Fair enough. Wait…what????
Why is Bill Cosby’s past avocation as a Hollywood power-abuser and serial sexual predator suddenly so upsetting to Hollywood that they are recoiling from him now?
I refuse to believe that everyone in the news media, the entertainment industry and the black community didn’t know all about it, and for many years. I wrote about it in 2007, and I am not an investigative reporter.
I have to conclude that this is all because of younger people learning about this for the first time and the effect of social media. When whoever runs Cosby’s Twitter account cluelessly challenged followers to “meme me!”, what resulted was a flood of derisive–but funny!—memes referencing the rape allegations (he reportedly used hypnotic drugs), like the one above, or this one:
I also have to conclude that…
1. Hollywood knew and didn’t care until public opinion made it care, because it is ethically and morally corrupt to the core.
2. The media knew and didn’t care, because Cosby is a beloved pop culture icon and black as well, and there was no perceived benefit in exposing or criticizing him.
3. Other celebrities flourish despite disturbing histories of sexual misconduct—Bill Clinton, Woody Allen—-so the media figures that the public doesn’t care.
Rush Limbaugh sees this as a conspiracy against conservative values, or says he does, and that Cosby is a target because of his vocal advocacy of cultural reforms in the black community. That was what I was writing about in 2007. Why would Cosby finally under the microscope he should have been under all along now? Rush’s conspiracy theory makes no sense.
I don’t think the average American has any concept of just how corrupt and tolerant of sexual assault the show business culture is. It was especially interesting for David Letterman to dump Cosby as a guest, after the talk show host retained his job despite textbook sexual harassment of a female subordinate—and if you think that was the only time Dave did this, I have a winery to sell you in France. Bill Cosby managed to juggle the roles of father figure, ethical role model, cultural warrior and known sexual predator for decades. He was able to do this because many of those who should have known did not want to know and embraced rationalizations to avoid confronting the conflict, and because those who did know thought, and still think, it was no big deal.
Ethics Alarms 
This does beg the question. Who are we to care? After all, we are not cops. It is not our role to judge.
With Cosby, it may not matter as much. His career is mostly over. However, should I watch pro football knowing about how the league operates and how they covered up the brain injuries? Should I root for a team that has a player who is known to abuse their spouse/assault people? Should I watch a TV show with a lead character played by a self -destructing addict? One produced by a child molester?
Sure it is. Where have you been? The culture is defined and enforced by informed and responsible judging. See “The Biblical Rationalizations” (#3) on the list.
Sadly, the time to have reported the accusation to those who could have judged (police and courts) has long past.
But not too late to collect TONS of money from Cosby.
Those were rhetorical questions.
Rape is such a strong word. I prefer the term “surprise sex”.
Good on you Jack. I had no idea you were a lone voice in the wilderness all those years ago. I’d love the winery btw.
I’ll send you the prospectus.
There is no conspiracy, but from the commentary I’ve read, the problem isn’t so much rape, it’s raping while endorsing family values that’s truly despicable.
That PSA must have been on very-late-night cable!
I’ll bet it really rammed his point home, though.
It was, but for some reason, no one remembers.
I think we should be able to agree that endorsing family values is truly despicable whatever one endorses. Similarly (and Cosby has made this point), family values are per se good things to endorse.
Endorsing family values is truly despicable?
Sure, it’s coded speech for racism, sexism, and bigotry, remember?
Oh.
It’s ok, the fact that it’s hard to keep up is by design.
Seriously, though, I can’t help but wonder if maybe the left is sensing a growing rejection of its brand of moral relativism (seeing the press as a left-wing apparatus), and is going through some disingenuous contortions to look like they’re onboard? I’m not suggesting they’ve ever condoned rape, but they certainly send a lot of mixed messages about this sort of misconduct.
Grantland had an article written by a “feminist” positing that the shockingly blatant rape-culture at American Apparel (a leftist-run company) was the fault of the right-wing somehow…because it was rampant during the 2000s, which were the “Bush years.” It was every bit as stupid as I just made it sound.
Leftists, leftist-feminists included, celebrate, endorse, defend, and empower rape culture, harassers, and rapists. They justify this by holding to the narritive that it’s still, at it’s core, the Right’s fault, somehow.
You can replace “rape culture” in the above paragraph with “poverty”, “inequality” “greed”, or “violence”, and it still works.
If you keep in mind that victimhood is the left’s stock in trade, and the very core of its identity, it’s not too difficult to understand.
I’m not overly convinced liberals are the only ones pedaling victimhood. If you think about it conservatives do that also. Remember, we are quickly approaching the annual “assault on Christmas” season.
There are big differences. You can easily sum up what the right wants: the right to the pursuit of life, liberty, happiness, and PROPERTY without undue molestation by the government, to freely enjoy the rights guaranteed by the constitution, and for the government to operate strictly within the limiting parameters of the constitution. In other words, we just want the original deal. I wouldnt know where to begin with everything the left wants, and their seemingly innumerable grievances, but they want both much more than our constitution grants for some, while taking away rights from others. They seem like insatiable and petulant adolescents who want their every whim catered to and considered an essential human right that the government (and thus their fellow citizens) must provide for.
That’s the great thing about being one of the left. You think entirely with your emotions, therefore nonsense, hypocracy, dishonesty, irony, and even various forms and degrees of violent coercion are acceptable and encouraged. There are no standards of conduct if you feel you are doing what’s best for everybody.
Excellent observation. But everyone knows what the road to perdition is paved with.
Liberal intentions.
I would just like to comment that the Left’s Poster Child (rapist) is Roman Polanski, whom they defend even today from any responsibility for his actions, which were well documented. This is the epitome of “not taking responsibility” for your actions, which the Left seldom does.
Who exactly defends Polanski?
Here’s a link to an article regarding a petition to release him back in 2009 when he was picked up. There are a slew of Hollywood notables who argue that Polanski’s crime was a long time ago, that his victim wants to put it behind her, that he’s suffered by not being able to travel freely or pick up his numerous awards and even that what he did to the girl wasn’t really rape (thanks, Whoopi).
http://www.indiewire.com/article/over_100_in_film_community_sign_polanski_petition
OK, how about Liberals OUTSIDE of Hollywood? Every Liberal I know detests him and thinks him a rapist.
Two points:\
1. I could argue that Cosby is much worse than Polanski, and
2. Polanski is also a fugitive, and
3. I doubt Polanski’s favor in Hollywood has anything to do with politics.
Same reason why Hollywood loves Woody Allen — it has nothing to do with politics.
I actually will argue that Polanski is worse because: (1) there was an admission of guilt; and (2) she was a minor.
Not that all rapists don’t belong in special rings in Hell, but it is possible (albeit extremely unlikely) that Cosby is innocent. That being said, I definitely wouldn’t work for him or let him buy me a drink. Even Salon is discussing it — Cosby is dead in the water.
Wow. Since Salon endorses carnival mirror ethics, not to mention reasoning, that’s great news for the Cos…
Which, probably, was the idea.
What fascinates me about this whole thing is that rape is NOT a sex crime. It is expressed sexually but it is about power, and control. Total, absolute control…life and death control. Strangely, so is Democratic politics…or, if you prefer, Republican politics…let’s just say politics in general. Is it, then, any wonder that politicians tend to downplay the role that celebrity rapists play in forming our opinions? In terms of left-wing responses, though, I would point out Clarence Thomas, Herman Cain and now Bill Cosby. Innocent? Unlikely, that…however, they were all conservative black men, and, hence, need to be destroyed. God help them if the right ever finds an honest black man that actually adheres to the values they like to call “family values”.
We have plenty of them, and they’re usually called “Uncle Tom’s” and other patently offensive terms that the right could never get away with using. The only justification they offer is the fact that they’re not towing the dem line. They’re voting against their best material interest. Apparently, voting one’s conscience is a lesser manifestation of integrity somehow. “We know what’s best for you”, and the assumption that blacks will, and should, fall for the handout ruse isnt racist, either.
The left is pretty comfortable with control.
IS the timing of this at all related to Lena Dunham?
The Post’s theory is that 1) The stand-up comic’s routine mentioning it was finally on YouTube 2) One of the other things he said was “Google ‘Bill Cosby’ and ‘rape” 3) the “meme me” stunt was a catastrophe, and 4) one of his victims’ interviews was re-posted and went viral. Bill Cosby is so much bigger than Lena Dunham.
4). That’s just rationalization # -2 !!!!!
To play devil’s advocate in defense of the media for a moment; every celebrity of any note will have a large collection of accusations against them, ranging from deranged to credible. The “media” may not have known the full scope, until the women started coming forward. Raising the rape flag against someone without sufficient evidence would be despicable…
…However, if any organization had a responsibility to investigate and corroborate or discredit such serious accusations, it would indeed be the media. I would image just about as much evidence existed back then as today when the accusations started getting attention again. Only perhaps the graphic first hand accounts may be new (and sense these were released in response to the renewed attention, shedding light earlier might have prompted a similar response from the alleged victims).
As a general proposition, you are right. It really doesn’t apply in this case: multiple allegations, the same MO, a settlement with a confidentiality agreement. That’s a lot of smoke with no fire.
Try this on for size: The Dark Lord is going to piss on the constitution and the American people tonight when His Royal Majesty decrees that several million foreigners will be rewarded for criminal trespass and various and sundry other charges by bequeathing upon them squatters rights in our home. Establishment Republicans will do nothing. The media will do what the media always does (see Jack’s various posts on this). He’ll let the serfs get angry about it for a day or so, then they’ll release the Ferguson verdict at last. The media, who will only be able to defend obaMao for so long, will pull the sheeps’ attention to this, and keep it there for a long time. In order to keep the unrest there at just the right level, they needed to hem up the two people with the power to either fan the flames or restore calm: Al Sharpton and Bill Cosby, respectively. I’m not suggesting guilt or innocence in either, just a possible explanation of the timing.