On Sat, Nov 15, 2014 at 2:26 AM, JW <[email protected]> wrote:
> Bill Carter discusses it:
>
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/business/media/appearance-by-bill-cosby-with-david-letterman-canceled-as-rape-allegations-swirl.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
>
Scott Simon posted a short radio interview the Cosby's about an art
donation, which ended with a very awkward silence that followed Simon's
first apologizing for, and then asking, The Question. Simon had to describe
Cosby's physical movements ("you are nodding your head no") because, after
all, it was radio and Cosby literally made no audible response. The comment
section pretty much takes Cosby's side and skewer's Simon for asking
"irrelevant" questions that were more appropriate for the tabloid media
than NPR, where all we want to hear about is art. For example:
"You will now be known as Scott "Sucker-punch Simon... You brought in the
> Cosby's on the pretext of discussing their philanthropic generosity, got
> them all comfortable with small talk, and then went for the jugular. What a
> pathetic excuse for "journalism" Of course it is a story, but you clearly
> were going for effect, and are no better than the O'Reilly's of the world.
> Yet another disappointment from the ever increasingly sensationalist NPR. I
> will never be able to find you worthy of my attention again. Maybe FOX is
> looking for more "Journalists"."
This is ridiculous of course - no self-respecting interviewer can talk to
Cosby at this time and not ask about the allegations, which is why I
suspect it is Cosby himself who is canceling appearances like the ones with
Dave.
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/15/364289549/cosbys-start-a-conversation-with-african-american-art?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
Cosby has become in the last stage of his life a difficult and tragic
figure, in several ways. He has made come important and in some ways needed
critiques of African-Americans, but often in brittle, rigid and simplistic
way; he admitted to having an affair with a woman in the 1970s, and to
later paying her $100,000 to keep it quiet, though he denied that he is the
father of her daughter. Most troubling of course, 14 women have accused
him, at various times throughout his life, including during the run of the
Cosby Show, of drugging them and then sexually assaulting them. He has
denied the allegations, and has not been convicted of any crime, though he
did reach some kind of undisclosed settlement in 2006.
Aside from his iconic television show (itself controversial in some ways)
by any measure Cosby will go down as one of the top 3 stand-up comics of
all time. I saw him live several times in the 70s and 80s and of course
grew up on his albums as a kid, and he was one of those acts that literally
would make you laugh so much, so hard and so long that it would hurt. He
was not just funny, he was a master performer, and is recognized as a
formative influence by most of the successful comics of the last 40 years.
He has obviously long been one of Dave's favorite guests, not just because
of his influence has a comic, but because he was always one of those uber
successful guests who insisted on actually performing when he came on the
show - something Dave clearly respects and appreciates.
I grew up with OJ Simpson's poster on my bedroom wall; when reports first
surfaced in the late 80s I think that he had physically abused his wife, I
was crushed - fortunately for me I suppose, as it drained most of the
childhood affection I had for him by the time of the murder charges. Cosby
is not OJ Simpson, but the alleged charges are very serious, and even more
discrepant from his public persona and universal esteem.
I would love to hear Dave's take on Cosby, but pretty clearly it would not
be appropriate for him to talk about it at this point. I suspect he is
torn, wanting to be loyal to someone who has been influential and good to
him over the years, but also not wanting to participate in a public
whitewash of his reputation.
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