Bill Cosby's public moralizing was his undoing

[webfact]

Bill Cosby's public moralizing was his undoing
DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, Bill Cosby cast himself as America's dad and then as America's granddad, a moralist with tough talk for young people about acting responsibly. It was that image that proved to be his undoing.

The judge who unsealed documents on Monday revealing Cosby's 2005 admission that he obtained quaaludes to give to young women before sex cited the comedian's public moralizing in deciding to release the testimony.

The testimony, from a decade-old lawsuit, has called into question Cosby's denials that he drugged and sexually assaulted women.

Cosby had fought the request from The Associated Press to unseal the material.

But U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno in Philadelphia ruled: "The stark contrast between Bill Cosby, the public moralist, and Bill Cosby, the subject of serious allegations concerning improper (and perhaps criminal) conduct, is a matter to which the AP — and by extension the public — has a significant interest."

Cosby's moralizing also triggered the most recent round of allegations by more than two dozen women who say he assaulted them. Last October, 31-year-old comedian Hannibal Buress set off the storm when he noted the contrast between Cosby's image and the accusations.

"He gets on TV, 'Pull your pants up, black people. I was on TV in the '80s! I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom!'" Buress said. "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches."

As leader of television's Huxtable clan in the 1980s, Cosby was the dad who did things right. It was a persona that made him beloved and rich.

And Cosby gave back. He and wife Camille offered millions in donations to colleges and other institutions across the U.S., including $20 million to historically black Spelman College in 1988. He also freely gave advice and opinions on society's failings, which weren't welcomed as much as the donations.

One such commentary, a decade ago during a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on segregated schools, was cited by Robreno in his ruling. Cosby criticized a lack of parenting among poor families, complaining about young people's poor speech, dress and dropout rates.

Cosby has aggressively sought to protect his public image as accusations came forth. His representatives have cast doubt on his accusers, and Cosby sought to get an AP reporter who had asked about them not to use his comments.

He also testified in the 2005 case that he granted the National Enquirer an interview about accusations against him in exchange for the tabloid squelching another story about an alleged assault.

Even before Monday's release of testimony, the allegations had severely damaged Cosby's career. NBC walked away from plans to make another Cosby sitcom, TV Land took reruns of "The Cosby Show" off the air, and Netflix shelved plans for a Cosby standup special.

Cosby mounted a standup comedy tour that was dotted with cancellations, and no further appearances are scheduled, according to the industry trade publication Pollstar.

The Bounce TV network, which is geared toward black viewers, announced Tuesday that it is taking its reruns of "Cosby," the comic's 1990s-era CBS show, off the air immediately.

And the smaller Centric cable network, which is affiliated with BET and aimed at black women, said it is dropping "The Cosby Show." The 1980s NBC series was a big chunk of Centric's schedule, airing four hours a day and in weekend marathons once a month.

It doesn't appear that "The Cosby Show" is airing regularly anywhere else now in the U.S., said Bill Carroll, an expert on the syndication market for Katz Television. He said he doubts it will return while its star, who turns 78 on Sunday, is alive.

It remains to be seen how many minds the newly released testimony will change. But actress and singer Jill Scott, who had publicly supported Cosby last fall, said she was "completely disgusted" by what he had to say under oath.

"I stood by a man I respected and loved," Scott said via Twitter. "I was wrong."
____

Associated Press correspondent Michael Sisak in Philadelphia and Television Writer Lynn Elber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-08

[fang37]

Bing would not have done that. He was the good guy?

On the other hand, Crankie Frankie - YES?

[NeverSure]

^^^ What?

[HeijoshinCool]

And another legacy is set in stone.

[jerojero]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

[Loptr]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Hmm, you might feel differently if your daughter were one of Cosby's victims...

[TheAppletons]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Well, stupid idiots and 30+ women that he drugged and raped.

[jerojero]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Hmm, you might feel differently if your daughter were one of Cosby's victims...

Indeed he should be arrested, charged and prosecuted fully. But the constant news buzz and fixation my the masses on his every move now is to what I am referring.

[jerojero]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Well, stupid idiots and 30+ women that he drugged and raped.

Arrest, charge and prosecute him yes! But stop the constant media barrage presenting minute alleged details as daily news worthiness.

[stevenl]

That's what happens to celebrities, for good and esoecially bad.

[zaphod reborn]

No, his undoing was drugging and raping women. His moral stance is irrelevant. I thought he was a great stand-up comedian when his career was beginning. I didn't particularly like his family-oriented TV shows, although his work on I Spy, the first Bill Cosby Show and Fat Albert in the 60's and 70's was brilliant.

[sammygood]

very small wiener complex that women had to be out when he did his deed?

[chingmai331]

No. He had the means and the need to avoid rejection so he just drugged and grabbed. Then lied big time. A big black scumbag.

[Emster23]

What kind of celeb do you have to be to use drugs to get some booty? Groupies out there for every sort of celeb. Yeah, he should be prosecuted, but jeez Bill, you weren't that bad looking....

[mesquite]

Kudos to the AP who requested and the judge who unsealed the documents.

Cosby was interviewed by AP and at the end of the interview they asked him about the rapes, almost apologizing for the question. Cosby said no comment and then assertively requested that that part of the interview not be used. They strongly implied on camera it would probably not be used, but depended on the producer. Well, not only did AP use the rape questions, they also showed the demand that those questions not be used. Then later they filed the request to unseal those documents. They would not be bullied by Cosby the way their younger journalists were on camera.

Regarding prosecution, there was a lack of evidence and in some cases the statute of limitations had run out. However, with the unsealing of thee documents, who knows what might happen.

To state the obvious, Cosby is a POS.

Edited July 8, 2015 by mesquite

[samuibeachcomber]

Bill cosby like rolf harris and jimmy saville all believed their celebrity status allowed them to do anything they wanted without repercussions,just like politicians they deny deny deny,no conscience,supressed over decades of abuse.They failed to take note that what goes round comes round.

Power(power over people)corrupts and as we know corrupts absolutely.good riddance.

[oneday]

"I stood by a man I respected and loved," Scott said via Twitter. "I was wrong."

Ditto. I was hoping it wasn't true. I actually met him briefly once when I was 17 and always thought highly of him for his niceness to me as I stood across from him in my dirty dishwasher's uniform at Harrah's Club in Reno, Nevada.

[spidermike007]

The aspect of this case, that I do not get, is why on earth he needed to drug these women? He was a star, and was very wealthy. Beautiful, young women in Los Angeles are some of the easiest women in the world, when it comes to falling under the spell of the hypnosis of fame and fortune. So, he had supermodels who were willing to give themselves to him. Why would he have to resort to this kind of reprehensible behavior, when he had some much of the "willing and able" type available? Was it just pure pathological illness? He needs to be punished severely for his crimes. I just don't get the motivation for a guy in his position.

[Scott]

If what is being reported is true, this probably has much more to do with power and control issues than it does with actual sex. No doubt he could have all the sex he wanted and could have it with some very tantalizing ladies. This behavior goes well beyond the actual sex.

[thousandpercent]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Well, stupid idiots and 30+ women that he drugged and raped.

How do you know he drugged and raped anyone?

[thousandpercent]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Hmm, you might feel differently if your daughter were one of Cosby's victims...

Indeed he should be arrested, charged and prosecuted fully. But the constant news buzz and fixation my the masses on his every move now is to what I am referring.

If there was sufficient evidence, he would have been charged already. That he has not been charged casts serious doubts about whether or not the allegations are true. Until there is a reasonable amount of evidence, not only should he not be arrested, charged, and prosecuted, we should all shut the f*#k up about this vicious and salacious gossip.

[thousandpercent]

No. He had the means and the need to avoid rejection so he just drugged and grabbed. Then lied big time. A big black scumbag.

You learned all that from tabloids? It's depressing to think dimwits like you are eligible to serve on juries.

[thousandpercent]

The aspect of this case, that I do not get, is why on earth he needed to drug these women? He was a star, and was very wealthy. Beautiful, young women in Los Angeles are some of the easiest women in the world, when it comes to falling under the spell of the hypnosis of fame and fortune. So, he had supermodels who were willing to give themselves to him. Why would he have to resort to this kind of reprehensible behavior, when he had some much of the "willing and able" type available? Was it just pure pathological illness? He needs to be punished severely for his crimes. I just don't get the motivation for a guy in his position.

Given that there is absolutely no known evidence to support any of the allegations, I had no way to conclude that any of them are true. That's why I came to ThaiVisa. There is always an abundance of blowhards that know for sure, in spite of a total lack of evidence, who is guilty of what. Thanks for enlightening me on the truth. I wonder why we don't dispense with investigations, judges, and juries when we have you to get everything sorted as soon as it appears in the tabloids.

[samuibeachcomber]

There's no smoke without fire.

[zackattack]

Of course hee did it

He's scrum and a loser

.you don't do that to women

[thousandpercent]

There's no smoke without fire.

Are you trying to give a physics lesson, or are you saying women never lie? In both cases, you're wrong. Every single study of false rape accusations ever conducted comes to the same conclusion: about 40% of women who allege to police that they have been raped are lying. In the McDowell study, 20% admitted to lying. In the Kanin study, 40% admitted to lying. It stands to reason that when women seek to get money from a wealthy man, we should be very skeptical. Particularly in this case where none of the complainants have offered any evidence whatsoever to substantiate their claims. I'll bet you said the same thing about the Duke lacrosse players, didn't you? And the rape hoax at the University of Virginia reported by Rolling Stone.

Let's examine how your theory works. You raped and sodomized ten Thai babies on Koh Samui. I saw you. I know three other people that saw you rape babies. Since there is no smoke without fire (you are a terrible physicist), it is now established as an indisputable fact that you are a baby raper. If you deny it, you're a liar. Where there is smoke, there's fire. If you weren't a baby raper, four people wouldnt have accused you. Stop raping babies, Samuibeachcomber! You belong in prison!

Edited July 8, 2015 by thousandpercent

[Credo]

I believe the Statute of Limitation are up on most, if not all, of these alleged rapes. But his denials ring hollow when we now know that he has admitted to drugging women and having sex with them.

I am afraid it is not just 'where there's smoke, there's fire', in this case where there are flames, there is fire.

[thousandpercent]

I believe the Statute of Limitation are up on most, if not all, of these alleged rapes. But his denials ring hollow when we now know that he has admitted to drugging women and having sex with them.

I am afraid it is not just 'where there's smoke, there's fire', in this case where there are flames, there is fire.

He has not admitted to drugging anyone. Where did you hear this absurd nonsense? Or did you just make it up?

[humqdpf]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Hmm, you might feel differently if your daughter were one of Cosby's victims...

Indeed he should be arrested, charged and prosecuted fully. But the constant news buzz and fixation my the masses on his every move now is to what I am referring.

If there was sufficient evidence, he would have been charged already. That he has not been charged casts serious doubts about whether or not the allegations are true. Until there is a reasonable amount of evidence, not only should he not be arrested, charged, and prosecuted, we should all shut the f*#k up about this vicious and salacious gossip.

To add to this, often celebrities will pay off someone just to shut them up even when there is nothing there. This sometimes involves making "admissions" that will be sealed. I have always thought that such celebs are badly advised when they do this. But this is all the "evidence" that is available beyond decades-old complaints that have only come out now.

This does not mean that I think he did it. Nor does it mean that I believe he did not do it.

[thousandpercent]

Who gives a s**t about this old f**t. Had his day in the celeb sun.... Let him <deleted> off into oblivion. Only stupid idiots care about this celeb stalking.

Hmm, you might feel differently if your daughter were one of Cosby's victims...

You might feel differently if your son were a victim of a false accusation. And you don't know if Cosby has any victims. Edited July 8, 2015 by thousandpercent