Op-Ed: Was Pam The Target Of Colorism On Martin?
Let’s talk about something that’s always been part of Black culture and spaces: colorism. Ari Lennox recently called out Martin for its running jokes about Pam, saying they were rooted in colorism. As a proud dark-skinned woman and longtime fan of the show, I understand where she’s coming from.
Growing up, the “pretty” characters on TV almost always had lighter skin. You rarely saw a dark-skinned woman positioned as the love interest or the person everyone wanted. That’s why Pam, played by Tichina Arnold, was so refreshing. She wasn’t just Gina’s best friend; she was confident, stylish, and could easily be the center of attention in any scene.
Yes, Martin and Pam traded brutal insults. But Pam didn’t just take it; she handed Martin his ego back in a to-go bag. In “Your Arms Are Too Short to Box With Martin,” Martin cracks on her hair, and Pam fires back, “Boy, your hairline’s so far back, it’s giving me flashbacks!” In another episode, when Martin mocks her dating life, she says, “Please, I wouldn’t date you if you were the last short man on Earth.”
And let’s not forget the episode “Go Tell It on the Martin,” where Pam walks into the room and instantly grabs everyone’s attention, including Tommy’s father, prompting Martin to make a jealous jab. Without missing a beat, Pam claps back, “Don’t be mad ‘cause somebody wants me and all you got is that busted furniture.”
These weren’t just throwaway jokes; they were part of a sitcom sparring match where Pam could absolutely hold her own. That’s important because in an era when darker-skinned women were often portrayed as undesirable, Martin—even with its flaws—showed a dark-skinned woman who was beautiful, desirable, and unapologetically confident.
Still, Ari Lennox’s critique matters. Those jokes about Pam’s looks were tied to real-life beauty standards that have historically favored lighter skin. Even though Pam clapped back harder than she got hit, the running gag still echoed a broader cultural bias.
Tichina Arnold’s performance made Pam unforgettable. Her comedic timing, physical expressions, and razor-sharp delivery turned what could have been a one-dimensional sidekick into a sitcom icon. Some fans even say Pam’s comebacks were sharper than Martin’s. One example is when Martin tried to clown her singing and she said, “The only thing flatter than your singing is your chest.”
Ari Lennox’s comments remind us that it’s possible for a character to break barriers while still existing in a framework touched by bias. Pam wasn’t perfect representation, but she was a powerful one, proof that a dark-skinned woman could be quick-witted, stylish, and magnetic on prime-time TV.
Maybe that’s why, decades later, we’re still quoting her.
Op-Ed: Was Pam The Target Of Colorism On Martin? was originally published on newsone.com
