I vaguely remember Gunther reminiscing about the old-school black celebs who he met or came to his barbershop. It was always positive, and I'm not sure if those always had a punchline. Yearning about the glamour years of old, before it became crass, etc.
Also, Michelle used to just be "girl who Curtis had a crush on," like Jenny in Big Nate. Then some time in the last decade, they added "...who wants to be famous and is stuck up about it" to her character.
I'm pretty sure this happened before FBOFW introduced April's band and her friend the successful, touring bitch, but the angles are pretty similar. Both show the authors have no clue how the entertainment industry works, for one.
edit: I'm guessing TVC came to Curtis through the Curmudgeon. When it was running in the WashPost and the Montgomery Journal, I essentially read it on a daily basis for a decade. This is what I have taking up space in my brain.