Gitmo inmates fans of ‘Fresh Prince’

GlobalPost

Who can finish these lyrics? "In West Philadelphia born and raised…"

The majority of the world is familiar with Will Smith's "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song, including the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay. 

Gitmo Librarian Milton, a Defense Department contractor who only gave his first name to visiting journalists, told the Miami Herald, “I just ordered all six seasons," of the 90's classic. 

Milton gave no additional details as to why there was such a sudden rise in popularity of the half-hour sit-com about a kid from Philadelphia moving in with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. 

Before the Prince, there was Potter. Milton noted that prior to the prisoners new found love of Will Smith, they were enamored with the Harry Potter series. But Milton added, they are so over that. 

"They're over that (Harry Potter); it's been more than a year."

According to NBC, many detainees apparently use the library's collection to help improve their English. "The inmates appeared to favor reading novels that feature side-by-side translation," NBC reported. According to the Herald, at least 10 copies of the Oxford English Dictionary had been ordered for the prisoners. 

NBC noted that the books and videos are used as an incentive for good behavior. Cooperative prisoners, who according to the Herald make up the majority of the detainees, can watch the show on flat-screen televisions bolted to the walls inside a plexiglass box almost around-the-clock in communal areas.

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