Bill Cosby

[Marco Dane]

This maybe a stretch... Personally I kinda knew something was off about Bill Cosby. I love both of his shows but I am talking about the person not the doctor and father on "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World". Rape is Rape plain and simple but if he did this I hope he is willing to atone for his actions and pray for forgiveness. But I always had in the back of my mind of why Lisa Bonet suddenly left the show to join another... Was it because of his actions or hers... Now I am just starting rumors and conjecture. But seriously if he did this I will be looking at him differently.

[Cheap21]

If the allegations are true, I hope his ass is thrown in jail and he burns in hell

[alphanguy74]

He's done alot of great work in his life. Even if it WAS true, it still doesn't erase the good things, although I know some people are praying for it to be true, because they can feel morally superior while continuing to sell crack. I'll always cherish my memories of Fat Albert, no matter what. People are still flocking to see the Motown musical, even though it was revealed years ago that Berry Gordy was pimp and was sued by almost half of his acts.

Edited November 18, 2014 by alphanguy74

[DRW50]

I seriously question this.

Most of the people who are talking about this are people who believe the women claiming to be his victims. I don't think it's about knocking Bill Cosby off a pedestal.

I don't know how I feel, because it's mostly accusations and denials.

I will say that I find it questionable that Whoopi Goldberg is using her TV platform to cast doubts on his accusers. Unfortunately she's gone to bat for so many celebrities who have done awful things that she's made herself a poor character witness.

Edited November 18, 2014 by DRW50

[Juliajms]

He'll get away with it just like Stephen Collins because too much time as passed. I have a hard time believing that 13 woman just made this up out of nowhere.

[Eric83]

Selling crack?WTF?

Him having a successful television show doesn't excuse him from being a rapist pig. If true he should go to prison but time and Hollywood will protect him.

Honestly f-ck Whoopi. She toes the line and says whatever TPTB wants her to say in regards to some of these stars. The only time I agreed with her was Michael Jackson as he was cleared after two thorough FBI investigations and the media had no problem labeling him a molestor. Edited November 18, 2014 by Eric83

[marceline]

And with that ends any chance of having a decent conversation in this thread.

[Vee]

Bill Cosby is a TV and comedy legend, and over the decades he has used his show and his media platform to do great things for the entertainment landscape. He is also most likely everything he is being accused of, IMO. Tragic, but there we are.

[Juliajms]

I agree with you Vee. Part of it has to do with the tendency to hero worship celebrities in the first place. I'm as guilty of this as anyone at times. I've seen more than one person say that they feel their childhood has been destroyed because of these allegations. I find it sad as hell that a TV daddy meant that much to someone, but part of me gets it. We want to believe that kind of idealize version of family exists somewhere.

[alphanguy74]

I think it might be people who didn't have good parents that would look up to someone such as him to that extent. Many people admire him, like I do... but to feel your childhood destroyed? It's just a TV show, after all.

[DRW50]

It's not just about having bad parents. Society teaches us to heavily identify with celebrities, and TV is such an intimate part of our lives, this is just multiplied. Bill Cosby was an integral part of our lives for decades. Not just with his sitcoms, not even just with Fat Albert. He did Jello commercials for decades. Even shows that most don't remember, like Picture Pages - I loved Picture Pages.

We keep these images in our mind even as we forget those who were there with us on a daily basis when we were kids. That's just how life works.

I just hope people will not attack the women who are making these accusations.

Edited November 18, 2014 by DRW50

[Vee]

These allegations are not new; they've been around decades. We were just able to avoid or dismiss them for a long time. I know I wanted to. But when I first heard them - and some of the rumblings about Lisa Bonet - I also wondered.

I doubt this will put a serious dent in him, but he is forever tarnished now, not unlike Roman Polanski or Woody Allen. (Though I would argue his brand is potentially more damaged.) I do think he has done great, great things, and I think it's very sad. But I can't pity him - I pity the rest of us, and the alleged victims, more.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Vee

[DRW50]

It's easier for directors; even with Woody Allen, who acted in most of his films, it was easier, because he was never portrayed as very likeable.

I felt stupid when I read that these have been around for a long time, as I'd never heard about them until a few weeks ago.

[Cheap21]

He's a damn hypocrite if true. The first to pass judgement and talk down to people for their behavior and look at this mess?

[Vee]

I think the Woody Allen and Polanski issues are very complicated and I'm not even going to begin to get into that. (Chit knows where I stand on the former.) I think their behavior was reprehensible. But I respect their work.

It's the same here, but only to a point - I'll always treasure my childhood memories of him, but with Cosby I think there are a lot more layers and undercurrents. Part of it is the sheer volume of multiple accusers, of a long pattern of abuses; I first heard about this sometime in the '90s, but I know it goes way back. Then it would pop up again and again over the years, and there were vague unsourced rumors about his conduct with Lisa Bonet, etc. You didn't want to believe it, really, he was America's Dad.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Vee