Ep 7. Def Poet's Society

In the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 1 episode 7, titled Def Poet's Society, Will and Carlton attend a poetry reading where they meet a talented young spoken word artist named Omar. The two are impressed by Omar's performance and invite him to come back to the Banks' mansion to perform for their family and friends.

At the mansion, Omar's poetry proves to be a hit with the guests, and he quickly becomes the center of attention. However, when Geoffrey, the family's butler, asks Omar why he doesn't use "proper English" in his poetry, tensions arise. Will and Carlton defend Omar's creative expression, but their argument leads to a larger debate about language and culture.

Throughout the episode, the characters grapple with questions about the relationship between language and identity. Should poets be expected to conform to mainstream cultural norms in order to be taken seriously? Are some dialects inherently "better" than others, or does language function primarily as a tool for communication? These questions are heightened by the fact that Omar is a talented Black artist living in a predominantly white, upper-class neighborhood.

As the debate unfolds, the characters learn more about each other's backgrounds and experiences. Will discusses his own struggles with code-switching (modifying his speech patterns to fit in with different social groups), while Carlton reveals that he has always felt pressure to conform to white norms of behavior and speech.

Ultimately, the characters are able to come together around their appreciation for Omar's poetry, which combines elements of hip-hop, jazz, and traditional poetic forms. The episode ends with a powerful reading by Omar, which brings the family closer together and inspires them to continue exploring questions about language, identity, and the role of art in promoting social change.