I really liked ‘the cosby show’. it was a significant change in the demonstration of a successful, minority family. its funny. it also holds up well; the writing did not date itself too much to the era.
but, ya know… Cosby. can you separate the artist from the art? a part of me feels like i should still be able to enjoy the show even though he is a terrible person.
thoughts?
I find it far easier to enjoy a work that is written or produced by a bad person when they are not physically in said work. For example, I can still enjoy the Harry Potter books and other various media even though JK is a hateful piece for shit that won’t just shut the fuck up and move on with her incredibly wealthy life. Going back to watch stuff that have people on the cast who later turned out to be monsters is certainly harder. Like Cosby obviously, but also OJ Simpson on the Naked Gun films, Brian Peck showing up in various Nickelodeon shows and movies, etc. It takes a level of compartmentalizing that is challenged every time you see that person. I can do it, but I really have to have a fondness for the material, especially if that person has a lot of screen time, otherwise it just taints the whole thing so much it can’t be enjoyed anymore. But I really make an effort to not financially benefit those people. If they have an ongoing financial gain from the works, I will either abstain, borrow/share the media with someone else that has it, or pirate it.
this is a great point, i do find a lot of cringe-y moments in the cosby show because he is physically present