The above clip from the pilot episode of the landmark TV show/sitcom is a microcosm of what the show would be about, the message it would attempt to convey in it's 8 year run.
It has been well-documented that Bill Cosby (Ed.D), along with his main collaborator Dr. Alvin Poussaint wanted to portray in The Huxtable's an idealized family in 1980's/90's America that the entire country could aspire to be like.... In much the same way as the Cleaver's were in the 60's.
The master-stroke was of course was the fact that this particular family was African American, and that this most important aspect of their being was intentionally played-down... It was made to appear almost as an afterthought. That of course was what made the show so effective [at the time].
Continue below....
Today, Bill Cosby is embroiled in a sordid sex scandal that is playing out in a fashion that is uniquely American. Every news-outlet, main-stream to tabloid is on-board. Contracts are being severed, and new victims are appearing almost daily. I am not going to repeat any of the accusations, or details in this diary. They are known well at this point, and anyway Enquiring Minds can find them easily enough.
It is true that Bill Cosby has built a career pretty much based on what can be described as wholesome humor. He never swears n his stand-up routines, he was the spokesman for Jello-Pudding for Christ's sake, and his TV personage was named Heathcliff.
It is not my intention to defend Mr Cosby. That is for he and his lawyers to do (or not). I will however point out that in cases like this there are always multiple truths. Circumstantial evidence would point at the very least to questionable behavior on his part, but the facts, extent of it all, we will never know.
Bill Cosby, the man, has certainly not shied away from controversy... Making what many feel have been harsh statements about the African American Community, our responsibilities, indeed in his eyes our short-comings. This has earned him friends as well as enemies, and certainly fuels the fires of the controversy in which he now finds himself.
Again, it's all multi-faceted, and it is incumbent on all to draw their own conclusions, make up their own minds as to his innocence or guilt.
History is strewn with flawed individuals who nevertheless have made important contributions to society. I would venture to say that this is the case with Bill Cosby.
I don't now the truth, or extent of his wrongdoings, but I do know the positive effect much of his work, The Cosby Show in particular, has had on my life, and I don't believe it serves a good purpose to dismiss that.