Right-o. And the fact is, if this is how you speak in public (he was referring to people he saw in public) then its moot if they can speak otherwise in private.
Bill Cosby has done it again...
- Thread starter Voted4Reagan
- Start date
With respect, he isn't speaking "about the black community," he is telling the "black community" how to dress, how to wear their pants, hats, and so on. If a white man of equal wealth went into the "black community" and said the same things he would be run out of Brooklyn or the Bronx or Harlem. So back we come to these questions, what is it specifically that gives Cosby the right to speak in such terms about the "black community" is it his blackness, hie wealth, his success, his television series or his recognizable visage, his celebrity; what is it that lets him say how the black youth should wear their hats!
cawacko
Well-known member
Umm, there are many who have both street and business smarts. He's speaking to the streets smarts only. One might think you would support that
He specifically says "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English." How does he or you know this? You're confusing street corner talking between black youth; with all Black youth speaking in all other public places, which is the stereotype! Private doesn't enter into it. Certainly there are more public spaces than just street corners are their not, and certainly I have myself heard black youth on the bus carry on completely correct conversations with other passengers and then get off and see three other people and drop the English they were just speaking on the bus! So if I have had that experience why hasn't Cosby?
that isn't what he says!
I'm still waiting for you to answer this question that you keep avoiding though I have asked it twice let me try again:
Does he get to speak for the whole "black community" by virtue of his blackness or by virtue of his wealth or his success or by virtue of his television series or by virtue of his celebrity? What allows him to speak for everyone and tell Black people how they should wear their hats, their pants, and whether or not they can or should get body piercings and so on?
Yes, outside, in public, where any current, former or future employer can see you and the face you present to the world. Who will care what you may do in private ? If this is how you are in public then its realistic that you may show this face in ones workplace. Unless you are working in a bar is this in any way a positive ?
When the Black sociologist Michael Eric Dyson criticized Cosby in his book Is Bill Cosby Right? was Michael Eric Dyson showing his love for white women too, or did he have some genuine and worthwhile criticisms of Cosby?
Sure because perspective employers walk around the ghetto streets listening to Black people talk and making notes of how they speak to each other so that on the off chance that one of them ever comes looking at their particular small business for a job they will have some evidence of how each black person talked and who they were. Yeah, that is how white people discriminate!
cawacko
Well-known member
Translation: are you asking if me if when Desh says Al Sharpton speaks for all of black America and if anyone disagrees they are racist does the same apply here?
I asked you want I asked you; are you having trouble reading a simple interrogative sentence? I asked a simple question? And I asked it three times. Why are you having trouble reading it?
cawacko
Well-known member
Translation: why is cawacko out celebrating the 49ers win while you are not a sports fan? I pretty clearly said earlier Mr. Cosby speaks his own opinion.
Actually in urban areas thats pretty accrate. Its not unusual for surburban dwellers like me to work rather far from home but far less so in a Philly or the like. And dont forget that one's body language is not unlike one's verbal one. And face it, its fact that black youth unemployment is in the 20's. The good doctor has a point and cares enough to risk displeasure of others like yourself who are more concerned about protocol than reality. He is explaining WHY things are as they are. Youcant rectify a problem until you first accept that its a problem.
We cant wish away the causes (Great Society) but its only a lack of will that prevents fixing it now.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
If you cared to read, my post was referring to the inner cities where the people there need the most help. the very target group he is making his speeches about....Reading FAIL
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
I grew up poor. Hell I was semi-poor in my adult life after being laid off. The problem with people of privilege commenting on those that live without is that they are trying to use their privilege status to justify their claims of laziness towards people that live without. Aside from the U.S being a capitalist country, we do have microcosmic cultures that live with their own sets of rules and behaviors. To be honest, if Cosby really wants to impress me, he needs to go down to the Nickerson Gardens in Watts California which is a notorious Blood area, and speak that way to the knuckleheads there. I'm sure Cosby wouldn't be under no harm since most black youths at least those that are around my age grew up on the Cosby show just like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
People who are targeting these youths need to go to the source instead of preaching from afar because if Magic Johnson can come to the projects of Los Angeles or in predominant Blood and Crip areas unharm and unkilled so can Bill Cosby.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
Who cares it was a cartoon that I enjoyed.....Besides what is a "ghetto setting?"
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
The problem with people like that is they don't read what they are trying to prove. They probably read one sentence and have that "AH HA! I got you" moment.
cawacko
Well-known member
To my understanding Cosby has gone to those type of areas. You take someone with his stature within the community and his words hold weight. He alone isn't going to change everyone but the fact that he cares enough to try and make a difference is what's important and hopefully he has reached some folks and helped foster positive change.
Sun Devil
Death and Taxes
He can't.....
As you obviously know through my writings (I think) I'm black and I think what Cosby is saying (although I agree with some of the things he is saying) is not something he can say with experience. I'm not sure about people from Philly but Cosby doesn't know what its like growing up in Watts, Compton in the 90's where you couldn't walk to certain areas wearing certain colors. I remember there was a time where you couldn't wear British Knights tennis shoes (because the 'BK' stood for Blood Killers). I remember you couldn't wear Calvin Klein. During the 90's when the Bloods and Crips brokered a peace treaty, Bill Cosby wasn't a part of that nor did her encourage it even though his shows were going on in those times.