Cosby brings 'blunt' message to community leaders

[Jahness]

Cosby brings 'blunt' message
to community leaders

By DAVID PORTER,
Associated Press Writer

Bill Cosby told several hundred people at a conference of community associations Thursday to stand up and confront the ills facing black Americans.

Repeating a mantra that has angered some black leaders who have accused him of downplaying the effects of long-term discrimination, he exhorted the audience several times to "stop looking for somebody to blame."

Characterizing his own words as "blunt, but not harsh," the 70-year-old comedian criticized a culture in which "babies are wearing $40 sneakers while their mothers are feeding them Oodles of Noodles."

Cosby deemed some of his critics "intellectual panhandlers" who enable destructive behavior by staying silent or blaming racism.

"You've got these idiots who've got these degrees and some of them are ordained ministers and they say, `Bill, you're picking on the poor,'" he said. He then drew laughs by adding, "Well, so did Jesus then. Jesus was always telling someone, `Go ye.' Jesus was always telling people to go somewhere. And `don't do this again or don't do that again.'"

Wearing a sweater with a Yale University logo in honor of Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, a Yale Law School graduate, Cosby saved some of most pointed words for radio stations that play music that he called "pro-murder and anti-women" and said adults are equally complicit if they fail to speak up.

"I haven't seen the demonstrations saying, `I'm not allowing my children to listen to this," he said. "It's killing us. We're not talking about it, and we're not beating it down."

The longtime performer, whose sitcom "The Cosby Show" was top-rated in the 1980s, has recorded a hip-hop album set for release next month. "Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency" blends his concepts and stories with a hip-hop, pop and jazz soundtrack.

Thursday's conference was hosted by Family Intervention Services and Newark Now, an organization formed by Booker.

The mayor called Cosby "a critical voice right now in the American context" and praised his willingness to speak out on issues without bowing to political correctness.

"This is a time for candor — we can't beat around the bush," Booker said. "We've got large percentages of our population that are underachieving. He's speaking to the heart of the matter, and he speaks to the realities of what a lot of folks are experiencing."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080501/...lpJDnQgtywX1gF

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

[MsLioness]

"Pro-Murder and anti-women"...........a very tight-knit choice of words...and I doubt that he used those terms because of a lack of better words to choose from.

He is right, too, we have to stop pouring so much money into entertainment.

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by MsLioness

"Pro-Murder and anti-women"...........a very tight-knit choice of words...and I doubt that he used those terms because of a lack of better words to choose from.

He is right, too, we have to stop pouring so much money into entertainment.

Greetings MsLioness!

Folks are just upset with Bill Cosby because he is speaking the truth in a real sense that some of our people don't want to hear. They prefer to go on living an illusion when their reality is staring them right in the face and they refuse to do anything about it.

Whether or not Bill Cosby shuts up today or tomorrow a lot of what he is speaking about will continue unless we as a people decided to make the necessary changes and do something about it.

Much appreciation to you MsLioness for your valuable comments.

Peace & Blessings!

[Sun Ship]

I do understand we need another direction badly and the hype that has been given our people has been for the most part a lot of useless grandstanding, but I have to admit I have a lot of mixed feelings about what Cosby has been doing.

He has set himself up as the voice of ethical and moral behavior in the Black community, but for me this is hard to jibe with the years of hush money he was sending to the daughter of a white prostitute who he thought he had fathered, and then when he had somewhere around 13 different seemingly intelligent and professional Black women come forth and accuse him of drugging and raping or molesting them while they were visiting his home, and instead of fighting for his good name he settles on an out of court settlement (I know in one case)…h_mmm? Well, after reading about this as it was playing out, it just didn’t sound right to or sit well with me. I find it interesting that there was almost a blackout of these cases in the mainstream news about this last situation, and Cosby has not been questioned about this publically ever… And you know if this would have been any other high profile Black entertainer, public figure, or unpopular Black leader there would have been an unstoppable media feeding frenzy…so what’s going on here?….once again, it makes you go h_mmm??? With all this said, it’s hard to see how Cosby can feel he has the moral fortitude to speak the words “anti-women”.

What I think is going on here is that Cosby has always been in the eyes of main street America their “most beloved negro” comedian… He was Uncle Bill to them. I find it interesting that Bill Cosby personally stayed far away from Black issues, social commentary, community controversies, and politics until now. But even with that being the case I respected Cosby for years, for I thought he was doing a fine job merely by trying to display a certain redeeming image of our people, and also for his support of one of our most important creative institutions which was the Jazz world.

Anyone in their right mind can see that some of the things Cosby has said are relevant (he has made no new revelations), but the way he has framed his argument has not been any more useful accept for the anti-black white conservative right, than the arguments that have been made by those who he has opposed (such as Michael Eric Dyson).


Peace

[Im The Truth]

I think we need more speakers like Cosby cuz the Dyson and etc are just put our people to sleep.

[Sun Ship]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

I think we need more speakers like Cosby cuz the Dyson and etc are just put our people to sleep.

Brother Truth, believe me I understand your sentiments and the sentiments of Sister Jahness, and I’m defiantly not a Michael Dyson fan. But I just can’t get a grip on Bill Cosby’s approach to all of this. As a matter of fact, I think his idea of a successful and well-behaved Black America would be contrary to what we are doing here at this forum, and I would think that Bill Cosby would not be a supporter of this forums direction, or Sister Assata Shakur’s perspective concerning our people’s needs and necessary solutions. I don’t even remember Bill Cosby being even a outspoken entertainer/public figure during the Civil Rights movement, or any other social ills that has effected Black people over the years.

I think in the place he has safely kept himself, he was quite successful and was a big plus to the Black image presented in the media. I don’t think his antics as a speaker and comedian are really suited for what he is trying to do now. As a matter of fact, I saw him one time being interviewed on Oprah with some very dark sunglasses on mixing as usual comedy with the important issues he has been trying to address lately, and he looked so odd and ridiculous that even Oprah had to ask him, “what’s up with the sunglasses!”

It's hard to take him seriously and it sometimes seems he is buffooning some most important issues, and I just don’t see how he is moving this topic concerning the plight of Black people to a more serious and workable discussion or solution.


Peace

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

Too bad Bill Coonsby created a cartoon that was a mockery to the black man.

[nattyreb]

i agree with Bro. Sun Ship's position on the Cos'. He oversimplifies our issues into unfunny, stereotypical "bits"; he implies that if we all Stepfordize into some black Ozzie/Harriet type clothing, diction, stride, style, etc., that this will change our condition, although we've always been able to be taught to be bi-lingual and able to dress and behave differently whenever necessary; and, the biggest problem I have with the Cos' is that he doesn't address any of our very real issues with a loving persona, he comes across as somebody laughing and pointing and hollering "your mama talk like dis," "your name is what? ha, ha!," like some clown in the park somewhere. I can only imagine what he has to say about the murder of Sean Bell, particularly after his whole "pound cake" routine, I can't stand him!

Originally Posted by Sun Ship

Brother Truth, believe me I understand your sentiments and the sentiments of Sister Jahness, and I’m defiantly not a Michael Dyson fan. But I just can’t get a grip on Bill Cosby’s approach to all of this. As a matter of fact, I think his idea of a successful and well-behaved Black America would be contrary to what we are doing here at this forum, and I would think that Bill Cosby would not be a supporter of this forums direction, or Sister Assata Shakur’s perspective concerning our people’s needs and necessary solutions. I don’t even remember Bill Cosby being even a outspoken entertainer/public figure during the Civil Rights movement, or any other social ills that has effected Black people over the years.

I think in the place he has safely kept himself, he was quite successful and was a big plus to the Black image presented in the media. I don’t think his antics as a speaker and comedian are really suited for what he is trying to do now. As a matter of fact, I saw him one time being interviewed on Oprah with some very dark sunglasses on mixing as usual comedy with the important issues he has been trying to address lately, and he looked so odd and ridiculous that even Oprah had to ask him, “what’s up with the sunglasses!”

It's hard to take him seriously and it sometimes seems he is buffooning some most important issues, and I just don’t see how he is moving this topic concerning the plight of Black people to a more serious and workable discussion or solution.


Peace

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

I also find it difficult to listen to anyone that's as well-off and far-removed as he is from the reality of what it means to live from one paycheck to another tell me anything about the black underclass.

[tyydae]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

and, the biggest problem I have with the Cos' is that he doesn't address any of our very real issues with a loving persona, he comes across as somebody laughing and pointing and hollering "your mama talk like dis," "your name is what? ha, ha!," like some clown in the park somewhere. I can only imagine what he has to say about the murder of Sean Bell, particularly after his whole "pound cake" routine, I can't stand him!

I understand what you are saying, Nattyreb, but I am always confused when I hear someone say this because there isn't anything that Cosby has said that was not the "truth."

Another reason I may be biased to his approach is because the guy who watered this seed approach was always "over-easy." He didn't say much with "love." In fact, he was constantly being pulled to the side by others because he was very unsympathetic when it came to tears from girls.

It took a woman named Mrs. Linda to show him other ways to discus things with females.

Now don't misunderstand what I am saying, I try to balance my words when talking with my children, but I am not Mr. Cosby.