# Cosby continues to "hit the nail on the head" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175 "2004-07-02T04:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/42 "2004-07-03T23:02:21Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > I’m not disputing your general thrust, **dnooman** , just observing that **monstro** had a perfectly valid point in that Cosby wasn’t speaking to people who didn’t already fully appreciate the scope and depth of the problem too. They were hardly indifferent or naive. Which I know wasn’t your point, so please don’t misunderstand my intent here. > Maybe Cosby was trying to redirect attention back toward an emphasis on education and achievement, away from popular dead-ends. I strongly suspect that particular choir _has_ been preaching it less publicly i.e. less visibly to whites, emphatically and for quite a while. That doesn’t take a thing away from Cosby or the validity of his message. There’s just a fine line between inspiration and patronization, especially when celebrities are involved. I just don’t wonder if the reception “in-house”, so to speak, was less than glowing just because he was speaking to the already committed. This is touchy not the least because what whites might make of the message. It’s very hard to apportion responsiblity inside when all too many people outside are all too to seize on the slightest concession as an encompassing get-outta-jail-free card. > It’s the farthest thing from easy or obvious, so I in no way fault Cosby for speaking simple truths that apply to lots of people, regardless of color. Damned few people relish hearing hard truths, regardless of color. > It shouldn’t be this complicated, but it is. And Cosby shouldn’t be the sole focal point for the problems. > > Veb > Who gets really pompous and portentous when she’s tired. Man, I musta been cranky last night. I concur with your assesment %100. ---
**Author:** ![Craneop2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Craneop2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Craneop2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/43 "2004-07-04T00:39:37Z")
I fully agree, Bill Cosby is surely preaching to the choir. The fact is Mr. cosby is in NO way a role model to these young people. The real role models to these kids are the sports stars, the rappers, and the young actors and such. These kids see how some of them barely got out of high school and never went to any kind of college are making, literally, hundreds of millions of dollars without benefit of education? Granted MOST of them went to a college, but how many really graduated? The message here is I don’t need education… I’m gonna be a rap star or play pro basketball to get rich. I feel that untill some of them quit flaunting their party lifestyles, along with all the “bling Bling” and maybe donate some time and money toward promoting the values of education and quality of life other than the ghetto, Mr cosby can save his breath. I’ll mention one that IS giving back to society Mr david Robinson. I may be biased because I am a big fan of his, but if more of these superstars would follow his lead I think that would do more for todays youth than 100 Bill Cosby speaches. BTW I am a HUGE Bill Cosby fan as well! ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/44 "2004-07-04T20:33:31Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Why, the government, of course. Well, where’s it going to come from when the government runs out of money, or just decides it doesn’t want to cough up the dough anymore? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/45 "2004-07-04T21:23:55Z")
> [@you with the face](#): > > by **BrotherCadfael** > I have a doctorate in veterinary medicine. That doesn’t make me an expert in the field. Well, it should. Maybe not a world-class expert, and maybe not an unimpeachable one. Still, it should give you enough credibility to speak with a measure of authority on the matter, even if it doesn’t make you infallible. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/46 "2004-07-05T23:49:10Z")
> [@celestina](#): > > > [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > > > Why, the government, of course. > > Well, where’s it going to come from when the government runs out of money, or just decides it doesn’t want to cough up the dough anymore? Change “the government” to “taxpayers”, i.e., you and me. Never forget that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/47 "2004-07-05T23:55:51Z")
> [@celestina](#): > > Well, where’s it going to come from when the government runs out of money, or just decides it doesn’t want to cough up the dough anymore? Running out of money has never stopped the gov’t from spending it before, why start now? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175/48 "2004-07-05T23:58:25Z")
[QUOTE=yosemite] This description definitely fits in with what a friend of mine experienced with his few contacts with Cosby. My friend (who is white) was in charge of security for an apartment building where one of Cosby’s kid’s was staying. When Cosby came to visit, he (Cosby) wanted to talk to Security about something to do with parking. Cosby _would NOT_ deal with my friend at first, but instead wanted to talk to one of my friend’s employees who was black. It was a little nonsensical, because the black employee was not “in charge,” my friend was. Eventually, Cosby did grudgingly talk with my friend about his problems, because my friend was the appropriate person to deal with the problem. But it was kind of . . . strange. My friend told me of other people who dealt with Cosby and they had similar experiences—he wanted to deal with black people whenever possible, even when it was inconvenient or peculiar to do so. [QUOTE] This may have to do with him trying to help and create confidence in his fellow African Americans. Sometimes, I will try my best to deal with a junior woman than deal with the man in charge for a few reasons. One is that I want to help her build confidence in her abilities. One is that I want to encourage hiring and promoting women by the places I do business with. Lastly, sometimes I’m just more comfortable. I know a guy could have sold me my car just as well, but car sales can be such a “guy” thing that I really wanted to give a woman my business. I was more comfortable. She got business (certainly there are men out there who wouldn’t buy a car from a woman, so I’m turning the tables a little), her confidence increased. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosby-continues-to-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/253175.md?page=2)