THE PR CAMPAIGN… Against Bill Cosby

THE PR CAMPAIGN… against comedian/philanthropist Bill Cosby is astounding and by the book. The revelation of woman after woman after woman is a tactic called “bandwagon.” I have no thought as to the truth of any of this — but the entire process does not pass the smell test.

Full disclosure: I’ve met Mr. Cosby twice.  Once at an education-related event; and the other time was the day his son was murdered. He asked me to contact CNN and tell them to stop showing his son’s body on the highway. I’ll never forget his voice… and the hurt, deep loss, and… shock I heard.

But lets get back to 2014:

I figured this PR campaign/slander fest would peter out, as it did several years ago, because all legal eagles know the statute of limitations on possible criminal charges were not going to happen — which meant, it was very hard to even file a civil case — with no evidence, no testimony to back up the alleged victims claims of damages. Trying to get this in the courts — is going to be a hard pull — unless Bill Cosby is undisciplined, has bad legal counsel and makes the mistake of saying “I must defend myself in the press.” Bad move. Legally and media wise. Just saying.

My advice: Hush. When they talk, its public record. When you talk, that’s $$$$$$ in a potential case. And trust me, when this U.S. legal system wants to stick it to you, they find a way, homie.  There is a court of public opinion… no jail time… no civil damages.  Then there’s the real court, where real testimony can get your ass locked up for lies and contempt.  Cosby is an old black man — and he’s got skills… and discipline and historical context.

Still… does that make him a saint?  No. If he “was about that life”…that’s what it was.  If he “raped and drugged” women… then damn. My spiritual friend told me…”maybe he sold his soul to the devil and his time is up… so the Illuminati is taking him down and the devil fix in’ to get his soul.”

Okay.

Honestly, though, I thought this was a six week slander campaign. I have seen it before. That one was effectively done. On this one I was wrong. They are going full press on Bill Cosby. Surrogates are speaking (domestic violence people, rape people, crime people, legal people, celebrity people… these weird experts… all on the same damn script. RED FLAG).

Honestly, I kind of thought this “Get Bill Cosby” PR campaign had reached its lowest point when one accuser went on national cable news and lost it big time. I was sitting in my office monitoring the news when the strangest interview I’ve seen in some time aired. I had to ask my sister, who happened to be visiting me in my office that day, if she had just heard what I heard. She had.

I thought that was bizarre — until supermodel Beverly Johnson emerged in this well-coordinated smear campaign as the high-profile foil to thwart the mounting argument from a skeptical Black community that wondered in unison “how could he rape and drug all of these white women and go unpunished?”

White supermodel Janice Dickerson, by the way, gave what looked like a drug-and-(and was certainly) a rage fueled interview on MSNBC when discussing her alleged Cosby molestation. At one point she blurted out, “We are the superior race!!” before the censors caught her and bleeped out the rest of her profanity laced tirade. (I know… we are all thinking it, right?)  Didn’t Dickerson admit to prolific drug abuse?  No, wait… we were thinking that when Beverly Johnson emerged that she doesn’t appear to be Cosby’s type.

From the looks of this PR campaign, it appears the comedian has an exclusive taste for only allegedly molesting (or raping) white and bi-racial sisters who could pass for white women — and here comes Beverly Johnson, who other than being industry beautiful, didn’t appear to be his melanin-type… and who actively started blowing a hole in our powerful — and historically accurate logical argument.  But I digress…

By activating Ms. Johnson, who by her own admission on The View, says she was not raped or molested by the comedian, but that she was an adult, recently divorced woman, with a 7-year-old daughter who had just met Mr. Cosby days before.  And still she was not compelled under any circumstance to press charges or make her allegations public (or private) to not her girlfriend, her mama, her daddy, her agent, her cousin… or Cosby himself or his wife, Camillie, whom she admits answered a late night phone call to the Cosby home, only to tell Johnson it was a little late to be calling her house. I’m sure the Mrs. wasn’t having it — knowing her husband had since admitted he father a child out of wedlock with (clearing throat) a white woman.

Big ups to Whoopi, who has few questions — but who asked the right ones.

You’ve got to ask yourself: what adult, well-connected woman — with the responsibility of a child, would become drugged to the point of eventually passing completely out — and she not seek medical attention?  She wasn’t beaten, threatened with death or an end to her career.  And given her stature, what a case she would have had. In fact, the well-known supermodel with acting dreams admits after one sip of cappuccino (not wine like the others), she became woozy and then she realized (with no context at all) that she had been drugged.  And then she immediately cursed Mr. Cosby out.  She didn’t pass out.  She didn’t go, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU GIVE ME?”  She didn’t go, “WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”  No.  She drank the coffee, got high and went off. GTFOHWTBS

According to her narration: After repeating her cursing tirade in which she called him a mother——ker, the middle-aged model/actress with a 7-year-old who had just met Bill Cosby and ate dinner with his family then says, he took her by the arm, escorted her out of his brownstone and flagged down a cab. Assuming he probably did not know her address (or maybe he did.  If he did, why did he know that?), Johnson, who now claiming to be drugged and completely disoriented, managed to remember her address before passing out in the cab. On The View she leaves room open to allege she “might have been ” molested or rape.  But having backed herself into a logic corner, had to play that off, when asked by Goldberg if she was.

Which makes the cab driver crazy too.  A woman passes out and is unconscious. Did the cabbie think she had a heart attack? Did he attempt to wake her? Did he smell liquor on her breath and assume her drunk? Did she tell the cabbie, “I’ve just been drugged… if I pass out–its okay, I’m going home anyway?” Lastly, the strangest part of her story is that she admits that she contacted Bill Cosby a week and a half after the event, in which she “felt violated” and “humiliated.”  And when he did not come to the phone, she (presumably) politely apologized to his wife for calling there so late because she was “on the West Cost now and time had ” gotten away from her?

Was she expecting him to cast her in the Cosby Show role, that she allegedly had come to his home to discuss? Did she think she was still going to get it — even though she cussed him out after being “drugged” and “put in a cab”?  Was this the first time she had a casting couch experience? Given Cosby was at the height of his popularity and wealth, might she consider her “dignity” that she’s suddenly recovered and threatened to sue his ass in a court of law for the alleged drugging — which could have taken her life, since she didn’t even know what she had, nor had she asked?  It must have been something awfully strong that after a half second after a single sip of coffee that she became disoriented — but not so much so that she knew instantly she “had been drugged” and after calling the alleged drugger out of his name, that she was then being escorted out of his house and put into a cab.

The majority of the other accusers all worked in the sex industry (even if the Playboy brand has since been normalized and glamorized) or had budding careers in entertainment. They wanted something from Bill Cosby. What were they willing to do to get it? A person must be completely naive and borderline special needs to be an attractive woman, invited to a industry man’s house after-hours, be fed, offered drinks, and think he’s trying to “go over lines” from some unknown script. This sounds foolish.

As for the Playboy affiliation: Be honest. You’ve seen the documentaries of what happened at that mansion and in “the grotto.” From those interviews, it appears that many of the Bunnies understood they were working in a sex industry, and therefore I would assume they were probably used to men (and probably women too) coming on to them an asking for “party favors.” Now that does not mean if you work in the sex industry as a stripper, nude model, porn actress… that you should be drugged and molested… by anyone. But, I find it hard to believe these women were completely and totally shocked at any come on by a famous celebrity with cash (tips) to spare and who was out there to have a good time (like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Joe Namath, Jerry Lewis and any and every other white man comedian, politician, actor) who was also involved with the Bunnies.

I don’t mean to conflate either… but keep it real. “The Industry” is rife with stories of sex, drugs and rock n roll. Have you EVER listened to Richard Pryor? Have you read ANYBODY’s biography that came through that period of hedonism. People popping pills, doing her ion, smoking weed, screwing anything not nailed down is not unheard of. Nor is it unheard of of the casting couch follies.  People who will do anything “to make it,” and when they do not or whispers of fame aren’t fulfilled they cry “foul.”

But what is new and unheard of is a Black man — with money, property and other assets, (allegedly) RAPING and DRUGGING several white women (including TEENS), and every single white woman is so afraid of this Black man’s power that she does not tell a SINGLE SOUL until years and years and years and years LATER… and that the few who claims they did… NOTHING HAPPENED. BULL SHIT.

Bull shit. We wouldn’t even be having this debate if just one of these cases were true. In the ’60s Cosby was a rising star. He had no power. Why not press charges?

In the ’70s he was a popular alternative to Richard Pryor, an actor and wealthy — why not cry foul? At least you could have sued — maybe gotten a few hundred thousands to keep it all quiet.

In the ’80s? Silence.

In the ’90s. Nothing.

Here comes the Y2K.  He went too far with one person, and she handled hers.  But even in the height of his multimillionaire empire… not a single drugged, raped, molested, humiliated, woman had anything to say?

Not even when he tried to buy NBC. A legend? Nothing. Please.

Wait, sister!  What about the case he settled? I have no idea. That case has no bearing on the unsubstantiated allegations of the other women. Bill Cosby has admitted to extra material affairs. Who knows why he chose to settle and not fight that particular case. The example here is look at the first child molestation case with Michael Jackson. Johnny Cochran told him to settle rather than drag the case out — where in the court of public opinion Jackson was being destroyed by the media and detractors. The settlement did not admit wrongdoing… and the victim and his mother to this very day — says it never happen. The child’s father, who committed suicide after receiving the millions of dollars from Jackson, filed the case against the entertainer.

The second case against Jackson was proven as an extortion attempt as well.  But the public relations damage is done. People continue to call the late King of Pop a child molester due to how his image has been satirized by comedians. Oh wait… it was a comedian who resurrected the Cosby allegations.  And, someone just “happened to” post that single 5 second sound byte on YouTube and all of Cosby’s alleged victims just happened to all have courage at the same time… and now it’s game on.

Bull shit. Just like this Sony hacking foolishness. Straight bull shit.

This new Beverly Johnson story, as told originally on The View, and the others must be scrutinized. Of course after The View, Johnson and her handlers will work to clarify and tighten her accusation. But what does she gain out of this? Does she have a new program coming out? What is to be gained? Who will make the gain?

What is interesting in PR campaigns is how issues are conflated. When people question the validity of the accusers’ stories and their personal credibility, people then shift the discussion to “violence against women.” When people wonder why all of these women would wait up to 40 years to come forward, the issue is conflated to “the power of men in Hollywood.”  When blacks wonder how so many white women would be afraid of a black man, who in 1964, 1970, 1980,m 1990, 2000, 2010… 2014… be ridiculed, sued penniless, have his career destroyed and incarcerated for drugging and raping white females — with one as young as 15, the issue is conflated to “remember when Bill Cosby attacked poor black people?”

Look, I get it. He had a new NBC show coming out.  But having learned from his attacks on poor blacks was used by the right to advance a “bootstrap message,” he decided against a Cosby remake and instead, decided to play a lower-middle class grandfather attempting to raise his grandchildren in the wake of the post-racial Obama fantasy. Sorry for the long sentence. This is Facebook and not Twitter… and I’m probably working myself up as I think this through.

Something does not pass the smell test. Mr. Cosby, under the advice of his attorney, is wise to keep his mouth closed. I am pleased that many black women who’ve worked with him have expressed skepticism in the delicate balance as female and in the industry. What game is being played here?  There are lessons to be learned.  But for now, class remains in session.

What is to be gained from this campaign? Who gains from it? Why now? Think and deliberate. I haven’t figured that part out yet.

– By Nommo Gathering