Cosby

The routine had to deal with Noah talking to God. Noah had a nervous timber in his voice, like someone who was about to be smited. But, God was reaching out, wanting a favor from the poor soul. The favor was simple: build an Ark, collect two of every animal species, and board them on the vessel to save Mankind. Does not sound like a difficult task, eh? Well, Bill Cosby saw the humor in this famous tale from the Bible and gave a welcome rendition of the conversation between the Almighty and his Chosen Ark Driver. And, with everything Mr. Cosby did, he did it sidesplittingly funny........... I grew up listening to Bill Cosby albums. His bit about Noah was just a slice of the truly inventive mind of a genius stand-up comedian. His records sold in the millions. These were the days of the Great Cult Comedy Albums. Performers from all walks of comedy--- from Bob Newhart to Redd Foxx to George Carlin to Steve Martin--- presented their special wit on vinyl and the records sold in the volume numbers of rock records. But, somehow, Bill Cosby stood out. Partly, because of his observational view of life [which, consists on looking at everyday life threw a skewed eye and reporting back those visions to the masses for comic recognition], and, partly because of his appeal as an engaging, comfortable presence. In a time of unrest and upheaval, Cosby was the gentle comic, friendly and approachable in demeanor, as comfortable and cozy as a pair of old slippers. Parents could leave the room when Cosby was on TV because his act was ''clean'', meaning no profanity or hot topics to scare the parents. And, he used that clean humor as a social commentator. A decade before Jerry Seinfeld and his peers arrived on the scene, Bill Cosby had the national funny bone easily within reach. He crossed racial and gender lines and age groups. But, underneath all of this, he was a funny man that we welcomed into our homes........ No kid who grew up after 1970 can never say that they never watched ''Fat Albert'' on Saturday mornings. It was required viewing for children. ''Fat Albert'' was a comic invention from Cosby through animation. Cartoon humor via a ghetto setting. But, Cosby was smart. He did not use the background of his characters for political and social statements. No, he aimed the show where it belonged: kids, just waking up on a Saturday morning after the grind of a weeklong school headache, laughing as ''Fat Albert'' encountered various people in his life. If there was a message in the show, it was a special lesson of tolerance and diversity. For many white kids watching [like me] ''Fat Albert'' was the first contact with someone of another color. And, Bill Cosby knew this and exploited this opening in most positive ways. He could have easily caved in and made the show all about race but the man knew his audience did not want this. Little kids are color-blind and accept their fellow playmates at face value [a shame adults do not practice this]. ''Fat Albert'' was just as the name sounded: a fat kid who faced friendly teasing. But, he overcame this bias and triumphed through pure goodness of heart. While there was humor at his expense, it was never mean-spirited. More like you would tease your sibling or best friend. Cosby was smart enough to see that ''Fat Albert'' was the underdog that appealed to all children. ''Fat Albert'' was signpost for the emerging generation of TV watching kids. And, that sign said: ''Love Your Neighbor''....... Bill Cosby continued to be popular as the years rambled on. He toured the country and made us laugh on talk shows and specials. He also made prime time his home from his breakthrough role in ''I SPY'' to his gym teacher drama/comedy vehicle ''The Bill Cosby Show''. Somehow, though, Cosby at night did not click on television. While the shows were well-done and in no way failures, something was missing. It was like he was surrounded by a concept that did not measure up to his talent. Bill Cosby was always ''Family''. He needed that support around him in a sitcom....... Of course, he found this in 1984 with ''The Cosby Show''. We all watched this program, I really do not need to elaborate on how wonderful the show was or the chemistry between the cast members. You just tuned in on Thursday night every week at 7:00 pm. Millions did and Bill Cosby grew even bigger in the national consciousness. He was ''Dad'' for an entire country, a comic that reached a plateau few performers ever truly reach: A BELOVED FIGURE. Through eight seasons he reigned untouched in the public's mind. We knew his TV family and his real-life family. He talked about his kids and his wife, Camille. He sold himself like the Jello pudding product he pitched: as an All-American Good Guy......... Well, we know now that there was the Other Side. And, this side was repulsive. He cheated on his wife [not a shocking revelation usually for a public figure, but it was for his reputation]. And, he drugged many of these women and raped them. This shocked and stunned his legion of fans. Again, infidelity is old news in show business. But, to take advantage of these women by forcing himself on them, whether they were conscious or not, threw us all. Some of these women were paid off with their silence, some just suffered silently. You can have a debate among yourselves about the timing of these disclosures and the reasons behind many of them coming out after decades of saying nothing. But, these incidents DID happen and in alarming frequency. Bill Cosby preyed on these women and took advantage of their trust [and, I'm sure in some of the cases, their naivete]. This is FACT, not a canard. While Cosby now concedes that he was a serial philanderer, he denies that anything was not consensual. This is hard to believe, given the volume of his accusers. You can write off one or two accusations. Not dozens and dozens. The man did this. And, today, in a courtroom, he was found guilty of 3 counts of ''Aggravated Indecent Assault''. He is 80 years old and could face the rest of his life in prison if the judge so sentences him. And, he should......... We always have to be very careful when we pick our heroes in life. Most times, they do not deserve exulted status. They are public figures who have achieved a certain notoriety, whether good [or, in some cases, they are celebrated for the bad] and are put on a pedestal in the culture. Their foibles and dark sides are not exposed [at least at first] because we want the HERO to be everything good and wholesome. They are nice on TV or in the movies, so, therefore, they must be nice and wonderful in real life. We feel that we KNOW them, so, we make excuses for any bad behavior or transgression. Or, we refuse to believe they did such a thing. The older I get, the less shocked I am when someone is exposed for their true self. But, every once in a while, there is a revelation that is a communal public shock. Bill Cosby and his lifestyle is the latest. At first, we all did not buy it. But, as story after story was aired in sordid detail, it was hard to shake off. He is a scumbag piece of garbage who deserves everything he gets....... When Bill Cosby does die, he will hear the Voice Of God, sounding like his long-ago routine about Noah and God. But, this will not be a Voice born out of comic invention. No, this Voice From Above will be his final Judgment. And, God will not be laughing..........