Famous comedian, Bill Cosby was convicted of charges including drugging and assaulting Andre Constand sexually back in 2004. The court found him guilty in 2018 and he was sentenced to a prison time of 3 to 10 years. However, he was released in 2021 and he announced a comedy tour but he had to face various controversies and backlash from all over the world. This article discusses various aspects of the announcement and the backlash.
The Controversial Tour
Bill Cosby made a statement during the summer of 2021 about his plans of doing a comedy tour in 2023. A brief detail of the tour includes of many live comedy sessions across USA. The public was quick to react to this news. Many people were excited after hearing the news while others condemned the tour due to the allegations Cosby faced previously.
Majority of the critics believe that Cosby should never be allowed to take the center stage after what he did in 2004. The argument circulates around the fact that his crime was very heinous and that there were no signs of remorse shown by Cosby. Many label this tour as an insult to sexual victims as Cosby is going to cash in his notorious fame through the tour.
Response of Cosby's Victims
Some of the victims, including Andrea Constand, have openly opposed Cosby’s tour giving strong statements against it. In a statement she said that even though Cosby has been freed from the prison, it has changed nothing. Many victims spoke against the tour stating that seeing an offender take the center stage again reminds them of their trauma.
Again, the major thing that gives air to the controversies and was also the point of contention during the legal battle for Cosby, is the fact that Cosby never apologized for his actions and this stance has been taken by many accusers.
The Role of Cancel Culture
One cannot simply ignore the cancel culture which is now being debated once again amidst the tour controversies. The people who support the tour argue that Cosby has completed his sentence and that it is unfair to target him now as he tries to reclaim his career in comedy after being away for 3 years. Some go as far as labeling his conviction as a Witch hunt and demand that he shouldn’t be punished anymore by the cancel culture.
The need of cancel culture is supported by many of Cosby’s critics as they think of it as a means of keeping the public figures on track and accountable for their deeds. They believe that Cosby did what he did with his own free will and now he should face the consequences and being cancelled is one of them.
Impact on the Comedy Industry
The comedy industry is facing a huge impact because of this controversial tour. People will pay to watch Cosby ignoring the controversies because no publicity is bad publicity. The conviction, instead of isolating Cosby as dirty part of the society, is going to help him earn big money.
People also believe that the Comedy industry has to take a stance against the tour as it will bring bad name to the industry. Many have urged other comedians to join the cancel campaign against Cosby as well so that the industry can send a strong message against sexual offenders.
Legal Ramifications
Allowing Cosby, a sexual assault convict, perform have raised doubts about the law as well. People believe that one of the conditions of his release should have been total ban on his performances so that he couldn’t violate his parole.
Comments / 0