luthia
Blueblood
Posts: 1,653
Feb 7, 2006 23:47:32 GMT -4
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Post by luthia on Oct 21, 2007 2:11:21 GMT -4
It is quite clear that Cosby's failure to address comments made by Michael Eric Dyson in the book "Is Bill Cosby Right?" has much to do with Cosby's lack of intellectual rigour. I own a copy and have read Dyson's book, which is a great critique of the comments Cosby made a few years ago, but then I am biased since Michael is my favourite scholar and clearly has a gift.
This book tour that Cosby has been on for the past few weeks would be much more interesting if there were real discussion that included more comments made in Dyson's book. I don't even think Poussaint has the intellectual rigour to debate the book or Dyson's arguments, despite the fact that he is a psychiatrist and a professor.
I also thought it interesting that when Larry King brought up the trouble that high profile celebrities like O.J and Michael Vick have been experiencing, Cosby cleverly changed the subject and refused to discuss it. Perhaps he feared that discussing these high profile celebrities would then shine a spotlight on some of his past indiscretions or allegations of sexual misconduct on his part?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Mar 28, 2024 10:56:20 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2007 2:29:58 GMT -4
Well, the title of his book is a dead giveaway as to his intellectual prowess or lack thereof. "Come On, People!"(?!?!) Come on, Bill....
As for MED, I'm unimpressed with him too though, after seeing him on Real Time wth Bill Maher, I have to admit that some of his expostulations I happen to agree with. Really, I have no problem with Bill's message; it's the delivery that causes the message to get lost in translation that is troubling.
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timekeeper
Guest
Mar 28, 2024 10:56:20 GMT -4
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Post by timekeeper on Oct 21, 2007 6:41:36 GMT -4
Well, the title of his book is a dead giveaway as to his intellectual prowess or lack thereof. "Come On, People!"(?!?!) Come on, Bill.... As for MED, I'm unimpressed with him too though, after seeing him on Real Time wth Bill Maher, I have to admit that some of his expostulations I happen to agree with. Really, I have no problem with Bill's message; it's the delivery that causes the message to get lost in translation that is troubling. Agreed with regard to Cosby, it's not what you say it's how you say it. As for MED, while I agree that he is an intellectually gifted man, I don't like the fact that he is a famewhore. One minute he was teaching and now he's on stage at the BET awards emulating an old thug. That just bugs IMHO and also knocked him down a few pegs in my mind.
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luthia
Blueblood
Posts: 1,653
Feb 7, 2006 23:47:32 GMT -4
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Post by luthia on Oct 21, 2007 12:55:16 GMT -4
Well, the title of his book is a dead giveaway as to his intellectual prowess or lack thereof. "Come On, People!"(?!?!) Come on, Bill.... As for MED, I'm unimpressed with him too though, after seeing him on Real Time wth Bill Maher, I have to admit that some of his expostulations I happen to agree with. Really, I have no problem with Bill's message; it's the delivery that causes the message to get lost in translation that is troubling. I agree. It is not Bill's message, since I believe the issue is two-fold: structural/systemic and personal/individual. I agree with a lot of what Bill has to say, but I think it needs to placed in its proper context, which is where Michael comes in. The problem is the way that Bill says what he says. It is inarticulate, lacks any critical analysis and simplistic. In addition, I have heard it all before. And, finally he doesn't really provide any new solutions.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Mar 28, 2024 10:56:20 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2007 15:50:02 GMT -4
Exactement, timekeeper. As an aside, a couple of years ago I shared an elevator with him in the Brentwood publishers building when I temped at a magazine. Our brief encounterin which though it was obvious that I recognized him as I attempted to greet himconfirmed for me that he's a famewhore and a poseur. Rather than cordially greet me, he dropped his head as other passengers (who just happened to be young white women) made a fuss over him. Except for a couple of them who obviously worked for his publisher of the moment and had been sent to the lobby to fetch him, the 2 or 3 other women fawning over im were merely elevator passengers just as I was.
But then don't mind me as I'm leery of most any self-appointed expert on aspects of black culture.
ETA: Agreed, luthia. We know the problems the long time ongoing breakdown of the family structure, the devaluing of education, endemic poverty, criminal injustice, etc., etc., etc. But Bill, and others who've chosen to speak on behalf of the black American "condition," offers no solutions beyond speaking gobbledy gook, thus confusing those they say they are trying to help even more.
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timekeeper
Guest
Mar 28, 2024 10:56:20 GMT -4
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Post by timekeeper on Oct 21, 2007 16:01:22 GMT -4
Exactement, timekeeper. As an aside, a couple of years ago I shared an elevator with him in the Brentwood publishers building when I temped at a magazine. Our brief encounterin which though it was obvious that I recognized him as I attempted to greet himconfirmed for me that he's a famewhore and a poseur. Rather than cordially greet me, he dropped his head as other passengers (who just happened to be young white women) made a fuss over him. Except for a couple of them who obviously worked for his publisher of the moment, the 2 or 3 other women were merely elevator passengers just as I was. But then don't mind me as I'm leery of most any self-appointed expert on aspects of black culture. Your point in terms of self-appointed expert is dead on, therefore your leeriness is well placed. He briefly had occasional column space in the Chicago Sun-Times and I remember writing a letter to dispute some of his diatribe with regards to rappers and how "misunderstood" they are. Never got a standard email response or any acknowledgement regarding my point of view. The next thing I knew he had left Chicago (I guess he knew he'd never get the accolades he was craving) and he began his campaign to become a senior citizen rap artist. I'm sure rubbing elbows with Snoop Dog is more on his level.
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Nysha
Blueblood
Posts: 1,029
Jul 7, 2007 2:19:58 GMT -4
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Post by Nysha on Oct 30, 2014 17:05:32 GMT -4
This AlterNet article about Bill Cosby was on my Facebook feed today: The Terrible Truth About Bill CosbyI was shocked because I had never heard any rape allegations against Mr. Cosby, let alone 13.
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Post by FotoStoreSheila on Oct 30, 2014 17:37:11 GMT -4
I feel like this scandal flares up every 5 years or so, then Cosby's PR team does a collective mind-wipe and all we remember about him are Jello pudding and ugly sweaters.
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Post by MrsOldManBalls on Oct 30, 2014 17:38:14 GMT -4
Yeah, it was pretty scandalous at the time. It was also a time when people were pretty quick to think they were just after his money.
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Nysha
Blueblood
Posts: 1,029
Jul 7, 2007 2:19:58 GMT -4
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Post by Nysha on Oct 30, 2014 17:39:16 GMT -4
That makes sense, as does this article in Slate. Who wants to find out their favorite TV dad and Jello Pop pusher may be a rapist?
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