A Few Words on Bill Cosby and These Not So Respectable Revelations

Bill Cosby is under a lot of scrutiny at the moment. 13 different accusers is a rather serious matter.

Ten years ago, Cosby made his infamous “Pound Cake” speech. Many have expressed agreement with the notion that the Black Community- particularly the Black working class has not “held up” its end of the bargain. Coincidentally, these same people have fallen silent in light of recent allegations. While the respectability politics routine has been picked up by other Black “thinkers” like Charles Barkley, its important to home in on the selective silence. After co-signing group slander, many are unable to come to grips with the individual behavior of a beloved public figure. This is the logic of individualism run amok: attack the many, but protect the few. The same people who will lionize a poorly conceived rant as worthy of serious consideration want to look the other way on this.

When Rush Limbaugh comes to your defense, that speaks volumes. I’d like for people to think through some of these things, and not see it as merely “piling on” Wealthy people have money and influence to hide behind from accountability, the same accountability that Cosby demands of the Black community.

 

With this, I open it up for comments.

Further reading:

Why Do African-American Superstars Like Chris Rock and Bill Cosby Go Out of Their Way to Stigmatize the Less Fortunate?

Bill Cosby is Helping To Destroy Respectability Politics
Cosby’s Campaign Against Black Workers

 

3 comments

  1. Like many people, I have been watching Bill Cosby and his reputation go down the drain at lightning speed. The request for Memes he sent on social media opened up a floodgate of controversial trolls and public outcry from a line of alleged victims too.

    As a person who grew up watching the Cosby show, I wanted to believe that none of this was true, but candidly… there’s too much to even think of ignoring.

    My mother always said to me “where there’s smoke there’s fire” and that (in this context) is simple to breakdown. If there was a single accuser we could all think it could be isolated and we’d question that person’s story.

    But as we’re seeing it today, there are more than 10 (which indicates a pattern), and based on his settlement and history of payments, we’re all now faced with the reality that he probably DID do this. so many people just can’t have the same horror story with the same details, it’s against logic to believe otherwise.

    I wanted to believe that this was all a farce, but there’s so much smoke that you know there’s a fire somewhere.

    Just wanted to add that I’m not surprised, he’s human and like most actors and public figures.. I bet you part of his G_d complex made him think he’d get away with it; a little hush money too.

    While I can’t take away from the good he did accomplish and the amount of effort he’s made to get the community to take ownership of their actions, his future efforts may all be overshadowed by his past actions.

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