Bill Cosby accused of Rape - say it ain't so

Now we know.

In 2005 Bill Cosby admitted, under oath, to drugging several women with the intention of having sex with them. (To be clear, sex without one party's consent, is called rape.) But in the intervening hours since the report first emerged, the realities of rape culture -- its insidiousness and pervasiveness -- have become all the more clear.

Even now, in the wake of the Cosby news, people and media outlets are still using language that simultaneously downplays and sensationalizes what he did. Headlines like, Cosby's "Sex Bombshell" that don't use the word "rape" perpetuate this idea that what this man did was creepy, yet somehow benign. Furthermore, this news is not a bombshell. We've known about Cosby's history of assault since last year. Really, it's been out there -- but ignored -- for at least 10 years.

The fact Cosby's leaked confession holds more weight than the voices of over 40 women who have come out with accusations against him over the years, is horrifying.



We needed "proof" before we could believe the victims. Jill Scott came out last night to condemn Cosby after vigorously defending him last year, but added that all she needed was "proof" that he did it -- as if the stories of 40 women from all different walks of life were not enough to suggest that he is rapist.

There have been suggestions that Cosby's wealth, his standing in the black community, his celebrity, all allowed him to get away with this for so long. And still, even now, some people suggest that this is some kind of wild conspiracy to bring down a prominent black man.


But this isn't strictly about celebrity, or money, or access, or respectability politics -- we should stop looking for one thing to blame. This is about the intersection of all those things, and how, with the addition of sexism and misogyny, they make stories like this a reality.



When Beverly Johnson, a successful, respected entrepreneur and one of the first black supermodels wrote about her own experience of being assaulted by Cosby, her credibility was questioned. Even Johnson, despite her success and social standing, was afraid that her story wouldn't matter.

She wrote: "I struggled with how to reveal my big secret, and more importantly, what would people think when and if I did? Would they dismiss me as an angry black woman intent on ruining the image of one of the most revered men in the African American community over the last 40 years? Or would they see my open and honest account of being betrayed by one of the country’s most powerful, influential, and beloved entertainers?"

"Did you ever use drugs on young women in order to have sex".

If Rolf Harris who is another bathplug Smile gets to spend his lovely old age in jail (even though he things he will be out shortly) so should Cosby.

One of the things that his lawyers did in the deposition, which is not receiving a lot of news coverage, is that they stopped the deposition and that Bill Cosby says he misunderstood the question," Klieman said. "Yes, he used the Quaaludes, but with one woman. But again, there was a time in recreational drug use when people used Quaaludes consensually for sex."

Why ruin the " Bill Cosby Sucks" storyline with a fair and balanced reporting of the facts?

What I'm seeing in this discussion, is that some think that it's okay to have sex with unconscious people, and some think that it's rape.

There's no question in my mind at all. Not even if the unconscious person chose to take the drugs you offered them.

....so a claim does not knowledge of a bad act make.

I do have an inquiring mind, and I also have a belief system.

Consenting to taking drugs that enhance anything is not consenting to sex while you're unconscious. It's always going to be rape.

On the other hand the list keeps growing, I've stopped counting. He admitted in Court in 2005 that he in fact gave a girl a drug, making her un-conscious without her consent, what part of that isn't clear?

I also dont know Cosby's side of the story.