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Bill Cosby: The Saint and Sinner

Bill Cosby: The Saint and Sinner

When the story first broke that Bill Cosby was a possible rapist, a lot of people struggled with the realization that one of their childhood idols, a man who did a lot for getting young black kids into college, broke molds and racial lines in the entertainment industry, created laughter with his comedy, and helped a lot of children's organizations, could be what a few group of women were saying he was, a monster who drugged them, raped them, and then threatened their reputations if they ever brought the story to life. When these women did come out, what further proceeded was the virtual dragging through the mud of these women calling them liars, whores, attention seekers, and worse. A lot of people simply refused to believe the story citing what a good man they thought Cosby was. In fact, many people continued to support him by attending his comedy shows and defending him against all detractors even up against mouting evidence. I'm not one to just jump on a story and assume its true, especially in this media age, so before forming an opinion, I waited as more information came out, and slowly the amount of women grew, the details were too specific, and it was clear in my mind, Cosby was not the saint, many still professed he was.

When the story broke, I got into an argument with a relative because the question was posed that in a hypothetical, if my child had a Bill Cosby poster up, would I take it down, and I replied of course I would because this man is a monster whom I would no longer want my child to idolize in any way, and the relative answered back that I shouldn't be able to undo the legacy of what he has done to help a lot of people just because of what he's done now and they wouldn't have a problem with the poster being kept up. I think for a few minutes I was in shock, actual shock. It would be like saying, well, a guy who robbed and killed your child should be set free because he once gave $20 to a kid in need. These are the same people.

The Cosby character was a fictional one who did not exist in real life. We as a public did not know who he was in real life (just as we don't know that about most celebrities), but we assume often that characters and the people behind them are one in the same because we see them and think that's who they are. Cosby, the man, did a lot for a lot of people, and yes, those people I'm sure are greatful, but one does not now put up a photo of Hitler who some of the German people could say, did a lot of good for the German people whom he favored for the very reason that he was the arbiter of the horrible atrocities against those he didn't.

Now in recent days, there has been the exposure of a 2005 deposition in which Cosby said under oath that he bought drugs in order to, as he put it, have sex with women, that has come to light which for many of the victims, has been validation that they were in fact telling the truth and not the villians many had painted the women to be. We need to stop putting celebrities and politicians and atheletes and musicians on these pedastools where they are treated as Gods. They are human beings and they sometimes do really unfortunate, violent, harmful, painful, and reckless things to others. The modus operandi of rapists and pedophiles is often that outwardly they have these standup positions in society--teachers, doctors, heads of church, but they use these as smoke screens for their depravity because you are going to of course believe that the guy with the prison record stole the jewelry over the guy who does charity work for homeless shelters.

We also live in a society where the rape culture is to blame the women who are victims for dressing a certain way, or having a drink, or implying that they shouldn't go out and socialize as reason enough for someone to be justified in raping them instead of actually looking at the men who do this behavior as criminal and/or needing mental help. The first question that was asked was basically why did these women not come out sooner, but just as in 2015, look what happened...these women were made out to seem as though they were criminals themselves. I am always asking people to step into their shoes or picture if this was your daughter. Would you be so callous in dismissing them, would you wax on about how good the person was, would you be so forgiving?

We have a long way still to go as a society and how we address rape and those who do it and also how we tend to justify and easily forgive the actions of a celebrity sometimes beyond all reason simply because they may have at one point been entertaining. Cosby to me, will now in my mind always be a man who hid behind his influence and celebrity and used that to drug and rape women. That is not someone I want to, or my children to, or future generations to idolize. I cannot simply say, well, I respected and loved the man back then because that is to ignore the fact that back then, he was still the same person who both drugged and raped women against their will and if not for them bravely coming out, we would have never known the truth.

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Most Helpful Guy

  • Bill Cosby is the the American equivalent to Jimmy Saville, Rolf Harris and Gary Glitter here in the UK.

    All 4 of them were major celebrities and all 4 of them, allegedly in the case of Bill Cosby, abused their powers and for decades were able to infiltrate society without much concern.

    My parents and their generation have been particularly affected by crooks like Jimmy Saville and Gary Glitter because they were idolised. I remember the day Saville's disgusting antics had come to light my mum had broken down and had found it almost unbelievable. She used to watch Jim'll Fix it for years!

    I don't think we should be focusing on how to prevent rapists from raping, or paedophiles from attacking our young and innocent children, I personally think we should be looking at how us as a people can avoid the situations and in turn help regulate even further the people getting involved in the BBC, for example.

    Here's a video on Saville, for those who don't know him. It's quite informative and really does show you how massive it was:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdpJSKQOEDo

    • In my city there was an 80 year old woman who was raped when the rapist broke into her home. I use this example to illustrate that it isn't just a pretty young girl in a skintight dress that people seem to think "causes" rapist, to rape their victims. It is a severe disease of the mind, a means for obtaining power through abuse, and if we simply say to rapist, go ahead about your business without incarceration or mental help or both, then how do you intend to keep women from being raped. As you've pointed out, many of these men are so deep undercover that most people don't even know and it is only until brave women come forth and out them that anything can be done, but instead of blasting them as to what mythical thing they shouldn't have done, we should focus on the men who've done these heinous crimes and helping our society to not encourage a rape culture where victims are made to feel as if they have been victimized all over again.

    • One thing you need to understand here is, rape and paedophilia isn't solely revolving around females. A lot of men were raped and subject to atrocities by Glitter, Harris and Saville. I believe there's a lot of ignorance to this. What I'm trying to explain is that asking a serial killer to not kill is NOT going to work, in fact no mental help will prevent him/her from murdering again. It won't stop the rapists and the paedophiles either. More has to be done to protect these innocent and vulnerable men, women, girls and boys from being raped. It's hard, but it has to be done.

    • You are absolutely right in that there are many men and children fe/male who are raped as well. However, we don't know typically when a killer plans to kill or when a rapists, rapes, until they've done it, but in the case of the killers, if proven in court, they do tend to get locked up in jail, thus preventing them from killing again... and yet, when a rapist rapes, someone, they are often free to do it again, or the victims don't come forward for clear fear, or people who could help, don't want to believe the victims. If you believe nothing can be done to help them mentally, then incarceration is the only thing that is going to prevent them from raping again... but in the case of Cosby's victims or any victims how are you going to stop them from doing harm. The man was drugging them without their knowledge. How would you prevent that action?

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Most Helpful Girl

  • What he did or didn't do in the past doesn't matter anymore. You can't change it. Let's focus on all the good things he's done now. This is what I don't understand about people: if you do hundreds of good things, and one person accuses you of a wrong, everyone all the sudden focuses on that one black spot. If it's true or not, they don't give a fuck. Focus on the good. Focus on how Cosby is now. If a liar lied and was never caught and grew up and changed his ways, becoming a new person and someone accused him of lying from way back when, punishing him wouldn't change him. He's already a new person anyway. I'm going to look at how great of a man Cosby is now, and say that what he did in the past is over with. Stop dwelling on the negative.

    • Do you feel the same way about Hitler? He did some good things as well. Its convenient to say these things when they aren't happening to you or your family. That is the idealist way of thinking of life. Unfortunately with this type of crime, and let's be clear, raping and drugging women IS a crime, there is a limitation on how long one can prosecute unlike a lot of other crimes.

    • The don't have any hard proof that he did, though. Just other people's word against his own. To answer your question, Hitler never changed though.

    • How do you know Cosby changed? We don't know how many victims he affected or if and why he's still trying to cover up the stories that are coming out or paying people off. That doesn't speak to me as someone who has changed. So yes, you are right in one aspect, without all the facts, neither you, nor I, can claim with 100% surrity what type of person Cosby is. I used the Hitler example in comparison to Cosby because Hitler may have been cruel and ruthless to many many people, but he was still doing good and helping those he favored. Both "persons" are one in the same. You don't really get to pick and choose. If someone is practically Mother Theresa during their public life, but has a backyard full of people they've hunted down and killed, how 'good' are they really? Many psychopaths, pedophiles, corporate raiders can put up a good front because its easier to do bad when everyone thinks you're good. It's part of the tragedy b/c they have everyone so fooled into thinking they are good.

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What Girls & Guys Said

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  • If you are looking for a poster of a sinless hero, put Christ on your wall.

    Other than that, everyone screws up and in Cosby's case, much more heinously than others. He deserves his fallen status as well as criminal penalties for all crimes committed.

    Really my advice to anyone reading this is don't make idols and heros/heroines in your life. They'll never be perfect.

    • I think you can admire someone, but people clearly take it to insane proportions. There are probably still people right now if shown dna evidence would still stick up for the guy because they just want to hold on to the dream of who they thought he was. We have seen over an over, even in non celebrity cases, that if someone has a good public record, people will often turn a blind eye to crimes committed behind closed doors. Its part of the same reason you put a murderer in a suit in court... you want him or her to appear likable and trust worth even though behind closed doors they may have killed 20 people.

  • So many victims have come forth with nothing to gain. What he did is despicable and any respect I had for him is gone. He should be in jail.

    • One does not have to have a cash settlement in order to 'gain' something by coming forth. Coming forth and asking for an admission of guilt not only uncovers the secrets, lies, and hypocrisy, and retchedness of the criminal, but it also provides closer for a victim who may have been told to keep quiet or else they'll be destroyed. It may not mean much to you, but you're hopefully not in their shoes. The Cosby name... now, will be linked with rape, but just a few weeks ago, there were still people applauding him and shouting about how great he was. There is no true justice in that, but there is justice in showing victims of rape that you can be heard, and that if you do report early, they may be able to get justice for themselves.

    • Not sure why you replied the way you did. I think he is a rapist and I'm glad those women had the courage to out him. I think he's a predator and should be behind bars for what he did.

    • I said they have nothing to gain in reference to fame or fortune. He raped many well known women who are financially sound. I think it's obvious they gain closure or some kind of retribution. Maybe you misunderstood my opinion?

  • I used to watch Cosby show and it will always remain as one of my all time favourite shows. Bill Cosby was like a dream father for most kids. He was so funny, loving and sincere that he was even mentioned in some Turkish teenage stories as a hero dad. I remember kids sitting on his lap and him showing affection to them. However i can‘t believe that all i watched was just a drama and he was actually a brutal man. I have no respect for him from now on.

  • Rape culture is allowing 180,000 men to be raped every year in prison.

    • Yes, it is not just adults and its not just women who get raped. Unfortunately in the prison system, people tend to have a, you reap what you sew attitude to those that have gone to jail which compounds the situation for prisoners. Rape is so associated specifically with men's prisons, its literally to be expected that it will happen. Prisoners and wardens alike know that reporting such crimes and violations will get lost in the shuffle of paper work or given lip service.

  • But you don't know the truth do you? Since most of the women are asking for a multimillion dollar payment package and not even pursing a costodial sentence.

    There's no DNA evidence and no trial. I don't even like Bill Cosby, nothing personal against him I just didn't really find him funny. What I can't stand is mob rule and media trials. If he were to go to trial now the jury would be heavily biassed and the judge would be thinking about elections.

    (yeah I started a sentence with a but, I did it because it felt right)

    • This, as in my take, is about dealing with a society that condones rape culture because someone is a celebrity or high profile, or simply because they are "a pillar of the community," rather then take allegations seriously... EVEN in the face of evidence against their perpetrators. You say this is a media trial in which they seek to convict him before the evidence, but how many people are there on the other side who before this revelation weren't even willing to listen to the possibility of this being true simply b/c of who they thought her was. It goes both ways. In either situation we need to follow the evidence, have respect for possible victims and their pain, and condemn and prosecute those who commit crimes... period.

    • I don't see how your comment goes against what I've said, except for the fact that you disagree with my statement that this is a trial by media. No official investigation has taken place, peoples first step should be to remove the statute of limitations for assault and murder crimes, if you're not going to do that then you really can't say anything about this. Do you honestly think that if bill cosby really did do all these things that he's the only one? What about all the not so rich non celebraties who have done the same thing but can't be prosecuted due to the statute, why isn't the light also on them, why hasn't the big shot lawyer made such a big deal out of their crimes? Everything is so fake, people pretending to care about these issues when they don't and they just want to seem like good people, how many times did you or most people think about this sort of issue before bill cosby? This is a media trial through and through and people should try and be more genuine.

    • Demand for widespread change instead of going after one person for a few months, hating them because "it's in" and then forgetting about the real issue which is the statute itself, it's prevented a real investigation and the vacuum which it's left has created a trial by media which does nothing but turn everyone into an angry mob.

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  • I believe that Cosby did indeed rape those women, but since I'm a Christian, I forgive him.

  • I use to watch the Bill Cosby show with my mom he was a funny and nice man and now you're telling me he raped women wow I'm just shocked :( D:

  • And all that time his talking about how he loved Jello Pudding was a euphemism.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dssi78Rlo68



    ////////

    • Had to stop at 1:40. My sanity was on the line. What the hell was that?

    • The Cosby ducks

  • First of all, you're comparison with the killer and the $20 isn't even comparable. At all. Neither is the Hitler one.
    Cliff huxtable was fictional. He didn't rape anyone so don't get them confused. Don't get upset at a fictional character for something a real person did.

    • Literally first line of my 3rd paragraph is..."The Cosby character was a fictional one who did not exist in real life." In fact, re-reading the entire 3rd paragraph would be helpful for understanding what this take is about. The comparison is the same because you have men in these cases who promote themselves as good/doing good for the people and that is the image they have created, however, we know now in the case of Cosby and in my examples, real or hypothetical, that just because you have a public face of good or have done good in the past, doesn't exactly equate to you being good or in the case of Hitler, he may have been a great leader to some, but when you kill millions mercilessly, the facade, or the propaganda he put out as a nice upstanding leader who loved his people (i. e. Cosby in many ways) isn't the whole truth and cannot be denied, one for the other. Some people, due to the "Cosby character" and their belief that he is a real person, refuse to believe he can be a rapist.

  • Is it bad that I laughed when I read the title and saw his face? I'm sorry :(

    • No. I really just didn't feel like putting up a smiling Cosby stock photo of him considering the nature of my take.

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