(Reviewed in March 2021)
Like this review and future reviews that will follow, this episode will probably be shelved from syndication and removed from future DVD releases for being racially and culturally insensitive to the modern viewer. When Frasier gives his black girl impression of Dr. Mary, many will consider this behavior to be borderline racially stereotyped by the white writers and white actors (Kelsey Grammar). Without me being insensitive to the race card, Frasier's black girl impersonation in this episode is no different than his over the top impersonations of Italians, Greeks, Jews, all other ethnicities, and furthermore the people of various sexual preferences/identities. Frasier will always exaggerate his imitations of other people who overshadow Frasier's image of himself, and that's what makes Frasier fussy and funny.
5 Reviews
Race Relations
Hitchcoc22 October 2019
When Roz has to leave town for a while, a substitute is brought in to produced the show. It is a black woman named Mary and she is great. But her thing is butting in while Frasier is giving advice, putting her two cents worth in for virtually every collar. Frasier is going nuts but feels asking her to change would paint him as a racist. We have a subplot involving Niles' and Daphne's kickboxing disaster.
Honesty and Resolution
adammheeley2 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What is Ironic is that this episode is about racial sensitivity and because of one tiny scene of Frasier portraying a black woman deemed inappropriate to the over-hyper sensitive audience today.
In the scene Frasier calls himself a sherry swilling elitist, which he is, and the co worker is being unprofessional giving out advice without a PHD, which arguably she is.
The point of the episode, which they discuss at length throughout the entire episode, is that race should have nothing to do with social interaction.
If everyone is honest with each other and focuses on the issue and it's resolution, then racism will just go away on its own.
In the scene Frasier calls himself a sherry swilling elitist, which he is, and the co worker is being unprofessional giving out advice without a PHD, which arguably she is.
The point of the episode, which they discuss at length throughout the entire episode, is that race should have nothing to do with social interaction.
If everyone is honest with each other and focuses on the issue and it's resolution, then racism will just go away on its own.
Very racially (and generally) insensitive looking through the lens of 2021 - but really funny
steve-9386121 March 2021
I don't want to sound racially insensitive but this episode is hilarious. However, it makes me squirm at the same time. It's easy to see how race plays an issue in this (especially with Frasier's impersonation of a black female), but also the way the episode makes fun of Chuck (the guy with the speech impediment). It also reminds me of just how lily white Frasier was, although it's one of my favorite sitcoms. This episode would really not fly in 2021. That being said, if we watch it through the lens of 1999/2000, it's awfully funny and Kim Coles absolutely nails it!
Tone deaf and borderline offensive
art8641-719-656558 February 2021
It's pretty obvious that this episode was written mostly if not entirely by white writers. This episode does not paint Frasier or Kelsey Grammer in a flattering light especially when he does his "sassy black woman" impression.It also marks the first time a Black person has a major guest role and they made it all about the person being Black.
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