Micmat, I explicitly said BEFORE Bill Cosby’s failings were known.
EK seemed to object to Bill Cosby “lecturing” the AA community even before his failings were known. I said I didn’t see what was wrong with his message back then. I agree of course he has no standing now.
Well, you can be imperfect without destroying your ability to be a role model and to give uplifting messages. But you can’t be EXTREMELY imperfect and keep up that role. Perhaps there’s a difference of agreement about whether cheating on your wife–what is it, 30 times Cosby essentially admitted?–is extreme imperfection or not. It seems we all agree that drugging women and having sex with them qualifies as extreme imperfection.
Right. I don’t think anyone is arguing that Bill Cosby has any standing now to lecture anyone about anything.
EK, what I"m asking is …
Cast your mind back to BEFORE Cosby’s failings were known. When he was (as far as we all knew) an upstanding member of the community who had achieved success in the comedy and sitcom worlds.
What was wrong with his lecturing the AA community from his position as wealthy celebrity?
I misunderstood your post, @Pizzagirl. I thought you meant that because Bill Cosby was perceived as being a credible figure/upstanding role model at that time, his messages still are valid and credible given what we currently know. I don’t think that you need to be a morally upright person to have valuable insights (most of the brilliant Greek philosophers were alcoholics and/or not the greatest people), but I think that it took the rug out from a lot of people, especially blacks, who looked up to Cosby. I think it’s why a lot of MLK’s failings or other influential figures’ mistakes are forgotten.
The message does have less value. The message isn’t less correct, but it doesn’t have the same effect it would if he were to practice what he preached. Should all the Catholics who left the Church after the priest scandals have stayed just because their overarching message coincided with their beliefs? I certainly don’t have the universal answer to questions like that, and I don’t know if one exists. I think it comes down to personal preference and values. I certainly have less respect for people who deceive others for their own benefit and use their influence to exert power on impressionable people. That’s the textbook-case for manipulative tendencies and it’s a pretty disgusting behavior.
It causes a lot of damage to the community. It makes the youth stop believing what the role models say.
I suggest reading Michael Eric Dyson for his take on how Cosby blames poor blacks for the impact racism has on their lives. The wealthy white Republicians ate it up, but donating money shouldn’t make you above criticism or examination.
I found his lecturing to be far from uplifting. It was more the rantings of a cranky old man. He seemed obsessed with baggy pants and equating them with some sort of moral weakness. We had George Zimmerman shoot someone because he looked “suspicious” for wearing a hoodie. Should we really stereotype fashions as criminal, even if they’re clearly sloppy and unprofessional?
I seem to remember a lot of Cosby exhortations to stay in school. He wore those college sweatshirts on his show for a reason - to raise awareness of the concept of “college is something to shoot for.” He was very active with his alma mater, Temple University (who btw has now removed him from their board, I believe). I don’t see what’s so controversial about that.
And, of course if you want to be taken seriously in society, you don’t wear baggy pants. Duh.
Yes, baggy pants don’t look too professional. Better to be not taken seriously in baggy pants than to be committing crimes and manipulating people. Teenagers will grow out of their baggy pants and odd piercings eventually, we hope. Pants are harmless. Baggy pants are silly. At least the young men wearing them usually wear a snappy pair of boxers underneath since they know they’ll be showing.
Oh please. I was proud to live 2 houses from him in grad school. My cousins organizations hired him for thousands to be a keynote speaker. Such a disappointment I’ll never watch his shows again.
Well, Its not as if there aren’t other entertainers with less questionable ethics/ behavior to give your time and attention to. It’s a big world out there, no reason to compromise.
Reviving the thread. Cosby is counter-suing 7 of the accusers for defamation of character. Really now.
Yeah, well, good luck with that.
Dude, when you’ve already admitted to drugging women so you can have sex with them, you haven’t got any character left to defame.
Here we go – He’s been charged.
Finally.
What’s the statute of limitations on this stuff if the victim is not a minor?
Believe in Pennsylvania a victim over the age of 18 has 12 years to report the assault. If you under the age of 18 at the time of the assault you have 12 years from the date of your 18th birthday.
So if this woman was not a minor at the time of the assault, then the statute will run out sometime in 2016. NY Times is reporting the assault took place in 2004.
I heard on the news that the statute of limitations is 12 years, as @HarvestMoon1 states above. So it looks like they’re going to sneak this in just under the wire.
Another case in CA may also lead to an arraignment.