The Cosby Show/The Last Barbecue

The Last Barbecue
Season 7, Episode 3
Airdate	October 4, 1990
Written by	Bernie Kukoff Janet Leahy
Directed by	Ellen Falcon
← 7x02 Bird in the Hand	7x04 → Period of Adjustment
The Cosby Show — Season Seven

Guest Stars: Earle Hyman, Clarice Taylor, Deon Richmond

Plot Overview

With Martin soon to join the family as Denise's husband, a couple of Huxtables are planning celebratory events to welcome Martin into the family. Cliff is planning a barbecue, while Theo is putting the final details on a bachelor party. Theo's decision to hire a stripper will — upon Sondra and Denise finding out — soon pit the Huxtable men against the women.

First, Theo's older sisters confront him about his decision to hire the stripper, contending that female stripteases are sexist and degrading. Martin and Elvin are quickly drawn into the discussion, and it quickly boils into an argument when the men's attitudes reveal apparent condoning and endorsement of female nudity as entertainment: Denise won't believe Martin when he says he objected to the idea, and Elvin's remarks reveal that Sondra's attempts to "reform" her husband's one-time sexist views were less than successful. Clair sides with the women and scolds Theo in front of everyone for hiring a stripper, saying she taught him better. Cliff — perhaps preoccupied by the barbecue — offers a token comment expressing disgust toward nude entertainment.

Martin and Elvin later fight back with an argument that women seem to think that male stripping is just fine, which causes their significant others to become defensive. The fight rolls over to the barbecue, and things temporarily cool off only when Cliff's parents arrive and share the story of Russell's bachelor party (from the 1930s). However, when Anna is alone with Russell, the two bicker about "that story" about the stripper, and things get hairy once again.

In the end, everyone realizes that Cliff worked hard to make the family barbecue a success and had envisioned an afternoon of camraderie and good times instead of arguing. They decide they need to resolve the argument once and for all ... which they do when the women (reluctantly) concede that Martin and the guys will probably have their night of fun, and that Russell admits that he was always thinking of Anna on his last night out as a single man lo those many years ago.