Sheila and I share a love for Bill Cosby's comedy routines. My parents enjoyed his audio records from years ago, including the award-winning "Revenge" album. Of course, the two of us point to his video "Himself" as perhaps the pinnacle of his stand-up success. We know the majority of the lines word-for-word and we still get a laugh out of them.
When Cosby recently turned his focus into a new medium, I was left scratching my head. Cosby now takes to the lecture circuit and points out to certain families how & why their kids have taken to the streets. I've caught some video footage of some of those "town hall" meetings, and I swear it was the first time he'd been seen out of comedic character. At first, what he was saying sounded so foreign.
I was not the only critic to come out and brand him a "Johnny-Come-Lately" in this area. His Ph.D aside (and he is a very smart man), I wondered why he waited so late in his career to become a crusader. Problems in the slums and trying to get kids off the streets and into meaningful lives have been going on long before Cosby even made himself famous. Was he doing this to inject life into a fading career? Or, at age 68, was he just becoming bitter? Seeing his video footage, it appeared bitterness got the better of him, as it appeared he was scolding entire families like they were immature children. That garnered mixed attention in 2004 when he first started travelling.
Yet a year later, he is still into his cause, and I now respect him for it, while believing many people may actually take his message to heart. It is easy to forget, with the huge doses of celebrity news out there, that Cosby lost his only son Ennis to a highway shooting some years back. You may have seen Cosby's comedy act lampooning the kids, but he was a loving father behind the scenes, just like we'd all want our father to be. Cosby should know his stuff, holding a minor in child psychology. And places like Detroit, well-known for street activity, is actually a perfect place for him to start (along with Chicago).
I'm beginning to read articles about his lectures with interest, and it's hard not to notice positive reaction from event attendeees , saying the gathering touched the heart. No matter what race, economic background or whatever, everyone's heart should be touched to help those who have fallen backward. I claim in conversation to have "fallen backward" through the years. Though not in the severe plight some of the families are, I am just as grateful for the help as they should be.
Is Cosby's comedy career over? Many have superseded him as self-proclaimed "top comedian", so perhaps that branch of his career is. But I must admit, the new branch is blooming very nicely, and it may affect his audience in ways the funniest one-liners couldn't.
