I should have let someone else do tonight.
The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life. You know, he showed you too. You don't just give up. You don’t just let things happen. You make a stand. You say "no." You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away.
So
The Parting of the Ways has sucked a lot of energy out of my devastating indictment of
William H. Cosby Jr. Phd. Ed.
There is no doubt he is a pioneering giant, but as the years pass and the memory of kindly and bemused Cliff Huxtable recedes his authoritarian side becomes more exposed.
This is what Cliff says today-
n May 2004 after receiving an award at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling - a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court that outlawed school racial segregation in schools - Cosby made public remarks critical of African Americans who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement, pleading for African-American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture.
In the "Pound Cake" speech, Cosby, who holds a doctorate in education, asked that African-American parents teach their children better morals at a younger age. Cosby told the Washington Times, "Parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch" (DeBose, Brian). Richard Leiby of The Washington Post reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but politically correct in his remarks Monday night at a Constitution Hall bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision."
Cosby again came under sharp criticism and was again largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech in a July 1 meeting commemorating the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. During that speech, he admonished apathetic blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counter-productive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as blacks who “had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the Civil Rights Movement." The speech was featured in the documentary 500 Years Later, which set the speech to cartoon visuals.[citation needed]
Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote a book in 2005 entitled Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch? In the book, Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime; factors such as deteriorating schools, stagnating wages, dramatic shifts in the economy, offshoring and downsizing, chronic underemployment, and job and capital flight. Dyson suggested Cosby's comments "betray classist, elitist viewpoints rooted in generational warfare."
Cornel West defended Cosby and his remarks, saying, "he's speaking out of great compassion and trying to get folk to get on the right track, 'cause we've got some brothers and sisters who are not doing the right things, just like in times in our own lives, we don't do the right thing... He is trying to speak honestly and freely and lovingly, and I think that's a very positive thing."
In a 2008 interview, Cosby mentioned Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Oakland, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Springfield, Massachusetts, among the cities where crime was high and young African-American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers. Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African-American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior. Cosby still lectures to black communities (usually at churches) about his frustrations with certain problems prevalent in underprivileged urban communities, such as in illegal drugs; teenage pregnancy; Black Entertainment Television; high-school dropouts; anti-intellectualism; gangsta rap; vulgarity; thievery; offensive clothing; vanity; parental alienation; single-parenting; and failing to live up to the ideals of Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and African-Americans who preceded Generation X.
Cosby has also been openly critical of conservative Republican politicians in regards to their views on socioeconomic and racial issues. In a 2013 CNN interview regarding voting rights, Cosby stated "this Republican Party is not the Republican Party of 1863, of Abraham Lincoln, abolitionists and slavery, is not good. I think it's important for us to look at the underlying part of it. What is the value of it? Is it that some people are angry because my people no longer want to work for free?"
Now first of all, I want to apologize for not accurately translating all the formatting from the wiki link which I would normally do but it's been a very long day.
Secondly I must admit that my sentiments tend to agree more with Eric Dyson rather than Cornel West on this particular point so anyone who says I accept West as Gospel is not being factual.
I invite you to listen to [Froofy the Dog ] or many of other the early Cosby comedy bits and decide for yourself if they are not misogynous in portraying his wife as alternately a harridan to him and too lenient on their children and absolutely authoritarian on the raising of children, frequently contrasting how easy kids have it today compared to the way he and his brother Russell were brought up.
Froofy the Dog (all audio)
Brain Damage
Truthfullness of Children
Now, about Mr. Frothy Mixture.
I don't know why he expects he can go toe to toe with Stephen but I expect with confidence Colbert will leave him eviscerated on the floor.
It should be fun, I encourage you to stick around.
While not every Episode is a gem I expect that the 50th Anniversary events will continue to distract me until we reach the War Doctor, so if my output fails to reach my already low standards you have only yourselves to blame for not indulging me.
Just wait until we get to Winter Olympics and March Madness.
The goal is to set up a rotating group of volunteers as Overnight News Digest has. That way no individual has a task too burdensome.
Here are your opportunities for the rest of the week.
The Daily Show
* Wednesday 11/20: Jennifer Lawrence
* Thursday 11/21: Tom Brokaw
The Colbert Report
* Wednesday 11/20: M.I.A.
* Thursday 11/21: J.J. Abrams
I imagine Thanksgiving week will be repeats or pre-empts and I will be busy with other projects and unable to provide my customary continuity (I may be bad, but at least I'm consistently obnoxious).
I should know by tomorrow or Thursday what's going to happen, so I'll let you know here or in a comment if someone steps up.