Entertainment
As classic as a deadpan Will looking into the camera when someone teed up a joke at their own expense, The Fresh Prince's one-liners still have snap in their delivery to this day. While most of the humor on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air focused on the back and forth banter between everyone in the family, there were plenty of snapbacks, repartees and zingers that went by quickly as the show's six seasons. Here's just a selection of 12 Fresh Prince one-liners that are so good, you might just work them into your your own quip pile.
With a wealth of one-liners, it's no surprise to learn the show was originated by a power couple of comedy, the Borowitzs. Andy Borowitz was behind one of the longest-running satire columns in the country, The Borowitz Report, and still writes for The New Yorker and other papers. His former wife Susan, meanwhile, wrote for Family Ties and Pleasantville. But the secret ingredient behind Fresh Prince's fish out of water premise was actually producer Quincy Jones. As Borowitz told Complex, "I remember Quincy quoting one of his daughters' phone messages from camp: 'Dad, the water here sucks—please FedEx Evian.' From stories like that, the character of Hilary was born." And from the Boriwitzs' pens came these amazing Fresh Prince one-liners.
1
"Any time you see a white guy in jail, you know he did something bad."
- Will, Season 1, "Mistaken Identity"
Oof, this one's still a little too relevant.
2
"Wooooooooooooooo...Somebody call the cops because it’s got to be illegal to look that good!”
- Will, Season 3, "Just Say Yo"
Will's cheesy one-liners could have an entire list of their own, but this one comes complete with sound effects.
3
"Ashley, look how much you've grown! Hilary, look how much you've grown! Carlton... hi."
- Aunt Hattie, Season 1, "Not With My Pig You Don't"
Oh, the shade of it all.
4
"Might I say you rate a perfect 10 on my niftiness meter?"
- Carlton, Season 1, "Clubba Hubba"
Even at his smoothest, Carlton's still a 10 on the Wholesome scale.
5
"What is exhilarating about strapping two sticks to your feet, flying down a hill at 90 miles an hour, and then slamming into a tree? This is L.A., man. If I wanted to get my head cracked, I'd star in the next Rodney King video."
- Will, Season 2, "Christmas Show"
Not exactly Christmas cheer here.
6
"Hey man, I'm from Philly. We had to save up to be poor!"
- Will, Season 3, "Will Gets Committed"
Dang, ranking on Philly pretty hard there, Will.
7
"Dad, don't do anything stupid! You haven't updated your will yet!"
- Carlton, Season 3, "Will Gets Committed"
As always Carlton remains loyal...to maintaining his yuppie lifestyle.
8
[To Tyriq] "Now, first of all. You should have known that watch was fake when you saw that the warranty was only for two hours." [To Jazz] "And you should have known the Jackson on the $20 ain't Jermaine."
- Will, Season 2, "Eyes On The Prize"
Will needs some smarter friends.
9
"I guess I can kiss heaven goodbye because it has got to be sin to look this good!"
- Will, Season 4, "Fresh Prince After Dark"
The Devil Wears Prep School.
10
"I've never been so humiliated in all my life. Blind people recognize me!"
- Trevor, Season 3, "Boyz In The Woods"
Trevor's ego was later shrunk down... as was the rest of him after his unfortunate bungee jump fail.
11
"Carlton, don't make me come down there!"
- Will, Season 3, "Hilary Gets A Job"
Ah, a classic in the "Carlton Is Short" canon.
12
"Oh, Geoffrey, I'm gonna miss you. Oh, we have to have a special going away dinner for you. What do you wanna make?"
- Hilary, Season 5, "I, Done"
Hilary remaining spoiled until the show's very end.
Though the Fresh Prince was on the air for only six seasons, it provided years' worth of sassy reparté for generations to come.
