In Response to the Upset over the Cosby Show Being Pulled from Syndication

I read this article and it really bothered me.

In response to the upset over The Cosby Show being pulled from syndication: I’d like to point out that TV land also pulled reruns of 7th heaven because of Stephen Collins. I support the pulling of these shows. Why should we allow rapists (proven or alleged) to have a place on our televisions, in our homes, available to be looked up to by those who are unaware of an actors personal life?

Has Cosby been found guilty of these allegations? No, but how many other men/women have not been proven guilty of a crime they’ve committed? The number of women coming forth with stories is ridiculous. Is there a quota that must be reached before it becomes real enough? If you’re looking for evidence, for a trial and a jury to give you a verdict to this then good luck. These cases are old, the statute of limitations is probably going to prevent that, although I’m not expert on law. It does not mean the allegations are not true.

As far as the other actors listed in this article as a reference, I get it. These men did bad things too, they committed crimes as well. Instead of trying to use them as an example of why The Cosby Show should still be airing (which is what I assume was the point of the article) maybe the desired outcome should be that we get actions taken to pull those other shows as well (which was mildly suggested by this article). The fact that the other men listed as examples are white has not eluded me. It’s unfair and racist and so on and so forth, to penalize Cosby and not the others, again, I get it. How about we figure out a way to handle these types of situations that covers all bases; race, gender and the nature of the crime. Why not push for a system to regulate situations like this in which a revered actor/actress commits (proven or alleged) a crime that is heinous, violent or detrimental?

I try not to roll my eyes when I read “…yanking reruns in which Cosby played a role suggests we can't distinguish between acting and the real world.” Cosby is a REAL person who is alleged to be a rapist in the REAL WORLD. I don’t care if in the show he is just playing a character. In real life he is (allegedly) something else, something more vile and dangerous. It’s not that I believe The Cosby Show is “anything more than fictional entertainment” (that’s obvious) it’s that someone who was an integral part of that entertainment has been put in the spotlight (for years) as someone who has taken advantage of the bodies of women who did not consent. Again, I ask is there a quota, some minimum that must be met before we say enough? I watched that show  as a kid and enjoyed it like so many other people did. It saddens me to have such a negative accusation linked to it but I support the decision of TV Land to pull it.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you support the removal of this show from the re-run roster or do you think it should still air? Let me know what you think here or on twitter @talichaj.

Quotes from "Mitch Albom: Erasing Bill Cosby with the speed of light".