History Series / TheBernieMacShow

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Often of the slightly fouler variety... While Bernie is one to throw his weight around and can seem outright mean, he more rarely does so unprovoked. The three kids have been quick to exploit or attack each other verbally or physically with a great sense of self, with Bryana getting an especially bad attitude (at least compared to when she was younger) as time went on, Jordan on rare occasion belittling others while being generally mischievous, and the standoffish Vanessa being less proactive in her aggression than expected, all while Wanda tries to be nice and usually succeeds. The high and middle schools are plagued with bullies and backstabbers - children are rarely nice to others here, while the adults are ''more often'' neutral, with some freeloaders and such, as well as some bad attitudes around. And then there's the grim Father Sean, who has a hidden sense of humor.

* HiddenDepths: Over the course of the series, Vanessa develops an affinity for music, and isn't half-bad at singing either. She keeps it a secret to most people, because she doesn't want the exposure (though Jordan helped Bernie upload the song to Vanessa's classmates through e-mail anyway, to Vanessa's disapproval).

* ManlyTears: Bernie sheds this, as per one of a few occasions, when he found out the truth about his "uncle" being his dad after his funeral from an old birth certificate.

* DoubleStandard: In one episode, after Jordan admits that he has a crush on a classmate, Bernie gives him tips on how to talk to girls, and even how to be a player. When Vanessa heres them, she calls out Bernie in the obvious double standard that as a boy, Jordan is allowed to talk to, and even pick up girls, while she can't date despite being older tha Jordan, and Bernie proudly tells her that it is a double standard, and he will enforce it. Later, when Bernie orders her to take out the trash, she says that she will also enforce the double standard as taking out the trash is a boy's chore.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In the first episode, Wanda talks to the camera just like Bernie does, implying that all everyone was originally supposed to break the fourth wall.

** The arc about Bernie and Wanda trying to conceive a baby is forgotten about in the near the end of the series. In ended on [[spoiler: Wanda having a chemical pregnancy]].

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* LawOfInverseFertility: The one of the last plot lines of the series is Wanda wanting to get pregnant before she gets too old while Bernie believes he's already too old to have to deal with raising another child. After difficulties conceiving, they go to a fertility clinic where they learn that Bernie is exceptionally fertile for a man his age while Wanda is revealed to be infertile ([[spoiler: and having a chemical pregnancy]].

* UngratefulBastard: Bernie sees the kids as this, and not entirely without reason, as he saved them from their state of neglect by their drug-addict mother. It should be noted that they lie, cheat, and steal from Bernie, Wanda, and each other. Vanessa, despite being a generally sympathetic character, will constantly insult Bernie (usually calling him "Bigfoot") and say that she doesn't need him---all while she continues to benefit from his work without so much as a "thank you" ([[spoiler: thankfully though, she seems to have gotten better by the end of the series finale]]). This seems to run in the family: Bernie's relatives constantly try to freeload off of his success.

Parenting is hard. When ''The Bernie Mac Show'' debuted on November 17, 2001, audiences watched the ''Kings of Comedy'' comedian learn that lesson the hard way when he adopted his two nieces [Vanessa and Bryana] and nephew [Jordan] from their Chicago home. It was for good reason, since their mother was stuck in rehab and unable to properly care for her kids. With his wife Wanda, Bernie Mac helps raise the young trio in his Los Angeles home and give them a sense of stability they lacked at home. The results are...quite varied, what with Vanessa's rebellious streak, Jordan's mix of hypochondria and odd obsessions (one being breasts), and Bryana's sugary innocence.

The sitcom is loosely based on Bernie Mac's real-life experiences (something Series/EverybodyHatesChris also benefited from years later), and was also inspired by a ''Kings of Comedy'' routine he performed a year earlier. Ratings for the show were initially mediocre, but it gained a solid following during its debut season. Critics and viewers connected with the comedian's cruder, more honest perspective on parenting and appreciated the subversions of several tried-and-true sitcom devices along the way. These subversions include the lack of a LaughTrack, the episodes are more narrowly focused on a singular theme instead of balancing several storylines, and the comedian addresses the audience in [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall breaking]] discussions when he deals with his frustrations, woes and epiphanies. In a TV environment that restricted many black comedies onto UPN (and mostly derivative ones at that), this was considered a breath of fresh air.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Bernie and his poker buddies - W.B., Chuy, and Kelly ''usually'' keep their elbow-jabs on each other light.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Bernie thought Jordan was acting weirder than usual on one episode, and thought puberty raised more than his acne count. It turns out that after the obligatory TheTalk, Bernie realized his fears were misguided, since Jordan was acting strangely for other reasons. Still, by the end of the episode, Jordan happily went into the bathroom to relieve himself anyway, since he thought Bernie said it was A-okay, much to Wanda's dismay.

* TheCameo: Frequently. When there is one specific theme to an episode, Bernie will often have a celebrity on the show who can help to demonstrate, advance, or comment on the point. For example: when Bernie is trying to learn how to act, he talks to Angela Basset(who starred alongside Bernie Mac in the film ''Film/MrThreeThousand''), and when Wanda's irresponsible little sister, Valerie, comes along, Bernie has a discussion about protective older sisters and flighty younger ones with the elder Williams sister, Serena.

** The arc about Bernie and Wanda trying to adopt a baby is forgotten about in the near the end of the series.

** Vanessa has this too. When hearing any negative comments aimed at her, Jordan and Bryana's mother. Despite their mom's numerous mistakes, Vanessa still loves her deeply enough to defend her from all naysayers, Bernie included (although Bernie himself isn't happy with Stacey's addictions, and he points out to Vanessa that he has a right to worry about her). It's implied that this is because she knew her mom as more than just the drug addict that the viewers and various characters constantly hear about.

* BlackAndNerdy: Jordan

* LawOfInverseFertility: The one of the last plot lines of the series is Wanda wanting to get pregnant before she gets too old while Bernie believes he's already too old to have to deal with raising another child. After difficulties conceiving, they go to a fertility clinic where they learn that Bernie is exceptionally fertile for a man his age while Wanda is revealed to be infertile.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Bernie and Vanessa.

* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Averted with Bernie's uncle's funeral in Chicago. A lifetime of unresolved anger with his uncle's son Dee caused Bernie to lose his temper and insult Dee as his uncle Ellis's casket was being lowered, even claiming that he hoped Dee would burn in hell. Bernie later apologized to his aunt for disrupting the funeral, but she was sympathetic with his actions, since she knew how Dee drove people crazy. Played straight in the sense that Bernie wanted to give a proper eulogy to his uncle Ellis, but got caught up in Dee's bullish behavior.

Parenting is hard. When ''The Bernie Mac Show'' debuted on November 17, 2001, audiences watched the ''Kings of Comedy'' comedian learn that lesson the hard way when he adopted his two nieces [Vanessa and Bryana] and nephew [Jordan] from their Chicago home. It was for good reason, since their mother was stuck in rehab and unable to properly care for her kids. With his wife Wanda, Bernie Mac helps raise the young trio in his Los Angeles home and give them a sense of stability they lacked at home. The results are...quite varied, what with Vanessa's rebellious streak, Jordan's mix of hypochondria and odd obsessions (one being breasts), and Bryana's [[TastesLikeDiabetes sugary innocence]].

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: The ominous Father Sean reacts to Jordan's jokes like this here and there.

* GreyandGrayMorality: Often of the slightly fouler variety... While Bernie is one to throw his weight around and can seem outright mean, he rarely does so unprovoked. The three kids have been quick to exploit or attack each other verbally or physically with a great sense of self, with Bryana getting an especially bad attitude as time went on, Jordan on rare occasion belittling others while being mischievous, and the standoffish Vanessa being less proactive in her aggression than expected, all while Wanda tries to be nice and usually succeeds. The high and middle schools are plagued with bullies and backstabbers - children are rarely nice to others here, while the adults are ''more often'' neutral, with some freeloaders and such around. And then there's the grim Father Sean, who has a hidden sense of humor.

* AnAesop: The episode with Bernie Mac letting his paranoia from a home break-in keep him from functioning like a rational human being (see ProperlyParanoid) ends with an inspirational speech about not letting fear rule your life.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: A staple of the series. Bernie spends a most episodes continually speaking to "America" (i.e., the audience) in his study in a big comfy chair. In the pilot, Wanda also talks to the viewers as she leaves for work.

* CelebrityParadox: Bernie is never shown taking part in any of major film or TV roles like his real life counterpart. Also, while he is still famous in the show, he isn't as famous as he was in real life, being able to to go to grocery stores and barber shops without drawing any attention to himself.
* CheerfulChild: Jordan on a good day at least.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Played straight with Bryana... until Jordan does something really, really bad to her favorite doll. [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] for every other kid on the show.
* ChildrenRaiseYou: A no-brainer, given the show's concept.

* EnfanteTerrible: Jordan and, more as the series went on and she grew more spiteful and likely to exploit, Bryana, though somewhat DependingOnTheWriter.

* KidsAreCruel: How about the time those three girls Vanessa trusted and thought were her friends followed their leader when she took things the wrong way and beat her up? It is often that children (usually high- and middle-school aged ones) in this show have bad attitudes when they appear, likely to gang up and bully others. A number of neutral personalities show up, and it is quite rare when generally nice children appear.

* ProperlyParanoid: An inversion. During the opening of "Lock Down", Bernie Mac caught a robber breaking into his home, and only knew the robber entered his house because he thought Wanda walked back into the house. After that, Bernie Mac was so spooked, he nearly attacked Bryana when she sneaked into the kitchen at night, he went into overdrive setting up the house with ridiculous security measures, and later restricted the kids' after school activities. This frustrated the kids enough to clash with Bernie in an intense argument [[DeusExMachina until a tragic news report suddenly aired on TV]]. After the family found out a young girl Bryana's age died from a carbon monoxide leak in her house, Bernie Mac came to realize that no matter how hard he tried, he can't protect his kids from random incidents. However, the realization ended in optimism, since Bernie became reinvigorated to take control of his life again.

** In addition, Stacy. She sneaks out of her room before Bernie brings the children to see her, and shouts down Bernie on the phone when he calls to find out where she is and what she's doing. After Bernie took in her children and saved them from having a life like hers.

--'''Bernie Mac''' (on a good day)

* EnfanteTerrible: Jordan, DependingOnTheWriter.

* HonoraryUncle: Subverted; Bernie actually is the children's uncle, but pronounces himself their Father figure in order to assume more authority over their lives

* KidsAreCruel: How about the time those three girls Vanessa trusted and thought were her friends beat her up?
* LaughTrack: None whatsoever.
* ManlyTears: Bernie sheds this when he found out the truth about his "uncle" being his dad after his funeral from an old birth certificate.

* MyWayOrTheHighway: In one episode, Vanessa drops out of the cheer squad when Bernie sees the very suggestive routine and admits that new toned down version was his idea. She then joins the economics club, where near the end of the episode, Jordan tells Bernie that Vanessa was skimming money from the club's candy sales to buy a bus ticket to Chicago. Inside the bus, Bernie asks why she's doing this and she snaps back: "You're always telling us 'it's my way or the highway,' so you know what? I'm choosing the highway!"

* NoTrueScotsman: Jordan's hokey dancing during a family reunion made one of Bernie's relatives criticize him for not raising Jordan properly, because according to him, Jordan didn't act like a young black boy should. Later averted with Big Mamma, who criticized Bernie's cousin for being so judgmental about Bernie's parenting skills.
* OhCrap: In one episode, Jordan has been annoying Wrestling/TripleH ever since he found his phone number. At the end of the episode when Jordan walks into the kitchen. Guess who he finds.

* ParentalAbandonment: Stacey, Bernie's sister and the kids' mother, cut all ties with her family after she went into rehab, refusing to see them or call them. Vanessa and Jordan's father is in jail, most likely for life, due to committing multiple violent crimes. The trope is only averted wiyh Bryana father, Bryan, who reconnected with her in the final season.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Bernie and Wanda not seeing eye to eye on how to raise the kids is a persistent issue throughout the series, though one episode used this trope as the central conflict. Because the kids saw Wanda as the fun, lighthearted parent, they use her as leverage against the more authoritative, take-no-prisoners attitude that Bernie represented. When Bernie complains about his wife not supporting his disciplinary decisions, Wanda reluctantly agrees to back him up. However, this turned the kids' friendlier attitude towards Wanda into a nastier one that's usually reserved for Bernie. Not wanting to be burdened with being seen by the kids as a cold, callous parent, Wanda gave the kids more leeway in order to dissipate their stigma against her. As it turns out, Wanda's idealistic approach comes back to bite her. Not only did giving Bryana apple juice before bedtime result in wet bedsheets, bt Wanda couldn't control Bryana and Jordan's fighting as well as Bernie could, and Vanessa abused Wanda's giving her permission to let her drive early by taking Wanda's car for a cruise without a permit. Later, Wanda uses Bernie's more authoritative approach with Vanessa after she catches her driving her car, then has a LighterAndSofter discussion with Vanessa after feeling guilty about brutally scolding her. Although Bernie's approach wins out by the episode's end, [[PyrrhicVictory when he witnesses Wanda and Vanessa talking casually after the car incident, he seems disappointed that Vanessa was still much friendlier to Wanda]].

* UngratefulBastard: Bernie sees the kids as this, and not entirely without reason, as he saved them from their state of neglect by their drug-addict mother. It should be noted that they lie, cheat, and steal from Bernie, Wanda, and each other. Vanessa, despite being a generally sympathetic character, will constantly insult Bernie and say that she doesn't need him---all while she continues to benefit from his work without so much as a "thank you" ([[spoiler: thankfully though, she seems to have gotten better by the end of the series finale]]). This seems to run in the family: Bernie's relatives constantly try to freeload off of his success.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Bernie's more colorful swearing gets reduced, though it's easy to imagine what he really wanted to say after his "that's bull!" statements.

** There are also yellow captions which remark the events that unfold during the episode in the script, treating the viewers as if they are dumb enough not to figure things out.

* ThickerThanWater: Particularly in the pilot. What really kicks the series off is that despite both his not wanting his comfortable life as a successful comedian spoiled and his sister being a drug addict, he agrees to take in her children, telling them that he loves her.

* ThickerThanWater: Particularly in the pilot. [[SeriesPremise What really kicks the series off]] is that despite both his not wanting his comfortable life as a successful comedian spoiled and his sister being a drug addict, he agrees to take in her children, telling them that he loves her.

The sitcom is loosely based off Bernie Mac's real-life experiences (something Series/EverybodyHatesChris also benefited from years later), and was also inspired by a ''Kings of Comedy'' routine he performed a year earlier. Ratings for the show were initially mediocre, but it gained a solid following during its debut season. Critics and viewers connected with the comedian's cruder, more honest perspective on parenting and appreciated the subversions of several tried-and-true sitcom devices along the way. These subversions include the lack of a LaughTrack, the episodes are more narrowly focused on a singular theme instead of balancing several storylines, and the comedian addresses the audience in [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall breaking]] discussions when he deals with his frustrations, woes and epiphanies. In a TV environment that restricted many black comedies onto UPN (and mostly derivative ones at that), this was considered a breath of fresh air.

* UngratefulBastard: Bernie sees the kids as this, and not entirely without reason as he saved them from their state of abandonment by their drug addict mother. It should be noted that they lie, cheat, and steal from Bernie, Wanda, and each other. Vanessa, despite being a generally sympathetic character, will constantly insult Bernie and say that she doesn't need him---all while she continues to profit from his work without so much as a "thank you" ([[spoiler: thankfully though, she seems to have gotten better by the end of the series finale]]). This seems to run in the family: Bernie's relatives constantly try to freeload off of his success.
** In addition, Stacy. She sneaks out of her room before Bernie brings the children to see her, and shouts down Bernie on the phone when he calls to find out where she is and what she's doing. After Bernie ''took in her children'' and saved them from having a life like hers.
%% * ViewersAreMorons:

* BrokenAesop: "Secrets & Life" has all the family members confessing to lies they told in the past. The moral is that honesty is important. Problem is, the family praises Bryans for her honesty, but the end shows she's also a liar, with the show playing it for laughs.

* GoneHorriblyWrong: The many lessons and schemes Bernie has for the kids usually falls here.
* GroinAttack: Bernie gets a few of these throughout the series. So does Jordan in a particularly painful ''and'' awesome fashion during a pee-wee football game (he dives into the path of a kicked football to prevent a successful field goal and was hit so hard it cracked his cup [which was then bronzed]).
* HiddenDepths: Over the course of the series, Vanessa develops a natural affinity for music, and isn't half-bad at singing either. She keeps it secret to most people, because she doesn't want the exposure (though Jordan helped Bernie upload the song to Vanessa's classmates through e-mail anyway, to Vanessa's disapproval).
* {{Hypocrite}}: Vanessa will keep talking about how she can raise herself, but you can bet that she's still going to keep living off of Bernie's hard work. However, this positioning is reversed when Vanessa points out the double standard that Bernie exhibits when he encourages Jordan to date girls, but prohibits Vanessa from dating boys.

* MistakenForGay: Jordan's bizarre hobbies and general lack of interest to "manly" activities (save a small stint at football) make Bernie assume this, alongside Mac's blatant homophobia. This is PlayedForLaughs most times until Jordan hears the disparaging comments about his "softness". Later on, Bernie's less worried with Jordan's sexuality when he openly admits his crush to a girl (albeit Vanessa's classmate).
** In another episode, Bernie Mac mistakes two guys who are ''writing'' partners as life partners, and was pretty cautious around them until one of their wives appears. Hilariously enough, in an additional episode, when Bryana's dad comes to visit her and Bernie, a female store manager thinks Bryana's dad and Bernie are life partners, because they're shopping for Bryana's first bra. What makes the exchange funnier is that the store manager admitted to experimenting with other women in college.

* NoTrueScotsman: Jordan's hokey dancing during a family reunion made one of Bernie's relatives criticize him for not raising Jordan properly, because according to him, Jordan didn't act like a young black boy should. Later averted with Big Mamma, who criticized Bernie's cousin for being so judgmental with Bernie's parenting skills.

* ParentalAbandonment: Stacey, Bernie's sister and the kids' mother, cut off all ties with her children and family after she went into rehab, refusing to see them or call them. Vanessa and Jordan's father is in jail, most likely for life, due to committing multiple violent crimes. The trope is only averted for Bryana father, Bryan, who reconnected with her in the final season.

* PromotionToParent: Vanessa, due to her mom being so unstable, raised Bryana and Jordan until the kids were adopted by Bernie. This authority carries over after they move in with him, since both Jordan and Bryana still look to Vanessa at times for approval. This is part of why she's often angry or frustrated. In "The King and I" when Wanda reprimands Bernie's opinion of Vanessa, she reminds him that Vanessa 'never got to be a child' and he visibly softens over it. Eventually, Vanessa works through these issues, and both her relationships with her family and her self image improves.

* SeriousBusiness: In one episode, Bernie Mac wanted to get the lead role of "Conrad's Prerogative", a OscarBait worthy film about an athlete who suffered from a stroke, to prove that he could be a serious actor. His attempts at becoming "Conrad" received far too many unintentionally hilarious moments for his friends, family, and the studio. When Bernie talked to a stroke victim for research purposes, he gets laughed out of the room. By episode's end, he gives up on the project, but isn't too broken up about it.

* ShoutOut: People at random reference Bernie Mac's ''Kings Of Comedy'' routine.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: A constant debate between Bernie Mac and Wanda on how to raise the kids throughout the series, though one episode used this trope as the central conflict. Because the kids saw Wanda as the fun, lighthearted parent, they used her as leverage against the more authoritative, take-no-prisoners attitude that Bernie represented. When Bernie complained about his wife not supporting his disciplinary decisions, Wanda reluctantly agreed to back him up. However, this turned the kids' friendlier attitude towards Wanda into a nastier one that's usually reserved for Bernie. Not wanting to be burdened with being a cold, callous parent, Wanda gave the kids more leeway to remove their stigma against her. As it turns out, Wanda's idealistic approach came back to bite her. Not only did giving Bryana apple juice before bedtime resulted in wet sheets, Wanda could not control Bryana and Jordan's fighting as well as Bernie could, and Vanessa misconstrued Wanda permission to let her drive early by taking Wanda's car for a cruise without a permit. In the end, Wanda used Bernie's more authoritative approach with Vanessa after she caught her driving her car, but later applied a LighterAndSofter discussion when she felt guilty about brutally scolding Vanessa. Although Bernie's approach won out by the episode's end, [[PyrrhicVictory when he witnessed Wanda and Vanessa talking casually, even after the car incident, he seemed defeated that Vanessa was still much friendlier to Wanda]].
* TookALevelInBadass: When Bryana got angry at Jordan for hanging her mutilated doll on a tree, she did not take this well. What she did next was [[DisproportionateRetribution reciprocate her fury]] with all of his toys and broke them in revenge. Petty? Very. Hilarious and awesome? You betcha.

Nevertheless, ''The Bernie Mac Show'' stayed on the air for 104 episodes and 5 seasons, which was long enough to snag syndication status (it currently airs on FX and BET). With the comedian's death in 2008, the sitcom has become one of his most well-known and respected works.

* PromotionToParent: Vanessa, due to her mom being so unstable, raised Briana and Jordan until the kids were adopted by Bernie. This authority carries over after they move in with him, since both Jordan and Bryana still look to Vanessa at times for approval. This is part of why she's often angry or frustrated. In "The King and I" when Wanda reprimands Bernie's opinion of Vanessa, she reminds him that Vanessa 'never got to be a child' and he visibly softens over it. Eventually, Vanessa works through these issues, and both her relationships with her family and her self image improves.

* ChildrenRaiseYou: A no brainier, given the show's concept.