Why are some in the black community celebrating Bill Cosby?

[PhoenixAKG]

Edit: I am black so of course I'm not trying to generalize the black community as I'm asking why some people are and am using Talbert Swan as an example.

So we all know about the disgusting news of Cosy being released. But the thing that shocks me is people in the black community actually celebrating it and propping him up like he's some sort of innocent victim and hero for black people. I mean Bishop Talbert Swan was a person I used to follow and respect for speaking out against racism and he posted this nonsense:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TalbertSwan/status/1410285668190785537

And he also liked tweets that said the whole thing was Cosy being unjustly accused by Karens or whatever nonsense.

Cosby has dumped on the black community as shown here: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adamserwer/bill-cosby-pound-for-pound. People like Talbet Swan who has no problem calling out people like Canadance Owens should know better than to defend and celebrate Cosby. It's really disheartening and disgusting actually.

 

[Slayven]

Nostalgia and PTSD

 

[Man God]

So we all know about the disgusting news of Cosy being released. But the thing that shocks me is people in the black community actually celebrating it and propping him up like he's some sort of innocent victim and hero for black people. I mean Bishop Talbert Swan was a person I used to follow and respect for speaking out against racism and he posted this nonsense:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TalbertSwan/status/1410285668190785537

And he also liked tweets that said the whole thing was Cosy being unjustly accused by Karens or whatever nonsense.

Cosby has dumped on the black community as shown here: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adamserwer/bill-cosby-pound-for-pound. People like Talbet Swan who has no problem calling out people like Canadance Owens should know better than to defend and celebrate Cosby. It's really disheartening and disgusting actually.

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People in that community have the same issues as any other community when it comes to abusing women, that's why.

 

[subpar spatula]

Abusing women isn't just a white man thing.

 

[PonyStation]

 

[Quinton]

Because some people suck.

 

[collige]

It's extra hard dealing with role models being shitty when you weren't given the opportunity to have role models in the first place. Cosby was one of the first black people on TV and that meant a lot to people.

Like other celebs, he also has very good PR which is how he was able to suffer no consequences for like a decade after the first victims started coming out.

 

[Browser]

I saw people of all races defending cosby, and trying to defame the victms, saying some horrific shit like they took it willingly, and cosby told them what he was doing and they agreed, etc. Had to stop reading.

 

[b3llydrum]

Same reason Black people celebrated OJ. It's simply a celebration of a Black man defeating the system that oppresses so many of them. Whether or not he's guilty is irrelevant.

Not that I speak for Black people. That's the last thing I should do.

 

[Saganator]

I think it's similar to OJ being not guilty even though he was obviously guilty as fuck. The justice system has been unbalanced for so long, any black person beating the system is a win in some people's eyes, even if the person is guilty.

 

[Musubi]

I think its because he has contributed so much to black folks being visible in mainstream media. From his stand up to his movies to Fat Albert and of course the Cosby show. He is easily one of the most prolific black entertainers around and I think its probably hard for lot of people to cope with the reality that their beloved hero is actually a sexual predator.

 

[RBH]

Same reason why black people celebrated OJ

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

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I just kept staring at this picture for a good minute...and JFC!

Rape is under reported and for many victims is extremely hard to come forward and when they are pictured like this, the extent and sheet number of victims..f'n hell!

 

[Tbm24]

A lot of people don't take Rape seriously. Both men and women, but especially men.

 

[DemyxC]

Cause the worlds sucks and people can be petty and ignorant. Some people think he is innocent but most are just using it to push their agenda regardless.

 

[Bman94]

People are I'm denial and don't believe he did it. Also some bullshit conspiracy theory that the rape allegations came up because he was going to buy ABC.

 

[chaobreaker]

And he also liked tweets that said the whole thing was Cosy being unjustly accused by Karens or whatever nonsense.

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Some of his victims were black. Just look at that magazine cover.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Why do some in the white community celebrate Trump

 

[Honey Bunches of Oats]

It's not just black people defending Cosby. He was pretty damn close to a national father figure not so long ago, and people don't want to believe that someone in that position is capable of what he did.

 

[Senator Toadstool]

same thing as OJ. the pd brutalizes black bodies and people see exoneration (eventhough this isn't that) and examples of that.

I honestly don't blame them. I understand why they don't trust evidence the LAPD or Philadelphia PD presents.

They're not the problem. The PD is the problem

 

[cameron]

All celebrity sex offenders have a defense force with regressive and ignorant beliefs about sexual assault.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/09/07/damon-wayans-says-his-words-were-twisted-after-he-called-bill-cosbys-accusers-unrapeable-and-money-hustlers/

 

[SolidSnakex]

I get the OJ comparisons, but a big part of this is that some people just refuse to believe women when they say they were raped. Even when it's dozens of women by a guy that would get a drug that was a date rape drug before anyone used that term, and that was later banned for its abuse, from a gynecologist who's since had his medical license revoked.

 

[Baji Boxer]

Mysogyny + celebrity nostalgia + a history of black men actually being railroaded on phoney sexual assault accusations (and other crimes) providing the internal justification for their mysoginistic views.

There's never a shortage of people defending male celebrities against such things, regardless of race.

 

[Kino]

I don't get the OJ comparisons honestly. Cosby assaulted black women too.

 

[T'Chakku]

Why do some in the white community celebrate Trump

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Was this meant to be clever?

 

[Richietto]

Pieces of shit come in all skin colors. There are people of all kinds happy he is out because simply believing victims of rape and abuse is too hard for them.

 

[Soundscream]

I really don't like the framing of this thread.

 

[StrifeAzure]

I think it's similar to OJ being not guilty even though he was obviously guilty as fuck. The justice system has been unbalanced for so long, any black person beating the system is a win in some people's eyes, even if the person is guilty.

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Boom, this is 100% it, simple as that.

 

[Deleted member 1248]

I really don't like the framing of this thread.

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How close can we get to saying black people suck without getting banned: an experiment.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Was this meant to be clever?

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?

No...

 

[entremet]

I really don't like the framing of this thread.

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Yeah. People forget that the big historical corroborators of Cosby's deviancy has been prominent black comedians.

 

[Samenamenick]

I was under the impression that he had lost favor with the black community at large for his 'be more like white people' comments over the years prior to the rape stuff? So it's surprising, or did I misunderstand?

 

[collige]

I don't get the OJ comparisons honestly. Cosby assaulted black women too.

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There's that, plus Cosby has dozens of accusations against him from many years while the OJ case was focused around one incident. There's also no clear LAPD racism angle for Cosby as a result.

On the other hand, I think Cosby is far more culturally relevant than OJ was and was viewed as more "safe" due to the nature of his work (and years of bullshit moralizing directed at other black folk).

 

[Watershed]

No community is a monolith. For some people, not some black people, Bill Cosby is a tv and American cultural icon. Also, not everyone, again not just black people, don't read up on all the details of his abuse.

And please watch yourself when you start trying to read the mind of the black community.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I mean, I've been seeing white alt-right douchebags on Twitter "defending" him too. But they're only doing it to fight "cancel culture" and not because they actually care about the topic at hand or think that he's innocent.

 

[threi]

There are multiple factors, some of which include:

- Some just straight-up believe that he is innocent (this can be attributed to nostalgia on the Cosby TV character)
- Spite for how the justice system has been rigged against minorities since inception
- Some who really don't think that what he did was all that bad or egregious
- Some that believe he is set up by white women (a-la Emmett Till)
- Some that just don't take the entire situation seriously and just don't really care either way


basically, not every Black person thinks the same and has the same opinions on subjects. We are not a monolithic hivemind.

 

[SchrodingerC]

Partly because some people just don't give a fuck about women and survivors of sexual assault.
That sentiment infects people of all races unfortunately .

 

[Tace]

It's a mix of not giving a fuck about the survivors and feeling as if they should defend Cosby no matter what because he's black. I've also seen some of my friends say it's a conspiracy or some shit

All stupid ass reasons

And also, black people aren't a monolith. We have our own thoughts and feelings like everyone else

 

[Trup1aya]

I feel like this constantly needs saying, but Black people aren't a monolith. It just so happens that some people can't accept that a symbol of black positivity was actually a gigantic piece of shit.

edit: also Bishop Talbert Swan is also a gigantic piece of shit, so I'm not surprised he'd be defending Cosby. Just another example of toxic masculinity from the pulpit. He's tough on racist bigotry. But homophobia and rape culture? That's a different story…

 

[Order]

I really don't like the framing of this thread.

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.

what community are you in op

 

[julia crawford]

I would not expect by default any man of any ethnicity to take accusations of rape with the seriousness they deserve. But this is probably too misanthropist to be a fair judgment tbh.

 

[nsilvias]

its kind like how people were happy that oj got away with it even tho they knew he was guilty but because he was black it was like some kinda fuck you to the judicial system.

 

[Yesterday]

Black people aren't a monolith OP

 

[EdenOfTheEast]

I'd really like to know if the OP is speaking from the position of a Black person ?

 

[Sunster]

not Black so I'll speak to why many others still support him and that's

a) decades of nothing but stellar PR
b) "America's dad"
c) sexism

 

[Deleted member 42484]

You have to have some REAL cognitive dissonance if you think 70+ women would make this up and that that phone call evidence of Cosby agreeing to pay for his victim's education is anything but damning.

Some SERIOUS cognitive dissonance. Like needing therapy.

 

[KingM]

A mix of love for Cosby, hate for women, not believing in the Me Too movement, distrust for the legal system, and a dash of conspiracy (ex: Cosby was going to by NBC and they didn't want that.)

 

[PhoenixAKG]

I really don't like the framing of this thread.

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I'd really like to know if the OP is speaking from the position of a Black person ?

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How close can we get to saying black people suck without getting banned: an experiment.

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I am black and that's why I am asking why people in our community specifically are defending him when he's shown he's willing to throw us under the bus.

 

[DigitalOp]

Why do some in the white community celebrate Trump

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Not that far off tbh, he bragged about sexual assault and was celebrated for it by a decent amount of people. He was elected into office even with all this shit out in the open. Pretty on point example

Theres a lot of reasons tbh, but every person is going to have different ones


Conspiracy. Some think he was entirely set up (this is wrong obviously)

Disregard for women overall (The US Rape Culture is surprisingly resilient even post MeToo)

Denial (He spent a lot of time being a role model and genuinely breaking boundaries for black entertainers and business, that's hard for people to let go)

The actual misappropriation of Law (some actually are just highlighting the Mispractice of law and are pointing at the system being able to correct itself despite it being for the worst subject)

Community (Some individuals do tend to back anybody who's black regardless of misdoings simply because this world is so damn oppressive torwards us, it's basically a defense mechanism despite it potentially being to their detriment)

Just to be clear, I think Cosby is a POS

Nobody in this thread should be thinking this is some standout example with black people and that his support is uniform in the community

Every group of people has problematic figures that get discussed within the convo in regards to support

 

[DigitalOp]

I am black and that's why I am asking why people in our community specifically are defending him when he's shown he's willing to throw us under the bus.

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I will agree with you on that

I always found his support odd when this all started due to all his bullshit he's said about us as a people. Def didn't deserve that shit

Fucking dickhead talking about respectability and pants and he was out here assaulting women, what a goofy shit