Why Art Matters: Bill Cosby

Bill and Little Bill - another generation to love

Will has started watching a cartoon on Nick Jr. called Little Bill, written and produced by Bill Cosby. He loves "widdle Bill!" I was struck by the rush of warmth I experienced knowing that the Cos was going to influence yet another generation.

Bill Cosby is a well known comedian, actor, author, producer, educator and musician. His contributions to popular culture are lengthy.

For my parents, he was the star of I Spy and The Bill Cosby Show. He was the star of comedy albums they had in their collection, such as I Started Out As a Child and For Adults Only.

For me, it started with the Fat Albert Show, then the stand-up movie Bill Cosby: Himself and then The Cosby Show.

I loved Fat Albert as a kid, it taught without being preachy, and was funny besides. The only criticism I would have was there weren't any girls on the show. The movie of his stand-up was mandatory viewing not only in my parents' house, but at school when Mr. Woolsey didn't have anything in the lesson plan. To this day, I can quote some of his sketches, most recently recalling "Little Jeffery" when Will was a particular terror at the grocery store.

The Cosby Show was a cultural phenomena in and of itself. According to critics, family sitcoms were on their way out until Bill brought them back in. Loosely based on Bill's home life and using some of the sketches from the Himself movie, the show was a huge hit. It influenced other shows, from family sitcoms to other comedians getting their own shows. It influenced fashion, from cool Lisa Bonet's style to the Cosby sweater.

Cosby used the influence of his show to give other artists the benefit of a wider audience. The crew doing lip synchs to songs by Koko Taylor and Ray Charles were brilliant. Jazz artists, R&B singers, painters all benefitted from having Cosby as a fan.

There is another story that speaks eloquently of the generosity of this man. He did a stand-up show at Ferris when I was a student. The planning of the event was done by a campus student organization and unfortunately, botched. I can tell you that tickets to the show were extraordinarily cheap, even for a student. To cancel or to host the event would have bankrupt the organization. Saving the day, Bill waived his $10,000 appearance fee, and then DONATED an additional $10 grand to ensure the organization would be in the black once the concert was over. Drop in the bucket to a millionaire? Perhaps, but who was Ferris State to him but a layover between Detroit and Chicago?

Good bless you Cos.