Just saw Bill Cosby on CBS

[goclark]

I have always been Bill Cosby's biggest fan.

But something about his new speaking tour to reach Black families doesn't sit well with me.

Maybe it was the clip that they showed.
Maybe it was his cocky personality.

I just had trouble with it.
Help me out please.

[fortyfeetunder]

1. MSM has validated his latest rants

So he feels vindicated to spread his message across the US. I'll gladly stay home for that, since it is not at me to which he speaks.

[goclark]

2. The clip showed about 50 families

in the audience.

I just didn't "see the love" that should have been there for him.

It seemed fake and staged.

[Brewman_Jax]

3. I missed the show

but I really resent Cosby for becoming a dancing bear and shilling for the Man. Something isn't right when he sounds too much like Limbaugh.

[USAcitizen]

4. Personally

I don't think he sounds like Limbaugh. Come on folks, how many of you at lest thought what he is saying at one time or another. Yes it it painful to allow the Limbaugh crow to finally hear what we are thinking. They will, I know take it out of context. Yes, we can't blame all of our problems on the white folk. Yes we do are a harder fight to wage against poverty, education and crime. But lets no ignore the fact that some of our own people are a part of their own problems. Let's talk about it and try to come up with some solutions. Ignoring it just won't make it go away. I think Cosby is courageous to at least start a dialog. Come on guys. He is on our side.

[angee_is_mad]

5. Dialog was already going on

I went to see Cornell West speak and he talked about the Crosby controversy. He said that when you bring these issues up, the people who you are addressing need to know that it is coming from a place of love and not condescension.

Its like a family. Your family can criticize your actions but you know that they love you anyway, even if you're not living right.

That's where Crosby went wrong. Also, for all his money and fame his own family is phunked up. His daughter Erin(?) was a known crackhead and she had a mother and father in the home.

Also, he was not the first to bring this issue up. Black folk know what is wrong and we did not need Crosby to start a dialog. The dialog was already going on while he was harassing women!

Sorry, but I had to GO There!

[ecstatic]

11. Thank you! Re: harassing women!

Nothing Cosby has said is new or surprising. What is shocking, however, is his tone and "superior" attitude. He made his money being a sideshow for white audiences. As you said, his own family has issues, and he has had at least one adulterous affair (hence the need to test for paternity that time). Now, if only Cosby would be vocal about solutions rather than slinging dirt over an entire people.

[alarcojon]

15. I saw Michael Eric Dyson discuss this also

Of course, he has a whole new book out on the subject: Is Bill Cosby Right?: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost its Mind?

Dyson was very persuasive, and at times very entertaining, in arguing that Cosby is dead wrong - for pretty much the reasons already mentioned here.

[goclark]

16. I was one of his biggest fans

but this new tour does not sit right with me.

It's just a feeling I have too.

If it can help somebody, I'm all for it but people that live in glass houses....

[bliss_eternal]

18. Maybe a part of it is

what a guest on the Bill Maher show put so eloquently. I think it was Dyson.

He said if the comments that Bill made had come from someone like Chris Rock, it would have been far more acceptable to a great many people, including him. Why? Because Chris speaks out about both races equally. Race is a big part of what Chris does...

On the other hand, race was NEVER something that Bill Cosby did. When in the past he was asked to comment on race, or racial issues, he wanted no part of it. He didn't do race in his act. Not ever. Wasn't his thing. But NOW, all of a sudden, he calls himself 'helping his race,' by speaking out to them, about them.

When he (Dyson) said this, I immediately had an 'aha' moment. Like, yeah--that's why this is disconcerting to so many--it seems to kind of come from left field in a way, kwim?

Also, using Chris Rock again as an example, I don't think if he said these of the things Cosby did, anyone would be as upset by comparison. Why? Well, Chris may be rich now, but he still has that 'homey' kind of vibe. Like he's the guy down the block, even though he's livin' kinda' large.

Cosby on the other hand, is wealthy, successful, college educated--and frankly a bit of a bourgeois, snob. Don't get me wrong, I like and admire Bill and what he's done, but he tends to seem to look down on those that aren't part of the black, educated, collegiate, elite--so to speak. Everyone that goes to college isn't a success, and everyone that doesn't isn't a failure, Bill---come on! LOL!

This last part was just how I see it, after hearing Dyson's analysis of the situation.

:hi:

[bliss_eternal]

6. Welcome to DU, USAcitizen!

:hi:

[USAcitizen]

9. THANKS

:)

[Brewman_Jax]

7. Poor people are not the problem

They are a reflection and proof of a problem. Being a big bully isn't helping, same with accusing them of hyperbole. People who are working 2 and 3 jobs to keep the lights on aren't buying $200 Nike shoes. This from a RICH man who was castigated in the past for his lackluster support of the civil rights movement. Comments like that wouldn't be tolerated from a white male, and shouldn't be tolerated from Cosby.

What he should address is the lack of educational, economic, and employment opportunities that the urban poor are facing. Picking on people who can't defend themselves is not courageous, taking to task an unfair society is.

[USAcitizen]

8. Cosby's comments

Let's analyze:
Cosby said "Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids – $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'

He added: "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. ... You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!"

SOURCE:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38565

These people are not parenting?
First of all it was wrong to say that all poor blacks are not parenting. Many are and many aren't. I worked in a neighborhood where many of the children were raising themselves. Many lived with whoever would take them in. Very poor, Very drug infested neighborhood. I have also work in a middle class black neighborhood where parents gave their children all of the latest fashions, but would not come to a PTA meeting, would not make sure their children did homework, and some even allowed their daughters to live with their boyfriends. Now I am not saying that these thing don't go on with white as well, but we must understand that the problems we have within our race extents farther than the history we have with discrimination. Yes, drugs is the culprit of most of our plight in America, from AIDS to incarceration to poverty, but if we give in and don't fight it, then the white man's plan for our destruction will be his victory and our defeat. Sometimes the truth hurts, but what Cosby said was not for all blacks but for those who display some of those characteristics. I am an educator in Baltimore City. I see a lot of what Cosby describes. Many of our children are suffering because of environmental issues. The kinds of issues that can't be solved in a classroom.

[msgadget]

17. Exactly my position,

Cosby has fallen into the bad pattern of painting all poor families in with the same 'triflin' brush stroke. And, I cannot forget how removed he is from the real deal. He descends to these inner cities to give his speeches and then ascends back to his own lofty digs. No disprespect but the man is really doing the work of the compassionate conservative and all those other 'pull yourselves up by your bootstraps' folk. Of COURSE we have to strive to help ourselves - and I'm not even going to go into the history of how these neighborhoods and attitudes developed today - but more is needed than some rich guy - black or white - saying, "take care of your kids..."

[VRine]

10. JMO

There are only two other Black families in my neighborhood, so most of my kid's friends are non Black. Some are from lower income, some are middle class, most of them murder the English language. Once in exasperation, I asked if they were still taught English in school. One answered that she spoke two languages, English and ghetto. (This from white kid) I told her it was OK for her to speak her ghetto at her home but not at mine.

Also, I once corrected my daughter's usage (double negatives) in the prescience of her Teacher. The Teacher (white) had no idea why I asked my daughter to repeat. The Teacher thought I hadn't heard her the first time.

I do have a problem with Cosby targeting low income Blacks. I see the same problems in all communities. I've seen the white teenagers in the community move in with their boyfriends or the parents allow the boyfriends to move in.

And drugs? I was the idiot who encouraged my son to join the military after high school. I bought the line about the help with college. I also wanted him away from his friends. I could not get him to understand that his friends would get a slap on the wrist for law infractions while he could get shot (oops I thought I saw a gun) or spend the rest of his life incarcerated.
My son joined the military March 2001. My heart has been in agony and fear since Sept 11, 2001.

End of rant.

[ecstatic]

12. Is your son almost done?

I would have also been scheduled to go into the military in 2001, but I dropped out of the NROTC. Thank goodness. And welcome to DU!

[VRine]

13. My Son

Hi,

His 3 years was up May last year. He was in Korea for 15 months. When he was stationed in Colorado, two from his unit (Including him) were shipped to Korea. The rest of the unit was deployed to the Middle East.

He was reluctant to get out last May. He said friends who got out at the specified time were immediately called back and deployed to the M.E. He agreed to re up if he could be close to home. Thankfully, he's now about 4 hours away. He should get out next year. At that time, I will exhale.

He seems to be quite aware of the politics of the situation. I've tried to not sway him with my viewpoints. But, he and his buddies have rented F911. They seemed to get more out of the film than anything I have said to them. I do have hope because they do not seem to be brainwashed and buying into the BS. But, my son has said there is a group who seem to be gung ho to go "over there" and kick butt. Hint. It's not the boys with melanin.

Thanks for the Welcome. Smart move to drop out of the NROTC.

[mandyky]

14. I think when his son was murdered he changed

I, too, am a long time fan of the entertainer.

I think he is taking shots at ppl who can't fight back. I've been poor (I am white) and would no sooner buy my kids a $500/pr of shoes than have a BMW. Making rent, utilities and eking out enough for cable, phone and regular clothing was hard enough to swing.

Maybe he buys into the Rush Limbaugh's take on poor black folk. Cheap shots from this man are very disappointing to me.