This was a rape joke with a point—a statement of support for accusers who have been maligned and had their motives questioned. Cosby has maintained his innocence and been convicted of nothing, but Fey and Poehlers joke asserts that even if lawsuit settlements and statutes of limitations keep the issue from ever being aired in court, regular people can hear the accusations of 24 separate women and make their own call. The joke was also an attempt to redefine Cosby’s public persona permanently. Right after Robert DeNiro with “you talkin’ to me?”, Cosbys one of the most commonly impersonated figures in American culture. People who tuned in last night will probably find it harder to do or see someone do that impersonation now without thinking about rape. Thats a significant development for anyone who thinks that public figures should be held to account when there’s strong evidence they’ve used their fame to take advantage of others. Another joke about the Cosby case made headlines recently, and it came from Cosby himself. At a standup show, he told a woman to be careful about drinking around me. This, too, was a joke with an agenda, putting forth the notion that the guy on stage is so self-evidently trustworthy that the mere thought of him drugging someone is hilarious. Thats the mentality that helped keep the allegations against him out of wider public consciousness for a long time after they were leveled, and its the one that Fey and Poehler, however uncomfortably, just tried to take down.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:09:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015