It Was Bill Cosby Who Did It, Not Heathcliff Huxtable
The moment Bill Cosby was accused of sexual assault, his fans offered their support for the TV and comic icon. “No way Cosby could do that” we shouted. But then it dawned on me. We don’t know Bill Cosby. We know Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. Despite what some may think, they’re two different people.
In the ’80s, he was TV’s favorite dad. Not just for the world, but African-Americans everywhere. He was our father. He attended an HBCU (Historically Black College/University), married a successful black woman, became a doctor, fathered five children, and was able to solve any problems he or his family faced in 30 minutes or less. Heathcliff was a superhero way before Black Panther hit the scene.
But Who Is Bill Cosby?
Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Cosby got his start in clubs and gained success as a top-flight comic while holding his ground against the likes of Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. His stand up routine was often done without profanity which made him marketable for movies and TV studios. But still, we didn’t know Bill Cosby.
When the Cosby Show debuted, America was floored how Cosby and the rest of the cast were able to pull off the image of a successful African-American family when that was not the norm, especially for night-time television. But now, Cosby is a shell of himself after being found guilty of assault. And yet, some are still defending his actions. No matter if this happened one year or 30 years ago, rape is still rape no matter how you slice it. But what people have lost sight of is that they’re defending the wrong person.
Bill Cosby Is Not The Same Person As Heathcliff Huxtable
Bill Cosby is on trial, not the man from I Spy, Jell-O commercials or Ghost Dad. The man who raped those women is not the same man cooking in his backyard in freezing weather or the former Hillman College track star. This was done by a sick individual who took advantage of women under the influence. Now, we can argue that this was the norm back in those days in Hollywood but still, that puts Cosby in a bad light.
It’s like defending Michael Jackson or R Kelly when they were going through their legal battles. In our minds, we knew they were guilty but we’re still drawn to the image we had of them. This is what we’re doing with Bill Cosby and Heathcliff Huxtable. We know one of them was wrong, but yet, were defending both as if they’re the same person. One is an actor and the other is a made-up person.
As a child growing up, Heathcliff Huxtable was a role model. However, I cannot say the same for Bill Cosby. I know of his accomplishments, but I knew more about Heathcliff. So if Bill Cosby had done this to my mother or daughter, I’m supposed to defend him because he played a character I loved on TV? No. Am I supposed to forgive him because we both grew up in Philadelphia? No. We tend to forget as viewers and fans that we have no real idea of what these celebrities are like when they get in their personal zone. All we see is the glitz and forget what’s behind the mask. Now, if you were to tell me Heathcliff drugged and raped women, I would be devastated. But Bill, not so much.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
