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All very interesting. A lot of the observations reinforce my claim that the black experience is different things to different people and the delineations are blurred. I grew up in a small suburb of Chicago that has been integrated from its founding back in the early 1800s. There was no overt blatant racism there, and Black and Whites co-existed. And when the civil rights movement started to heat up, black and white residents of good will worked together to try and solve problems that arose. In both the black and white communities there were all different classes of people. I was raised with middle-class "values" but I wouldn't consider the financial circumstances of my parents as above average. Yes, they "owned" the house we lived in, and we did always have a car, but they both were common laborers. The only reason I was able to go to college was because way back then, tuition at the state university was very low; under $100 a semester. Room and board at the dormitories only cost about $350 a semester. Even at those prices it was a struggle. I hear a lot of black people saying that, as youngsters, they were poor and didn't know it. This is because the quality of our lives wasn't lacking. I had a little problem with the Cosby show because I thought it tried too hard to make its point, and that the message it was sending was that if black people emulate white people and are perfect in every aspect, then this makes them acceptable to the American public. Also, I don't think young black kids are sophisticated enough to comprehend the implications of Obama's back story or the fact the he is bi-racial". All they know is that a black man who looks like their kind is president, and this is inspiring to them. As for how Blacks are portrayed, this may seem like a silly question, but why would the white media have a problem with showing black couples in loving relationships? Why would white Americans, in general, reject scenarios that show black couples mating with their own kind? Isn't this how they want it? Are Blacks overreacting with their gripes??? Furthermore, on BET and CMT there are a lot situation comedies where black couples have normal loving relationships. Has anybody every watched "Everybody Hates Chris?' Or "My Wife and Kids?" or "The Game" or "Are We There Yet?" Did anybody see the movies "Jumping the Broom" or "Why did I Get Married?"? ...Just to name a few examples. Of course, the situation is not where it should be, but it does behoove critics to acknowledge what is out there. As far as the elitist thing, it would seem that certain things are more about class than race.