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| Bill Cosby |
“To Non-Effect”
(The Case of Bill Cosby. Memories on Trial in my Mind and Heart)
By Glenn Peppers
So, question is!... Does this latest and most definitely shocking barrage of allegations of rape put against Bill Cosby make all of his work that he has done from say, the middle 1960's up to now, Non Effective?
How are we who've grown up loving Cosby’s work, his comedy, and his many talented facets and modes of entertainment to now view him, as he smugly sits by and says nothing in his defense of these awful charges of rape and abuse? Accusations that apparently a slew of women in the entertainment business have come forth and unloaded in a firestorm media blitzed, Public Trial by Fire! And this isn't just one person crying rape mind you! There are many women coming out of the woodwork, revealing decades of horrible experiences of rape, control and abuse, at the hands of one Bill Cosby!
Amazing! Even when I say Bill Cosby and Rape out loud in the same sentence, it doesn't even compute! My mind goes into shutdown at the thought! Hey guys, Cosby to me was Fat Albert back in 1969 when I was a kid! Cosby's Fat Albert was one of only two african american cartoons available on TV when I was growing up! Yes Two!... The Jackson 5 Cartoon, and Fat Albert!
Bill Cosby was the first black male actor on television to play a federal agent on a network television show, in a role that made him actually look pretty darn cool! This wasn't a role where he was grinning and shuffling and jiving, or playing a butler or a slave. Cosby was Scotty on “I Spy!” He was Chet Kincaid on "The Bill Cosby Show!" On comedy albums, he was "The Chicken Heart!" and “Noah!”
Bill Cosby had full network backing way back in the racially charged 1960's, as NBC and Kraft foods sponsored Bill Cosby’s various “Bill Cosby Comedy Specials” on the NBC network! In my mind, I'm saying to myself, "Cosby is not a rapist! He couldn't be!" Hell, I ate fruity Jello cups and Jello Pudding Pops because of those damned commercials! I even remember the song, "JELLO!"
Cosby was the man who said it was cool to eat cake for breakfast on one of his comedy albums! "This guy couldn’t have raped any women!" Well, so my memories and iconic biases and ideals want to tell me!
Bill Cosby had full network backing way back in the racially charged 1960's, as NBC and Kraft foods sponsored Bill Cosby’s various “Bill Cosby Comedy Specials” on the NBC network! In my mind, I'm saying to myself, "Cosby is not a rapist! He couldn't be!" Hell, I ate fruity Jello cups and Jello Pudding Pops because of those damned commercials! I even remember the song, "JELLO!"
Cosby was the man who said it was cool to eat cake for breakfast on one of his comedy albums! "This guy couldn’t have raped any women!" Well, so my memories and iconic biases and ideals want to tell me!
How is it that this man who has done so much can (and just might) lose everything in the twinkling of a chicken heartbeat over simple accusation alone? And at his age! I mean everything, all at once, and in his golden years! Think of it. All that he has achieved and worked for over the last 50 years, gone! Every aspect of his life up for question! In the end, Cosby’s life could show itself as meaningless, and totally suspect!
As I write, situations that arise from the past begin to come to mind. Like the woman who claimed Cosby was her father, and it turned out that through DNA testing, Cosby was indeed her father! Well, like many others out here when confronted with media “Icon Reality Jolts" like this, I simply pushed it aside. The media dropped it, and the issue just seemed to somehow fade away onto the tabloid cutting room floor! There was one other thing that I was somewhat always left in the dark about. And it was that riff between Lisa Bonet and Cosby! The way he fired her from the Cosby Show because (as I heard it) Bonet did a nude love scene in the movie, "Angel Heart," with actor Mickey Rourke, way back in the latter 1980's.
"My gosh," I'm thinking. Maybe Cosby black balled Lisa Bonet too! The poor girl was barely seen by anybody until, "A Different World" came out as a television series! and the the very last thing I saw her in was the Will Smith movie, "Enemy of the State!" My gosh, all this time, I had put these things out of my mind, or just didn't give them a second thought! But not these latest string of events! Oh no!... These accusations were not going away that easily!
These accusations are on the forefront of everyone's mind, and are hot items in tabloid media!... And that's the problem I'm having with this! Its too organized. Too On Time! Still, this is news, balls out and to the wall! Yet again, something is wrong! Why is this all so timely, and so convenient? So all these women just suddenly out of the blue decided to come out of the woodwork and publicly stand up against Bill Cosby's tyrannical conduct and abuse! Just like that?
As I write, situations that arise from the past begin to come to mind. Like the woman who claimed Cosby was her father, and it turned out that through DNA testing, Cosby was indeed her father! Well, like many others out here when confronted with media “Icon Reality Jolts" like this, I simply pushed it aside. The media dropped it, and the issue just seemed to somehow fade away onto the tabloid cutting room floor! There was one other thing that I was somewhat always left in the dark about. And it was that riff between Lisa Bonet and Cosby! The way he fired her from the Cosby Show because (as I heard it) Bonet did a nude love scene in the movie, "Angel Heart," with actor Mickey Rourke, way back in the latter 1980's.
"My gosh," I'm thinking. Maybe Cosby black balled Lisa Bonet too! The poor girl was barely seen by anybody until, "A Different World" came out as a television series! and the the very last thing I saw her in was the Will Smith movie, "Enemy of the State!" My gosh, all this time, I had put these things out of my mind, or just didn't give them a second thought! But not these latest string of events! Oh no!... These accusations were not going away that easily!
These accusations are on the forefront of everyone's mind, and are hot items in tabloid media!... And that's the problem I'm having with this! Its too organized. Too On Time! Still, this is news, balls out and to the wall! Yet again, something is wrong! Why is this all so timely, and so convenient? So all these women just suddenly out of the blue decided to come out of the woodwork and publicly stand up against Bill Cosby's tyrannical conduct and abuse! Just like that?
As a result of all this, presently as it stands, Bill Cosby could be heralded as one of the most hated persons in the world today! How does one deal with that notion? How does his poor wife, Camille deal with any of this? I guess like she’s always had to. Quietly, and behind closed doors!
Off the record, I remember back in the day, a lot of people once questioned Cosby's niceness as well as his clout and uncanny influential media power when actress Denise Nicholas (of 60's television show "Room 222" fame) married (“Lean on Me”) recording artist, Bill Withers.
It was said that Withers was quite abusive to Nicholas. "And what of it," you say? Well put it this way!... Rumor had it that Mr. Cosby (who at the time was real good friends with Denise Nicholas) made Bill Withers' life a living hell because of this alleged abuse against his friend, blackballing him (somehow) in the record industry!
Now mind you, this is only a rumor, yet it is one of many of its kind that I've heard over the years concerning Bill Cosby’s behavior and imperialistic media prowess gone wild. As far as this story goes, I to this day truthfully, and strongly I still question the Bill Withers story as far as there being any kind of real truth to it!
It was said that Withers was quite abusive to Nicholas. "And what of it," you say? Well put it this way!... Rumor had it that Mr. Cosby (who at the time was real good friends with Denise Nicholas) made Bill Withers' life a living hell because of this alleged abuse against his friend, blackballing him (somehow) in the record industry!
Now mind you, this is only a rumor, yet it is one of many of its kind that I've heard over the years concerning Bill Cosby’s behavior and imperialistic media prowess gone wild. As far as this story goes, I to this day truthfully, and strongly I still question the Bill Withers story as far as there being any kind of real truth to it!
Getting back to what I touched on at the outset! Even if these allegations all happen to be proven true somehow. Does this make Bill Cosby’s lifelong body of work to Non-Effect? They even yanked "The Cosby Show" from Nick at Nite's nightly line up! Double standard? You tell me! You remember all the crazy things a mentally deranged and drugged out Charlie Sheen did and said. yet they never canceled or yanked "Two and a Half Men" off the air!
A drug crazed and addicted lifestyle didn't stop Robert Downey Jr. from rising above the muck either! He put his past so far put behind him that he one day became Iron Man! From drugged out '80's Brat-Pack Star to a super hero. Overnight! Imagine that!
And what of the ocean of other many stars in the entertainment realm; some of whom we may have lost respect for, because they appear to have fallen from grace? Taken down byway of something they’ve said or done, other than being a supposed newly discovered rapist or murderer!
Should we not look at any Robin Williams' movies anymore because we are angry at the fact that he took his own life? In doing so, does knowing that Williams committed suicide make it that much harder to watch his many movies, or his body of work on television? Should they be banned from television as well?
A drug crazed and addicted lifestyle didn't stop Robert Downey Jr. from rising above the muck either! He put his past so far put behind him that he one day became Iron Man! From drugged out '80's Brat-Pack Star to a super hero. Overnight! Imagine that!
And what of the ocean of other many stars in the entertainment realm; some of whom we may have lost respect for, because they appear to have fallen from grace? Taken down byway of something they’ve said or done, other than being a supposed newly discovered rapist or murderer!
Should we not look at any Robin Williams' movies anymore because we are angry at the fact that he took his own life? In doing so, does knowing that Williams committed suicide make it that much harder to watch his many movies, or his body of work on television? Should they be banned from television as well?
I know I'm comparing apples to oranges here as far as situations go, but in essence, the feelings we as viewers might share are somewhat the same in that because of real-life situations, these real live people that we revere and put on a pedestal, have suddenly become human! All at once, they are no longer these bigger than life, TV and Movie Stars that we've made them out to be.
They have by way of reality (in an odd and humbling sort of way) become more like us! In fact, more like people you or I may know in real life; and not necessarily people we may like a whole lot either! John Lennon once said, "Aspire not to meet your Idols for they will almost always disappoint you!"
They have by way of reality (in an odd and humbling sort of way) become more like us! In fact, more like people you or I may know in real life; and not necessarily people we may like a whole lot either! John Lennon once said, "Aspire not to meet your Idols for they will almost always disappoint you!"
Finding out that Bill Cosby may be a serial rapist is like finding out that your kindly ole' grandfather was stalking school girls back when you were in middle school! Maybe this is why these women and/or girls hadn't come forth earlier! Maybe they themselves couldn't believe what had happened to them! But why now and not then?
Aside from the horror of being raped by a beloved television star, imagine these women's whole idea of someone they may have looked up to at one time, all at once totally ruined! Think of how hurt and disappointed they may have been! Imagine all those years hiding and keeping a secret like that!
Maybe they felt what many other people would have felt. That feeling of "Maybe I shouldn’t come out with this, because Bill Cosby is loved by so many people?" This had to have driven them crazy! If these things happened, I believe they were afraid and felt powerless to do anything about their situation. When you look at the situation like that, I truly cannot blame them for not speaking up right away!
Aside from the horror of being raped by a beloved television star, imagine these women's whole idea of someone they may have looked up to at one time, all at once totally ruined! Think of how hurt and disappointed they may have been! Imagine all those years hiding and keeping a secret like that!
Maybe they felt what many other people would have felt. That feeling of "Maybe I shouldn’t come out with this, because Bill Cosby is loved by so many people?" This had to have driven them crazy! If these things happened, I believe they were afraid and felt powerless to do anything about their situation. When you look at the situation like that, I truly cannot blame them for not speaking up right away!
I cannot imagine holding all this in for as long as some of them may have, and at the same time thinking, "I wouldn't want to ruin the public’s ideal and image of Bill Cosby as this perfect "Cosby Show" father figure, iconic stand up comedian, and actor, cartoon creator, and TV and movie producer.
Aside from Sammy Davis Jr., we’re talking about a man who at that day and time was someone on the order (power-wise) of Bob Hope. Cosby could practically call his own shots at NBC back when black folks were still protesting and fighting to sit at lunch counters in the south! The man was and is a television pioneer, and was a most cordial ambassador for people of color the world over! Bill Cosby and the word Rape in the same breath?... You've got to be kidding me! Something does not compute!
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| Bill Cosby and Sammy davis Jr. playing poker |
Aside from Sammy Davis Jr., we’re talking about a man who at that day and time was someone on the order (power-wise) of Bob Hope. Cosby could practically call his own shots at NBC back when black folks were still protesting and fighting to sit at lunch counters in the south! The man was and is a television pioneer, and was a most cordial ambassador for people of color the world over! Bill Cosby and the word Rape in the same breath?... You've got to be kidding me! Something does not compute!
If true, I know that not any of those women wanted to be the one to come out against Cosby with this kind of thing first, as the weight behind such news would have been tremendous had they not been able to prove or substantiate such a thing! Not even with the coborating testimony of other women who have made claims against Cosby!
The very idea of such information eventually destroying a man who spent a lifetime helping break down the walls of segregation, and prejudice on television, and in motion pictures throughout the 1960's and 70's and 1980's had to be overwhelming! One that must have made them stop in their tracks!
The very idea of such information eventually destroying a man who spent a lifetime helping break down the walls of segregation, and prejudice on television, and in motion pictures throughout the 1960's and 70's and 1980's had to be overwhelming! One that must have made them stop in their tracks!
If this man is guilty of these crimes, his downfall wouldn't be the fault of any of these women. Not at all! The fall of Bill Cosby would be one that he and he alone would have to take full responsibility for! A fall that I don’t think he could ever fully recover from and endure, as he is well along in his years. Such a major demolition of the House of Cosby could prove to be quite debilitating, and soul destroying to say the least.
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| Cosby with The Jackson 5 on the "Going Back to Indiana" TV Special |
In the meantime, what do I do with all these images stuck in my head! Does this incident make my good memories to Non-Effect as well? What do I do with all the sounds of laughter and the positive images I harbor in my mind that were set forth over a lifetime? Do I mentally erase all those funny Tonight Show segments with Cosby and Carson. Or Cosby and Leno? Or how about Cosby and Fallon? How about Cosby on the Ed Sullivan Show? Yeah, he goes back that far with me!
Tell me, how do I not watch "Uptown Saturday Night" ever again? How do I watch or listen to his work with the same tears in my eyes that I spill whenever I watch "Mrs. Doubtfire or Mork and Mindy?” Do I now close a blind eye at Cosby's blemish of rape as I did for Mel Gibson's insane behavior, and ugly racial video tirades, every time I watch one of my favorite movies of all time with him in, "Lethal Weapon?"
Do I close my eyes as to what kind of man Bill Cosby quite possibly can be, as I do when I watch my favorite John Wayne movies, knowing fully knowing that Wayne had such hatred and disdain and disrespect for black people in real life?
One things is certain. I said it once, and I'll repeat it again. John Lennon's quote of: "Aspire not to meet your Idols. For they will almost always disappoint you!" is so true! As far as favorite stars as well as anyone goes. This saying has become a mantra, and a most cherished and guarded defense mechanism for me to depend upon!
I say, "Let’s be our own heroes! Let's look at the world at hand and love people for who they are, and yet not worship them! Let us all toot our own horn on our own glorious walk of life! And never believe everything we hear, see and read in the media!
I say, "Let’s be our own heroes! Let's look at the world at hand and love people for who they are, and yet not worship them! Let us all toot our own horn on our own glorious walk of life! And never believe everything we hear, see and read in the media!
Glenn Peppers November 20, 2014
Updated: Nov 21st at 9:18am 2014
Updated: Nov 24th at 7:43am 2014
Updated: Nov 21st at 9:18am 2014
Updated: Nov 24th at 7:43am 2014
