TresSugar

Did The Cosby Show Help Obama Win?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:30:07 -0800

If you grew up in the '80s in a less-than-diverse town, the Huxtables may have the been the only African-American family you knew. At some point - probably rather later than was right - you made the connection: Theirs was not the typical American black experience.

Shifts in pop culture precede political and social change - or so I hear. The Cosby Show was about a family that happened to be black and not about a family being black, which sounds an awful lot like what was said about a certain campaign. Gone was the dysfunction and bickering of previous shows, and here was a fun (they put on shows at home!), loving family.

Is it possible that the Huxtables opened the doors to the White House? That’s what people are saying. To see why, read more.

The reactions that came in after the election sounded a lot like research results on why The Cosby Show was so popular among blacks and whites. The author of Enlightened Racism: The Cosby Show, Audiences, and the Myth of the American Dream said, “Black families we interviewed were incredibly proud and incredibly grateful that finally there were images that were dignified, and they were represented as human. White Americans would say, ‘Here is an intact black family.’"

Bill Cosby isn't taking credit for Obama's win, though. Yet he does not deny the effect his show had on racial views. Its legacy, he said, might have played a role in the country’s embrace of Mr. Obama and his family.

I have to agree with Bill Cosby - there are way too many variables in an election to claim correlation. But considering the generation that the The Cosby Show raised is now all voting, it certainly couldn't have hurt.

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Bill Cosby Has Football Madness

GiggleSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I'm pretty sure the ~~words~~ unintelligible noises that come out of Bill's mouth would be fair grounds to determine insanity. But it's Bill Cosby, so we'll let it slide.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

GiggleSugar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Host Art Linkletter sure had a way of getting answers out of the little guests on his show. Whatever the question, these kids had a way of telling it straight up. No holding back. No excuses. No stalling. That's why the show was pure genius. Not as genius as the little gal who wanted to be a movie star so she could do all the "stuff" that movie stars do - like go home and get in bed with another movie star - but still brilliant nonetheless.

Sugar Bits - Harvey Korman Passes Away

PopSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:00:52 -0700

Comedian Harvey Korman died yesterday at the age of 81 at UCLA Medical Center following complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago. - AP
Dunkin Donuts pulled a commercial featuring Rachael Ray because the scarf she is wearing resembles a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress that some think could be construed as a terrorist symbol. - YumSugar
Steven Tyler released a statement saying he went to rehab to recover from foot surgery resulting from injuries related to his moves on stage. - TMZ
In addition to breaking a record by having 11 of his songs debut on the Billboard Hot 100, David Cook had 942,000 digital downloads of his songs in one week. - AP
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's wedding is tonight, and rumor has it the couple might be expecting a baby. - Rush & Molloy
Bill Cosby is auctioning off sweaters he wore on The Cosby Show for charity with proceeds benefiting the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, named after his late son. - AP

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Flashback: Bill Cosby Plays Monopoly (His Way)

GiggleSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Tax day. We saw it coming a whole year ago, but as always, it managed to sneak up and scare the living wage out of most of us this past Wednesday. Were you rummaging through boxes of receipts and frantically scrambling to the post office at the very last minute? Shame on you! (Me too.) So how 'bout we get a head start on next year's day of dread and learn a thing or two about financial responsibility now? From a comedian.

Is Dr. Huxtable the Next Dr. Dre?

LibertySugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:15:29 -0700

Bill Cosby's rap album is dropping this May! That's right, the comedian and activist will mash up his book Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors with hip hop, pop, and jazz beats.

Cosby won't be dishing the rhymes himself on the album Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency. Guest rappers will flow about the value of education, self-respect, in an attempt to increase the self-esteem and confidence of listeners.

The 70-year-old comedian has caused controversy, most recently for urging African Americans to move on from their successful civil rights battles. Do you think his hip hop album, which he calls the opposite of gangsta rap, will catch the attention of the community he seeks to reach? Will Bill succeed in turning around what he calls the "frustration and the anger that a young man may have"?

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Sugar Bits - Rob Lowe's Ex-Nanny Claims Sexual Assault

PopSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:27:35 -0700

Rob Lowe's former nanny appeared on The Today Show this morning to defend her claims of sexual harassment and abuse, following the actor's very public preemptive denial and lawsuit last week. - MSNBC
The Laguna Beach police department is apparently unlikely to file child endangerment charges against Richie Sambora following his recent DUI arrest while his 10-year-old daughter was in the car. - TMZ
Harry Potter author JK Rowling appeared in a NYC court yesterday to block the publication of the Harry Potter Lexicon, an encyclopedia of the books' terms, which she says amounts to plagiarism and "wholesale theft of 17 years of my hard work." - AP
Beyonce's next album may be her last. The singer is said to be more interested in scouting artists for Jay-Z's upcoming record label. - Rush & Molloy
Bill Cosby will release a hip-hop album in May, featuring guest rappers and positive messages. - AP
24 star Marisol Nichols married director Taron Lexton at LA's Church of Scientology on Sunday. - People

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Mr. Rogers and Cosby Sweaters Get a Moment in the Spotlight

BuzzSugar — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:00:00 -0700

When I think about memorable sweaters from my childhood - and I know, you're thinking, "why is Buzz talking about sweaters?" but bear with me - two folks immediately come to mind: Bill Cosby, who as Cliff Huxtable inflicted no shortage of brightly patterned '80s knitwear on unsuspecting children in his viewing audience, and Mr. Rogers, whose cozy cardigans are forever burned into my memory. So, imagine my surprise when newsy items about both sets of sweaters popped up recently. Check it out:

In case you've always fantasized about owning one of the Huxtable sweaters - which, if you think about it, really do say so much about the '80s - you'll actually have a chance next month. Many of the worst style offenders will be put up for auction in April at a special "garage sale" event in Miami, with proceeds going to the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, an educational charity.
Unfortunately, lucky bidders won't have their sweaters soon enough to wear them for an official Sweater Day in honor of Mr. Rogers. Fred Rogers would have turned 80 on March 20, and to celebrate his memory, the producers of his show are asking everyone to break out their favorite sweaters on that day. No, cardigans are not required.

I might just have to wear my sweater with some sneakers, just like Mr. Rogers always did. To watch a video about Sweater Day starring everyone's favorite mailman, Mr. McFeely, just read more.

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Is Bill Cosby Right About the African-American Community?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:00:41 -0800

Bill Cosby was in Ohio last night speaking in front of 2,000 people at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Oakwood Village. The 70-year-old comedian has raised hackles recently by referring to detrimental issues in the African-American community as "dirty laundry." Last night his speech had a decidedly more religious overtone.

Addressing personal responsibility, Cosby said, "Jesus never said, 'Sit down! I shall go forth and do it for ye!'" Adding, "Where did we go wrong? And they keep pointing to civil rights. We didn't lose it in civil rights! We won!"

Do you find Cosby's current message shocking? Is he an appropriate messenger? Do you think he's unfairly generalizing about a population? Is he right?

I Love Me Some Bill Cosby!

GiggleSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0800

And apparently, I'm not alone. Both The Simpsons and Family Guy have written Mr. JELL-O into their episodes, with some pretty hilarious outcomes. If my gym offered a Cutting Calories With Cosby class, I'd sign up in a zip zop zoobity bop heartbeat!