Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable as difficult as it is for me to say this, apparently you have been replaced. For years families, including my own, sat down in front of the television screen and looked to you for entertainment. Your wisdom coupled with wit had us aspiring to be our own versions of the Huxtables. Your family faced “real” issues but you got through them and for some of us you were the couple we sought to model in our own lives. And then it hit us (or at least some of us), not everything on television is real. Yes, it can be entertaining, relatable, and based on actual events but unless it’s live TV it isn’t real and these days, even live television is questionable.

With all due respect, fortunately, this century brought with it a new couple for us to learn from, a couple that has set an example for us, a couple that shows us that black marriages can last and that a little PDA is a good thing. They are a couple that shows us that our unions are beautiful and strong, and will not accept defeat no matter how much adversity they face. This couple has shown us that family can come first and that you can be a spouse, a parent, and an achiever of your dreams. I’m talking about the Obamas. We’ve been watching them for the past several years and I must say, one of my favorite things about them is that they are real. They aren’t cast characters and there is no script or a director designating their every move. They are simply living and in their everyday lives we, still very much viewers, get to have a glimpse of what their marriage is like.

Recently a study came out stating the Obamas have “replaced” you. A real life couple replaced a television couple. And I’ve got to tell you, while The Cosby Show had quite a run and gave us some great laughs and things to think about when it comes to our marriages, I believe so many of us aspire to be more. We grow up and realize that dreams and goals don’t stop once the credits to a television show roll. They continue. Life continues beyond a 30-minute television time slot. Life is not scripted.

According to the study, we idolize Mr. and Mrs. Obama. But we know better. We idolize no man. We clearly know who our source is and as much as we love the Obamas it’s not them. Admiration and idolization are not to be confused. One thing they seem to have gotten right; however, is this:

“The Obamas are the strongest and most visible example of black love and happy marriage in the USA.”

You see, when you are The President of the United States everyone is watching. When you are married to the President everyone is watching. So yes, we are all watching. And yes, we do admire the love our President and First Lady have for one another. Yet, don’t be mistaken, there are surely other couples out there that have a beautiful love, an admirable love, and a real love. The only difference is the world isn’t necessarily watching.

The Obamas are on display and they are on display for more than the 30 minute time slot you all were given. Even so Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable, while we may not model our lives after the two of you, you will always have a special place in our hearts. And if we are channel surfing and just so happen to stumble upon your show, chances are we will watch. But there is a big world out there, a world filled with men and women that are showing us that black love is beautiful and genuine.

Despite high divorce rates many of us have not given up on marriage. We are fighting for what we have. While television shows run their course, many of us are determined to make sure our marriages will not. We are working in offices, seated in church pews, authoring blogs, cheering for our children during sports games, and also walking the halls of the White House. We are everywhere.

There are many couples that we can look to and yes, the Obamas are one of them.

BMWK — Do you agree with the study? Have the Huxtables been replaced?