Remembering 'The Cosby Show' (1984-1992)

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Panther, Aug 1, 2020.

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  1. I haven’t cared for the show since I was a teenager, but I can still enjoy Cosby’s standup when I see/hear it. What he might have done doesn't matter to me - as the saying goes, trust the Art, not the artist. However, in these situations, I would think twice about paying for any work the artist might benefit from.
     
    Keith V likes this.
  2. I never watched the show although I liked Bill Cosby from I Spy and his comedy records. I am certain I won't ever watch it now but without the revelations of what a terrible person he is, it might be a show I would watch eventually. I never watched an episode of Seinfeld until years after it ended, then watched the entire series in a short period and loved it.
     
  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    What are you talking about?
     
  4. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    In the show's defense, when it comes to minority characters in movies/TV, there tends to be an "overcorrection" sometimes to compensate for all the decades of bad portrayals.

    Given how few role models existed for Blacks, Cosby went to an extreme to make up for the past.

    In a different world ;), we'd just get honest portrayals of people, but I understand why Cosby may've felt the need to depict that TV family as so "perfect". Blacks saw so many ugly portrayals - they needed an idealized version for once!
     
    Keith V, Wayne Hubbard, Dan C and 2 others like this.
  5. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    I had quite a few of his stand-up LPs as a kid in the '70s and loved them... bought a few of them again fairly recently, and still enjoy them... I was 16 when the show began in '84... found it corny at the time, though I did chuckle and grin a year or two later when he and family did the lip-synch to "Night & Day"... rewatched that segment on YouTube a couple years ago and can't for the life of me remember why it made me laugh 30-odd years ago...
     
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  6. hbbfam

    hbbfam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chandler,AZ
    Back in the 80s when I had access to such things, we saw him in LV. Came out and sat on an easy chair and just talked. Absolutely, teary-eyed hysterical. One of the best shows I have seen. But the sanctimony would make it impossible for me to see or laugh again.
     
  7. Frozensoda

    Frozensoda Forum Resident

    I was 11 when the show first started and I thought it was flat out hilarious, must see TV. I loved being able to pick out the bits of his comedy routines he threw into the shows.
    After the first 2 seasons, it started to dip and I just stopped watching at some point.
    I haven’t seen it since the original broadcasts but I have no desire to seek it out again.
    Cannot separate the man from his art.
     
    Steve Litos likes this.
  8. Bluesman Mark

    Bluesman Mark I'm supposed to put something witty here....

    Location:
    Iowa
    Setting aside the actions of Cosby over the years, (because in this case only as pertains to me, they aren't relevant), I never got all the accolades he got as an actor, stand up comedian, etc. There was always a self satisfied smugness in everything he did, his mugging was tiresome & predictable, & he tried to milk every joke ir line far too much.

    Well before all this came out I had stopped watching the show, (I think season three was the last I tried to watch), because it was so smug, self righteous, phony, pretentious, painfully obvious, & completely not funny. Anytime I accidentally caught it in syndication after that, it had not aged well, being even less enjoyable.

    FWIW, I disliked Family Ties just as much & for many of the same reasons. Cheers & Night Court were the only two shows in that block I could tolerate.
     
    goodiesguy, Frozensoda and Jimmy B. like this.
  9. Wildest cat from montana

    Wildest cat from montana Humble Reader

    Location:
    ontario canada
    I had a thing for Lisa Bones. You know , a thing.
     
    Jack Lord likes this.
  10. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger

    The only reason why I watched is because Lisa Bonet was so cute. Although I thought Bill Cosby was cool in the '70s, but the Cosby Show, he became bland and inoffensive, didn't like the show all that much. As for parents, I'd take Steve and Elyse Keaton over the Hutaxables any day.
     
    cloggedmind likes this.
  11. Steve Litos

    Steve Litos Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    If it was the "Night Time Is The Right Time" Ray Charles lip synch...when backup singer Margie Hendrix screams "Baby!" little Rudy steps up front to mouth it.
     
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  12. Steve Litos

    Steve Litos Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    The entire run is available on Amazon Prime. I poked around on a few episodes.

    The first few seasons of the show worked the best when it was the kids interacting to one another and with the parents. After that you have cast changes and plot lines focus away from the family home.

    As with all kids shows, the actors grow up and you lose some of the freshness.

    It lasted for a good 8 seasons but was only outstanding for the first 2 or maybe 3 seasons.
     
    Dan C likes this.
  13. Bluesman Mark

    Bluesman Mark I'm supposed to put something witty here....

    Location:
    Iowa
    Lisa Bones? What TV show was she on? :laugh:

    If you mean Lisa Bonet, I don't think you keep Jason Momoa up nights worrying you might steal her away.... :D :biglaugh:
     
  14. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Yup. The show was always aspirational, that an African American family can live as any other family with education and wealth. Cosby always stated the obvious that needed to be stated - Why not? I'm not sure it was an extreme, it was a reflection and exageration of a certain type of upper middle class wealth.
     
  15. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Yep. Prior to The Cosby Show, African American characters on TV tended to be stereotypes or caricatures, or both. The Cosby Show was probably the first instance in which we saw black actors play characters that were bland and dull. A deliberate over-correction, as you note.
     
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  16. Luke The Drifter

    Luke The Drifter Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    This one bothers me a lot. The show would be an automatic for me to buy and show my kids as quality family entertainment. And Cosby ruined it. As was said earlier, the image of a role model husband and father, makes them impossible to separate for me.

    I really feel bad for the rest of the actors on the show, that should be able to be proud of their work on the show. It would be lauded today if not for Bill Cosby himself.
     
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  17. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    The first thing that started to bug me was the wife's frazen smile when he would start doing a few jokes that sounded like stand up. She'd have this glassy look all teeth, like she was trying to hold a smile for the camera. Then Raven Symone, that evil little troll. I was not very interested by then, but I tuned in once and saw her and never ever watched again.
     
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  18. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    and Cosby was very vocal about Bonet's nudity in Angel Heart, telling the press it would destroy her career.
     
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  19. Big Jimbo

    Big Jimbo Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I only saw one episode, which had B B King as the guest star.
     
    Bluesman Mark likes this.
  20. Deano6

    Deano6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, NC, USA
    My brother and I constantly refer to a hamburger as a "Bacon Burger Dog". My wife doesn't get it.
     
  21. I wish I could find online that Bloom Country strip where Bill Cosby is in one of the father's anxiety closets.......
     
    Suncola likes this.
  22. yeah,
    I forgot about his satisfied smugness! God that was awful
    yep, phony, self righteous, you got it

    yeah Family Ties sucked too*. I liked Justine Bateman though back then, so I watched it sometimes early on (hey, I was in my teens).

    *(God what an awful theme song, BTW! Makes me kinda sick still, to even think of it).
     
    Bluesman Mark likes this.
  23. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Weird reason to watch comedy.
     
  24. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger

    I didn't find the show funny, at it's best it was "watchable" so I was OK with not laughing.
     
    Steve Litos likes this.
  25. a customer

    a customer Forum Resident

    Location:
    virginia
    Crosby was lame that show made him relevasnt again.
     
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