How Smart Guy's T.J. Henderson Changed the Narrative of High School Popularity & Academics

Remember back in the day watching TV shows or movies that centered around high schoolers and the different groups or “cliques?” There were the jocks and the cheerleaders, the debate team, the theater kids, and of course the intellectually gifted students. Many kids had this perception that going to high school was equivalent to a popularity contest where if you weren’t hanging out with the “cool” kids, your experience was going to be a social nightmare. Side note: I am not afraid to admit, that was once me. I wanted to hang out with the cheerleaders and party after football games. I was a pretty smart kid and wanted to continue to portray myself as someone who took their education seriously, yet had a bunch of friends.

I came across the 1997 comedy series, Smart Guy, about a ten year old child genius, T.J. Henderson (Tahj Mowry), who was supposed to be in the fourth grade, but because of his intellect skipped middle school and went straight to high school. Ironically, he attended the same high school as his older brother Marcus (Jason Weaver) and sister Evette (Essence Atkins). Although he was academically gifted, he was still an “elementary student” at heart.

T.J. was the token role model for Black youth

One thing we can all admire about the Smart Guy series, isn’t only the fact that the premise involves a child prodigy, but also that this child is Black. With the depiction of many television characters, especially in the ‘90s and 2000s, excelling because they are either athletic or talented in the arts, T.J. challenged misconceptions about Black characters and academics in the media at that time. The show made sure to highlight that fourth grade education did not challenge T.J. His intellect was far too advanced for his peers his age.

Encouraged & Promoted Education

In the Black community, becoming an athlete, musician, or pursuing any other field in the arts was highly celebrated. Many shows depicted Black characters who were skilled in sports, especially basketball and football, where the young athlete would be encouraged to pursue an athletic career. These characters were often living in economically disadvantaged communities, and struggling financially. Becoming a professional athlete was the “only way” to “make it out” of poverty. Unlike movies and shows that portrayed the struggling athlete, Smart Guy showed viewers that receiving an education no matter where you live or how much money your family has can bring you just as much - if not more - success.

Why being smart was perceived as not being “cool” and how T.J. challenged that narrative

T.J. Henderson challenged the stereotype of the socially created term “nerd” or “geek.” He didn’t wear bifocals, wasn’t socially awkward, and was pretty much “accepted” by his peers. Having an older brother and sister at the same school did help, but even when he felt isolated or unseen, he always found a way around it. He was extremely confident, and sometimes outsmarted his high school peers and even adults. His goofy, funny personality challenged the “nerdy” misconception about individuals who are academically gifted. 

Today, being smart is “cool”/ T.J was still a kid at heart

Compared to how being “too smart” previously meant you weren’t considered fun or cool, today, it is perceived as being useful, inspiring, and lucrative. Getting good grades equates to getting accepted into a good college or university, which is one of the many incentives. Watching shows like Smart Guy definitely motivated the youth to excel in their studies. Most importantly, although an academic genius, T.J. was still a kid, literally and at heart. He still had a sense of humor, enjoyed playing games, telling jokes, and laughed at the silliest things. His playfulness was displayed throughout the show, reminding viewers that although he was the top of his class, he still had his childlike qualities.