What should be done with The Cosby Show?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The Cosby Show will likely end up as basically a lost show, it'll probably never have any network air it ever again, obviously no streaming service will want it either, and once the DVDs and Blu-rays go out of print it's tough to see them repressed. That is in spite of the fact that it's one of the most important and influential TV shows ever made. Now granted the show is pretty difficult to enjoy now anyway, separating the art from the artist is pretty difficult as the show was just a vehicle for Bill Cosby, I mean look at the name, and it plays on his personality as a wholesome family man, thus making it actually pretty disturbing to watch if you know the truth now, but it also seems pretty wrong in a way that such an important show will basically end up as lost...

I think the ideal situation for that would be that once Cosby dies (so he can't get any more royalties from it), the studio that owns the rights donate the rights to the Smithsonian or something (not like they can really profit from it anymore) and it basically ends up as a preserved historical artifact and can still be observed for its influence although also with the understanding and no denial of the monster who created it.

I suppose it's also possible though that once Cosby dies people will also be more comfortable watching it, and thus it may be picked up by some channel like MeTV or TV Land....but I still prefer my idea above.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

apparently you can stream it on Sling or Philo, whatever they are.

[progressive85]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

Yes. People need to toughen up a little bit.

The ratings at the time were outrageous. The show was actually quite good because of a large team of professional people, 99 5% of whom were law abiding citizens.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

There's a difference though between a show that simply has such a person appearing in it and one that was a vehicle built around him and is even named after him though.

[progressive85]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

There's a difference though between a show that simply has such a person appearing in it and one that was a vehicle built around him and is even named after him though.

Funny thing is he was really popular... and families loved him.  He was the Jello Guy (that's where I know him from mostly) and that Kids say the funniest things show that came on every now and then... idk all the details, but the cancel culture thing is just stupid.

They took out a perfectly good episode of The Golden Girls for what?  It was actually a racially progressive episode especially so for its time - it featured an interracial marriage - but because of one joke they deleted it... so stupid!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

There's a difference though between a show that simply has such a person appearing in it and one that was a vehicle built around him and is even named after him though.

Funny thing is he was really popular... and families loved him.  He was the Jello Guy (that's where I know him from mostly) and that Kids say the funniest things show that came on every now and then... idk all the details, but the cancel culture thing is just stupid.

They took out a perfectly good episode of The Golden Girls for what?  It was actually a racially progressive episode especially so for its time - it featured an interracial marriage - but because of one joke they deleted it... so stupid!

The modern media mantra may as well be style over substance.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

There's a difference though between a show that simply has such a person appearing in it and one that was a vehicle built around him and is even named after him though.

Funny thing is he was really popular... and families loved him.  He was the Jello Guy (that's where I know him from mostly) and that Kids say the funniest things show that came on every now and then... idk all the details, but the cancel culture thing is just stupid.

They took out a perfectly good episode of The Golden Girls for what?  It was actually a racially progressive episode especially so for its time - it featured an interracial marriage - but because of one joke they deleted it... so stupid!

Your first point just shows exactly why the show is unwatchable now, because a big part of its appeal was Cosby's wholesome and family-friendly image, and it's not easy to just pretend that's still the case knowing what we know about him now.

Second point is kind of a motte and bailey fallacy, I've been very critical of that sort of thing all the time. But a single joke in an episode isn't comparable to the supposedly wholesome star and creator being a serial sexual predator. I'm normally against pulling such TV episodes and whatnot, but frankly here I have a tough time seeing networks even wanting to air reruns of it.

[Calthrina950]

I agree with you that the Cosby Show will be cast into the den of obscurity. It's hard for me to imagine it being shown on television again-at least, not on any reputable channel. It is very difficult to separate Cliff Huxtable, the character, from Bill Cosby, the actor. Cosby himself, as I've said elsewhere, probably won't be alive for much longer, and once he goes, that will speed along the obscurity process.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Nothing, it was a Spin off of the cartoon Fat Albert, the only real shoe that Afro American still like is Gimme a Break that show shows how Afro Americans can Co exist in same household as WC

There won't be another Nell Carter

Family Matters was a Spin off but Urkel is too old to be a Nerd

We all watched it as teens but not so much now, but teens watch it, but everyone loves Nell


The only stars that developed off Cosby were Kiesha Knight and Raven Symone and Lisa Bonet hubby Jason Manoa is Aqua Man

Malcolm Jamal isn't doing nothing since Malcolm and Eddie

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I agree with you that the Cosby Show will be cast into the den of obscurity. It's hard for me to imagine it being shown on television again-at least, not on any reputable channel. It is very difficult to separate Cliff Huxtable, the character, from Bill Cosby, the actor. Cosby himself, as I've said elsewhere, probably won't be alive for much longer, and once he goes, that will speed along the obscurity process.

Cosby won't fade into obscurity after his death, but he won't be remembered for his long career but rather simply for the reason for his downfall, basically just like O.J. Simpson.

Future generations are going to find it bizarre and perplexing that Cosby was ever a big star, or that he had such a wholesome reputation, because he'll be known only as a prominent serial sexual predator.

[T'Chenka]

Nothing.  We can't go back and edit out every single show with a man that sexually assaulted women.  We wouldn't have half of the movies and TV shows that we have had...  All we can do is make sure it does not happen again.  That is the important thing to do... not beat dead horses.

This. 100% this.