My Pen Is Mighty

Why Peacock’s Re-Imagined ‘Hilary Banks’ Is Winning on ‘Bel-Air’

Coco Jones’ rendition goes beyond “Black Valley Girl” persona, exploring social justice issues while whipping up delicious feasts.

Like most people, I was quite hesitant when I first heard that Will Smith was rebooting the early 1990s classic sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

The show spoke to a generation of Black teens and young adults, myself included, who needed an escape from the harsh realities of growing up in a world that wasn’t enthusiastic about us embracing our authentic selves. At the time, we needed that laugh track.

With “Bel-Air,” the re-imagined version starring Jabari Banks as Will Smith, there are very few laughs — and no laugh track. It’s serious business as to how he escaped the rough streets of West Philadelphia to live with his wealthy relatives in a mansion in the gated community of Bel-Air.

Upon arrival, he’s warmly welcomed by his cousin Hilary Banks (Coco Jones), the eldest child of Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes). I’m obsessed with her storyline. There’s definitely something different about this version of Hilary, who proves immediately that she has strong connections to the Black community.

No offense to Karyn Parsons’ version of Hilary Banks in the original series— because she effortlessly portrayed the quintessential “Black Valley Girl” — but Jones’ take is much more nuanced and complicated. And if we want to get real, by making her a dark-skinned young woman, you just know her life struggles are going to be intensely different from the original, fairer-complexioned Hilary.

The show’s writers also gave this Hilary Banks marketable skills beyond looking fabulous and shopping. She is a burgeoning culinarian, one, like so many others, who has taken her cooking skills to social media. She’s made herself famous by serving up Black culture.

Hilary is first shown in her element in the pilot episode (“Dreams and Nightmares”) when she’s catering her dad’s fundraiser for his run for Los Angeles district attorney. She showcases original gourmet pastries as 3,000 followers watch her Instagram live (she also mentions that she has 75,000 IG followers in total). This is when we find out that she’s living in the family’s spacious pool house, which includes a state-of-the-art kitchen for her to conduct her cooking tutorials. She warns Will, “In two years, I’m going to be in Forbes, and mom’s gonna be salty as f*ck.”

She finds out soon, however, that there will be some roadblocks getting there. In an industry where Black influencers earn 35% less than their white counterparts, Hilary is striving to be the exception.

In the second episode (“Keep Ya Head Up”), Hilary has an interview with Haute Cuisine, a fictitious, highly rated food and beverage magazine, that her mother helped set up. She’s hoping to get a job with it as a culinary influencer. As part of the interview process, she is tasked to create some of her signature dishes, which she claims go back three generations in her family. She puts modern spins on collard greens, a fried shrimp po’boy, and coleslaw that wow the editors — all while looking fierce in a fitted, hot pink-and-black plaid suit.

The cringeworthy moments, however, happen when the white female editor tells her— after devouring everything on her plate — “I must say, Hilary, we’re quite impressed. I would not think that [dishes] so down-market would be so amazing.” YIKES.

It only gets worse from there.

“In order for us to move forward,” the editor continues, “we would want to weigh in on your wardrobe. We prefer more classic, neutral colors. … and before you post anything, you’d have to submit all your recipes for review.” They proceed to tell her to “tone them down” because they’re “too spicy” and that her family is “not their target audience.”

So, they’re requiring her to change who she is to get the job. That’s a “no” from Hilary, which leads to a heated exchange with her mom, who tells her that sometimes you have to compromise to get what you want in life.

Incensed, Hilary goes live on IG and puts Haute Cuisine on blast for their treatment of her. Then she pulls another viral stunt that catches the eye of one of the top influencer houses in the world. She jumps at the chance to get out of the pool house and move into this house with top content creators, a motley crew ranging from “Jackass”-style pranksters to a luxury travel expert. Kylo (Jon Beavers), lead creator in the house, makes $1 million annually as a men’s lifestyle brand specialist. He pressures Hilary into doing something risqué on social media to go viral.

As the only Black woman in the influencer house, and the only creator serving up culinary-focused content, she is under immense pressure to do something that’s going to create social media buzz. The last thing she wants to do is get kicked out of the house and move back into her parents’ home. Soooo, she records herself whipping up her signature sweet potato crème brûlée wearing skimpy lingerie.

When Kylo releases the video with soft-porn music, lighting, and angles, dubbing her “The Thirsty Chef,” Hilary must decide if she’s going to sign with lucrative sponsors who thrive off this sort of content or leave with her dignity intact. She gets into another argument with her mother, who strongly advises her to take down the video. Aunt Viv also poses the question: “Does this really reflect who you are?”

That statement really affects Hilary and is a turning point for the character. It’s also a dilemma that many Black content creators face, particularly women, who are determined to portray their authentic selves.

“I think there’s a lot more of her struggle being in an industry that doesn’t necessarily cater to her,” Jones tells TheGrio about her version of Hilary in a recent interview. “I think the tension between her and Aunt Viv, I think it’s all very honest and relatable because we’re all humans going through a similar human experience. Maybe it’s not social media, but there’s always, especially as a Black woman, there’s always additional obstacles that you didn’t sign up for.”

While Hilary’s situation may be overdramatized for television, it also amplifies their frustrations. Talented Black content creators are undervalued and underpaid, and they work as hard as everyone else. It’s time to pay up.

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