Bill Cosby - What's Your Opinion?
 

Now I've seen a fair share of arguments in the The Wow I Can't Believe That News Story Thread, so I thought I'd give a thread to discuss it as it's only going to get more intense. Soul Flower you seem to think it's a vilification against his good reputation right? So are 20 women lying?

Number of women accusing Bill Cosby hits 20 | Stuff.co.nz

In this article they refer to the complete breakdown by The Wrap which is slightly out of date due to new case:

19 Bill Cosby Accusers: Complete Breakdown of the Allegations - TheWrap

The problem with serial rape is that once someone has the courage to go forward, all the other victims feel more confident to try and get some closure by telling their story. At this stage it's still "alleged" but surely not all of the woman are telling fibs? The other issue is that women often don't get believed when it's related to a well known and respected member of society being accused of rape. People say they are money hungry.

I'd be interested to see your thoughts on this peeps.

There's been a lot more than 20 people who've lied about alien abductions.

He's America's first big sex pest in the recent wave. In the UK we've had a constant onslaught of sexual abuse from those in positions of power. Jimmy Savile mainly, Rolf Harris would be shared with your part of the world. They're not cynical enough about these people yet.

yea but but not the same alien abduction. and why did you stop responding in the ferguson thread. i am still curious which hood you're from.

I just got sick of my own opinions about that story. I grew up in the suburbs and never lived in "the hood" until I was grown. I live in a racially diverse working class neighborhood now. It's a little rough but it's no hood.

Considering the millions of people who've heard about Cosby's deal the number 20 doesn't impress me. The number 20,000 wouldn't impress me. Unless he's guilty. That would make him like the Wilt Chamberlin of rape.

Actors have been known to keep bigger secrets from the media until they somehow reveal themselves later. Bill Cosby is no exception though I know people would be heartbroken to hear that it is true.

Honestly, I wouldn't care either way, it's be sad to hear, but at the same time, there's really no way to tell what Bill Cosby truly thinks of the situation since the media latches onto this stuff like a leach and just exaggerates it to ridiculous points. Maybe it's something he's been wanting people to know about but never knew how to express it.

No one is clean cut or honest. We've all done wrong.

Yeah but most of us haven't raped a number of people though.

Of course not. What I'm saying is look at the popular image of Bill Cosby through the years. Now look at the reality. Whenever someone sits around doling out morality, he's probably hiding some big sins.

Not to mention most of these women he had consensual sexual relations with.

Its clear Bill Cosby cheated on his wife, which Camille has admitted on more than one occasion (and he got around back in the day) but there is no proof these accusations are true and will be hard to prove. I find it very hard to believe a rape victim would continue to date a man they claimed raped them. These women are looking for money and jumping on the bandwagon because he left them and didn't fulfill his "promises"

Very sad but we live in a culture that bases guilt off of the media influence and propaganda. People rely on it for information instead of researching and coming up with their own interpretation.

How would you know what a rape victim would act after being raped? You do realise how much power and influence he has in the industry? These models and women could have had their careers and reputations destroyed if they tried to speak up about the alleged rapes and sexual assaults. It seems like you have very little sympathy for rape victims.

I'm just curious if there's any proof that says he did it or not. The conversation in this thread would be much different if there was a way to know if he did it, or not.

Is there supposed to be an investigation? I can't understand why it's just all media interviews?

I don't know. It just seems like with all the attention it's gotten, an investigation would be expected, however at the same time, I just think the media is having a holiday on their own just talking about it all the time.

Yip they are. But let's face it, they always love having a rich, powerful celebrity to vilify. Look at Tiger Woods! He nearly got crucified by the media for his infidelity.

Yeah, I remember never hearing the end of the Tiger Woods scandal. Which is probably what will happen with Bill Cosby as well. I do also think it's rather sad that he's even having to go through this, especially if he knows very well that he didn't do anything wrong.

I will also say that as insensitive as it may sound, the women coming out and saying something could just be a way for them to get in the media and get their little taste of fame. I'm not saying that's what they are doing, i'm just saying that could be a reason for it.

The thing is, there are women who are elderly that are claiming sexual assault. Why would an elderly woman put herself through a media **** storm for a little attention? Where is the money coming from? Not Cosby. Unless we are talking media interviews?

I'll answer your question with a question, purely for debate. Why would the women wait so long to reveal the information? You'd think if they wanted revenge, they would have revealed this information in the high points of his acting career. Of course, i'm just one of those people who finds this sort of stuff a little weird as it always seems so sudden.

As far as your question goes, i'm talking media interviews, etc etc. I didn't know the elderly woman part so it sort of makes my original question a bit less necessary.

because if youre an 18 year old kid and get raped by one of the most beloved people in America how on earth do you come out and say that?? its a lose-lose situation. its a much stronger case once info is already out there.

I think its highly probably that cosby raped women in the past and highly unlikely 20+ people are all coming out to fuck with/gain profit from something like this. its also one of the most terrifying legal battles because of circumstances (ie its usually done in private, no witnesses, lack of concrete evidence, public scrutiny of extremely personal details, etc.) its an uphill battle from the start for the victim.

I think that's gonna be one of the main issues. There was that case that was settled what, 10 years ago? With very similar circumstances described by the plaintiffs (plaintiffs, right? idk). The evidence in that case was insufficient and I forget if it would be admissible in a different case like this. Twenty years is a long time... I doubt they'd have more to use against him than their testimonies. I want to believe he didn't do it but it seems farfetched to me that so many people would be coming out with such similar stories of abuse as some sort of conspiracy to bring down his image and/or profit from doing that. I'll wait until more information comes out before making up my mind about the whole thing.

I like to let the justice system that we're all forced to deal with go through until I decide somebody is a mass rapist. These are all accusations and while they're serious as hell, I'm not going to condemn a person until it is proved. I also think that assuming all those women are liars is just as ignorant and wrong as assuming Cosby is a rapist.

Unless there's videotape of him raping a woman, there's next to zero chance there will be be any evidence. Rape is notoriously hard to prove even when it's reported immediately. I imagine pretty much all you'd have to go one would be physical signs or DNA, which will be long gone by now. Unless you can provide compelling evidence that the plaintiffs are lying, which is probably almost as unlikely, then it's probably all but impossible to know what, if anything happened. So, even an investigation is going to be pretty much useless at this point.

A lot of people think if certain types of people say it or enough people say it then it must be true. In reality, a lot of people can tell the same damn lie. People ask why. Nobody really knows. It happens.

Day-care sex-abuse hysteria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

people lie about not raping someone too

They do. But people understand that as incentive to lie. It makes sense. When a set of people who don't even know each other start up with the same lie for no apparent reason it strikes people as too incredible to happen. But it does happen.

The fact that the women's stories all line up is not just coincidence. Not saying it's true, but it's pretty unlikely that they'd wait this long, just to lie.

right it can happen, but statistically speaking it's more likely cosby is lying than all 20 of the alleged victims. hell id say it's more likely that cosby raped someone even if there was only 1 victim. not condemning him for certain, just rationalizing my decision to lean on one side of the fence.

I don't think a man's life should be destroyed unless there's something more than words out there.

Bill Cosby's net worth is $350 million dollars. His current day chance at a career resurrection may have taken a hard hit but he's far from ruined. He's just going to have to get use to living pretty far out of the public eye.

And I think this is somewhat similar to after a priest gets exposed for diddling a young boy, next thing you know a bunch of young men step forward to say he diddled them too when they were young.

Maybe it's just because I don't read into media that much, but it's not like he's really been in the public eye that much anyway.

theres a difference between having an opinion on something and the courts delivering a verdict. I can say he probably did rape those women, but that wont get him convicted obviously, because there has to be no doubt that he did. and rape is extremely hard to prove for certain. but even if he gets off scot free legally, it doesn't mean he didn't do it.

and im not advocating him getting sentenced on speculation. I think he did it, but its based on playing the odds rather than absolute proof.

Concerts - Bill Cosby

And he was about to signed to do a new comedy show on TV.

I sort of treat this as I would a musician, though. If I were a fan of Bill Cosby, I wouldn't let something that happened in his personal life get in the way of seeing a comedy show of his. Hell, i've heard he's actually very funny on stage.

It's a bit more sinister tan folks think based on the allegations. And it's been going on for over 10 years.

November 2002
Andrea Constand, director of operations for Temple University’s women’s basketball team, allegedly met with Bill Cosby. Constand claims that Cosby, who had been a member of Temple’s track and field and football teams, assumed a role as her mentor.

January 2004
According to Constand, she visited Cosby at his Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, home to discuss career advice, and after allegedly (according to a civil lawsuit she would later file) giving her "herbal" pills to ease her anxiety, Cosby “touched her breasts and vaginal area, rubbed his penis against her hand, and digitally penetrated” her.

January 13, 2005
Constand, who had since moved near Toronto to study massage therapy, accuses Cosby of "inappropriate touching" — groping her breasts and placing her hand on his genitals — to Canadian authorities. Cosby’s lawyer calls her allegation "utterly preposterous" and "plainly bizarre.”

January 27, 2005
ABC News reports that the interaction between Constand and Cosby — who is at this point cooperating with the investigation — might have been consensual.

February 10, 2005
Tamara Green, a California lawyer, appears on the Today show and alleges that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in the 1970s. Green tells Matt Lauer that Cosby, who had given her pills to combat a fever, drove her to her apartment and began “… groping me and kissing me and touching me and handling me and … taking off my clothes.” According to Green, Cosby left two $100 bills on her coffee table afterwards. Cosby’s lawyer issues a statement: “Miss Green’s allegations are absolutely false. Mr. Cosby does not know the name Tamara Green or Tamara Lucier [her maiden name], and the incident she describes did not happen. The fact that she may have repeated this story to others is not corroboration.”

February 17, 2005
Citing a lack of evidence, the investigating district attorney in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, announces he will not act on Constand’s accusation and bring criminal charges against Cosby.

March 8, 2005
Constand files a civil complaint against Cosby. The five-count lawsuit charges Cosby with battery and assault, and asks for at least $150,000 in damages. Thirteen women who allege similar experiences as Constand and Green are mentioned in court papers as Jane Doe witnesses.

May 2005
In Constand’s civil lawsuit, she alleges the comedian gave her three blue pills, which he said was herbal medication. Cosby’s lawyers, however, issue a court filing and attempt to clarify that the comedian merely gave Constand one and a half tablets of Benadryl.

June 2005
Jane Doe 5 goes public. Beth Ferrier claims she was in a relationship with Cosby in the mid-1980s, one that ended when he allegedly drugged her coffee and Ferrier woke in a car. “My clothes were a mess. My bra was undone. My top was untucked. And I'm sitting there going, 'Oh my God. Where am I?' What's going on? I was so out of it. It was just awful."

February 2006
While in the midst of her civil suit, Constand sues one of Cosby’s lawyers — and the National Enquirer — for defamation. Cosby had spoken to the tabloid the year before, and Constand claimed the interview defamed her as it “[intended] to or knowing it would injure” her.

June 2006*
Philadelphia magazine interviews another witness in Constand’s lawsuit, Barbara Bowman. “Cosby threw me on the bed and braced his forearm against my neck and attempted to disrobe me and himself,” she said. “I can still remember him messing with his belt. And I was screaming and crying and yelling and begging him to stop.”

November 2006
Cosby settles with Constand. Terms are not disclosed, and none of the 13 other women testify.

December 2006
The following month, People magazine publishes Bowman's account of several assaults: "It was in a hotel in Reno, claims Bowman, that Cosby assaulted her one night in 1986. 'He took my hand and his hand over it, and he masturbated with his hand over my hand,' says Bowman, who, although terrified, kept quiet about the incident and continued as Cosby's protégé because, she says, 'Who's gonna believe this? He was a powerful man. He was like the president.' Before long she was alone with Cosby again in his Manhattan townhouse; she was given a glass of red wine, and "the next thing I know, I'm sick and I'm nauseous and I'm delusional and I'm limp and ... I can't think straight.... And I just came to, and I'm wearing a [men's] T-shirt that wasn't mine, and he was in a white robe.'"

That same People article reports that three of the Jane Does from the March 2005 case accepted cash from Cosby for years, and two others began consensual sexual relationships with Cosby.

February 2014
Katie Baker of Newsweek — Whitaker’s former employer — interviews both Green and Bowman about the alleged assaults. Bowman tells Baker she was disappointed in the settlement, and Green recounts running into and accosting Cosby in Las Vegas, yelling, “Rapist! Liar! *******!” While Cosby doesn’t issue a statement regarding Bowman’s claims, his publicist responds to Green, “This is a 10-year-old, discredited accusation that proved to be nothing at the time, and is still nothing.”

October 16, 2014
Comedian Hannibal Buress does an extended bit about the rape charges in Cosby's home town of Philadelphia. "Bill Cosby has the ****ing smuggest old black man public persona that I hate," Buress says. "Pull your pants up, black people. I was on TV in the ’80s. I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom. Yeah, but you raped women, Bill Cosby. So, brings you down a couple notches." A clip of the set goes viral after being posted in Philadelphia magazine.

November 10,2014
To battle the bad press, Cosby's PR team launches an online meme generator. Twitter is immediately inundated with references to the rape claims.

November 13, 2014
Inspired by the reactions to Buress's bit, Bowman pens an op-ed in the Washington Post, titled "Bill Cosby raped me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?" She notes that "only after a man ... called Bill Cosby a rapist in a comedy act last month did the public outcry begin in earnest."

November 15, 2014
Cosby is asked about the various charges on NPR's "Weekend Edition" but stays silent. His lawyer later posts a statement saying Cosby "won't dignify these allegations with any response."

November 16, 2014
A new accuser, Joan Tarshis, alleges that Cosby drugged and assaulted her on two occasions in 1969. "As more and more of his rape victims have come forward, all telling similar stories," Tarshis says, "the time is right to join them."

November 17, 2014
Linda Joy Traitz, a former waitress at Cosby's Café Figaro, writes a lengthy Facebook post accusing the actor of trying to drug her in the early '70s. She says the incident occurred when Cosby drove her home one night: "He drove out to the beach and opened a briefcase filled with assorted drugs and kept offering me pills 'to relax,' which I declined. He began to get sexually aggressive and wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer. I freaked out and demanded to be taken home."

November 18, 2014
On Entertainment Tonight, supermodel Janice Dickinson becomes the next woman to accuse Cosby of sexual abuse, saying the comedian drugged and raped her in 1982. She recalls Cosby giving her wine and a pill, which he told her were for menstrual cramps: "Before I woke up in the morning, the last thing I remember was Bill Cosby in a patchwork robe, dropping his robe and getting on top of me. And I remember a lot of pain. The next morning I remember waking up with my pajamas off and there was semen in between my legs." Dickinson alluded to the event in her 2002 memoir, and later told Howard Stern she was asked to change the text to show Cosby in a better light.

What^ he raped all these women? No.... No...It's Bill Cosby.....

the image of bill cosby shoving his dick in some drugged up woman is kind of a ****ed up but still hilarious at the same time

then i imagine him giving theo pointers on how to slip the drug in there inconspicuously on the next episode

^:laughing:

...no, it's not hilarious.

I know Cosby was never funny..

Amen.