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Bill Cosby

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Bill Cosby
File:Billcosby.jpgBill Cosby
Born (1937-07-12) July 12, 1937 (age 87)
United States Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DiedError: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day
MediumStand-up, film, television
NationalityUnited States American
Years active1962-present
GenresObservational humor
Subject(s)racism, race relations, African-American culture, family
SpouseCamille Cosby, Ed.D.
Notable works and rolesAlexander Scott in I Spy
Host of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable in The Cosby Show

William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D. (born July 12 1937) is an American actor, comedian, television producer, and activist.

Background

Bill Cosby was one of the United States' most popular and admired entertainers, known for his wit and warmth both onstage and off. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start working clubs and making comedy albums, then moved into television with a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show, in the late 1960s. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show The Electric Company for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films, although none has received the acclaim of his television work.

During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered one of the decade's defining cultural sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom featured an upper-middle class African-American family without resorting to the kinds of stereotypes previously seen among African-Americans in prime-time television. While some argued that The Cosby Show ignored the issues of racial inequity still prevalent in society, many agreed that it showcased positive role models.

The late 1990s brought trouble for Cosby, first in early 1997 with the death of his only son, Ennis, who was shot to death on a Los Angeles freeway in a random act of violence. Also that year, he was dragged into a court case that involved a young woman who was charged with extortion in claiming that he was her biological father—a shocking accusation that Cosby denied. Cosby admitted to having a one-time affair with the woman's mother.

Despite these personal setbacks, Cosby did not slow down at all in the 1990s, starring in Cosby, which first aired in 1996, and hosting Kids Say the Darndest Things, which began in 1998, as well as making more movies. He has also continued appearing on the stand-up circuit, delighting audiences with his gentle, paternal brand of comedy. His material consists mainly of anecdotal tales, often dealing with his upbringing and raising his own family, and he is known for having a clean, kid-friendly routine. His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular personality and earned him the nickname of "America's Black Dad," and he has also been a sought-after spokesman for products like Jell-O Pudding, Kodak film, Coca-Cola, and the defunct retail chain Service Merchandise.

File:Jello pudding.jpg
Cosby in a Jell-O ad

Additional trouble surrounded the comedian's personal life around 2005. In November 2006 Cosby settled a civil lawsuit with a Canadian woman who said the comedian drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home. The terms of the settlement were kept confidential. Cosby's publicist confirmed the settlement, but Cosby denied the charges. The woman who was in her 30's worked at Philadelphia's Temple University and befriended the 69-year-old Cosby, an alumnus and benefactor of the school. She claimed Cosby assaulted her in 2004 after giving her sleeping pills, saying she woke up and found her bra undone and her clothes in disarray, and recalled having her genitals and breasts played with. Cosby's lawyers said the comedian gave her Benadryl after she complained of headaches and denied the charges. She claimed he gave her a number of blue pills. The woman went to Canadian police, but no criminal charges were ever filed because of "insufficient credible and admissible evidence," Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor said in a statement in February 2005. The civil suit was filed in federal court in March 2005. Around the same time there were allegations of additional sexual assaults raised by a dozen women, though none elected to either pursue the charges criminally or sue the comedian civilly.

GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE!

Personal life

Cosby met his wife Camille while he was performing stand-up in Washington D.C., in the early 1960s, and she was a student at the University of Maryland. They married on January 25 1964, and had five children: daughters Erika Ranee, Erinn Chalene, Ensa Camille, and Evin Harrah, and son Ennis William. Tragically, his son Ennis was shot to death while changing a flat tire on the side of a Los Angeles freeway on January 16 1997.

In early 1997 fans were startled when a 22-year-old woman, Autumn Jackson, tried to extort $40 million from Cosby, claiming he was her biological father. He admitted to having a one-time fling with Jackson's mother and had provided money to the family until Jackson turned 18, though he disputed the paternity claim from the start. She was found guilty of extortion and sentenced to 26 months in prison; two accomplices were sentenced to five years and three months. The convictions were overturned in June 1999 on a technicality. The case was retried later, and the convictions were returned. Cosby maintains a home in Shelburne, Massachusetts.

On November 8 2006, the media reported that Cosby had settled a lawsuit with a woman alleging he had sexually assaulted her. The woman claimed that Cosby assaulted her at his mansion in Cheltenham in early 2004 after giving her some blue pills. The woman said the pills had rendered her semiconscious, and that the comedian molested her. She said she awoke to find her bra undone and her clothes in disarray. In and around the same time reports 12 women alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Cosby surfaced, but none of the complainants elected to proceed with criminal charges.

Cosby also attends many public events, such as the 100th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 2, 2007.

Honors

  • Cosby received an Honorary Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Cincinnati during the 2001 graduation season.
  • Cosby received an Honorary Degree in 2003 presented by President William Harjo LoneFight from the Sisseton Wahpeton College on the Lake Traverse Reservation for his contributions to minority education.
  • Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from West Chester University of Pennsylvania during the 2003 graduation ceremony.
  • Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from Baylor University (September 4, 2003 "Spirit Rally").
  • In a British 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
  • He received Kennedy Center Honors in 1998,
  • He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.
  • He received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music during the 2004 commencement ceremony. Cosby was also a speaker at the school's 60th anniversary concert in 2005.
  • He won the 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
  • In 1969, he received the third in a long line of prestigious "Man of the Year" awards from Harvard University's famed performance group, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

Political views

  • He was the first major entertainer to cancel an appearance in Cincinnati after a boycott was called in response to the 2001 Cincinnati Riots. His support of this cause encouraged other stars to follow.
  • Cosby has been critical of what he sees as the African-American community's acceptance of fatherless single parent households, high crime rates, and high illiteracy rates. He encouraged a more proactive effort from African-Americans to reduce those problems. He expanded upon his remarks in San Jose, California during an event to promote the Read-2-Lead Classic. The way his speeches were portrayed by popular media provoked a great deal of anger from some African Americans.
  • Cosby was the impetus for the formation of ARISE Detroit! when, in a January 13 2005, speech at Wayne County Community College he challenged black Detroiters to stop blaming white people for problems they could solve themselves. "It's not what they're doing to us. It's what we're not doing," the entertainer told the audience of nearly 2,000 people. A little more than a year later, ARISE Detroit! was formed to address this issue.

The Pound Cake Speech and other comments on moral values

Main article: Pound Cake Speech

In May 2004 after receiving an award at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that outlawed school segregation (Wu, Frank H.), Cosby made public remarks critical of those Blacks who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He has made a plea for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture (Baker). According to the Washington Times, he has had a long history of endeavors to advance African Americans (DeBose, Brian).

In "Pound Cake," Cosby, whose doctorate degree is in education, asked that African American parents begin teaching their children better morals at a younger age. He directed this address to the leaders in the lower and middle economic classes of the African-American community. (see main article) Cosby told reporters of 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 vs. Board of Education decision." Dallas Morning News writer James Ragland was among a number of respected black columnists who heavily praised Cosby's comments, remarking that "maybe more of us should be eating whatever Mr. Cosby is putting in his Jell-O."

Cosby again came under sharp criticism, and again he was largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech in a July 1 Rainbow Coalition meeting commemorating the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. During that speech, he admonished 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 talk was interrupted several times by applause and received praise from leaders such as Jesse Jackson.


Albums

Books

Cosby is one of a growing number of celebrity authors.

  • Fatherhood (1986) - ISBN 0-425-09772-2
  • Time Flies (1987) - ISBN 0-553-27724-3
  • Love and Marriage (1989) - ISBN 0-553-28467-3
  • Childhood (1991) - ISBN 0-399-13647-9
  • Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998) - ISBN 0-553-58126-0
  • Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999) - ISBN 0-7868-6572-5
  • Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy (2001) - ISBN 0-7868-6810-4
  • I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!! (2003) - ISBN 0-06-054573-9
  • Friends of a Feather (2003) - ISBN 0-06-009147-9

Trivia

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  • Cosby was an avid cigar smoker, which he attributes to his comedy idol Groucho Marx.
  • Cosby is a member of Omega Psi Phi.
  • Like Bob Newhart and Brian Regan, Cosby rarely uses profanity in his acts.
  • The Cosbys are donors to Spelman College.
  • Cosby took his future wife Camille on dates to Ben's Chili Bowl, a casual restaurant in Washington, D.C., in the early 1960s. He returned in 1985 to hold a press conference following the success of the Cosby Show and remains a regular patron when visiting D.C.
  • Cosby has criticized rap music in the past.
  • Cosby has been depicted on Aaron McGruder's Adult Swim show "The Boondocks" as a perpetually rambling person who was kidnapped by Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy (though they returned him ten minutes later).
  • Cosby has been parodied several times on shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.
  • In the online series, "Dub Piece", Foxy the Silver Fox (Dub Piece) acts like and has the personality of Bill Cosby.
  • Bill Cosby has recently appeared on Beef The Series. He on the show has said "Stop, stop it, stop your cursing" on Episode 4.
  • On another episode of Aaron McGruder's "The Boondocks" Robert Freeman makes the statement that "Cosbyness is next to Godliness"
  • Allan Sherman (Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh) is credited as a producer on Cosby's first few albums, through no work of his own. Sherman was the guest host of the Tonight Show when Cosby made his first appearance.
  • Since his youth in 1950s Philadelphia, Cosby has been a fan and supporter of jazz music. He hosted at his home the 1981 wedding of jazz innovator Miles Davis and actress Cicely Tyson, and on The Cosby Show he wrote the fathers of both Cliff Huxtable and his wife to be aged jazz musicians.

Notes

References

  1. Associated Press (2006-11-08). "Bill Cosby settles suit over alleged assault". MSNBC. Microsoft. Retrieved 2007-02-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. "BIOGRAPHY OF BILL COSBY". John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  3. "Retiring College President Lee Eliot Berk and Bill Cosby Honored at Berklee College of Music's 2004 Commencement" (Press release). Berklee College of Music. 2004-05-08. Retrieved 2007-02-23. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Sources

  • Baker Jr., Ray L. "The Self Hate Crimes of Bill Cosby." 12, January 2005. <abesha.com>
  • DeBose, Brian. "Cosby urges leaders to aid black families." The Washington Times. September 9, 2004
  • Leiby, Richard. "Publications with a Cannes-Do Attitude." Washington Post. 19 May 2004: 3.
  • Morano, Marc. "Bill Cosby was hounded by President Nixon." World Entertainment News Network. 1 May 2000. 2 Mar 2006. www.imdb.com
  • "Segregated Expectations" USA Today. May 15 2003: 12.
  • Wu, Frank H. "Brown at 50: Keeping Promises." Black Issues in Higher Education. May 20 2004: 49

External links

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