The fall of an icon

Those, like me, who spent years watching Bill Cosby’s family sitcom The Cosby Show, are still trying to get to grips with the contrast between the fatherly, benevolent image we all remember and the sexual predator he is being made out to be by the women who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault.

At the last count, 17 women have come forward with their stories, saying they gained courage from reading about other victims after years of having never been believed. The more women speak up, the more difficult it is to believe that he is innocent, because the obvious question many of us are asking is: how can it be that they are all making it up?  

The accusations start from the 1960s up to as recently as 2004. Those who are saying it’s about money may wish to note that many of the incidents happened so long ago that the statute of limitations (time limit) for a civil suit has long been surpassed.

Unfortunately, that also means that the allegations cannot lead to criminal charges either because so much time has elapsed. The lack of physical evidence and the fact that most of the women did not report it at the time are two other factors working in Cosby’s favour.

An out-of-court settlement in 2006 with a woman who had been prepared to testify in a civil suit had ensured that no public statement could be made, but to me, this settlement in itself is almost an admission of guilt. Would you pay out cash to shut someone up if they are accusing you of something heinous, which is absolutely untrue, or would you fight to clear your name? I know which option I would choose.  

What was even more significant about this case was that 13 unnamed witnesses did not get the opportunity to testify because of the terms of the settlement. Since then, however, many of these women, including the original plaintiff, have revealed their identities and all tell a similar tale of having been drugged, and then sexually assaulted or raped.

As nervous TV networks, afraid of an angry public backlash, cancelled his upcoming sitcoms, it didn’t help Cosby’s case one bit that he was adamantly refusing to answer any questions about the issue. He remained steadfastly and almost stubbornly silent – that is, until last Friday, when he was interviewed by a Florida newspaper to whom he said, “I know many people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy does not have to answer to innuendo. People should fact-check. People shouldn’t have to go through that and shouldn’t answer to innuendos.”

He later appeared at his standup comedy show, where, according to reports he stepped out on stage to a crowd of adoring fans in a “defiant pose” and raising a clenched fist. It was a triumphant moment for Cosby, with the audience even giving him a standing ovation.

There are many facets to this story that has divided the US, with some in the media stoutly defending Cosby, while others insisting that so many women simply cannot be lying. 

His lawyers are maintaining that the allegations are false and that the women had already been completely discredited. Some have wondered why it took so long for these women to speak up, but as one victim told the press, “I did tell someone but nothing happened.” Others point out how difficult it was to come out with such an accusation precisely because Cosby has always been such a well-loved figure. 

And this is where this story takes on its sinister undertones – Cosby, in American culture, is (or was) an untouchable icon. He represented everything that upwardly mobile African-Americans wanted to be: intelligent, educated, well-mannered, well-spoken and a man who constantly spoke up for good old-fashioned family values.

The shocking double life now being revealed could not be further removed from the man who was known as “America’s favourite Dad”.

Although I am aware that there are women who do cry rape for no reason (and unfortunately we have had rather too many examples of this in Malta lately), somehow my gut instinct is that this is not the case here. 

The reason I believe these women is that Cosby had enormous clout and power in Hollywood in his heyday, and with that kind of power comes a sort of arrogance and a reckless disregard for other people.

We see it all the time, and are even seeing it now right under our very noses in our own country. Men who are suddenly thrust almost overnight into positions of incredible authority start to believe in their own publicity. They become heady and puffed up with importance, thinking that they can do anything they like and no one can stop them.  

In the world of celebrity, (much like in politics) wielding that kind of power, surrounded by very young aspiring actresses who are dumbstruck with awe and admiration at being so close to the aura of someone so powerful, can be a dangerous combination. If the sex is consensual that is one thing, but from the consistent stories being told, Cosby forced himself on them against their will.  

And to those wondering how this man could get away with this behaviour for so long, well it all boils down to how much the beloved television persona of Cliff Huxtable was burned into the American psyche. Most people simply refused to believe it could possibly be true. Even more disturbing is that the media, which is usually so eager to lap up such juicy details, practically drew a veil over the allegations which were kept very low-key and were never brought up in interviews with the actor.

Until, that is, a video of comedian Hannibal Buress, in which he mocks Cosby’s hypocrisy and mentions the rape charges, went inexplicably viral. Suddenly, that which had been kept secret for so long was splashed all over the Internet.

And the bitter irony has not been lost on those who work in the field of domestic violence, that while people sat up and took notice of what a male comedian said in a stand up routine, for so many years, the original victims themselves were not taken seriously.