The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an iconic sitcom and 90's staple and its theme song still inspires impassioned singalongs in bars and cars across the country. No one can stop themselves from joining in when they hear "Now this is a story all about how..." As loved as this show is, many viewers aren't aware of all the Fresh Prince fan theories that cast the show in an entirely different light. The internet is filled with crazy Fresh Prince ramblings that suggests that Will died during the opening credits fight and that the mansion in Bel-Air is heaven. Supposedly, the whole show is actually set in the afterlife, not sunny California. As far fetched as some of these seem watching almost all of the episodes of this show these theories do actually make some logical sense to me.
Will Got Killed During His "One Little Fight"
Maybe Jazzy Jeff Is Thrown Out The Mansion For A Reason
Jazzy
Jeff is frequently and forcibly removed from the mansion by Uncle Phil
for generally causing mischief and for hitting on Hilary Banks. Fans
suggest that this happens because Jeff is constantly in the hospital for
terminal injuries. A doctor always resuscitates him, though, and he is
abruptly yanked from heaven and thrown back to the land of the living.
Bel-Air Is Heaven
What's a better setting for heaven than a huge Bel-Air mansion? Though there is an episode when Will gets shot (some fans
think that this is representative of him coming to terms with his
death) and an episode when he and Carlton experience racism from police,
Will's living in the lap of luxury and he rarely has to deal with
anything other than contrived sitcom inconveniences. The greatest
support for this theory is the house's white aesthetic - it could easily
be described as heavenly.
This Is Also Why We Rarely See Will's Parents
This Is Also Why We Rarely See Will's Parents
Appearances
by Will's parents are few and far between throughout the entirety of
the series. Some fans think that because Will is in heaven, the only
time his parents show up on the mansion set is when they visit his
grave. In the episode Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse, Will's
dad, Lou, shows up after a 14-year absence. Perhaps it took him so long
because word of Will's death only reached him when it was time for
the funeral.
Jazzy Jeff Thinks It's Far-Fetched
The man behind the Fresh Prince's banging tunes and the character of Jazzy Jeff, Jeffrey Townes, talked to the Huffington Post about this fan theory in 2015 and said:
"It’s just, that’s so far-fetched you just laugh... To see someone take all of that stuff and almost create a whole world around it, you’re kind of like, ‘Wow, it wasn't that deep, but that’s amazing that their brain took it there.”
He's obviously a little skeptical
about whether or not the show is a big metaphor for heaven but maybe
that's because his character was being kicked out of it constantly.
There Are Clues In The Lyrics
Some
of the lyrics in the full-length version of the show's theme could
be interpreted as supporting this theory. If you assume that Will had
been hospitalized because of a grievous injury during his "one little
fight" then you can also assume he had to be put in a coma. Maybe his
mother is coming to terms with pulling the plug. Consider that scenario
with these lyrics:
It may be a reach, but one could read that as the mother sending Will to heaven. Now check out the next verse:
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket
Put my Walkman on and said I might as well kick it
First class yo this is bad
Drinkin' orange juice out of a champagne glass
Is this what the people of Bel-Air live like
Hmmm this might be all right
But wait I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, and all that
Is this the type of place that they just send this cool cat?
I don't think so I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air
These
lyrics could definitely be read as Will's internal conflict about
whether he's worthy of admittance to heaven. He might not be sure that
he'll fit in with all the fancy-pants good folks. Regardless, he makes
it to the cab.
The Taxi Driver Is God
Many
fans think the taxi driver that takes Will to Bel-Air in a "rare" cab
is God. The cabby escorts the young Philly native to the pearly gates of
Uncle Phil's Bel-Air mansion - which has been already established as
heaven.
In one of the Fresh Prince's Christmas episodes, "'Twas the Night Before Christening," Will promises the family he can get Boyz II Men to perform at Nicky's christening. In line with this (surprisingly) used sitcom trope, Will is about to finally admit defeat as the popular R&B group miraculously waltzes through the church doors perfectly harmonizing "Silent Night."
It
always seems a bit far-fetched when this sort of thing occurs in other
sitcoms, but if the "Will is actually in Heaven" theory is to be
believed, then Boyz II Men would be an appropriate choir of angels. Not
to mention, it would lend some credence to this ridiculous, albeit fun,
comedic trope.