All language subtitles for The Cosby Show s03e09 Denise Gets a D

This is Bill Cosby. Now that everybody
has told you about the dangers of doing

drugs, I'd like to tell you about some
of the benefits.

Just imagine yourself unconscious,
making a visit to a hospital emergency

weeks in rehabilitation centers, nights
in overcrowded prisons, spending more

money than you can afford, ruining your
health, hurting your parents, losing

your loved ones, and most of all,
destroying yourself.

Remember what I say about doing drugs.

I think you can say no.

Pardon me.

There.

Oatmeal, cantaloupe, toast, and butter,
and peppermint tea, your mother's

favorite breakfast. Anything we've
forgotten?

Ice cream. That's what I like when I'm
sick.

Mom's not sick, Rudy. She has a pinched
nerve.

I think your mother will appreciate just
seeing your lovely faces with her tray

of her favorite breakfast.

Let me carry it. Rudy, this is very
heavy. I won't drop it. There, there,

Take that.

Okay. Rudy, tell Mama to be up there
before it's cold.

Son? Yes? What are you doing?

Clearing the table.

Did I ask you to clear the table?

No. Well, why are you clearing the
table?

Well, with Mom laid up for a while, I
think we all need to pitch in and do a

little bit of that.

Well, you're still going to do your
regular chores, aren't you? Yeah. I'm

going to take out the garbage and sweep
the front walk. And don't worry about

taking Rudy to dance class.

I'll do that.

Son? Yeah?

Well, sometimes when people have a high
fever, they say and do things they don't

mean.

Dad, I'm fine.

And sometimes, if you have a high fever,
you hear things that you'd like to

hear, but you really don't hear them.
Dad, you're fine, too. I am?

Oh, I hope so.

Hello?

Uh, yes, operator.

I'll accept the charges.

Hi, Daddy.

Hi, Denise. You need money?

You sure?

Yes. Denise!

Hey, it's great to hear from you.

Are you still coming home for the
weekend?

Of course. I wouldn't miss it. Good.

I'm just picking up a paper from my
English professor, and then I'm going to

catch a train and get out of here. All
right. Well, how's everything going down

there? It's great. I think I'm getting
an A on this paper. How's biology?

I'd say I'm pulling a strong B. All
right.

Huxtable brains.

Sounds like you're burning it up.

I am. I'll tell you about it when I get
home, though. You're gonna come home and

ask for money?

No, I gotta go. I'm late for my meeting
with my professor, though. Okay, then.

I'm looking forward to seeing you. I'm
here.

Give my love to everyone, okay? Bye.

Bye.

My son's doing chores nobody asked him
to do.

My daughter's got a strong B.

Must have malaria.

Hi, Dr. Hughes.

Hello, Denise.

Hi, you wanted to see me?

Come in, sit down.

I finished reading your last essay.

Oh, great. I worked really hard on this
one.

Maybe so, but I'm going to have to give
you the same grade I gave you on the

other two.

Ah, those are Ds. I know.

I don't understand. How can I get a D? I
worked really hard on that.

But you made the same mistake you made
on the other two papers.

I did?

Yes. Didn't you read the comments I
wrote on those?

I thought I explained very clearly what
the problems were with your writing.

Yeah, I read your comments. They were
very helpful.

Well, obviously they weren't helpful
enough.

Didn't I make myself clear?

No, you were very clear. You're a great
teacher. I love your class.

So it's not me?

No, no.

But it's got to be one of us.

I guess it's me.

Denise, how much time did you spend
writing that paper?

Two weeks. I started as soon as you gave
the assignment out. Well, how much time

did you actually spend writing?

See, it's hard to say exactly, because I
have this system that works really well

for me.

Oh, you do?

Yes, ma 'am. See, when I have a paper
that I have to write, I like to think

about it for a couple of days.

You know, mull it over while I'm doing
other things.

Other things?

Yeah, like taking a shower or brushing
my teeth or going for a walk.

See, I get inspired. And then I stop. I
stop whatever I'm doing, and I just

write. It's like this burst of creative
energy.

I would rather you organize your burst.

See, well, this is how I wrote all my
papers in high school, and I always got

A's. But you're in college now, and the
difference between high school and

college is the grade on that paper.

Now, I suggest you reread the comments I
made.

But I did read them.

But this time, I want you to think about
it more carefully.

And before you start writing, I want you
to look it over again.

All right, I promise I'll do that on my
next paper. Denise, this is your next

paper. I want you to write it over. It's
due a week from today.

All right, thank you. I appreciate the
second chance. If you don't apply the

comments when you rewrite it, I won't be
as generous with your grade this time.

Okay, I understand.

Good.

Sorry I'm rushing, but I gotta get out
of town.

Hey, Putt, how was dance class?

No good.

Something wrong with the ballerina?

Major problems, Dad.

Her teacher handed out the parts for the
dance recital.

Rudy wanted to be the son, but they made
her the wind.

Well, what's the matter with the wind?

Well, I don't know that much about
ballet. But all the way home, Rudy kept

saying, it's not fair, I am the son.

Yeah, well, maybe I better talk to her.
Well, Dad, I tried to cheer her up.

I said, Rudy, shake it off. It's only
ballet. It's not important.

Nobody even cares about it.

So she didn't come around after you said
that?

No, I cannot believe she's so upset.

You can't?

I remember when you were a little teeny
tiny fellow about that size, you wanted

to play baseball, and you got on the
team, and you went out, had your glove,

bat, and the uniform, and the man didn't
put you in, and you came back, threw

your bat over there, threw the glove out
the window, and said, I don't want to

play ball anymore.

I'll go talk to her. No, no, no, no, no.
You've done enough. I'll say something

to her. Thank you.

Hi.

Hi.

You still have your coat on. I know.

Yeah. Well, you're going to be hot.

I don't care.

Come on. Take your coat off.

Hang it off.

All right. Theo tells me that you had
some disappointment in dance class.

Daddy, I am the sun. I don't want to be
the wind.

Well, now, what is so good about being
the sun?

The sun gets to set and it gets to rise
and shine on the flowers. You know,

photosynthesis.

Photo what?

make the flowers grow?

Photosynthesis?

No, no, honey. It's photosynthesis.

Oh. Yeah. Now, where did you learn about
photosynthesis?

Vanessa told me. She said that the sun's
the most important thing in the

universe. So you think the sun is more
important than the wind?

You got it.

Do me a favor, will you please?

Would you show me what the sun does?

Sure.

Photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis. Now, would you show me
what the wind does?

Well, now, you'll have to pardon me, but
as far as I'm concerned, the wind is

far more exciting than the sun.

But the wind only gets to dance at the
very end.

So you're saying that the sun stays on
stage longer.

The whole play.

Well, let me tell you this.

I think that when the people see this
play, they will say, well, the sun

was out there for a while, but wow, the
wind. Bring her back, man. Bring

her back.

Dad, I can't come back. It's at the end
of the show.

But... If you are the best wind that you
could be, even though you don't care

about being the wind, if you were the
best wind that you could be, I'll bet

that at the end of the play, when the
people are clapping, they would say, the

sun burned, but the wind blew me away.

You understand me? Yes. All right, then.
Good, good.

How come you didn't get up and open the
door?

Very funny.

Oh, be careful, be careful.

How did you do this?

It's my own fault. I was teaching Rudy
some of my famous ballet moves and I

picked her up and discovered that my
little baby is a heavy child.

Well, look at the good side. At least
you're getting some rest. I'm getting

plenty of rest. And I've had so much fun
these past two days, I can't begin to

tell you. I've watched the squirrel
climb up and down the tree outside.

I've listened to myself breathe.

And I have discovered that I blink 37
times in a minute.

Are you telling us you're bored?

Out of my mind.

But I'm really glad to see the two of
you.

Tell me what you've been doing.
Everything.

Don't leave anything out.

Well, things are going great at college.
I think I'm going to get all As this

semester. Well, that's wonderful, isn't
it, Denise?

Yeah.

And I just finished a psych project on
dream interpretation, and the professor

loved it so much, she wants me to do
research with her next semester.

All right, Thug, all right.

Well, how's everything with you, Denise?

Good. Yeah? How's school?

It's getting really cold in Virginia
now.

We even had a frost last week. We had
great weather at Princeton.

I'm not surprised.

Well, tell me about your classes.

Oh, Mom, I want to and I will, but I
want to find some sweaters, you know,

cold.

So, I'll be back in a bit. Don't you go
away. I want to hear about you, Mom.

You! Don't worry, I'll be here.

see the wind.

But I'm only on the stage for a minute.

Oh, that doesn't matter because that's
not what the audience is going to

remember. It's not?

Take it from someone who has a few dance
recitals under her belt. The

performance isn't that important.

What the audience is going to remember
is your bow at the end.

Now let me see you bow.

That's okay, but the audience isn't
going to remember it.

They're not?

No. You need something with flair.

Now, here's what I recommend.

The first thing you do when you come out
is you act really humble, like you're

surprised or even applauding.

And then you point to yourself and you
say, For me?

They love that.

And then you walk slowly toward the
center of the stage, shaking your head

you really don't deserve their love. No,
no, please, stop.

And then you put one foot behind the
other, and you bow deeply at the waist,

exhausted.

Show them that you've given them
everything you have, and then I'll be in

front row, and I'll yell, Bravo!

Bravo! And that will start a standing
ovation.

I like that.

We're back. Movie time.

What did you rent?

Something for everybody. For Rudy, Mr.
Mouth joins the circus.

Yay!

And for everyone else, attack of the two
-headed dog.

All right.

Where's Denise?

She's in the kitchen.

Okay, Vanessa, you set up the tape
machine and I'll get Denise.

And I'll make the popcorn.

Come on, Denise, we got the movie.

Oh, you guys go ahead. I don't feel like
it. I thought you wanted to see the

movie. Yeah, well, it changed my mind.
Are you all right?

Yeah, what?

You've been acting strange.

Yeah, I agree.

You hardly ate any dinner.

I wasn't hungry, okay?

Having a problem with some guy?

No.

Are you having trouble in school?

Did I say anything about school? Why
bring school into this?

Hmm, strong defensive reaction.

Oh, yeah.

Fine, I'll watch this stupid movie with
you guys.

Ah, avoidance response.

Without a doubt.

Cut him out, you guys.

Definite hostility.

Theo!

Denise, you might as well tell us,
because you know sooner or later we're

to get it out of you.

You don't have to tell us, but maybe we
could help.

All right, it goes no further than this
kitchen, okay? We promise.

I bet this is good.

What is it?

Okay, the last three papers that I wrote
for freshman composition, I got D's.

Whoa, you must have been doing some
serious partying.

Theo, I didn't party at all. I worked
really hard on those papers, okay?

You didn't party and you got D's?

What a waste.

Well, Denise, I wouldn't worry about it.
When I started college, I had troubles

with the subject, but I turned it
around.

You know, I'm not just having trouble in
freshman composition.

Right now, I have a low C in biology and
a high D in calculus.

Oh, Denise.

Denise!

Hey, I'm doing really well in my modern
cinema class.

We have to see a movie once a week, and
I haven't missed one yet.

Are you gonna fuck out?

No, not unless I really mess up. Do Mom
and Dad know about this?

No. Well, you have to tell them.

I'd rather flunk out.

You'd have to tell that to Mom and Dad
anyway.

Not me.

I just walk out the door, I say, I'm off
to college.

And then I would go down to the
community center and play basketball for

months.

Denise, I think you better tell them,
because if Mom and Dad find out about

these grades from someone else, they'll
really be upset.

I know, but I don't know how to tell
them this.

Well, I know how I would tell them.

I'd wait until Sunday night.

And when the bags are in the car and I'm
driving off, I'd say, Bye, Mom. Bye,

Dad. I'm flunking.

Good,

you're going to entertain me.

It's the Hillbilly College Marching
Band.

Ladies and gentlemen.

For your halftime entertainment, we are
proud to present the Human College

Flying Falcon Marching Band.

How you doing?

I need to talk to you guys. Come on.

Be careful now. Be careful.

So, I wanted to tell you that I'm really
enjoying Hillman. Good.

And I'm really glad you influenced me to
go there.

And we're glad that you're glad.

I also wanted to tell you I'm doing
really well in my modern cinema class.

Modern cinema class?

Yeah, well, I got into it late after I
dropped Early American History.

You dropped your history class?

Well, it started at 8 o 'clock in the
morning. I was having a little trouble

getting there on time.

And what time is the modern cinema
class?

Noon.

Actually,

I'm having trouble in a few other of my
classes, too. Which ones?

English, biology, and calculus.

I haven't gotten off to a real good
start in those.

What kind of start have we gotten off
to?

Two Ds and a C -minus.

Now,

what happened to the strong B in
biology?

Well, I still plan on getting a B. See,
all I have to do is get two As on my

next test and an A on my lab work.

And what happened to the A - you told me
about in calculus?

I can still get it. The final exam is 70
% of our grade. I just have to ace it.

What is your problem, child?

I think it has something to do with the
teachers.

No. At Hillman, they have excellent
teachers, yes, but when they give you an

assignment, they don't care if you do it
or not. At high school, Mr.

Shepard made sure that we did the work.
He checked on us every day. At Hillman,

they just give you an assignment, and
they just say, do it.

They say, do it, and then you never hear
about it again until it has to be in.

They're treating you like an adult,
Denise.

They expect you to take care of things
yourself.

Mom, I have so much to take care of,
okay? I have to do my laundry.

Your laundry?

Isn't that that stuff you brought in a
big bag here?

I have to buy supplies. I have to clean
my room.

I have to eat. I have to sleep.

the girls from my dorm, they come to me
with their problems, right?

I hardly have any time to even go to my
club meetings.

What club?

Students for social peace through
poetry.

Dad, I cannot spend all my time
studying. I want to be a well -rounded

Now, it sounds to me like you are
blaming everybody but the right body,

If you would just... Organize yourself.
You have time to do all these things you

want to do and study, too.

Honey, you are in college now. It's a
different world.

I'll tell you what, tomorrow you and I
are going to get together and I will

you to organize your schedule.

You will?

Great. I guess I can probably use it.

Denise, your mother and I want you to
get a wonderful education

because our money...

is a terrible thing to win.

Well, Denise, I think I see where you
got a D on this paper.

You do?

Mm -hmm.

Listen to this.

Zora Neale Hurston was an important
author because of what she meant to

generations of women authors.

Yeah, what's wrong with that?

And she meant quite a lot to those
future generations, including my own.

on, Denise, this is incomplete.

You haven't told me why she was
important to future generations of

Because she influenced them. How?

Through her literary style.

Which was?

Unique. Explain that.

Different. Why?

Mom, you're asking me things the teacher
already knows. She knows what I'm

talking about. She read the book.

Denise, you have to write this paper
like your teacher has not read the book.

When you make a statement like this,
honey, you've got to be able to back

up. Now, tell me in your own words why
you like Hurston's writings.

Um, because the woman she wrote about
had an inner strength that I really

admired. Would you please write that?

It's simple. My teacher's not going to
be interested in that. Well, if you can

back it up, she will be.

Well, I can't. Well, then do it.

And please remember, when you're in
trouble, I'm not the only person you can

come to.

Go to your professors. That's what
they're there for.

I will.

Excuse me.

How would you like a study break?

Sure. Vanessa, we're just in the middle
of something.

I think this will be worth your while.

Okay, what is it?

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure
to present to you Miss Rudy Lillian

Huxtable as The Wind.

Hey!

The Cosby Show is taped before a studio
audience.

Viacom.