Bill Cosby is known today for his standup comedy, television series, films, and of course, the 60 women who accused him of drugging and assaulting them.
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In W. Kamau Bell’s four-part documentary “We Need to Talk About Cosby,” he paints the culture in which the once-universally loved actor/comedian grew up.
Long Fall From Grace
Within the past couple of years, prominent celebrities that have been idolized by millions worldwide have come to an incredible amount of scrutiny.
R&B heartthrob R. Kelly was found guilty of nine federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Hollywood icon Morgan Freeman was accused eight times of harassment or inappropriate behavior, and ‘America’s Dad’ Bill Cosby was arrested after being found guilty of sexual assault.
Bell displays how Cosby rose to popularity almost overnight alongside contemporaries like Dick Gregory in an unbiased narrative.
Alongside intimate conversations with the alleged victims of the Temple University alum, clips of his standup routines or the Cosby show would be provided that usually relieved some tension or recontextualized how ironic most of his material was in hindsight like Cosby’s set on Spanish Fly, an alleged aphrodisiac. One Twitter user called “We Need to Talk About Cosby” a “must-see.”
Shortly after a virtual screening of the documentary’s third episode hosted by Deadline, Bell said:
“I didn’t know until I started studying this that it went back to so early in his career to before he was really even a super famous comedian”.
Lili Bernard, one of Cosby’s accusers, who guest-starred on an episode of the Cosby Show as Mrs. Minifield joined him on the remote event. Bernard championed Bell’s efforts to give the victims a voice; she stated:
“To have someone as brave and courageous and compassionate and respected as Kamau, to give credence to our voices in such a very objective way, is just life-changing.”
Bernard Sues Bill
In a press release that announced her lawsuit against the once-lauded funnyman, actress Lili Bernard was quoted as saying
“I have waited a long time to be able to pursue my case in court and I look forward to being heard and to hold Cosby accountable for what he did to me. Although it occurred long ago, I still live with the fear, pain, and shame every day of my life.”
Bernard stated she was supposed to receive mentorship from Cosby but was instead drugged and sexually assaulted. Cosby reportedly arranged a “mentoring session” in Atlantic City in August 1990 and claimed to give her a nonalcoholic drink that made her feel sick and fall in and out of consciousness.
