilary, the oldest and a spoiled Valley girl, and Alfonso Ribeiro plays Carlton, a prep school nerd who idolized Bryant Gumbel. There's also Geoffrey, their cool and collected Black British butler played by Joseph Marcell. And of course, there's the other Aunt Viv played by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Reid replaced Hubert for Seasons 4 through 6 after Hubert and the show's producers couldn't come to an agreement on her contract. The show was created by Andy and Susan Borowitz, and it ran for six seasons after its premiere in 1990. It's been rebooted as an hour-long modern day drama called "Bel-Air." We'll be talking about that new iteration in an upcoming episode, but today is all about the original. So LaTesha, let's start with you. What is your relationship with "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"?

L HARRIS: OK. So (laughter) "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" actually went off the air before I was even born and actually...

A HARRIS: Oh, God...

L HARRIS: ...Before I was even a thought. Sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: Well, I'm glad we have multiple generations represented here.

HOWARD: Oh, boy. Yeah, that's right.

(LAUGHTER)

L HARRIS: I've seen every single episode at least, like, four or five times. Like, I watch the reruns on Nick at Nite, TBS (laughter).

A HARRIS: Yep.

L HARRIS: I can recall many of the jokes like visually, like, line delivery, facial expressions - it's all imprinted on my brain. I grew up in, like, white suburbia, and my mom wasn't around a lot. So like, this is, like, my second family. So I'm very, like, comfortable with these characters. I'm very fond of them. I'm - the show is just very endearing to me. And I'm very protective of it for some reason I'm now realizing. It's just very sweet.

A HARRIS: Yeah, thanks for making both me and J.C. feel really old.

(LAUGHTER)

HOWARD: Yeah, truly, truly.

L HARRIS: I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

A HARRIS: It's OK. It's all right. This is what happens. Time passes. Whatever.

HOWARD: Yeah, it'll happen more and more as the years go by. That's right.

A HARRIS: Yeah, yeah, for sure. J.C., how about you?

HOWARD: Yeah. I mean, I did watch it as it was coming out. I will cop up to that. But I also, you know, in preparation for this, went back and rewatched a lot of it, honestly more than I was planning. I was planning to just go back and rewatch a couple of episodes just to, like, refresh it in my mind. And it turned into, like, a binge watch session of watching, like, many, many episodes.

A HARRIS: These are Pringles. You can't stop at just one.

HOWARD: Oh, you cannot stop. Once you pop, that's it. And the first thing that struck me when I was revisiting the show is just how cool Will Smith's character is. I don't know if it's the confidence or what it is. But I - when I went back and I started with the first episode, and I did like a smattering of episodes from across the seasons. But Will is somehow both relatable and cooler than I could ever hope to be even now, right? Like, when the show came out, I think I was like 2 years old, so I was alive, LaTesha, so there's that. The thing is, even now, 30 years later, I'm still just like, this guy is dope. Like, this guy is, like, super cool. I wish I could be him. And also, the house is super dope, which, you know, along with LaTesha, is making me feel old because I'm now looking at the house and thinking, like, wow, it's a good spice rack.

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HOWARD: It's not perfect 'cause it was the '90s, and there's always going to be problematic moments when you are talking about things from the '90s. But 80% of the jokes still hit to me.

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: I feel like the show has this energy that I don't - I don't even remember it being there. But it has this, like, high octane almost feel, which is probably because I get to watch it without commercials now. But even still, it just works.

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: And I feel like timeless media from the '90s is pretty rare and, you know, admittedly because of the fashion. But, you know, "Fresh Prince," I feel like just still works.

A HARRIS: Yeah, it's definitely one of those shows that - I was also rewatching a bunch of it, and there are certain episodes where I could probably just reenact the whole thing myself.

HOWARD: Yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: But I was still laughing out loud...

HOWARD: Yeah...

A HARRIS: ...At so many moments and really, really appreciating just, like, all the chemistry that this cast had and how, like, rare that is to find. Like you said, there are a lot of things that date it, especially - even a lot of the celebrities that date it.

L HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: Like, there are sometimes people who show up, and I'm like, I don't know who that is. Like - or I don't remember. But I really think that this show, what makes it so special in some ways is obviously the charisma of Will Smith. You know, we have this new iteration of "Fresh Prince." And I think what a lot of people are pointing out is that, like, the "Fresh Prince" was always kind of - I wouldn't say woke - but they were tackling a bunch of different issues in very comedic ways. And they don't all hold up, or sometimes it was kind of done in a neat and tidy way.

HOWARD: You got 20 minutes. That's all you get, yeah.

A HARRIS: Obviously, like, this was also the era of the very special episode. So like, every sitcom was tackling things - like "Family Matters," all these other - but I think what makes this different is that it wasn't gauzy and kind of like gooey in that way. There was always sort of an undercut that happened even when we were having these, like, deep moments, whether it is Will and Carlton being pulled over and Carlton suddenly...

L HARRIS: Yeah...

A HARRIS: ...Suddenly learning what racial profiling is...

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...Or even - there's like a great moment where at one point they go to court, and Jazz is one of the - who's played by DJ Jazzy Jeff - obviously is on the stand.

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JAMES AVERY: (As Philip Banks) You can put your hands down, Jazz.

DJ JAZZY JEFF: (As Jazz) I'm putting my hands down now.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: Because this is in the era of the LA riots, of Rodney King - so knowing that, like, the way in which it does these things so - with that biting humor, I think, is what makes it work still today.

L HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: Like, are there any moments in particular that stand out for you when it came to the very special topical moments?

L HARRIS: You know, I was rewatching, obviously, and I came across the poetry episode, where Will joins the poetry class to get a babe.

A HARRIS: Yes. Cannons to the left of me, cannons to the right.

(LAUGHTER)

L HARRIS: Geoffrey in the dashiki and the afro - I was dead. I was rolling on the floor. It was so funny. But I didn't remember it being a very afterschool special episode until the end. And then it does that thing where Will is like, if you want to learn more about poetry...

HOWARD: Yeah, yeah.

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WILL SMITH: (As Will Smith) If you'd like to learn more about poetry, you can reach us at - psych. We just kidding. Good night, y'all.

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L HARRIS: And it's so funny. It's like that's exactly what it is. Like, yes, you're telling us something. You're showing us the meaning of poetry, connecting with your family, all these different things. It's just so well done. I'm actually, like, shocked and amazed and inspired by (laughter) how well it just, like, blends all the different things it's trying to do so well.

HOWARD: Yeah, I would agree. I went to lists and said, you know, what are some of the best "Fresh Prince" episodes, like, kind of crowdsourcing this idea. Some of the serious ones make those lists a lot. And, you know, obviously the show's a lot of fun, and then it deals with poignant moments and poignant kind of matters. Like, you know, I grew up kind of without my dad around, right? So like, and then there's that episode with Will where his dad comes around, and, like, he has this kind of - this moment, like he has this moment with Uncle Phil. And it's very serious, right? Like, but one of the things that I love about the show is that the jokes don't really stop, right? Like, even in those serious moments, especially the one where Will gets shot and, like, Carlton is - you know, he's really struggling with this having happened to them. And Will is, like, cracking jokes all throughout, which is part of the tension of the episode.

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SMITH: (As Will Smith) Carlton - man, what do you - you think it's that easy to just shoot somebody?

ALFONSO RIBEIRO: (As Carlton Banks) I'll close my eyes.

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SMITH: (As Will Smith) I was going to eat that, man.

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HOWARD: It breaks the tension for the audience, so it's, like, this kind of masterful thing where you're keeping the tension in the show by one person cracking jokes and one person not and then also using that same tension that's in the show to relieve the tension for the audience.

A HARRIS: Yeah. What do you think about the way the show handles race, especially the dynamic between Carlton and Will? Not always in the best way, but it's an interesting facet and dynamic of this, like, idea of Black masculinity and what it means to be a Black male. Like, it's inherent from the very first episode when Will is like, yeah, I don't think you need to mistake anyone thinking that you're a brother. And there's another episode - I mean, this happens several times - but what one episode that I - that really stuck out to me is "72 Hours." It is an earlier episode. And it opens with Carlton and his buddies - his prep school buddies, all of them white - singing the most corny a cappella version of "Brick House." And then Jazz and Will come in, and they have this exchange. And I want to play a little clip of this.

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RIBEIRO: (As Carlton Banks) You're so jealous, you're green.

SMITH: (As Will Smith) All right. But just out of curiosity, Carlton, what color are you?

(LAUGHTER)

RIBEIRO: (As Carlton Banks) Oh, here we go again. Look, just because I grew up in the best neighborhoods and pronounce the I-N-Gs at the end of my words doesn't make me any less Black than you.

DJ JAZZY JEFF: (As Jazz) No, it's that tie that does it.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: These quips happen all the time on this show. But then, every once in a while, someone else will come in and say, like, oh, Carlton, you're acting white or whatever, and then Will will get all defensive. And I just think it's a really interesting dynamic that feels realistic but also...

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...I don't know how much of it is, like, them portraying reality and how people actually feel about Carlton and how Carlton is versus, is it just kind of reinforcing these stereotypes about what, like, Black masculinity is? Because like, Will is always held up as the, like, cool guy - that is what he is. And Carlton never is, even though he tries sometimes.

HOWARD: Yeah, I think it's a missed opportunity. Right? Like, there were kids like Carlton growing up, right? Like, there were Black kids like Carlton all over the country. And I think that that is a place where they missed out. And to be sure, in the times where they did it, they did it - right? - like, when Will and Carlton are both pledging for a frat.

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: And you have this same kind of tension where someone else - someone from the outside, a kind of one-time character - is doing the same thing to Carlton, the same thing that Will always does.

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GLENN PLUMMER: (As Top Dog) Carlton doesn't exactly exemplify what I think a Phi Beta Gamma is.

SMITH: (As Will Smith) Oh. And what is that?

PLUMMER: (As Top Dog) Well, it's not Ralph Lauren shirts and wingtip shoes in corporate America. We don't need a brother like him in this fraternity.

SMITH: (As Will Smith) Man, he is exactly what you need in this fraternity.

HOWARD: By the end, Carlton gets in one good zinger and says, like, you know, like, I don't have to act Black to be Black. I'm Black. That's the way it is. And it's great. It's great that it does that. But then, of course, there are those missed opportunities where they could have, like, had Will underscore that in those other moments. Like, it's just weird. It's weird for Will to only be coming to the defense when someone else says it and not actually living into it himself.

L HARRIS: Yeah, I feel like I agree with you, J.C. There are a lot of missed opportunities when it comes to, like, really getting into the race dynamics at play here. I remember Quincy Jones in a anniversary coverage article or something mentioned that his drive behind the character of the show - because I believe the writers room was primarily white, and the showrunners were white as well. But Quincy Jones, who executive produced, was like, you need to have duality in these characters. Uncle Phil needs to be someone who's really excited to live on the same block as Reagan, but also someone who was really excited to listen to Malcolm X speak.

And when I was hearing that from Quincy, I was like, that makes no sense. Like, why would you even try to have that nuance of Blackness? And then the more I watched the show, the more I'm like - I think the thing about Carlton is that his devotion to, like, assimilation and his devotion to, like, white supremacy from that assimilation just makes it a little bit harder for him to connect with everyone else around him. And him being paired against Will as a foil in that way is so smart to me 'cause Will is, like, pro-Black, pro-Philly, like Black everything all day. And it's really nice to see that in a character on TV. But you know, you kind of got to pair him with this, like, little square that's going to keep him in line and (laughter) try to keep him in check. And Will's always outsmarting Carlton. So it's, like, at the end of the day, despite their missed opportunities like - oh, I'm going to say something I don't really agree with - Blackness wins.

(LAUGHTER)

L HARRIS: And obviously representation is not the only thing, but it's nice to have it in this, like, serial sitcom format of just being, like, we are very, very Black, and we come with many multitudes.

HOWARD: Yeah. I mean, kind of along those same lines, I loved that they were a proper wealthy Black family - right? - like, live-in butler wealthy. And at the same time as all that, there is that tension of, you know, Will being streetwise and the family being kind of more stuck up or stodgy. But they were still definitely a Black family, you know, and like Black with a capital B. Like, there's that episode when Aunt Viv - and I should say, Aunt Viv the first or Aunt Viv classic, if you prefer. But Aunt Viv turns 40, and there's that iconic scene where she does the dance number that's like...

AISHA HARRIS AND LATESHA HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: In the unitard.

HOWARD: It's like Alvin Ailey. It's amazing, right? And of course, there's one of my favorite kind of Uncle Phil moments is when he gets the assist from Geoffrey and he hustles the hustler when Will gets in trouble at the pool hall.

L HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: I have to say, I feel like every '90s Black sitcom had the pool table episode.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: "Family Matters" had one.

HOWARD: Exactly.

A HARRIS: I'm pretty sure "Living Single" had one.

L HARRIS: Yes, they did.

HOWARD: Yeah, of course. You have to. It's like you had the list, and you got to check it off.

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: But like, I mean, the family was like rich-rich, right? But it didn't stop them from being Black, Black. You know? Like, that's one of the things that really impressed me about the show.

A HARRIS: Yeah. I also think, like, Carlton, is such an interesting - even without Will, he's an interesting character to examine within the context because you have kind of this era where Black nerds were everywhere on TV. There's Carlton, there was Urkel, and then there was also T.J. Henderson on the "Smart Guy." Like...

HOWARD: Yeah. "Smart Guy," yeah.

L HARRIS: Boy...

A HARRIS: We had, like, three very different examples of nerdom.

HOWARD: Right.

A HARRIS: Urkel was all the way on the one end - infantilized in a way that, like, is problematic. But then, of course, he also had Stefan to turn into. So yeah, that's like...

HOWARD: Life is about balance.

A HARRIS: Yeah. And then T.J. Henderson was, like, a genius, but he was a kid who was, like, a boy wonder. And then you have Carlton, who...

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...I think, unlike either of those characters, is really - his nerdom was also sort of connected to this idea of both whiteness and masculinity and what that means. And I think at the end of the day, even though Will - Will still undercut him till the very end about his Blackness. Like, you learn to love Carlton.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: He is not the enemy.

L HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: He is just a different type of person.

HOWARD: He's just different.

A HARRIS: So I really appreciated that.

HOWARD: That's right.

A HARRIS: One of the other episodes I rewatched was the Queen Latifah episode, which...

L HARRIS: Oh, God.

A HARRIS: ...Tackles fatphobia.

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SMITH: Look. Dee Dee, I just thought that...

QUEEN LATIFAH: You just thought that 'cause I'm not a size six, no one would ask me out. Well, not everyone feels like that. I mean, that's just your hang-up, isn't it?

SMITH: Dee Dee, listen. I really like you a lot, all right?

LATIFAH: You really like being with me as long as no one thinks you're with me. I mean, I'm sorry, but that's just not good enough for me.

A HARRIS: At the end of the day, he finally realizes, well, we get along so well. But at the same time - and this is kind of similar with the whole Will Blackness thing and Carlton - where every joke about Uncle Phil is about his weight.

HOWARD: Every episode - that's right.

A HARRIS: It does not stop after that fatphobia episode. In fact, the final scene of that episode, they're all sitting on a bed. And I think it's - someone comes into the room. It's not Uncle Phil, but, like, someone comes into the room and they're all sitting on the bed - like the entire family plus Queen Latifah's character. And then, like, the bed just collapses. And it's like, oh my God (laughter). Like...

L HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: You know, and that's the thing. Like, I guess this is the case for a lot of shows. They bring up these topics. But then, like, the rest of this series is not necessarily living whatever that topic is supposed to be.

HOWARD: Yeah. I mean, when I was watching it - when I was first watching it, I should say - I wasn't large. Like, all that stuff was just like - it was, frankly, it was just funny to me. But now I'm, like, 6-foot, 300 pounds. And I'm, like, you know, there's some bits of this that are, like, they sting a little bit. It's, like, you know, I don't know if the show were on today, if I would laugh at them. I still laugh at those jokes now, partially because it puts me back to where I was when I was first watching them. But I mean, it's a sitcom, right? So like, you know, there isn't a whole lot of development a lot of the time. And I think it's the same problem with like the fatphobiajokes as it is with the race jokes is that, you know, like, you might go on a journey in an episode. You might learn a lesson.

L HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: But you're not taking it with you to the next one.

L HARRIS: Yeah. I just want to say, like, first of all, I'm still so pressed that they were dogging Queen Latifah in that episode. Like, she was...

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: Yeah.

L HARRIS: ...A stunner (laughter).

HOWARD: Yeah, right?

L HARRIS: And to be subjected to those fat jokes and Will being like, she's not fly enough for me - like, one of the flyest women in the world...

A HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: Yeah.

L HARRIS: ...For sure (ph).

For me, it's just, like, a gender thing, like, like you said Aisha, like, Uncle Phil being subjected to all these fat jokes the entire time and that being his, like, core, like, easy joke format reliance thing. When it comes to, like, a woman who's fat on screen, how we treat that body differently and how it's supposed to be a sexualized body and versus Uncle Phil is, like, not a sexualized body, so it's, like, this body can be something that's turned into, like, a lesson, something that's a storyline for the audience, whereas, like, with Uncle Phil, it's just like, that's his character trait. He's fat.

A HARRIS: Right.

HOWARD: It's a joke.

A HARRIS: Yeah.

L HARRIS: Fat people are funny.

A HARRIS: Absolutely.

L HARRIS: And I just think that speaks to, like, the whole kind of problem with, like, "The Fresh Prince" and the way they write women or lack thereof, rather. It's not fine to watch, obviously, as a child in the '90s, but it makes sense that, you know, women were underwritten then, I guess. I don't know.

A HARRIS: Yeah. I mean, there's at least one episode about Ashley and her innocence and...

L HARRIS: Ugh.

A HARRIS: ...All the men in her family trying to protect them.

L HARRIS: Weirdo behavior.

HOWARD: (Laughter) Yeah.

A HARRIS: Yeah - and the fact that "The Fresh Prince" for a while was that show where, like, if you were a Black actress in the '90s, you wanted to get cast...

L HARRIS: Yep.

A HARRIS: ...As Will's love interest.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: And so you have...

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...Nia Long popping up not just once, but twice 'cause she was Lisa in the later seasons where they were engaged and almost got married. But then she also showed up in that Queen Latifah episode as Will's date.

L HARRIS: Yes.

A HARRIS: Yeah. And then they're like Tisha Campbell. Who else?

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: Vivica A. Fox, like all of these...

HOWARD: Yeah, Tyra Banks.

A HARRIS: ...You know, A-list - well, now A-list but, like, on-the-rise-then Black female actresses were playing these roles. And yeah, it is one of those things. Like, I realize the more I think about it, I'm like, so much of this show is problematic.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: Yet, it still just works in part, I think, because nostalgia, obviously.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: But...

L HARRIS: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...There is this combination of the humor was still so, so on point. The delivery is still relevant and still feels fresh. And the performances were just really great. There's so many iconic moments that we could rattle - we've already talked about Aunt Viv's dance.

L HARRIS: (Laughter).

A HARRIS: We haven't talked about the Carlton dance, Trevor...

HOWARD: Right.

A HARRIS: ...Hilary's boyfriend (laughter)...

L HARRIS: Not Trevor.

(LAUGHTER)

L HARRIS: Trevor.

A HARRIS: ...Falling to his death while proposing.

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: Like, there's just so many moments. And of course, there is "The Fresh Prince" theme song, which I think to this...

HOWARD: Yes.

A HARRIS: ...Day...

HOWARD: Oh, my gosh.

A HARRIS: ...Has to be one of the most - I don't like to use iconic, but I think iconic is, like, super applicable here.

L HARRIS: (Laughter).

HOWARD: Right.

A HARRIS: And we actually got a question from a listener about the theme song. Let's hear it.

HENRIK HANSEN: Hello. This is Henrik Hansen (ph) calling from Maidstone in Kent in England in the U.K. My question regards "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" theme song. And it's simply this - is it the best recap theme song ever? Where does it stand next to "The Beverly Hillbillies," for instance, or "The Jeffersons"? Please discuss. Thanks. Love the show.

HOWARD: I mean, iconic is, in fact, a good word. There are a lot of shows that kind of live into this legacy of great stories in the opening theme - as has been mentioned, "Beverly Hillbillies," "Jeffersons." I'll say, "Gilligan's Island," "The Nanny," "Brady Bunch."

L HARRIS: Oh, "The Nanny."

A HARRIS: (Laughter).

HOWARD: Like, all of these tell us some pretty good stories. But "The Fresh Prince" theme - I mean, it had its own Super Bowl commercial this year. But I want to play a clip here from a live performance that Will Smith gave in 2005, where he asked the crowd to sing the theme with him.

L HARRIS: Oh.

HOWARD: And I just want to note the electricity of this moment.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SMITH: (Rapping) Now, this is a story...

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Rapping) ...All about how my life got flipped, turned upside down. And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there. I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air.

SMITH: (Singing) Hey.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing) Hey.

SMITH: (Singing) West Philadelphia, born and raised...

L HARRIS: I love that they mixed that up with "Switch."

(LAUGHTER)

HOWARD: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, right? And this is...

L HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: ...A decade after the show's last season, right? It's like if I asked you guys to sing the theme from "Smallville" right now...

(LAUGHTER)

HOWARD: ...You know? Like, you can't do that.

L HARRIS: I forgot.

HOWARD: I think "The Fresh Prince" theme song stands out because you could literally be out in public and, guaranteed, someone would join in with you.

L HARRIS: Yeah.

HOWARD: It's an electric song.

L HARRIS: I just love that theme song 'cause it's a really cool way of teasing, like, Will Smith, the once-famed rapper and introducing Will Smith, the budding Hollywood actor. And it's just, like, this really great moment of bridging who we know him to be with who he's going to be. And it's just so great. And like...

HOWARD: Yeah.

L HARRIS: ...Not to keep using the word iconic, but the reason...

HOWARD: (Laughter).

L HARRIS: ...That "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song is so iconic is that I was in a club for a white sorority, like, bid party or something once in college, and it came on in the club. And I was like...

A HARRIS: (Laughter).

L HARRIS: ...One, why is this here?

(LAUGHTER)

L HARRIS: Two, why does everyone know the words?

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: I, too, have heard it in a club setting...

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: ...A party setting. Like, yes.

HOWARD: Yes.

L HARRIS: It's wild.

HOWARD: Yes.

L HARRIS: It's like - that's...

A HARRIS: Yes.

HOWARD: (Laughter).

L HARRIS: That's iconic to me (laughter).

A HARRIS: It's just great.

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: Maybe I'm forgetting something...

(LAUGHTER)

A HARRIS: ...But I think it's the last, like, truly, truly great theme song. And it's just great. And also the, quote-unquote, "missing verses" that were only in, like, the first episode or two are also great.

L HARRIS: They are great.

HOWARD: Yes.

A HARRIS: Yeah (laughter).

HOWARD: Yeah.

A HARRIS: Well, we want to know what you think about "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" and the theme song. And you can find us at facebook.com/pchh and on Twitter @PCHH. And that brings us to the end of our show. LaTesha Harris, J.C. Howard, thank you for being here and talking about "The Fresh Prince."

HOWARD: Thank you.

L HARRIS: Thank you so much, Aisha (laughter).

A HARRIS: This episode was produced by Candice Lim, Rommel Wood and Mike Katzif and edited by Jessica Reedy. Hello Come In provides the music you are bobbing your head to right now. And thank you for listening to POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR from NPR. I'm Aisha Harris, and we'll see you all tomorrow when we'll be discussing the TV show "Bel-Air."

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