Talk:Bill Cosby/Archive 1

Archive 1

Archive 2

Archive 3

→

Archive 5

Wikispam

I believe the recently added link to *.entertainment-news.org is Wikispam. There are two headlines that mention Bill Cosby in passing at the top, followed by several articles billed as "News Related to Bill Cosby" that are obviously not. Anybody can go to Google News and search for Bill Cosby news. I'm probably going to go get rid of these links as I did to paperlessarchives dot com wikispam. For details, so my user page. If anyone disagrees, comment on my talk page.

I note that the user's contributions are all similar, on other actors' articles. Jdavidb 20:29, 20 Jul 2004 (UTC)

How Funny is this?

Roland Arnall is Steeling our homes!

What about his biographic information?

I was hoping to find out about his life growing up, different jobs, if he was in the military or whatever. Any other information?

It said he was in the Navy. That's...about it. I thought the article covered it perfectly. Mike H (Talking is hot) 21:59, July 28, 2005 (UTC)

In one of his skits he talks about being in combat. I'm wondering if that's true or just made up for his funnies. I guess that was the question, which conflict, tours, any recognitions &/r remarks? --Duemellon 16:39, 31 July 2005 (UTC)

I don't think he could have been in combat. He was too young for Korea and while Vietnam was going on, he was touring the world with Robert Culp on I Spy. I think he just made it up. Mike H (Talking is hot) 02:02, August 1, 2005 (UTC)

The "Controversy"

Okay, I balanced some of the commentary about his politcal views with other acts he has done. I did not elaborate on his philanthropic efforts for the Black Community which I wish someone else would. I was sure to include a link to the transcript of one of those controversial speeches. I feel the media has greatly misrepresented his words & many feel his speech was a divergance from his previous stances or withdraw of support.

I also created a new page for the "Ghettosburg Address" I'm not sure where the terminology came from but I liked it so I kept it. I've heard it referred to as the Pound Cake Speech, but the really long title can be a bit of a burden to spell out.

Any comments? --Duemellon 15:28, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

The fact that you like that name for the speech is not reason enough to use that name. We have to verify that it is in common usage. How many hits does it get on Google?

Also, we don't reproduce complete texts in Wikipedia. You need to request that that page be deleted and go put it on the Wikisource project, preferably under a more common name. Jdavidb 16:45, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

I'm not familiar with creating articles in WikiSource. I tried to go there & add the speech but it points back to the Wpedia instead. I guess I'll have to figure that one out. --Duemellon 12:31, 15 August 2005 (UTC)

Revised the latest version of the statements about his statements for these points:

• Him speaking about these views did not begin in 2004. He has always had these views and never hesitated to share them
• He did not berate or say the Black community needs to fix its own problems, he has repeatedly said that the Black community needs to take more responsibilities for their own problems. The limited soundbytes received by the public at large suggests that he is saying that Blacks can pull themselves out of it, he does not. He is just sharing the burden.
• The media's portrayal of his statements often set him up to sound divisive because they only show limited reinterpretations of his speeches. That is why I was sure to include the text of the speech for people to read it in context
• I further place the blame of the misrepresenting his intents in the speech with the media as their soundbyte-ism is creating the seeming conflict.

--Duemellon 12:23, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Does "The Controversy" need to be at the top? What other biography starts with controversy before going into a person's background? --Christophernicus 22:14, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

The conroversy section seems far to defensive of Bill Cosby to me. It should really say something like, "many people were angered by his statements, while others saw them as blown out of perportion by the media," or something along those lines. As it is wikipedia is taking the latter position, which is a violation of NPOV. --Benna 20:04, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, most ppl were angered by what they read in the papers, not by what he said. The point was to demonstrate how the media "sound byted" him & framed the speech usng slanted words. The speech's text was once included to be reviewed in context, but it was later removed citing copyright violations. So, to say "many ppl were angered by his statements" is untrue as anyone who was angered at his statements in a recorded fashion were angered by the way it was portrayed by the media especially since the speech's text was not public domain (therfore, the speech was not able to be reviewed & the public-at-large was completely dependent on media representation). --Duemellon 16:59, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Sondra vs Sandra

The latest anon edit seems to be accurate for the spelling of this character's name. As far as I can tell, while "Sandra" is used extensively online, "Sondra" is the spelling used by a numer of more authoritative sites on the show.

Sondra is the correct spelling for Sabrina LeBeauf's character on the show. Mike H (Talking is hot) 01:15, August 16, 2005 (UTC)

Rider

Somebody managed to dig up Mr. Cosby's rider. A link to this would be nice. Commking, 25 September 2005

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0923051cosby1.html

Ghettosburgh Address

What happened to the Ghettosburgh Address page? This wasn't a dead link a couple of months ago.

The previous version of the article turned out to be copied from a copyrighted source. It was deleted as a result --best, kevin [kzollman][talk] 17:57, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

I've placed a question on Talk:Ghettosburg Address regarding the legitimacy of this term. If no one can provide a valid and verifiable source for what appears to be a neologism, I will put that article up for deletion and remove the reference here. —LeFlyman 21:51, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

The phrase was coined by the website that hosted the full text of the speech. The speech was removed from Wiki resources & pedia due to copyright infringement. I would feel if you deleted the article itself you would be doing a great disservice as the text & context of the speech is very important. If you feel the need to rename it to "Pound Cake Speech" then please do, but don't remove it from Wiki. (entry duplicated in TALK for separate article) --Duemellon 15:37, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Removed the end paren "(with the help of people who have experienced the 'ghetto life' and everyday critics)." as, if this has something to say it says it poorly. What was the intent of that addon? Also removed the "Ghettosburg" reference later in the text --Duemellon 01:09, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

Is it supposed to call him a n*g**r?

In the opening...

"William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D (born July 12, 1937) is an American actor, comedian, n*g**r, educator, television producer and philanthropist."

Is the word n*g**r really needed?

It was vandalism placed into the article an hour before you took it out. Mike H. That's hot 03:10, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

==Wow i jsut did a test for this saying bill cosby was homosexual and it was instantly tooken off, good work(thumbs up)at least someone cares about this site I honestly must say that im impressed and you guys should keep up the good work :)

Editing wrong article

Made the correct edit on the wrong article, my apologies. Another user has reversed the changes.

Pound Cake Neutrality

I think section only presents the negative reactions to the speech. There should be some counter-arguments to that criticism.

the We Can't Blame White People statement & title, although a direct quote from the speech is still an out-of-context one-liner which skews the sentiment of the speech to make it seems as though the speech was intended to villify Blacks for not "doing it wholly by themselves". This is a gross mischaracterization of the speech & when comparing it to previous statemetns Cosby has said. I am removing the title as a header & removing the bulk of the text copied over as inserting a huge block of quotations like that in the middle of an article is inappropriate. Please be sure to direct the readers to the full item if you want to include that much. If you had an intent on including it please discuss it so we won't butt heads on this. --Duemellon 14:45, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

furthermore the clumsy insertion has mixed the observations & reports between different speeches. Thanks for forcing a rewrite *spoken sarcastically derisive* (reverted instead) --Duemellon 14:45, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

"In the same speech he made scathing remarks about Christians and the police". I read the speech and I don't know where that came from. There needs to be arguments for both sides and some references for the criticisms he received. Jgold03 16:25, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

• Directly from transcript of the speech:

"I’m saying Brown Vs. Board of Education. We’ve got to hit the streets, ladies and gentlemen. I’m winding up, now , no more applause. I’m saying, look at the Black Muslims. There are Black Muslims standing on the street corners and they say so forth and so on, and we’rere laughing at them because they have bean pies and all that, but you don’t read “Black Muslim gunned down while chastising drug dealer.” You don’t read that. They don’t shoot down Black Muslims. You understand me. Muslims tell you to get out of the neighborhood. When you want to clear your neighborhood out, first thing you do is go get the Black Muslims, bean pies and all (laughter). And your neighborhood is then clear. The police can’t do it .

I’m telling you Christians, what’s wrong with you? Why can’t you hit the streets? Why can’t you clean it out yourselves? It’s our time now, ladies and gentlemen. It is our time (clapping). And I’ve got good news for you. It’s not about money. It’s about you doing something ordinarily that we do—get in somebody else’s business. It’s time for you to not accept the language that these people are speaking, which will take them nowhere. What the hell good is Brown V. Board of Education if nobody wants it?"

As for the references... The titles of the news articles are clear enough. The statements about how it's skewed is demonstrated by those examples (of a larger pattern). The comments about him making such comments about the police & Xtians was put as a "comment" not as a characterization of the entire speech. Having the title as "We can't blame White people" pretty much suggests the entire piece is about how blacks are solely responsible for their current situation & the only resource to get them out of it. It's a gross mischaracterization. --Duemellon 17:09, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

are those really scathing remarks about Christians and police? the "Christian" thing just seems part of black vernacular speaking, and the police comment isn't saying anything negative about the politce Jgold03 23:13, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

To say it seems like a part of venacular would be contrary to the point that he made regarding the Black Muslims. He was made sure to emphasize their religion and to almost immediately summon the word "Christian" would seem poor semantics if he was not talking specifically about the religion itself. Saying "the police can't do it" isn't scathing? Making the statement that the police are incapable of doing their job? or that the Black Muslims are doing the job the Police wish they could but aren't legitamite law enforcement agents? That's pretty darn insulting. It'd be like saying "We have to run this country because we know the President isn't". That's pretty insulting/scathing. --Duemellon 23:18, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

What? He is pointing out that, although they are Christians, they aren't acting like it. That isn't scathing towards Christians.

I’m saying Brown versus the Board of Education. We’ve got to hit the streets, ladies and gentlemen. I’m winding up, now -- no more applause. I’m saying, look at the Black Muslims. There are Black Muslims standing on the street corners and they say so forth and so on, and we’re laughing at them because they have bean pies and all that, but you don’t read, “Black Muslim gunned down while chastising drug dealer.” You don’t read that. They don’t shoot down Black Muslims. You understand me. Muslims tell you to get out of the neighborhood. When you want to clear your neighborhood out, first thing you do is go get the Black Muslims, bean pies and all. And your neighborhood is then clear. The police can’t do it.

That isn't scathing towards police! He is just pointing out that they have to do things themselves - that the police won't clean up their neighborhood. Furthermore, the theme of the entire speech is about blacks taking the initiative. Why then would he suddenly point fault at the police? Jgold03 00:59, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

If the police won't clean up their neighborhood then the police are not DOING THEIR JOB. The big theme was the Black community taking initiative but the media portrayed it as a scathing remark against all Blacks, which was a mischaracterization as noted by headlines. The statements he made about police & xtians were very directly insulting to their own accepted missions in this world. The inclusion of that statement was to compare how the media would misreport the intent of his speech in a way that created the perception of Cosby insulating himself from the Black community but dodge his criticisms of police & xtians. However, the main point of your disagreement is that he did not insult the job the police were (weren't, actually) doing. How more insulting can he get to say that an unofficial group of people untrained & unordained entity of controversial religious members is being more successful at the job they are paid, structured, & created to do. Since when is it NOT the polices' job to stop criminal activity? --Duemellon 13:19, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

it is not the police's job to "clean up" the neighborhood - they are there only to enforce the law. change comes from within. that is what cosby was trying to emphasize, and i dont understand how you dont realize that. like i said earlier, it makes no sense for him to bash the cops when he is trying to point out that only blacks can change the situation they are in. can you explain that? Jgold03 05:35, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

What are the citizens responsible for cleaning up? If they're responsible for eliminating the criminal elements (ie: the drug dealers mentioned in Cosby's speech) then what role do the cops play? Last I knew, as a private citizen, I had no rights to pursue, apprehend, and detain a criminal. In fact, I had to call the cops to do such if I saw a crime. Even if I did not call the cops, the cops are the ones who are to do the investigation, persuit, apprehension, and detention of the criminals. When was the last time you heard of a White citizen in a White neighborhood persue, apprehend, and detain a criminal instead of the cops? it makes no sense for him to bash the cops when he is trying to point out that only blacks can change the situation they are in. It does: By pointing out the cops are failing in their responsibilities but stating the situation needs to be resolved, he suggests the law enforcement system is failing to protect Black neighborhoods, and because the law is failing them they need to take things into their own hands. You do NOT hear such a call to White neighborhoods because the cops don't fail White neighborhoods.

i really don't think you've read the Pound Cake speech. that, or you totally misinterpreted it. the entire theme of the speech is that America is now at a point where blacks can succeed, and yet they are not taking advantage of this opportunity.

Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic and lower middle economic people are not holding their end in this deal. In the neighborhood that most of us grew up in, parenting is not going on. In the old days, you couldn’t hooky school because every drawn shade was an eye. And before your mother got off the bus and to the house, she knew exactly where you had gone, who had gone into the house, and where you got on whatever you had one and where you got it from. Parents don’t know that today.

I’m talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was two? Where were you when he was twelve? Where were you when he was eighteen, and how come you don’t know he had a pistol? And where is his father, and why don’t you know where he is? And why doesn’t the father show up to talk to this boy?

he is making an appeal to the black community for change. that's why it makes no sense that he would suddenly do an about-face and start blaming the cops for their problems. also, a cop coming in and arresting people does not solve the deeper issues facing a community - it is only a short-term fix. for the black community to really rise up, they themselves have to get a hold of their kids and their communities. THAT is what bill cosby was arguing for. Jgold03 22:46, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

Your issue with the article as it was is flawed. A simplistic review of the actual information in the text of the speech proves so simply using some common reading/subject comprehension skills. Declaring his clear statements praising the Black Muslims, ridiculing the police, and taunting the Christians. You point to the "intent" of the speech and use that to declare anything you find tangental to be contrary to it, but that's an example of you using your own view to alter the facts of the speech.

Point 1:

If a speech contains tangential information, regardless of the intent of the speaker, the tangential information IS THERE. Why would you go through & declare the information wasn't real simply because you determined it was irrelevent to the subject? Did he say it? Is it proven & sourced? Then why would you say it wasn't there or deny it's meaning?

This inability to get past it's meaning , whether or not you feel it's relevent or tangential to the intent of the speech, points to some other motivation you have to keep it out. What is that motivation? Are you defending the police? Are you trying to reenforce the view of the media that skewed his speech's intent?

Point 2:

The statements about the police, Chrisitans, and Black Muslims, was quite relevent to that portion of his speech which was focusing on crime. You come in & point to their relevence about his overall speech, when you could, in essence, go through & remove every single point he makes after the 1st and closing paragraphs as being "tangential" to the original subject because's he's hitting on points! In the speech, during the time when he says the Black Muslims are making a difference, he taunts the Christians by effectively saying "who call yourselves xtians" to draw a paralell with how little of an effect they're having in comparison to the Black Muslims. Then he does the same with the police after praising the Black Muslim's actions in reducing criminal activity, he says "The police can't do it." If you think those statements have no relevence to the "speech" because they don't fit under your limited view of what the speech was about, then your subject-comprehension skills are really poor. EVEN IF THEY WERE TANGENTIAL, as in Point 1' he DID say them, they DO exist, & to say they shouldn't be included because they're TANGENTIAL is insulting to everyone's intelligence regarding a FACT-BASED WIKI article! If Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Address, suddenly burst into a Showtune about the Moon before continuing with his speech, as tangential as that is, he STILL DID IT & it would be fact & could be included in a Wiki item regardless of it's relevence.

Why do you feel so compelled to exclude these clearly scathing remarks about xtians & police & also remove the praise for Black Muslims? What is your motivation? Even if you were to discredit their relevence to the speech, he still said these things.

Point 3:

The reasons for it's (the points about the Black Muslims, xtians & police) inclusion are much different than what you're making them out to be, but you still left the misleading information in there.

The media, immediately & overwhelmingly, reported the speech as devisive & all-inclusive of Blacks. The reports put out by the mainstream US media (ie: AP), when read separate of the text of the speech, makes it out to be a downright bashing of all Blacks for incompetance & apathy. Wiki is a place for FACTS, not alteration of facts through media reports, so it is QUITE RELEVENT to counter the media reports with ACTUAL TEXT of the speech. The intent of the inclusion of Cosby's derision of xtians & police, while praising the Black Muslims, was to demonstrate how the limited cut & paste methods of the press skewed the way the speech was received by the public-at-large! It demonstrates how the media chose to focus on aspects which chided the Black community, frame it as "sweeping" but overlook the areas where he bashed long-established "White" entities such as the police & xtianity WHILE also praising a long established "Black" entity.

Allowing the selective choices of media to determine the "facts" of the speech when those facts create a limited or skew view of the event creates a horrible Wiki-article & has no place in this open-source fact-based environment. Remember: That section about the Pound Cake Speech is as much about the speech as it is about how the media altered it's intent.

all-in-all

I'm stunned that you would chose such weak arguments as the "police bashing" being tangential to the speech as a reason to exclude it when the fact is that it was included THEN, when clearing that part out, you remove every statement that highlighted the limited media reporting & also important elements to Cosby's speech. What is your real motivation? --Duemellon 12:41, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

Duemellon, nice long winded statement. Unfortunately you're incorrect. The point Cosby is trying to make is pretty obvious and I can't understand why you aren't understanding it. Unfortunately, your view has spread to both this article and the Pound Cake Speech article. It's basic common sense, when you look at the context in which Cosby mentions the police it becomes immediately clear that Cosby is speaking of the reform needed in african american communities, not the need for police reform or police inadequecy. Cosby is trying to say that the african american community can't be dependent on police - it is up to them to change their neighborhoods. You have to looka the context in which the sentence is made. --Jelligraze 19:38, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

The problem is one point being made is the way the media portrayed his speech. You continue to deviate from that. The media portrayed his speech as being "scathing" & "divisive" of the black community by taking parts completely out of context while, of course, selectively leaving out the portion that is insulting to more typical "white" things, ie: police & xtianity, while also skimping on the comments about his praise for typical "black" things like the Black Muslims. If you note the way that portion is written you'll see it talks about how the media didn't report those things. Whereas I agree that he was trying to put the focus on what the Black community can do, he ALSO derided the police, all of xtianity, while praising Black Muslims. --Duemellon 21:36, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

It's the 5th day after the NPOV tag was put there & the latest comment was put in discussion regading that dispute. Removing NPOV tag as no longer being relevent because there is no discussion. Also removing "merge" tag as no discussion was attempted on it. --Duemellon 11:58, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

First man or first person?

The article currently says that "He was the first African-American man to star in a television series". Is the qualifier "man" relevant? I would guess that no African-American woman did so before him, but I don't know one way or the other. Athenaeum 12:56, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

I would tend to agree with you. Diahann Carroll is regarded as the first African-American woman to have a lead role in a TV series with Julia, but it didn't start till 1968. Not meaning to downgrade Cosby's accomplishment, but he is more correctly the co-star of I Spy, at least in the way his name is presented in the credits. There's no doubt that Robert Culp has top billing (which is only proper since he was the bigger star at the time). Technically, therefore, Carroll was the first African-American to get top billing on her own show (unless there's another claimant I'm unaware of). 23skidoo 23:12, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

I added the word "dramatic," as there were two sitcoms starring African-Americans in the 1950s, which I'd just as soon not name. I think he also was the first African-American to star in a series named after him. Richard K. Carson 02:18, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Correction to my second sentence: Nat King Cole, for one, had a show named after him. Anyway, I did not put that in the article, and I still believe the qualifier of dramatic show is accurate. Richard K. Carson 03:18, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Actually there were 2 African American sitcoms that pre-dated Nat King Cole- Beulah (1950-53) about a black maid starring at various times Hattie McDaniel, Ehtel Waters and Louise Beavers and Amos and Andy (1951-53). In some circles both shows are/were considered perpetuations of racist stereotypes while I:Spy wasn't.

Those are exactly the two shows I was alluding to, but they were not named after their stars. I think Cole may have been the first African American to have a TV show of any kind named after him (please correct me if I'm wrong), but it was not a sitcom. Cosby was the first to have a sitcom named after him, a later example being Martin. Richard K. Carson 08:54, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Discography?

We have his books and TV shows listed -- what about his albums? Wasn't there a discography section in here at one point? 23skidoo 23:08, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

The discography is, I think, slightly incorrect. I can't find /any/ reference to the `Stacie Weaver' album, and there were in fact two Badfoot Brown albums, both with the same name but different track listings -- one released on Uni in 1970, and on on Sussex in 1971.

WhispertoMe

u did somethings that someone who follows Wiki goals would do, but then u totally did something else (removing, without discussion, a discussion). I'm restoring that section & inviting u to discuss your reasoning behind it. --Duemellon 21:24, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

Picture Pages

Bill Cosby was in Picture Pages promoting a play-along-at-home toy. A soundmaking bee-topped writing pen. His appearances were not limited to Capt. Kangaroo 'tho & they still pop up every now & then in syndication. Readding citation in the appropriate place it was before. --Duemellon 14:55, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Also restored the 1980's tagline as it followed the convention around it. --Duemellon 15:06, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Actual education + Playboy Jazz Festival

There is a passing mention that he received a doctorate from UMass, but there is no mention of his BA and Masters. The article mentions that he dropped out of Temple, but never mentions that he later got a degree from the same university. I think a better accounting of his actual education (as opposed to the honorary degrees) needs to be included.

Also, there is a small section on his envolvement with jazz, but no mention of the Playboy Jazz Festival or the ensuing criticism he has received for his envolvement with it. Cjosefy 17:04, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Sprotected

IP vandalism -- Samir धर्म 03:51, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

• and now fully protected for vandalism. -- Samir धर्म 04:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Movies

What about Bill Cosby's movies? I was trying to find references to the horrible "Leonard Part 6" movie. Let's not forget "Ghost Dad" either.

Racial Slurs

This article is full of racial slurs, especially in the first few paragraphs... someone should correct it.

• along the same lines, why does it say in the first paragraph that he is a racist? is there any actual evidence for this?-PF

Both are simply vandalism, which this page unfortunately sees rather a lot of. The best solution when you see vandalism in an article is to open the page history, click the last version before the vandalism was added, and save that. Use the edit summary "rv vandalism" (or simply "rvv"). —Angr 23:07, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Andrea Constand

Why no mention of her?

Unsourced edits

I had to revert the edits made by User:209.226.172.69 because they were unsourced. According to Wikipedia's policy on biographies of living people, any negative information has to be well-sourced to be included. —Angr 20:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Never mind, the source has been added, and I restored the text. I'm not sure "Background" is the right section for it, though. —Angr 20:27, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

BIG Mistake

Bill Cosby's not dead people Kelan 09:34, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Who ever said he was? —Angr 11:28, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Who added "Bill Cosby is really fat" ?!

Please can somebody correct the spelling mistake in the first line about Bill Cosbys background. I do not believe it was meant to say "retarded" as mentioned but certainly most likely "regarded"! 86.86.245.33 17:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Background

Can we get a link to the text of his speech to support "In the same speech he had scathing remarks for Christians and the police, as well as praise for the efforts of the Black Muslim organization and it's effectiveness, however, these statements were not reported in the articles in the mainstream media."

The Gettosburg Address's full text is the link that needs to be moved to WikiSource has the full text for review (those statements appear at the middle and end of the speech). I'm not sure how to have that done so I would appreciate anyone who does that &/r explains how to do it. --Duemellon 14:27, 19 August 2005 (UTC) (p.s. plz sign your comments)

"There wasn't any proof that these last two alleged allegations took place and Cosby was acquitted." This is very poor. No details are offered of any trials, just that allegations were made. Can we have at least a mention of whether a trial took place, and preferably which court, links to transcripts if anyone can find them. Rich Farmbrough 22:57, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

The background section needs MAJOR work. It is completely unsourced and frequently POV. With the intense scrutiny Wikipedia receives regarding entries on real people, a section such as this would seem to fail to meet the necessary standards of Wiki for biographical entries. But for the loss of a great deal of information, I would be inclined to delete the entire section. Hopefully someone can find the time for the badly-needed rewrite. SINsApple 06:31, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Protect?

There have been several vandalism recently, should this be protected? Allyourbasearebelongtousomg 02:03, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Military Brat (Navy Brat)

On the "Military Brats" Wikipedia page, Cosby is listed as a famous 'military brat' (child of a military family, which is not considered a derogatory term by most who grew up in military families) and more specifically, he is listed as a Navy brat. A military childhood has many significant challenges and strengths associated with it, and the military aspect of Cosby's own childhood should be included here in the "Early Life" section.

Sean7phil 19:47, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

Also, Cosby's parents are not mentioned in the article. That is customary for wiki and also would allow us to research and document the history of military service in his family.

71.208.226.116 18:59, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Trip to Cuba

According to Tavis Smiley on the Friday, 22 Jun 2007 broadcast of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Bill Cosby and his wife accompanied Tavis, Danny Glover (and I'm not sure who else) on a trip to Cuba where Tavis interviewed Fidel Castro. Tavis referred to them as "the Cosbys", so I assume it was also his wife. Is this worthy of being added to the page? I think it could add some insight to his personal politics if he's willing to take a trip to Cuba to see Castro, let alone the fact that he accompanied Danny Glover, who is pretty much lambasted for his own politics. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.225.23.168 (talk • contribs) 12:31, 25 June 2007

Meme

how is Bill Cosby an internet meme? ~~ There is this picture of Cosby with a movable mouth that keeps showing up in flash cartoons on the internet.

Have you ever been to YTMND? He's like the biggest fad there!

Yeah, I'm not sure that Cosby's fad status at YTMND is worth mentioning in this article though. I'll leave it up to the guys working on this page, but I'd axe that section. Cosby Bebop is hilarious, though. - Kris

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.42.62.206 (talk • contribs) 07:36, 8 July 2007

Cosby and jazz

I removed the section about Cosby being a jazz fan because it was way too short, and sounded off-topic. --YoungOcelot 12:35, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I moved it to trivia, where it BELONGS! --YoungOcelot 17:27, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I disagree. A section on Jazz would be quite appropriate. Although most know him as a comedian, he is also an accomplished Jazz musician, composer and promoter, has produced albums throughout his career. As mentioned elsewhere, his involvement in music has earned him an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music. Suffice to say music is a significant part of his life and career, and worthy of a section. --Jahandar 23:30, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

Son's death

Why is this article thoroughly bereft of information on the murder of his son? ThuranX (talk) 21:44, 19 November 2007 (UTC) Because the article about it is also a stub -Scouto2 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Scouto2 (talk • contribs) 14:00, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Could someone fix his infobox ?

I noticed that there's some sort of coding error in Cosby's box. I took a look at the code in Lenny Bruce's box, but I don't see a difference. Someone code-savvy should probably take a look at that —Preceding unsigned comment added by Emperor Azure (talk • contribs) 22:05, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Fix Cosby's birthdate please

Bill Cosby was actually born July 12, 1937 (not 1917/September 12, 1915) as the article states. According to the article he was over 40 years old when he recieved a track and field scholarship to Temple.

Reference: (click 30's in timeline to view birthdate) http://entertainer.billcosby.com/biography

Bill Cosby's brothers names are Russell, Robert, and James —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.93.28.197 (talk) 06:50, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

Nothing mentioned of son's murder

I find it extremely hard to believe that nothing is mentioned ANYWHERE in this article about the murder of his son Ennis. It was a shooting death I believe. I will add a section later when I pull together some references, and get the time(either tonight or tommorow).WacoJacko (talk) 03:29, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

Singing Career

[Silver_Throat:_Bill_Cosby_Sings] had Bill Cosby's only hit that added a monologue to Stevie Wonder's Everything's Alright: Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.57.92.31 (talk) 19:08, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Golden Raspberry award

I vaguely recall Cosby on a talk show back then talking about the Raspberry awards. After hearing he won it he demanded a trophy from the raspberry award people, who were surprised since no one had ever wanted one before. Finally they relented and had a nice one made just for him, which Cosby was showing off proudly on the talk show. 75.5.100.86 (talk) 23:01, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

Needs cleanup

Personal life is a big list, and the pound cake speech is sourced wrong —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.220.247.136 (talk) 01:36, 17 July 2008 (UTC)

Given/Legal Name

Isn't his given name "William Henry Cosby, Jr.?" He was also given creation/exec producer credits on The Cosby Show as "William H. Cosby, Jr., Ed. D." as if it matters. Cpk1971 (talk) 07:11, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Youtube comments

I've removed this from the pound cake speech section, because it looks like someone's simply plugging their Youtube videos. Feel free to put it back when/if it is properly cited.

"Bill Cosby Parodies Bill Cosby has been superimposed onto many images. One quote in particular has been remixed in songs such as the BIll Cosby Super Smash Bros. song, which is on youtube.com." 67.236.202.163 (talk) 03:12, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Nixon's Enemy List

Someone should add that Cosby was on the Master list of Nixon political opponents Not sure exactly how to word it or even the reasons behind his being put on the list, I assume he was somewhat involved in the civil rights movement. I thought it was interesting and noteworthy 97.91.190.78 (talk) 08:16, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

Midget

Shouldnt someone explain how he almost killed a miget! Isnt that something thats imporant. Geez people.130.113.128.11 (talk) 20:43, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

Nationality

African-American is not a nationality. Should split this into Ethnicity and Nationality if it's even worth mentioning. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.145.2.123 (talk) 05:04, 14 November 2008 (UTC)

US Navy

In the early life section "navy" should be capitalized. It's a proper noun. thanks. U.S. Navy is best though, but please Navy is proper. ps, why can I not edit this page? i thought anyone could edit wikipedia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.27.204.159 (talk) 05:14, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

The page is currently semi-protected due to excessive vandalism. (See the lock in the upper right corner.) Only registered users can edit semi-protected pages. RainbowOfLight ^Talk 05:16, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

thank you for the answer. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.27.204.159 (talk) 05:31, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

Cosby's dissertation

I tried to look up his dissertation for his doctorate. I was able to find the website UMI ProQuest and entered the pub.no. ATT 7706369 that is listed in the Reference section no. 12. It produced a 'no results found'. Is that the correct number of his dissertation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.238.92.223 (talk) 04:28, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

ESPN "2,5 and 6" Incident

I that what he did on ESPN should be mentioned somewhere in the article. 68.192.42.42 (talk) 20:42, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

Speaking style

Cosby's speaking style is definitely unique and should be mentioned here. Does anyone know where it comes from? 24.245.42.233 (talk) 08:04, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

Lazarus Cosby

Um. Why does this article still make no mention of his son's murder? That seems fairly important, and should have been mentioned in the personal life section. 86.46.203.161 (talk) 00:24, 30 March 2009 (UTC) Nevermind, I missed it. My bad.86.46.203.161 (talk) 00:25, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

missing in popular culture section

how can a character like that miss a "in popular culture" section and simpsons references? wikipedia fail! --85.146.181.187 (talk) 10:40, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

questionable statement

"Although ostensibly focused on Culp's character, the show had clearly become a vehicle for his co-star."

the episodes themselves don't support this, the shows in the final season, for example, having the same structure as those in the first, cosby's character having no more lines, culp's no fewer, etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.170.183.150 (talk) 09:31, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Another questionable statement

Someone should fix this.... The line "At Glynn Academy, Cosby began acting in plays as well as continuing his devotion to playing sports." is not correct. As an alum of Glynn Academy, I'm pretty sure I'd know if he went there too! :-) It appears someone changed it [1] last September from Fitz Simmons Junior High, which is what the reference says too 69.140.255.239 (talk) 22:49, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

• never mind. It's now editable, so I fixed it myself. 69.140.255.239 (talk) 23:58, 7 September 2009 (UTC)

Parents? Siblings?

Why is his father referred to as "a cook for the U.S. Navy"? Was his father working for a private contractor? If he was, my point is moot. If his father was enlisted in the U.S. Navy, a more academically accurate (and respectful) sentence would perhaps be: "...and William Henry Cosby, an enlisted U.S. Navy Sailor, who served as a cook...". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.108.243.166 (talk) 14:58, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

I find it odd that his parents are not listed, or any siblings. Could someone find out who they were? -Scouto2 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.0.252.223 (talk) 00:47, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Doubt it, cuz I looked on IMDB and they didn't have it either. BTW, don't forget to sign your posts with four tildes (~~~~). Thanks! RC-0722 ^communicator/_kills 00:53, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

bill's brothers are Russell, Robert, and James. Also his parents are Anne and William h. Cosby —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.93.28.197 (talk) 06:57, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

Aren't Bill Cosby's parents dead? I mean, he's pretty old himself. --Mark Lessig (talk) 18:25, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Bill Cosby's first appearance on network television

Jack Paar, in his video memoir tells the true story of having Bill Cosby on the "Tonight Show" for the first time in 1963. Bill was about to go on, a commercial was playing, and Bill was behi nd the curtain. Jack came out to speak to the audience during the commercial. It was a rare thing to have a black comedian on television in those days and Jack wanted to give Cosby a break, asking the audience to be kind to this new kid and even to laugh a bit more than you might regularly do. As Jack Paar went on, in a soft voice from behind the curtain Bill Cosby said, "I don't need it." Jack Paar was a bit startled, saying, "What?" Bill said again, from behind the curtain, "I don't need it," obviously referring to Jack priming the audience. The commercial ended, and Jack stepped back, bowing to Bill's wishes. Bill came out, and he literally "killed" the audience, really wowing them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Missionoak (talk • contribs) 20:36, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Interesting story; do you have a citation for it? (Video cites are generally not useful unless there's a transcript for it.)  Frank  |  talk  20:51, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Nice story, except Cosby could not have literally "killed" the audience and also have avoided prison or the chair. He figuratively "killed" the audience. Thanks for playing. Binksternet (talk) 22:41, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Death

Is he dead? Floaterfluss ^{(talk) (contribs)} 13:15, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

No. --Fang Aili ^talk 13:24, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Stop believing everything you see on 4chan, also gtfo

Whoa. He's got one real doctorate and six honorary doctorates. This guy's a genius!(Myscrnnm (talk) 08:30, 17 January 2008 (UTC))

Mike Tyson also has an honorary doctorate. Think about that. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.162.70.191 (talk) 02:30, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

R.I.P —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.45.10.26 (talk) 08:16, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Cosby and the Globetrotters

Could someone add in the fact that Bill Cosby is a past member of the Harlem Globetrotters?

The verification can be obtained from three sources.

1) By going to the Globetrotters official website and checking the full roster (located here: [2]) where he is listed.

2) In a selection of videos on the Harlem Globetrotters YouTube site, under Curly Neal's Globetrotter memories, he (Neal) lists one of his memories as Bill Cosby donning Neal's jersey for at least one game and there is a still photo in the video showing Cosby 'in game'. That video can be seen here ([3]).

3) Cosby is also listed on the Globetrotters Wiki entry as being one of two people (the other being Magic Johnson) who are signed to lifetime, $1.00 per year contracts with the Globetrotters; this fact is verified in a news story (located here: [4]), which would make Cosby a lifetime employee of the Harlem Globetrotters organization.

Signed Badkarma9999Badkarma9999 (talk) 09:44, 8 February 2010 (UTC)8 Feb 2010

Per [5], he was made an honorary member for $1 a year in, apparently, 1972. Not the same as being an actual, real member of the team. -- 207.237.230.157 (talk) 03:32, 31 March 2010 (UTC)

Rumored demise

Mr. Cosby has tweeted "Again, I'm rebuttaling rumors about my demise. But, I'm confirming I have an app - [a url that pointed to [6]] :)"[7] and "Emotional friends have called about this misinformation. To the people behind the foolishness, I’m not sure you see how upsetting this is." to rumors of his demise.[8]   — Jeff G.  ツ 22:42, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

4x400

Does anyone have proof that the episode of The Cosby Show, where Cliff races Valerie Brisco Hooks was a real life event? It seems to me that there sholud be a citation in the article for this claim. 2tuntony (talk) 16:21, 12 August 2010 (UTC)

It might be a hoax. I was unable to find a reliable online source for it using some Google searches. If nothing else, the dates don't make sense, since the episode first aired in 1986, so it could not have been inspired by a 1988 event. -- JTSchreiber (talk) 03:32, 13 August 2010 (UTC)

I have removed it from the article. If someone has a reference, it can be returned. 2tuntony (talk) 07:09, 13 August 2010 (UTC)

Influences

Groucho Marx is one of his biggest influences, have we forgotten?? He even re-did 'you bet your life.' The cigar thing? come on people!

The following sources agree with you: Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend by Ronald L. Smith, Prometheus Books, 1997, and Hello I Must Be Going by Charlotte Chandler, Simon & Schuster, 1978. Bill Cosby even wrote the foreword to the latter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.19.237.211 (talk) 03:42, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Vandalism to the "In the 1990s and 2000s" section

From the Article it say in the "In the 1990s and 2000s" that Phylicia Rashād replaced Chuck Norris. This needs to be replaced but I don't know who Phylicia Rashād replaced. I leave it to someone more knowledgeable on this subject.

Also in 1996, he started up a new show for CBS, Cosby, again co-starring Phylicia Rashād, his onscreen wife on The Cosby Show (early on she replaced Chuck Norris).

--Bonelifer (talk) 18:41, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

We should be diligent about making sure the 2000s section in particular is well guarded, considering some of the controversial statements he has made. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.171.19.76 (talk) 00:24, 19 October 2008 (UTC)

According to Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend, Ronald L. Smith, Prometheous Books, 1997, she replaced Telma Hopkins. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.19.237.211 (talk) 03:47, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Dick Van Dyke Show

Bill Cosby never appeared on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Comedian Godfrey Cambridge played the role of a government agent in an episode. The last name of his character was Bond. It does not appear that the article stated as a fact that Cosby ever appeared on the show. I don't believe the author tried to. I wouldn't know any better. A search for the episode title was futile. Maybe it's there somewhere. 1963 season would be my guess, maybe it's just my eyes, I couldn't find it. Perhaps Cosby was considered for that role. Godfrey Cambridge was great, though. The agent, Bond, comes to the Petrie home for a surveillance on an individual involved in nefarious activities who lived across the street from Rob and Laura. One of the famous, very funny and memorable lines delivered in that episode was when Rob took over surveillance as a 'Jr. GI,' and inadvertantly photographed Bond napping. Cambridge wakes up after the click of the camera is heard. Rob admits photographing Bond. Bond says:

"Mr. Petrie, why did you do that?"

174.127.59.53 (talk) 17:43, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend, Ronald L. Smith, Prometheous Books, 1997, states that Cosby made an informal "visit" to the set of The Dick Van Dyke Show and did the Noah and the Ark bit for them, but he never appeared in an episode. Greg Morris and Cambridge did, though. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.19.237.211 (talk) 03:52, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Citations I can't enter because I'm new

All citations from Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend, Ronald L. Smith, Prometheous Books, 1997.

The four cities that declined to show the initial episode of I, Spy were Savannah, GA; Albany, GA; Daytona Beach, FL; and Birmingham, AL. p.67

Li'l Ole Man (called "Little Old Man" in the text) made it into the Top 20. p.80

Temple gathered up Cosby's body of work and granted him a Bachelor of Arts degree (no date given). p.98

People Magazine calls The Cosby Show "revolutionary" and Newsday calls it a "breakthrough." p.167

The series Cosby was based on the British series One Foot in the Grave. p. 226 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jpse57 (talk • contribs) 04:29, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Add honorary degree?

He received a Doctorate of Humanities from Oberlin College on April 30, 2010 See here —Preceding unsigned comment added by 132.162.163.101 (talk) 16:15, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

Honorary doctorate of Human Letters (LHD) from Morehouse College

• here--Rayjr13 (talk) 18:12, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

School Appearances

Should we include a listing of schools he has appeared at? I know for a fact he has appeared at Mott Community College here in Flint, Michigan. Just a thought. —Preceding unsigned comment

• Morehouse spring commencement address May 2004

William “Bill” Cosby 2004 Commencement Speaker at Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA). --Rayjr13 (talk) 17:54, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

Willam "Bill" Cosby 2006 Commencement Speaker at Spelman College (Atlanta, GA).

• Spelman spring commencement address May 2006 --Rayjr13 (talk) 18:20, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

I don't think individual appearances are worth mentioning unless they are commented upon in major news sources. Morehouse reporting on a Morehouse appearance is not quite enough. Binksternet (talk) 18:11, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

I would agree but it's already become apart of the article, and if it remains as a referrence it would be nice to include as many as documented. "The network renewed the popular program in November 2000. In 2001, at an age when many give serious consideration to retirement, Cosby's agenda included the publication of a new book, as well as delivering the commencement addresses at Morris Brown College, Ohio State University, and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[15]" From the Bill Cosby article. --Rayjr13 (talk) 18:20, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

Unsourced Material

This article has amassed a shocking amount of unsourced material. Unless it is cited, I think it's fair game for removal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Xenosagian (talk • contribs) 02:11, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

Yes, you're absolutely right about that. Since this is a biography of a living person, unsources material must be removed! 129.16.49.8 (talk) 12:36, 29 May 2008 (UTC) His son, Ennis was shot to death while changing a tire on the interstate in los angeles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.194.6.27 (talk) 00:14, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Um, sweaters, people...? Hello...?

Can someone please write about Cosby's sweaters and the festivals, etc. surrounding this? I can't believe this article doesn't mention this! People, this is important stuff, lol!

(IN RE: 5th Annual Cosby Sweater Bar Crawl in Annapolis, MD)

paul klenk ^talk 23:02, 26 January 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from Watchorn, 8 April 2011

Bill is shown as attending Central High School. However, it was my understanding that he attended Germantown High School, from which he did not graduate. As an alum of GHS, I am saddened to see this reference. If I am mistaken, then no doubt many of my classmates are, too, since he visited the school for its 100th graduation, the year before I graduated in '68.

You can reach me at DSpaulding@SpauldingGrp.com

David Spaulding Watchorn (talk) 11:41, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

The article already discusses the two high schools Cosby attended: Central and Germantown. Binksternet (talk) 14:05, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Internet hoax of death

I have been removing mention of an internet hoax saying Cosby is dead. To me, the sources appear quite unreliable. Where is the Snopes entry, for instance, or mention by major news agencies? If a good source is brought, the hoax can be brought back.

• http://twitpic.com/11nc2r
  • This low-reliability source could be showing any kind of graphic manipulation.
• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=56769
  • This article about a completely different subject mentions Cosby in passing, and it is a blog. Not good.

Binksternet (talk) 10:35, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=au&hl=en&q=bill+cosby+dead —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.45.10.26 (talk) 22:21, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Mark Twain must be chuckling w/ Bill. FatTrebla (talk) 16:47, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

Cosby on Trump

Any idea whether this actually was a controversy? He is quite well known for his Pound Cake speech, and all his views in this area. But a random comment trashing Trump? -- Zanimum (talk) 19:07, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

How widely commented upon was this? How many news outlets reported it? I think it is too much recentism, not enough in the encyclopedia style. Binksternet (talk) 20:09, 27 July 2011 (UTC)

Okay, so a lot of news outlets covered it, but I Donald Trump gets into a squabble with a celebrity every other month. I really don't think it's notable. -- Zanimum (talk) 15:00, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

Were the Huxtables middle class?

He was an OB/GYN and she was a partner at a law firm. They owned a Brownstone in an excellent area of Brooklyn. I think a good argument can be made that the Huxtables were upper-class. Why not just leave the family's social standing out? --Ted 21:49, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

I think their financial situation is relevant. Whereas I do agree that calling them middle-class puts into question "What defines it?" it was a very obtuse direction in comparison to previous Black family sitcoms such as Sanford & Son, Good Times, & even the Jeffersons (the Jeffersons were rich, not because of hard work but because they won the lottery). From What's Happening to Different Strokes there was never a sitcom based on Blacks that were more than poor through any effort on their part. --Duemellon 22:01, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

As I recall, the Jeffersons did win the lottery in an episode of "All In the Family," but George was depicted as having worked hard to build up his chain of dry-cleaning stores. He was portrayed as a racist, posturing blowhard, but never as lacking in ambition.Carlaclaws 15:13, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

The Jeffersons did not win the lottery. George won a civil suit after being hit by a city bus. He used the money to open his first dry cleaner. He then busted his hump and built his business up to the point where he could afford a luxury apartment on the upper east side. ... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.186.116.230 (talk) 08:19, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Brooklyn?? I remember the Cosby's residence being in Philadelphia for the entire run of the series. Am I mistaken about this or is Ted in his above post? CanadianMist 16:49, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Nope, it was Brooklyn.Americaninseoul 06:10, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

It was actually, Brooklyn Heights where they lived in the series and they were upper middle class.76.112.180.49 (talk) 19:21, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

What intrigued me most about The Cosby Show was that unlike most sitcoms about blacks, they never, ever mentioned the fact that they were black. Compare this to Whoopi Goldberg's unlamented sitcom, or the Jeffersons, where they could not go more than a sentence or two without bringing up race. What the Cosby Show DID do was spotlight music by black artists, or unobtrusively hang a painting by Jacob Lawrence on the wall, or have the grandparents talk about participating in civil rights marches in the 1960's. Great stuff! 68.116.40.228 20:42, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

Edit request from an IP user, 29 October 2011

Please replace {{Kennedy Center Honorees}} with {{1998 Kennedy Center Honorees}}, which is more specific and not so incredibly large in size. 64.134.125.128 (talk) 17:06, 29 October 2011 (UTC)

Okay, seems uncontroversial. Thanks! Plastikspork _―Œ^(talk) 01:27, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 12 December 2011

An end quotation mark should be added at the end of this paragraph:

Cornel West defended Cosby and his remarks, saying, "he's speaking out of great compassion and trying to get folk to get on the right track, 'cause we've got some brothers and sisters who are not doing the right things, just like in times in our own lives, we don't do the right thing. ... He is trying to speak honestly and freely and lovingly, and I think that's a very positive thing.[22]

MattMaynard (talk) 13:23, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

•  Done Thanks for your notice! Binksternet (talk) 15:43, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

OBKB

Potential addition under Acting Career: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Articles_for_creation/OBKB — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nydc201 (talk • contribs) 02:01, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Update: Now an approved wiki stub: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OBKB Nydc201 (talk) 22:21, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 19 February 2012

Bill Cosby is not dead, the page needs to be edited to say that he is still alive, and did not die on February 18, 2012.

70.189.255.85 (talk) 00:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

 Done. Moondyne (talk) 01:25, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Once one of the world's highest earners

I have heard that Bill Cosby was at one time the highest paid earner in the world (this was a long time ago though, back in the 1980s). If any one knows a good source for this information, it could go in the article. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 16:43, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Try a search like this for news items or like this for books. You'll find a bunch of good sources. Binksternet (talk) 18:02, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

I see you are in the UK where Google searches are not as rewarding as in the US. Here are some results,, tracking Cosby's status over time:

• September 1987 Forbes first reports Cosby on top of the Top 40, a list of the world's 40 highest-paid entertainers. From the 1997 book Forbes richest people: the Forbes annual profile of the world's wealthiest men and women, page ix.
• October 1988 "Michael Jackson Earns $97 Million To Become Highest Paid Entertainer", Jet (Cosby falls to 2nd place)
• October 1989 "Michael Jackson Earns $125 Million And Remains Highest Paid Entertainer", Jet (Cosby drops to 3rd place)
• September 1990 "Cosby Cinches Spot at Top of Rich List", Orlando Sentinel
• September 1991 "New Kids edge Bill Cosby as highest-paid entertainers", Bangor Daily News
• September 1992 "Highest Paid Entertainers: Bill Cosby back on top of Forbes magazine list", The Spokesman-Review
• September 1993 "Winfrey pushed out Bill Cosby, who topped the list last year but stumbled to third with his less-than-successful television show, You Bet Your Life." Philadelphia Inquirer
• September 1994 "Spielberg leads entertainers in pay", Dallas Morning News
• 1995 "Bill Cosby has become a fixture atop the Forbes list of the nation's highest-paid entertainers." From The Rage of a Privileged Class by Ellis Cose.
• September 1996 Jet reports "TV superstar Bill Cosby was ranked No. 31 with a combined income of $33 million for 1995 and 1996."

There ya go: Cosby was in the top place in 1987, 1990, and 1992. He was near the top until around '96. He was seen as a "fixture" at or near the top. Binksternet (talk) 18:47, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Image

There is an image of bill cosby that it could be used http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BillCosby.jpg —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.174.14.112 (talk • contribs) 10:49, September 2, 2007

Good call. The image was already in the article so I moved it up to the infobox. --ElKevbo 15:14, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

Should it be mentioned that in a recent interview with larry king he mentiond that he supported Kucinich? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.70.162.179 (talk) 19:38, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Yes I definitely think his support for Kucinich needs to be listed under Political Views. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.249.145.10 (talk) 04:32, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

In one photo accompanying the entry ("Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles 2007"), the quality of the photo is *extremely* poor in terms of using it as a photo of Bill Cosby (even in the largest, original version of it provided). He may have been on the stage in the photo; he may not have been -- you simply cannot tell. Paris Hilton or Pope Benedict XVI might have been on the stage with him (or might not, such is the photo's quality), but I would not use this photo to accompany an entry about them, Cosby or anyone else. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.191.159.143 (talk) 03:21, 17 August 2008 (UTC)

Seconding this. The photo caption is irrelevant to the photo itself. It does not depict Cosby on stage, in fact it does not depict any specific individual, because there are no faces visible. Need better quality photo depicting Cosby on stage at the festival. 12.233.146.130 (talk) 22:13, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

Agreed and removed. --Musdan77 (talk) 00:22, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 1 April 2012-

Specifics: Please add the following text to the Honorary Degrees/Awards/ etc. Source: www.cheyney.edu or google "Bill Cosby and Cheyney":

Bill Cosby was the keynote speaker for commencement exercises at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 2007. 170.20.11.116 (talk) 12:42, 1 April 2012 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Please provide also a full link! mabdul 15:16, 1 April 2012 (UTC)

Lawsuit?

Why does this article make no reference to the sexual assault lawsuit settled in late 2006? Also, the extortion attempt by Autumn Jackson, with whose mother Cosby had an affair, is not mentioned. I have no interest in indulging in the "sex scandal" debate (above) per sae, but the wiki page should be a source of valid information regarding significant legal and personal issues. Sadiemonster (talk) 07:48, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

I agree wholeheartedly. I've added a paragraph with sources which may or may not justify a separate L3 section but the case certainly needs mention within the article. Moondyne (talk) 02:21, 20 January 2012 (UTC)

I think there should be a mention of Autumn Jackson, who could, although never legally proven, be Cosby's sixth child. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jptelthorst (talk • contribs) 16:13, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

Opinion/Vandalism in Personal Life

The Wikipedia entry should include that Autumn Jackson was eventually acknowledged as Bill Cosby's biological daughter. A fact he knew(but denied publicly for years) since she was a child and would visit her and her mother, and would have them visit his TV 'set'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 141.154.181.49 (talk) 04:03, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

Can you provide a source for claim that he has acknowledged her as his daughter? All I see are articles from late 90s saying Jackson declined to take a DNA test.

Correction: Cosby never went through with a Paternity test, though he offered to take one, on the now defunct MSNBC Geraldo Rivera Show, through a message by his attorney. The man who came forth ( courtesy of Cosby's attorney) and claimed paternity, did not take a Paternity test either. If one were to go upon visual indicators between both men, Autumn Jackson highly resembles Bill Cosby. Apparently the public, at least, will never officially know the paternity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.161.151.191 (talk) 08:22, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

I'm not sure it is academically profitable for an article to indicate that Cosby had an "ugly" wife, nor to comment on her academic standing unless the author would like to cite a credible source for the proposition. Second,66.157.144.28 15:50, 28 December 2006 (UTC) I don't think it is necessary to repeat the stories of his possible indiscretions, once in the article is likely enough to bring it to the reader's attention.

I'm going to revert this. If I'm wrong, sorry. --Jnelson09 20:17, 9 January 2007 (UTC) --Hails21 16:43, 22 February 2007 (UTC)[[Media: == Bill Cosby is not dead==]]

63.215.29.3 (talk) 17:06, 4 July 2008 (UTC) Ummm. Is anyone remotely aware of the fact that this entire page is... gone? Who is Domo?

I agree, why is there no mention of Autumn Jackson? --jptelthorst (talk) 16:15, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

Additional Comedy Album listing

Bill Cosby comedy album, "Bill Cosby is a beautiful man" (... and also very funny), dated 1973 by MCA Records, produced by Gil Rodin. The album is a two record set with the following skits:

Side One (Record 1)

1. Handball At the "Y"
2. "Froofie" The Dog
3. Survival
4. Fernet Branca

Side Two (Record 2)

1. Wally, Wally
2. The Lower Track
3. (In Las Vegas) Be Good To Your Wives
4. (In Las Vegas) Bill Cosby Fights Back

Side Three (Record 2)

1. Buck Jones
2. Bill Cosby's First Baby
3. Basketball
4. Fat Albert's Car

Side Four (Record 1)

1. Snakes And Alligators
2. Track And Field/High Jump
3. Ennis Toilet
4. My Brother, Russell
5. Masculinity At Its Finest

Personal Side Note: I have looked high and low with no luck for a CD of this vinyl 2 album set that I own as I think it is one of his better works.

Toddcscar (talk) 01:23, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. FloBo A boat that can float! (watch me float!) 05:33, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

Endorsements

Are endorsement really that important to Cosby's life that we need to name companies like Coca Cola in the lead paragraphs? 188.23.122.252 (talk) 11:49, 25 August 2012 (UTC)

BLP concerns about Autumn Jackson, gossip, scandal

I have reverted poorly supported text about Autumn Jackson, text that presented the extortion case of Autumn Jackson as being from Cosby's daughter, though Cosby has always said Jackson is not his daughter. Other text was about scandal, gossip, TV shows that tried Cosby in the media, etc. All of this is too controversial to be presented as character flaws of Cosby, as scandal and gossip. Binksternet (talk) 01:40, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Tamara Green

Lawyer Tamara Green accused Cosby of groping her three decades earlier, but Green never pressed charges in criminal court, nor did she sue Cosby in civil court. There is nothing about Green's story that can be determined as fact. If Green is brought into this article she cannot be presented as a victim of Cosby in Wikipedia's voice. It is just as likely that Cosby is a victim of an unfair accusation by Green. Binksternet (talk) 01:50, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 22 January 2013

"With credit for life experience, the University of Massachusetts awarded Cosby a Doctor of Education degree in 1977." Encyclopedia Britannica. (There is much conflicting information re: the actual degrees Mr Cosby has EARNED vs. being AWARDED "for life experience" in several sources that I have searched, including Wikipedia. Can someone verify once and for all? Several UMASS graduates of the 70's state that neither the Master's or Doctorate were EARNED degrees. Loughsheelin (talk) 22:34, 22 January 2013 (UTC)

Not done: please make your request in a "change X to Y" format. Please provide sources and exactly what to replace it with; semi edit requests are not where to request work like this. Only where you provide an un-controversial change that is in x-y format. Vacation9 00:12, 23 January 2013 (UTC)

Dr. Cosby

Occasionally, some editor replaces William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. in the first sentence with Dr. William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.. Let's work to keep his professional and academic title out of the lead sentence per established practices defined at WP:CREDENTIAL. There's no need to put the Dr. in there since we subsequently explain how he earned his doctorate. Binksternet (talk) 21:29, 21 September 2009 (UTC)

Cosby has earned his Doctorate of Education from the University of Massachusetts. It is not honorary. He is entitled to use the Dr. in his name, but chooses not to. The one exception was in the end credits of The Cosby Show. Bill S. (talk) 11:00, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

There was no suggestion it was honorary. Also, it's not correct that there is "one exception"; here are a few others.  Frank  |  talk  12:49, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

We don't add "Dr." to every article of a person who has received a PhD. For example: Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, among many many others. There is no point in making an exception for Bill Cosby. Hamsterlopithecus (talk) 20:51, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

Request to remove semi-protection

I don't think there is a need to semi-protect this article anymore. Could we remove the protection so casual editors can make their minor edits and additions? Thanks Hamsterlopithecus (talk) 21:00, 3 February 2013 (UTC)

It was 2009 that it went under semi-protection, so it's certainly worth experimenting, seeing what sort of edits the article gets. Unprotected. -- Zanimum (talk) 16:20, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

It's always worth a shot, but it wasn't working. I've re-protected it. --Bongwarrior (talk) 20:02, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

I second that, after taking a look at the frequency of vandalism. -- Zanimum (talk) 20:55, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

More information re: lawsuits

The article should include something about the dozen witnesses who were ready to testify against Cosby in the Constand civil suit. This is very likely why Cosby opted to settle with Constand -- even if all the women claiming he had made similar drug-and-grope sexual assaults on them were lying, it made Constand's claim far more credible than it otherwise have been. Several of their stories also were recounted in credible, non-gossipy media outlets such as Philadelphia Magazine. www.phillymag.com/articles/dr-huxtable-mr-hyde/

Not done: please make your request in a "change X to Y" format. —KuyaBriBri^Talk 21:59, 5 March 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 8 March 2013

Please remove from section "Early Life," paragraph # 2 : Cosby also joined the school's chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Please add to section "Personal Life," paragraph # 3: Cosby is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He was initiated in the fraternity's Beta Alpha Alpha graduate chapter in White Plains, New York in 1988.

76.184.61.72 (talk) 05:13, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

 Done Good job. --Musdan77 (talk) 06:38, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Unsupported citation

Footnote 12, Verve Records, leads to a dead link. The current Verve Records page for Bill Cosby is at http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist/default.aspx?aid=2842, but it's basically just a photo and his name. This footnote needs to be replaced. I'd do it, but the article's locked to IP editors. -- 207.237.230.157 (talk) 23:24, 30 March 2010 (UTC) and he was awesome and to many web sees — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.170.237.103 (talk) 03:39, 1 April 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 4 May 2013

Honorary degrees

Cosby has received honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities:

• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Boston University, May 18, 2014.
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, December 5, 2008.
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Carnegie Mellon University, May 20, 2007; he was also the keynote speaker for the commencement ceremony.
• Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, May 8, 2004. Cosby was also the host of the school's 60th Anniversary Concert in January 2006.
• Honorary LL.D. from the University of North Carolina, 2003
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Baylor University, September 4, 2003, at the "Spirit Rally" for the Baylor and Central Texas communities.
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yale University, May 26, 2003.
• Honorary Degree in 2003 presented by President William Harjo LoneFight from the Sisseton Wahpeton College on the Lake Traverse Reservation for his contributions to minority education.
• Honorary Doctorate from West Chester University of Pennsylvania during the 2003 graduation ceremony.
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Haverford College, May 2002.
• Honorary Degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Cincinnati in 2001.
• Honorary Doctorate from Amherst College, May 1999. (Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa)
• Honorary Doctorate from Colgate University, May 1999.99.155.207.53 (talk) 13:31, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
• Cosby served as the commencement speaker and received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut, 18 May 1996.
• Honorary LL.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, 1990. He also served as the commencement speaker in May 1997.

Anthonynhamilton (talk) 18:06, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

Not done: please be more specific about what needs to be changed. These are already in the article. RudolfRed (talk) 18:46, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 19 May 2013

Please add the following information to the Honorary Degrees section.

• Commencement speaker at 178th commencement exercises of Colgate University. Received an Honorary Doctorate from Colgate University, May, 1999.

www.newswise.com/articles/bill-cosby-commencement-speaker1

Source? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jguy (talk • contribs) 17:13, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Done - Thanks! --ElHef (Meep?) 20:15, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Regarding the claim about Cosby's "special admission" to UMass

I removed the claim about Cosby being a "special admit" to UMass for lack of evidence but found this 1985 People magazine article that reported on a book that claimed Cosby "was recruited personally by the assistant dean of the U. Mass. education school" and "entered a program designed to award advanced education degrees to 'mature students,' some of whom hadn't attended or completed college." So what to make of this book's claim? Arbor to SJ (talk) 06:25, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

filmography

this article needs one bad. Also a lot of this article is quite pov. for instance "Also during the 1970s, Cosby and other African-American actors, including Sidney Poitier, joined forces to make some successful comedy films that countered the violent "blaxploitation" films of the era" referring to Uptown Saturday Night trilogy is ridiculous. They were blaxploitation movies. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.207.129.95 (talk) 04:31, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

The filmography is there now but seems incomplete. Wasn't he in the Fat Albert movie in the 2000s? --64.129.32.18 (talk) 21:53, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

A doctorate from the University of Baltimore was missed. Edit request on 22 May 2013

On May 21, he received the degree Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Baltimore.

His speech is included in the video of the entire commencement. http://pointers.audiovideoweb.com/stcasx/il80win10068/commencement/130521_UB_Commencement.wmv/play.asx

See http://www.ubalt.edu/about-ub/news-events/index.cfm?news_id=1775 for the news release. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.230.201.203 (talk) 19:18, 22 May 2013 (UTC) 71.230.201.203 (talk) 02:02, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

Cosby has been awarded multiple honorary doctorate degrees, starting 1977. How is this one so notable? Binksternet (talk) 02:34, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

Bill Cosby's "Far From Finished" Comedy Special on Comedy Central

Source(s):
http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/tv-review-bill-cosby-far-from-finished-1200832852/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/bill-cosby-far-from-finished_n_4317625.html
http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/11/04/bill-cosby-comedy-central-stand-up-special/
http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/blogs/2013/11/bill-cosby-far-from-finished — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.110.9.105 (talk) 05:30, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

Cosby poised to come back to Television, Deadline reports.

Bill Cosby is currently in the process of working with NBC and his former producer Tom Werner to develop a sitcom for the channel. They are looking for writers for the series. Here's the official source. 98.110.5.128 (talk) 04:39, 23 January 2014 (UTC)

No mention of multiple sexual assault accusations?

This article only mentions when but there have been over a dozen sexual assault accusations. Even if you choose to believe that all of the women are lying just for the sake of lying (because the statue of limitations has passed so they won't make any money), I still think the accusations should be mentioned in the article. It's kinda a really big deal, don't you think? I think a lot of people would really appreciate it if someone added information about the sexual assault accusations to the wikipedia article.

I tried to post about this before and it got removed as a BLP violation. I didn't make any edits to the actual page so I don't understand why that happened. All that I'm saying is that he has been accused of multiple sexual assaults. You can choose to not believe it if you want to, but I don't think that changes the fact that it's something worth mentioning on his wikipedia article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.203.240.97 (talk) 00:13, 10 March 2014 (UTC)

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20059561,00.html http://gawker.com/who-wants-to-remember-bill-cosbys-multiple-sex-assaul-1515923178

JanetMindy76 (talk) 00:06, 10 March 2014 (UTC)

Note that the Woody Allen article contains a section discussing the molestation allegations from only one accuser, while Cosby has multiple accusers. If the Cosby allegations are proscribed by BLP, then it would seem the Allen allegations should be as well. If the Allen allegations are kosher by BLP, then the Cosby allegations should go in.Pokey5945 (talk) 21:16, 10 March 2014 (UTC)

No mention of 49?

There probably should be separate sections for audio recordings and video recordings. Oh, and 49 should be mentioned somewhere in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:9:4300:46:F5A5:F9FE:6125:A59B (talk) 12:22, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 June 2014

Category:Media franchises 75.80.129.37 (talk) 01:53, 18 June 2014 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. — {{U|Technical 13}} ^{(e • t • c)} 02:36, 18 June 2014 (UTC)

"Sex scandals" category

I noticed that this article has been in the "sex scandals" category since at least October 2008 (that's as far as I went back), but I can find nothing in the article or in the talk page or archives to support its presence. Any ideas? —bbatsell ¿? ✍ 18:57, 9 April 2009 (UTC)

Clearly an overlooked piece of vandalism. Someone should remove it as soon as possible. That is, if the Wiki is to be taken seriously. --Zornfalke (talk) 15:05, 20 April 2009 (UTC)

I concur. This category is pointless and ridiculous. --141.51.213.197 (talk) 13:04, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

I also visited this talk page to find the basis for the "sex scandal" inclusion, but would agree that this category listing is malicious. It should be removed without delay. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.75.183.227 (talk) 15:37, 28 April 2009 (UTC)

Hasn't this joke gone far enough? Please, someone remove either the 'sex scandals' category or the protection from the page and I'll do it myself. Honestly, this ongoing counterfactual information doesn't make the English Wiki look too good. 88.69.59.103 (talk) 21:24, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

This is no joke! If you google "Bill Cosby Scandal" you will see why his name is in this category. What amazes me is why there is no mention of him allegedly drugging and fondling women in his article. He was accused of this by numerous women. Seems that someone had made sure that this info has been kept off of the page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.35.138.10 (talk) 17:20, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

Not sure if you people have been living under a rock, but see the following article, as one example: http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/8052.html 99.249.52.196 (talk) 04:44, 27 November 2009 (UTC)

Given the major reemergence of this topic following Hannibal Buress' stand-up, Barbara Bowman's allegations and the cancellation of Queen Latifah's interview, I think this topic deserves expansion. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/31/after-jian-ghomeshi-is-the-world-finally-starting-to-turn-against-bill-cosby/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Worxpace (talk • contribs) 06:46, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

Awards

{{{editprotected}}} Honarary Degree - The Ohio State University - June 8th, 2001 [9] --Jbnovotny 05:18, 7 March 2007 (UTC)jbnovotny

I always heard that Bill Cosby did not accept awards, yet there are several instances here that mention him being honored with awards and also "accepting" awards. Is this hypocrisy in later life or does Cosby only accept certain kinds of award (i.e. he won't accept an Emmy but he will accept an humanitarian award)? In any event, should there be a paragraph on Cosby's history with accepting and not accepting awards?--Dr who1975 01:44, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Bill Cosby was made Honorary Chief Hospital Corpsman by the SECNAV Mabus Feb 17, 2011

It should also be added that Bill received the Eliot-Pearson Award for Excellence in CHildrens Media in 2011 from Tufts University. Source can be found at: 98.216.189.103 (talk) 06:14, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

Not to pressure anyone, but still no word (or edit) regarding his award from Eliot-Pearson. Citation is http://sites.tufts.edu/events/2011/02/25/dr-bill-cosby-and-dr-alvin-poussaint-eliot-pearson-awards-ceremony/ Any word? 204.84.244.12 (talk) 03:46, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

References

Autumn Jackson

An edit I would like to make, but can't because the page is semi-protected: Jackson was released from prison in 1999 after a court overturned her conviction. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,616077,00.html I feel like this should be noted here, or Jackson should get her own article. --50.46.153.232 (talk) 08:26, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

That was 19 February 1999. On 16 November 1999, the New York Times reported:

In a highly unusual move, the Federal appeals panel that overturned the conviction of a woman accused of trying to extort $40 million from Bill Cosby reversed itself yesterday and reinstated the guilty verdict against her.

The woman, Autumn Jackson, who had claimed to be Mr. Cosby's out-of-wedlock daughter, and two others were convicted in 1997 of conspiring in a threat to sell her story to a supermarket tabloid unless the actor paid her the money. But a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the judge in the trial had improperly instructed the jury and overturned the convictions. Ms. Jackson was released from prison after serving 14 months of her 26-month sentence.

But yesterday, that same panel reversed itself and reinstated all three convictions, citing a Supreme Court decision on jury instructions that came down just one day after its ruling last June. As a result, Ms. Jackson will probably have to return to prison, said her lawyer, who delivered the news to her by phone late yesterday afternoon.

So, we need to look deeper into this before making any changes. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 08:55, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 November 2014

In the section "Sexual assault allegations," can you please add a sentence saying that Bill Cosby denies the accusations against him?

Sources:

• "Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations" http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/14/showbiz/tv/bill-cosby-rape-allegations/index.html
• "In the past, Cosby has repeatedly denied these claims." http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/11/15/bill-cosby-stays-silent-on-npr-interview-will-no-longer-on-appear-on-david-lettermans-show/
• "Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations," http://www.newsweek.com/tamara-green-talks-about-bill-cosby-228495

107.1.187.200 (talk) 10:50, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Good point. Done. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 12:44, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 November 2014 -- Change "Tamara Green" to "Tamara Lucier Green" and delete commas

(About the section "Sexual assault allegations")
Please change
"In February 2005, on hearing that the prosecutor was unlikely to pursue charges in relation to Constand's accusation, California lawyer, Tamara Green, came forward with allegations that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s."
to
"In February 2005, on hearing that the prosecutor was unlikely to pursue charges in relation to Constand's accusation, California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green came forward with allegations that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s."

• Nine years ago, when Green was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the "Today" show, his lawyer issued a statement: "Miss Green's allegations are absolutely false. Mr. Cosby does not know the name Tamara Green or (maiden name) Tamara Lucier and the incident she describes did not happen. The fact that she may have repeated this story to others is not corroboration." http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/11/showbiz/tv/bill-cosby-rape-allegations/
• http://www.today.com/id/6945190/ns/today/t/second-cosby-accuser-why-she-came-forward/
• http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/134460 "Tamara Lucier Green"

107.1.187.200 (talk) 11:01, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

And done. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 12:47, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Reiterate earlier requests for accurate, full coverage of accusations for which sourcing exists

The current coverage of the sexual assault accusations leveled against Cosby, for which adequate sourcing exists, is poor. Here is a partial list of sources, found in a few minutes of searching. (The sources are not offered as final sources for the article, as they are not all of first quality. They are given, simply, to indicate that sources are readily available.)

Why is it that one cannot find these matters summarized, with sources, at Wikipedia? Why is it that the matter of this recurring news thread has been raised as a content issue, and requested of the committed editors, then allowed to slip back to the margins, several times now? I challenge the regular, committed editors of this article to review the sources in the context of WP BLP and summarize the content in an appropriate section here. One sentence simply does not suffice. To ask for "Change from / Change to" types of edits from outsiders is a manner of deflection, when it comes to situation where a significant thread of news and sourcing is underrepresented by the status quo. [a fan of this comedian, who is choosing to remain anonymous on this matter]

• http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/24/us/bill-cosby-fast-facts/ [ CNN timeline with two bullet points from 2005 events ]
• http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dave_on_demand/WATCH-Comic-Hannibal-Buress-assails-Bill-Cosby-as-a-rapist-during-Philly-show.html
• http://www.today.com/id/6945190#.VE-ROd7_SOK
• http://www.bild.de/unterhaltung/leute/bill-cosby/missbrauchsvorwuerfe-gegen-tv-legende-38325720.bild.html [ international coverage of the story ]
• http://www.newsweek.com/barbara-bowman-speaks-about-bill-cosby-sexual-abuse-allegations-228837
• http://www.hollywood.com/news/brief/2435684/bill-cosby-apologizes-for-sexual-misconduct-case
• http://newsone.com/2886815/barbara-bowman-bill-cosby-drugged-sexually-assaulted-me/
• http://uptownmagazine.com/2014/02/the-ugly-side-of-cosby-sex-allegations-barbara-bowman/
• http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/cosby-hit-sex-assault-suit [ reference to the court papers filed ]
• http://gawker.com/who-wants-to-remember-bill-cosbys-multiple-sex-assaul-1515923178
• http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/bill-cosby-rape-accusations-drudged-up-by-comedian-hannibal-buress/ [ African-American standup comedian story, which itself is widely reported upon ]

71.239.87.100 (talk) 13:18, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

These are unsubstantiated accusations and coverage of a recent comedy routine. "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches." is not exactly high quality commentary. --NeilN ^{talk to me} 15:16, 29 October 2014 (UTC)

I believe that the accusations themselves have received enough coverage to warrant a further mention on his Wikipedia article. Hell, I would even opine it deserves its own subsection. Considering the coverage from reputable sources it has received, one sentence is not enough. The Washington Post released an article about it yesterday. Knowing how Wikipedia works, this article cannot state that Bill Cosby is a rapist, since he has not been convicted, but I don't see why it can't give a history of the allegations themselves, while not implying the truthfulness of the accusations one way or the other. Reporting on the accusations, at this point, can no longer be considered defamation. Mungo Kitsch (talk) 22:46, 1 November 2014 (UTC)

Why is a single line from the comedy routine being cherry picked here from all of those sources? Barbara Bowman's allegations are extensive, detailed and credible. Not to mention that she is one of 13 that have made accusations, but as far as we know, the only one not to take money to be silenced. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Worxpace (talk • contribs) 10:26, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

@Worxpace: Suggest you work up some wording to add to the article and present it here. --NeilN ^{talk to me} 15:57, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

I propose the 'Lawsuits' section is divided and a new section 'Sexual Assault Allegations' is created, as no charges or suits have been brought over the latest allegations. Proposed wording follows:

Sexual Assault Accusations

Several women have leveled accusations of sexual assault and rape at Cosby over the years. In January 2004, Andrea Constand, a Former Temple University employee, brought charges against Cosby for drugging and fondling her. In February 2005, the charges were dropped for lack of evidence. Constand filed a civil claim against Cosby in March of that year.[1] Thirteen women came forward with similar allegations and agreed to testify as witnesses when the case went to court.[2] Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006.[1]

Following the case, a second woman, Tamara Green, came forward with allegations that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s.[3]

In October 2014, further allegations surfaced. Inspired by a Hannibal Buress comedy routine, where Buress called Cosby a serial rapist, Bowland gave an exclusive interview to the Daily Mail, where she claims Cosby sexually assaulted, drugged and raped her over a two year period beginning in 1985 when Bowland was 17 years old. [2]

[1] http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/24/us/bill-cosby-fast-facts/ [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/31/after-jian-ghomeshi-is-the-world-finally-starting-to-turn-against-bill-cosby/ [3] http://www.today.com/id/6945190/ns/today/t/second-cosby-accuser-why-she-came-forward/#.VFZ6Fiu1Zbw

Worxpace (talk) 18:52, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

If this is to be treated like an attempt at consensus, then fully support. As I stated earlier, a section like this needs to exist. While I agree that cherry-picking public comments is not the correct way of navigating this issue, I will say that Buress's comments have importance in the accusations against Cosby, due to the fact that his commentary has enlightened a wider audience about the accusations and that the comments themselves have received significant coverage. Meanwhile, the 13 original accusations need their due spotlight here as well.

Also, keep in mind that the last name of one of the accusers is Bowman, not Bowland. Mungo Kitsch (talk) 22:05, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

The content looks good but we very, very rarely source any contentious BLP claims to the Daily Mail. Got another source covering the claims? --NeilN ^{talk to me} 09:51, 5 November 2014 (UTC)

I think that text is a good starting point, but the first change I'd make would be to make it clear from the start that none of these accusations have been proven. That's only fair. (And it's probably necessary for BLP compliance.) This means saying so in the first senentece and choosing a section title that doesn't suggest the issue without mentioning that none have been proven. I'm not sure how to write the section title. One way to do it would be to expand the title. The only thing I can think of is "Unproven accusations of sexual assalt", but that's a bit clunky. Or another way to do it would be to choose a vague title that mentions neither sexual assalt nor "unproven". Something like "Lawsuits" - but that particular title isn't very accurate since not all these accusations have turned into lawsuits. Just thinking out loud. Gronky (talk) 22:09, 11 November 2014 (UTC)

Regarding Gronky's statement above, an 'accusation' is by definition unproven. 'Allegations' may be a more accurate description as it implies less gravity. What is holding the inclusion of this edit back? I strongly believe the information currently reflected on the page is inadequate given the prominence and seriousness of this matter. 78.101.173.84 (talk) 19:56, 15 November 2014 (UTC)

• clearly meets WP:WELLKNOWN but we need to be clear to describe these things as allegations and not facts. Gaijin42 (talk) 04:09, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I think this deserves a bit more coverage - but I echo: Be careful. I'd be OK with a heading ==Rape allegations==. "Allegation" and "accusation" don't imply unproven, nor do they imply proven, so per Gronky we should make it plain and clear in the first sentence that nothing has been proven; and because nothing has been proven we must not go overboard. Sources must be impeccable - the Daily Mail, other tabloids, obscure "news websites", blogs, etc. are all out of the question. If the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, CNN or media of similar stature haven't said it, then neither should we.

What about (slightly reworking Worxpace's draft above):

Several women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, but no accusation has been tested in court. In January 2004, Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused him of drugging and fondling her, but in February 2005 authorities announced they would not charge Cosby over the allegations. Constand filed a civil claim against Cosby in March of that year,[1] and thirteen women came forward with similar allegations, agreeing to testify as witnesses when the case went to court.[2] Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006.[1]

In February 2005, on hearing that the prosecutor was unlikely to pursue charges in relation to Constand's accusation, California lawyer, Tamara Green, came forward with allegations that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s.[3]

In an October 2014 interview, emboldened by a Hannibal Buress comedy routine, where Buress called Cosby a serial rapist, artist Barbara Bowman repeated her long-standing accusations that Cosby drugged her, sexually assaulted her and raped her over a two year period beginning in 1985 when she was 17 years old.[2]

• [1] http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/24/us/bill-cosby-fast-facts/
• [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/31/after-jian-ghomeshi-is-the-world-finally-starting-to-turn-against-bill-cosby/
• [3] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/business/media/appearance-by-bill-cosby-with-david-letterman-canceled-as-rape-allegations-swirl.html

Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 06:36, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Happy with the above. Regarding the sources, the third could be replaced with this New York Times article: ^[10] That said, the Daily Mail is relevant given they are the source that first published Bowman's story.Worxpace (talk) 06:26, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

OK. I've replaced the Today.com source in the above draft with your NYT suggestion. Regarding the Daily Mail, it makes a difference to editors' sense of the thing's noteworthiness if it's being covered in a journal of record. I've asked for more eyes at the Biographies of living persons noticeboard - a lot of editors with a good grasp of our biographies policy and an understanding of usual practice here watch that board.

I've reworked the draft a bit since your above comment, after re-reading the sources. Are you still OK with it? --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 06:36, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

The New York Times article makes it clear that the allegations are now having a significant impact on Cosby's career. I support inclusion of the currently proposed language. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 07:03, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. I've changed "inspired" to "emboldened" [11] as it better reflects the source. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 07:08, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I unlinked Barbara Bowman because that is a different, much older person. I also changed the wording to make it clear that Bowman has been making these accusations for years. It is just that they are being taken seriously now. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 07:15, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Thank you. Yes, I just noticed the bad wikilink. I've called her "artist Barbara Bowman" to distinguish her from any others. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 07:19, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I support you adding the content now, Anthonyhcole, unless you see a good reason to wait. As a newcomer to the article, doing so myself is a slightly bolder move than I am ready to make. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 08:17, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Done. Bill Cosby#Sexual assault allegations. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 09:16, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I was drawn here by the BLP noticeboard. The current text looks good, but I do wonder if there is any real benefit to calling out "Andrea Constand" by name, rather than just saying "a former Temple University employee", which is equally descriptive. Andrea is not famous as far as I know and not a public figure. It doesn't really impart more information to readers to know her name and serves a tremendous opportunity for embarrassment unecessarily. CorporateM (Talk) 03:03, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

We refer to Constand in the next paragraph (about the Green allegations). If you can find a form of words that isn't too clumsy but drops Constand's name, I'd be very happy with that, CorporateM. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 10:31, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

I am exceedingly glad that the allegations now have their own section. I was considering making the section if it wasn't there yet, but I'd like to thank the people who helped do that. This aspect about Bill Cosby needs to be reported, and regardless as to whether or not the accusations are true (I believe they are true), the fact that he has now at least 14 accusers (USAToday) will permanently be a part of his character.

Also, if I may add some personal opinion on this talk page, the new accusation brings me to the point where I myself am not merely lamenting, but angry that Cosby has done this for so long. Many statutes of limitations have expired, but I dearly hope he can get prosecuted soon. The allegations could possibly even be mentioned in the intro at this point. Mungo Kitsch (talk) 23:02, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

The Sexual Assault Claims made Against Cosby Are Likely Just Sensationalism

None of these women provided more than just their words and good acting. A good hunch would suggest they could've just been trying to profit off their allegations. False, sensationalistic stories have historically been used to lure audiences in what is known as a media feeding frenzy. It should be known that Washington Times commentator Christopher Harper alleged on November 19, 2014 that the claims made against Cosby were "classic click bait — sensational material to lure readers and viewers."[12] I will not deny that I had earlier made a typo when I sourced it by claiming it was November 20.JoetheMoe25 (talk) 15:58, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm not against including this sort of opinion, the one Harper has, if it is noteworthy and balanced. I think we'd need to gather a variety of sources to make sure we weren't cherrypicking and giving undue weight. The reason I removed the edit was explained in the edit summary: "why do we care about this one commentator? is the source particularly reliable, respected, and weighty? is the commentator particularly noteworthy?" Perhaps a well-written "Reactions" section to the allegations themselves would be desired. It is interesting, given that many of these women had made previous allegations in a suit, that this "media storm" has occurred now. I suppose this has been and will be analyzed and considered by a variety of sources. Biosthmors (talk) pls notify me (i.e. {{U}}) while signing a reply, thx 16:37, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Hi guys, the fact that someone might not believe a claim against Bill Cosby is largely irrelevant. At least one woman has claimed "He raped me" so this is a public accusation that is being taken seriously by the media and getting good coverage and should be added to the page. These are accusations, and as long as they are written about as such, there's no reason they shouldn't appear here. --Battleofalma (talk) 17:29, 20 November 2014 (UTC) Biosthmors

I think we all agree about that. Biosthmors (talk) pls notify me (i.e. {{U}}) while signing a reply, thx 17:31, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 12 December 2014

William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. (born July 12, 1937) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician, and activist, before being exposed as the alleged most prolific serial rapist in recorded history. 76.168.109.215 (talk) 23:31, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

Yes cute. Thanks for your input. Obotlig ☣ ^interrogate 00:19, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

 Not done Read WP:BLP. --NeilN ^{talk to me} 06:25, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

Molestor

Bill Cosby is a well know molestor — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ryanyazel (talk • contribs) 18:17, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 December 2014

Molestor

Not done: as you have not requested a specific change.
If you want to suggest a change, please request this in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ".
Please also cite reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article. - Arjayay (talk) 19:50, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

"Several women"

I've already had an edit reverted in the 'sexual assault allegations' section of Cosby's page and I don't want to edit it more, but I've been bothered by how the section starts with "several women have accused Cosby of drugging them and/or sexual assault". I think it's fourteen women that have accused Cosby of sexual assault? And at least seven of the women's accusations have included drugging I think? It seems like a weird way to start the section, which speaks later of accusations from 13 women etc. When you think of "several" women accusing Cosby of sexual assault your brain does not think of a number as high as fourteen. It thinks, like, four. Shiningroad (talk) 12:39, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Maybe "Numerous"? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.45.46.54 (talk) 01:40, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

When I think of "several," I think of "seven or more," or at least "six or more." And using "numerous" indicates a high number. I suppose "13 or "14" can be argued as a high number in this case, but "several" is somehow less vague to me, and, in this case, is more accurate than "numerous." Flyer22 (talk) 16:42, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

The usual usage of 'several' means "more than two, but not many." For roughly two, normal usage is "a couple". Several means three or a few more. Incidentally, two more names of accusers became public today: model-actress Angela Leslie and former child actress Renita Chaney Hill. The latter was age 15-19 when it began, including Cosby pushing her to drink alcohol. Agreed with IH, just use the actual number. Or if it reaches 12 (it's close now -- 10?) then use "a dozen" which allows for minor variation. Benefac (talk) 18:20, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

"A few" commonly means "three or more" to people, including to me. I never use "several" to mean "three or more," and I don't think it's the standard for people to do so; I see "few" more than I see "several" in that case. Then again, some people use "several" to mean "some" (even if some means 20 people), and these terms (few, several, etc.) can be relative; for example, "a few million." Flyer22 (talk) 18:31, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

Flyer22: dictionaries and Google searches are your friends.[13] How you personally use words is irrelevant, as is the usage by unknown 'some people'. Look for definitions in the most reliable dictionaries, like the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Collins, etc. FreeDictionary [14] includes definitions from several different dictionaries. If your usage differs substantially from highly-regarded dictionaries, then it is your usage that is wrong for inclusion in an encyclopedia article, not the dictionaries'. Benefac (talk) 21:54, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

Benefac, I don't need to be told that "dictionaries and Google searches are [my] friends." I don't need your condescension. I am well aware of how dictionaries define the word several. I knew very well that when you stated above, "The usual usage of 'several' means 'more than two, but not many.'", you had consulted online dictionaries. But online or offline dictionaries are not all that one should consult when it comes to word usage. I stated above that "a few" commonly means "three or more" to people, including to me. That is true, and WP:Reliable sources can back me up on people using "a few" to mean "three or more." WP:Reliable sources, and random Google searches, can also back me up on what I stated above about how people use the word several. Other people's opinions on the word several in this discussion even show that. People obviously do not only use the word several to mean "three or more." They also use it in the way that Collect has, which started this debate, or in the way that TheScotch has made clear below. When it comes to Wikipedia content, I rarely make decisions on that content based purely on my personal opinion, and many at this site, including Collect, know that; you apparently do not, and felt the need to tell me how irrelevant you feel my personal opinion is in a discussion where people are expressing their personal opinions about these words. Flyer22 (talk) 03:00, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

Benefac I think sixteen women have accused Cosby of attempted sexual assault/sexual assault/rape, it depends how you interpret news articles. One news site says sixteen women have accused Cosby of rape in its article title, which isn't true. Shiningroad (talk) 11:08, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

Just use the actual number. InedibleHulk (talk) 17:35, 22 November 2014 (UTC)

Agree. The actual number is a bit vague, though, because we don't know how many of those who've made public accusations were among Costand's lawyers' 13 affidavits. It might be best for us to state the number of named accusers and modify it with "at least" or "more than" to include the unnamed in that 13. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 14:07, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

No. We have a number stated by a lawyer, but that is scarcely a claim that all of them made' or were willing to make' a specific accusation of assault - especially since no court case ensued. WP:BLP dictates that we tread softly here. Collect (talk) 14:18, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

We can't use the actual number because at the moment that number is still in flux. If I were writing this for a newspaper the phrase I would use is "A number of women". I agree that "several" makes it sound too few (indeed, the word several generally refers to three) but "A number of..." covers off a higher number. Once a number is finalized (if a number is finalized) it may be worth revisiting the question as to whether to use the word "Many", however in some interpretations "Many" may be seen as overstating, even with 14. 68.146.52.234 (talk) 14:57, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

If it were seven to ten women in this case, use of "several" would be fine (in my opinion, at least), since people use "several" to mean "three or more," and certainly don't stop at "three" for use of the word several. But, yeah, since we're a little past the dozen stage in this case, I give my support for not using "several" in this case. Flyer22 (talk) 16:07, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

I'm convinced by Collect's argument and support the IP's suggested wording. --Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 15:37, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

At the moment the section begins, "According to a November 2014 Washington Post article, "Sixteen women have publicly stated that Cosby sexually assaulted them, with 12 saying he drugged them first and another saying he attempted to drug her", however recent articles put the number of accusers at 20 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/11/28/colleges-cut-ties-with-bill-cosby-as-the-list-of-women-accusing-him-of-sexual-assault-hits-20/), "at least 20" (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20141202_Cosby_steps_down_from_Temple_s_board_of_trustees.html) and more recently 20 plus another accusation (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bill-cosby-scandal/bill-cosby-sued-alleged-sexual-assault-teenager-1970s-n260366), can anyone look into these figures? Shiningroad (talk) 20:35, 3 December 2014 (UTC)

Several is by definition an indefinite number, but usage and etymology require that that indefinite number always be small: several can never be many. Etymologically several means to separate, and since the sixteenth century the term has meant various, diverse, different. In the best usage, a couple is two, few are two or three, several are three or four, and many are more than several. Many depends on context, but if ten or more women have accused you of sexual assault, then you have definitely been accused of sexual assault by many women, and no reasonable person could argue otherwise. TheScotch (talk) 02:26, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

Or maybe stop assuming readers are 5 year olds. Several, or noumerous, they will read the numbers alleged elsewhere in the text or texts. --94.71.71.132 (talk) 10:28, 5 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 December 2014

I would like to expand on the recent rape allegations that Cosby has faced and would like to keep what the page up to date on everything that has happened in the case Antitrolluser12 (talk) 01:08, 10 December 2014 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. Anupmehra -Let's talk! 02:57, 10 December 2014 (UTC)

subsections

Shouldn't the "Lawsuits" and "Sexual assault allegations" be subsections of the Personal life section? 131.204.254.78 (talk) 22:11, 10 December 2014 (UTC)