Bill Cosby

[Mr. Vixen]

I don't know why, but reading that I just had this haunting feeling that the friend he mentioned was Tempestt Bledsoe or Lisa Bonet…I hope I'm wrong.

[Vee]

Oh, God, I hope not.

I don't agree with a fraction of Joseph Phillips' opinions on politics or a lot of other things, but I have always admired him as an actor, first as Martin on Cosby then as the one true Justus Ward on GH - I just loved him on the show. I have a little more respect for him as a person now for this integrity.

[Vee]

I didn't realize that Whoopi apparently said yesterday that the execs were on her about her fighting with the audience about her Cosby opinions last week. I'm sure she was forced to eat crow because her job was (finally) on the line.

Here Deadline's take on the entire affair, where they somehow created a setpiece where Dan Abrams came in to "explain" the law to Whoopi Goldberg so she could then do her mea culpa. I don't care why she did it, I just care that she got told.

Here, also, is John Oliver's hilarious takedown of her from Last Week Tonight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dkQ3t7tnds

Edited July 15, 2015 by Vee

[MissLlanviewPA]

I was wondering that, too.

That was a great read. I don't think he should just go out in the country, of course, but given that the statue of limitations has most likely run out for most of these women, I understand what he's saying and do agree that he needs to stay out of the spotlight. That's really his only option now.

[ReddFoxx]

Since the allegations broke, I've wondered if Lisa Bonet was one of the women Cosby drugged. It's possible that "A Different World" was part of some deal to keep her quiet, because if she had spoke up back then, that would have tanked his legacy right then. She would get away from Bill, and still get a paycheck. Then again, she ended up back on "The Cosby Show" for a couple of years. The truth probably won't come out, but I believe that her clash with Cosby might have been over some very serious and personal.

[MissLlanviewPA]

For some reason I can't see Lisa Bonet coming forward with anything she knows even if she was a victim herself. Isn't she a pretty private person nowadays? Has she done any recent interviews?

[quartermainefan]

John Oliver left out he defense of Michael Vick.

Whoopi Goldberg is exhibit A that being famous is not qualification enough to host a talk show. She has as much credibility on any given topic as Sarah Palin, maybe less. The View, if it had any respect for its audience, would get rid of this woman since she is perpetually wrong on just about every topic. They should feel a responsibility to their audience even a little, but then again the sheep that is her audience deserves no respect. When she was yammering on about innocent til proven guilty and this being America, those ditzy women in the audience applauded her. Why? Why did they applaud her idiocy? And here they are now applauding her changing her mind. So in effect, the View's audience are basically trained seals who will clap on command for even the dumbest host.

So much for she bring the only one in the room making sense. She stopped making sense I guess according to some circles.

[Khan]

I have a feeling the "friend" Phillips is talking about is Erika Alexander. Don't ask me why, I just do.

[heffer]

I think I agree with you Khan. From what Phillips was writing, it didn't really sound like he was talking about any of the TV "daughters" and Erika would fit the description. Could be wrong though.

[Eric83]

I doubt it was Tempsett Bledsoe as she was a minor for the duration of the Cosby show run. I don't think it was Lisa Bonet either. I think their conflict came from her not being picture perfect and doing things like that movie Angel Heart and getting pregnant. Cosby is a very controlling individual- I'll never forget how he fired the actor who played Cockroach because he wanted him to cut his hair.

[Vee]

Oh, not Erika.

[marceline]

Obama was asked about taking away Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/07/15/why-bill-cosbys-presidential-medal-of-freedom-wont-be-taken-away/

[Khan]

Okay, then, how about Karen Malina White? Or maybe the one girl who played Vanessa's BFF, Janet?

[Vee]

They're all horrible thoughts, really.

I don't know if Cos ever made a move on Lisa Bonet. I do know there were whispers about his maybe making an advance on her going back a long time. I think it was largely an issue of control and his creepy paternalism and the show brand, but so much of that respectability schtick now seems inextricably melded with his fetishes and predatory behavior in all sorts of serpentine ways. I wouldn't be surprised if his controlling attitude re: Bonet was intertwined with something far worse. It almost certainly was on a mental level, the question is did he attempt to act on it?

Edited July 16, 2015 by Vee

[Khan]

Well, there IS that one moment during the legendary Ray Charles lip sync and dance when she surprised him by bumping him with her butt....