Last Sunday night, NBC aired its 90th Anniversary Special. In it, a star-studded cast celebrated an impressive legacy of game-changing, “must-watch” television. NBC is known as the “First Network” and, as the Anniversary Special partially informed us, it has long lived up to its name.
NBC was the first to broadcast the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (1939), the first to televise the World Series (1947) and, significantly, the first network to air a program featuring an African-American in a lead role (Bill Cosby in “I-Spy” – 1965 to 1968).
Interestingly, the anniversary show didn’t mention “I-Spy.” It also all but ignored “The Cosby Show” – that groundbreaking program that was the catalyst for the coveted Thursday night comedy slot on NBC. Think about that omission for a minute.
I grew up in the 80’s and I am painfully aware of how important “The Cosby Show” was – not only to television but to America – especially white America. Trailing just a few years behind “Sanford & Son” (a show about a foul-mouthed, angry African-American junk collector) and “All in the Family” (where protagonist Archie Bunker openly and gleefully hated blacks), “The Cosby Show” let us white folks know that the Negroes (as my grandparents called them on a good day) were okay.
Growing up in a small, rural, mostly white town, “The Cosby Show” blew my mind. I had never known any black people. Before “The Cosby Show,” they mostly played villains or goofs on TV.
Now we had a doctor (a Doctor!) with a beautiful, articulate black wife, a gorgeous home and several well-behaved, privileged black children. They sang “Dad is great, he gives us chocolate cake” and we white people sang along! I know how ignorant this all sounds, but it is the truth of how I and countless others grew up.
“The Cosby Show” was a big damn deal. It changed minds and hearts. Yet, on its 90th Anniversary, NBC ignored it. Why?
Because Bill Cosby is accused of serially drugging and raping over 50 women. So, ignoring him was the right thing to do, right?
Wrong.
I say this as a woman who has been drugged and raped.
I am furious that NBC conveniently swept Bill Cosby under the rug and acted like he never happened.
That’s what we do though. As a society, we act like rape doesn’t happen. We act like it doesn’t ruin lives. Hell, our police forces act like processing rape kits is an optional annoyance. I know that when I reported my assault, the police treated me like I was the problem. And, you see, that is the problem.
What did NBC say to the 50+ women who have accused Bill Cosby of rape? Did they think they were doing the right thing by simply ignoring him? Who were they protecting – the victims or the alleged rapist? I think we all know the answer.
So, what could NBC have possibly done to address the problem?
For starters, they could have done a short public service announcement. They could have alerted viewers that sexual assault occurs every two minutes in the United States. They wouldn’t have had to even mention his name. The message would have resonated.
Even easier, they could have openly supported Mariska Hargitay, star of NBC’s highly-acclaimed show “Law & Order: SVU” and her charity, The Joyful Heart Foundation. Its number one goal is to create a world free of sexual assault. That would have sent the message so many of us needed to hear.
As noted, there’s a new member of our club every two minutes.
They could have done something. Instead, NBC engaged in the safe and easy game of “Hide-the-Rapist.”
Cowards.
Cosby will not be remembered as the pioneer that he was on TV, but rather as the rapist he was accused of being:
Featured image from Mimesis Law.
