An AP article on The Cosby Furor (I think it's lasted long enough to get caps) is now making the rounds. So far I've seen it on BlackAmericaWeb, The San Francisco Chronicle and believe it or not, Xposed.com, an online men's magazine (and though I'm not one to frequent such sites, MUCH preferring a three dimensional tactile experience to a two dimensional visual…and ultimately tacky…experience, I must approve of Candace Smith).
Others said they were concerned not with the topic of Cosby's remarks but with his tone."If he was going to make such a strong point, he should have chosen his words very carefully," said Wendy Williams, host of the afternoon show on WBLS-FM in New York City. She said callers to her show were split fairly evenly in their opinions on Cosby's comments.
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons also questioned Cosby's tone. "Judgment of the people in the situation is not helpful. How can you help them is the question," he said.
Izrael said he was appalled by Cosby's remarks about prisoners and police.
"That's irresponsible," he said. "In this day and age he ought not be giving license to anyone to shoot our kids in the street for petty crime. It negates everything he had to say. He's coming from this really classist perspective."
…Renee Jones, mother of three and grandmother of three, approved of Cosby speaking out.
"If there's a problem, it needs to be addressed," said Jones, 51, while waiting for a friend in Harlem. "He was right on for making people understand and see this is a problem."
But Otis Parker, 67, thought the need was for action, not talk. He questioned whether the speech patterns of black youth were really the concern.
"I was raised to say, 'Yes, Ma'am,' that didn't stop me from going to penitentiary," the retired building superintendent said. He turned his life around after a prison term for armed robbery.
Parker acknowledged that there are those who don't make good choices, but said criticizing instead of reaching out to encourage and help them isn't the way to go.
"You've got to help them all," he said. "You've got to step in."
Mr Parker and Mr. Simmons share my reaction for the most part. But once again it's time for a rectification of names. You've GOT to judge people or you won't even recognize someone needs help. The trick then is to do what you want in a way that works. In general, insulting people does little to get them to dispassionately consider one's views. Trust me, I speak from experience.
Posted by P6 at June 1, 2004 09:29 AM
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Comments
It's kind of amazing, depressing that Cosby's tone is the story instead of the problem. As always, the spotlight is on the star instead of the issue.
Trackback There has been a lot of talk about Mr. Cosby's remarks regarding lower income Black people. And like Prometheus I can respect all sides of the argument. I even share some of the concerns about Cosby's remarks being overly harsh in their tone, to SOME...
Posted by In Search of Utopia at Jun 1, 2004 1:13 PM
Does it really surprise you, Janine?
Everyone expected a shitstorm as soon as Cos opened his mouth. Cosby, knowing what he was about to say, expected it before he got dressed for breakfast that morning.
In general, shitstorms are too blunt a tool to move individuals, which in the end strikes me as the actual mechanism by which one moves a collective.
Posted by P6 at June 1, 2004 01:42 PM