I didn't want to believe all this about Bill Cosby...

[First Speaker]

...I just didn't. I admit it--I didn't want to hear about it, I didn't want to think about it. Of course, I knew on a not-particularly-buried part of my mind that the evidence was overwhelmingly in favor of his being guilty of all this shit. But given how important he was to my youth, I was engaging in classic double-think. If I didn't read about it, or see it on TV, maybe it would all go away. For this, I apologize. It's now clear to the most obtuse that this man whom I idolized as a child is, and always was, a monster. I doubt he'll ever see the inside of a prison, but he will live out his days knowing that *this* is what he'll be known for, forever. I hope that knowledge poisons him.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Amy Schumer skewered this denial mindset brilliantly.

[Whiskeytide]

5. That was awesome! N/t

[shenmue]

2. I didn't want to believe it, when I first heard

[onecaliberal]

3. If it walks like a duck...

[Javaman]

4. Once upon a time in my primoridal days...

I worked in Hollywood.

and as such I had friends that worked on tv shows, movies, etc...

I had one friend that worked on the Cosby show.

He loved Bill Cosby as a kid and was just so jazzed to work on the Cosby show.

After 1 year, he left.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He told me the guy was a complete jerk.

[RobinA]

6. Yes

"the highway's jammed with broken heroes" And that line was written a couple decades ago. They just keep piling up.

[raouldukelives]

7. I hear ya. I grew up without TV and a stack of records.

Many of them Cosby ones like To Russell, My Brother and Why is there air?

"My uncle Walter had a rhinoceros."

He was one of my favorite comedians of all time.

I can't listen to them anymore. I tried. They no longer make me laugh.

[el_bryanto]

8. It's depressing

I didn't want to believe it either; but what are you going to do. The evidence is too strong. It's hard to know what to do with his work in light of this. In part because he did portray himself as a very clean family man kind of guy; the contrast is great enough that it tarnishes his work, perhaps irreparably.

I should make it clear that that it wouldn't be acceptable for someone who's persona is more R Rated to rape somebody; just that the contrast wouldn't be as great. When you hear someone like Cosby raped someone raped someone it changes the whole context of their work. On the other hand if I heard that Eminem raped someone - it would be horrible, of course, but it wouldn't be that out of character based on the public persona he's put forward.

Bryant

[romanic]

9. It is sad.

Cosby was definitely someone to look up to. Sadly this is the price we pay when we idolize someone, especially a celebrity, and view them as a moral compass. He made some good points on certain subjects, but his actions and now his admission, invalidates that in my eyes. So sad.

[WinkyDink]

10. Frankly, I couldn't understand the defense of him against one or two women, let alone dozens.

[Starry Messenger]

11. The women he raped didn't want to believe it of him either.

Too bad it took a direct admission from the rapist for people to believe all 40+ of them.

[Sheldon Cooper]

13. Funny how that work, isn't it?

40 + women state that the same thing happened to them, but they're just a bunch of gold-digging tramps, am I right?

The man in question admits to it? Well, hold on now...maybe there's something to this after all.

[Starry Messenger]

15. Twitter was horrible yesterday.

I'm still enraged. Some people finally had a light bulb go on, which is depressing enough, but the people still clinging to a theory that the women willingly took ludes and "had sex" while unconscious because it was disco culture?? wtf??

He was famous as hell and could have been with anyone he wanted. Instead he used his stature to ruin lives.

[CBGLuthier]

12. To think I admired you for now I despise you

an apt line from Jesus Christ Superstar that came to mind.

I thought he was a great guy who achieved a lot. Turns out he is a genuine monstrous piece of shit. Horrible excuse for a human being. Makes Richard Pryor, asshole he was , the winner in that contest.

[bettyellen]

14. Now think about how hard it is for all acquaintance rape victims-

Last edited Tue Jul 7, 2015, 11:46 AM - Edit history (1)

And the position they are in when its mutual friends. Their friends react much as you do.
It suddenly makes sense how they are reluctant to even try and prosecute when your own friends don't want to believe it.

[Mr Dixon]

16. SMH

Not surprised the sheer number of allegations was enough to make anyone have reservations now that the truth has come to life let the civil suits begin.

[Orsino]

17. He was a sort of hero to me in my youth...

...based on a few albums my parents had. Terrific entertainer.

And a serial rapist, it seems, perhaps for as long as I can remember.