The Cosby Show

(Warning:  I will try to keep this as G-rated as possible because I believe in family-friendly posts.  If for some reason you feel that you cannot read this post in front of your child, you have my permission not to do so)

(Warning:  Affiliate ink ahead).

(2015) Wikipedia.com

I had changed my blog from covering everything that was celebrity based (I.E. Dance Moms) and how I feel about celebrities, to how to write, and my views on the world.  As the title suggests, I have returned for one post ONLY to the celebrity based view, with a twist, it is my view on the world.

My view this time is on The Cosby Show.  I want you to know that this was my favorite show, and I am going to tell you why.  Because finally African Americans were shown doing the same things as White Americans.  We were shown having decent jobs, decent activities, and a decent life.  In case you have been under a rock or did not grow up with a television in the home, the story is quite simple.  It was a story of a man and woman, a WORKING man and woman, who happened to be an Obstetrician and a Lawyer, AND African American.  They have 5 children (4 when the pilot debuted, the 5^th child was added by the 3^rd airing), and they were your typical children, dealing with growing up in mainstream society.   It was a normal life, having dinner parties, celebrating anniversaries, dealing with school, work situations, and disciplining of the children.  In other words, they closely represented my childhood.  My father, who was not quite like Dr. Cliff Huxtable, had a job in the military, then the post office.  My mother was not quite like Clair Huxtable, working as a lawyer, but mom worked in retail.  My siblings and I were your typical kids.  A match made in heaven for me or was it?

A few years ago, I was standing in line at my favorite grocery store, when I saw this headline, “Cosby has another child”.  I thought nothing about it, since I admired this man so much, and since it was on a “rag” paper, and not the Columbus “Disgrace”, my name for the local paper, The Columbus Dispatch, I thought it was a hoax, so I ignored it. 

Next, last year, like so many of you, I saw where Mr. Cosby had written a book, Cosby: His Life and Times (September 16, 2014), and I wanted to get it, one day.  As soon as this book hit the bookstore, a woman accused him of these now famous accusations, and I thought, “This woman is out for money, how dare she?”  As weeks grew and women came forward with the same thing, I kept thinking, “Opportunists, all of them.  They are bitter old hags, who either became so washed-up in their careers, or was turned down by Mr. Cosby, and now that they ran out of money, they want retribution.  How dare they do that to my favorite TV Dad?”  I really got angry when Beverley Johnson, a former supermodel, came out with the same thing, then later lied about it, I was convinced that all of these women was lying about it as well. For those of us who believed Bill Cosby, we all were convinced.  Even his own cast members were on his side.  But, there are several bible verses that talk about things that are hidden or in secret, which will soon come to light, and neither I nor the rest of the world, or even Bill Cosby himself would see this one coming.  A LOCKED COURT DOCUMENT! This is the problem about locked documents, they tell so many secrets.

After we all thought we have heard the last of this case, and Bill Cosby can go back to his college tours, and trying to secure the rest of his retirement, up pops this document, and in it, Mr. Cosby admitted to using Quaaludes on the woman, who was doing the suing, in order to get her to perform (and I am not talking about loosening her up for a part on A Different World, another show that I loved), but to perform sex acts.   I could not believe what I was hearing.  Bill Cosby, Comedian, Television #1 dad, Educator, Hot Dog lover (he loves Dirty Frank’s on High Street, and they have a hot dog named after Mr. Cosby), AND a pervert?  How could he?  Why did he do it?  I sat there, and I cried.  I loved his first HBO Special when he talked about his wife Camille giving birth.  This was the routine that was based off the whole first season of The Cosby Show.  He loved education so much, until he created A Different World, because it gave his television daughter, Lisa Bonet (who played Denise Huxtable), a chance to spread her wings, but came onto her own controversy later on, and the reason why she was fired in the first time.  How can I now look at this show (The Cosby Show) in the same way that I did when the show first aired.  It was my “go to” show when I see that all other shows today that suck, and I need something to watch.   I remember videotaping the final episode, but when I find it, I am not sure I can watch it now.  It was quite comical, as all of The Cosby Show episodes are.

I started to explain the episode, and now I cannot.  I am even sitting here on the verge of tears, that I am so angry at Bill Cosby now.   I read a blog post from Joseph C. Phillips, who played Denise’s husband Martin on the show last week.  He was 29 at the time of the show and he talked about the “parade of women” coming on the set looking for Mr. Cosby.  He also talked about how as a young boy, he admired Mr. Cosby, because Mr. Cosby showed him in many ways how to be a father, an African American man, and now Joseph is very disappointed with him.  That is how I feel too. 

I feel like I was let down, but that is where the bible talks about why you should not follow mankind because they will disappoint every time.   We should aspire to be like Jesus, not man.   Jesus would never do something like this to anyone.  He was compassionate, humble, told it like it was.  He never judged people, which is why I will never understand why certain Christians choose to judge Homosexuals and other people, you would have to read my post of my views on that. 

I do not hate Mr. Cosby, but I do hate what he has done.   He has ruined so many careers including his own, until it was just sick, and he is sick.  The best thing for him to do, is to just retire, and get out of the limelight.  He needs to find a quiet place for him and his wife to just sit, play with the grandchildren, and make an appearance ever now and then.  I am sure there are people who will buy his latest book, including maybe I.