Bill Cosby: Up and Down, then Down Again

Wow how the mighty has fallen.

Actor/scholar/comedian Bill Cosby has been getting a lot of attention for someone in their 80s whose heyday was supposed to have passed by. Many of you know of the rape allegations and the dark cloud that is over Cos currently.

Isn't it coincidental that these allegations and such come right when Cosby is making a resurrection of his once-dormat career? Seriously though? Many of these supposed sexual assaults occurred more than 20 years ago.

This indeed seems to be quite a convenient time for anyone to come after Cos. A successful comedy tour, back out on the road, had a couple of television deals in the works. All of this is now meaningless without much proof at all. TV Land has even pulled the popular "The Cosby Show" from syndication in the wake of this debacle.

It definitely seems like these victims were out to get a piece of him while he was back on top, and everyone else is kicking him while he's down. No one is seemingly coming to his rescue.

Now while Dr. Cosby has paid off one of the women before, and cheated on his long time wife years ago, that is not a direct connection to this case. Apparently innocent into proven guilty isn't holding up well.

My thing is we are all humans and we are all fallable. I'm not personally saying Cosby is guilty or innocent. I'm simply saying let's allow all of the facts to come out before we hastily accuse him. Thus far, it's mostly been here say.  It would be unfair if Cosby's side of the story holds up, and then no repair to his longstanding image is restored.

Let's look at all of the raw details and evidence first. Someone will always be out to capitalize on an opportunity or to bring someone down. We should all make sure it is more than that first and foremost.

Do you think Bill Cosby assaulted those women? How do you view him as a person?

Review on some of the new ABC lineup

ABC has really come up as a network over the past decade. They still trail CBS as they are the #2 most watched network channel. However, their Wednesday and Thursday lineups are giving CBS a run for their money.

Wednesday nights is an old fashioned night of half hour sitcoms. The Middle and Modern Family headline things. The Goldbergs is in its second season and it is an extremely impressive show. It is based on the real life antics of actor/produced Adam Goldberg's family in the 80s. It has a nostalgic Wonder Years feel to it. I was hooked within the first minute of the show and I will be regularly tuning it.

The new kid on the block is black-ish and it premiered this past Wednesday. Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis-Ross and Lawrence Fishburne all star in this show about a black middle class family. While it seems like a fine sitcom, I was quickly bored as it seemed like another Cosby derivative. Black shows need a medium. They are either too clean and unoriginal or too nasty and ratchet. Perhaps the show will get better. It is surrounded by three top notch proven sitcoms.

Thursday is one hour drama night, or Shonda Rhimes night. Grey's Anatomy at 8pm, Scandal now airs at 9pm (love the earlier time) and the new one How To Get Away With Murder. It seems good, but I have yet to thoroughly review it. However it seems Scandal will continue to be impressive, racy and dramatic minus Columbus Short.

I simply love good entertainment and I am so happy that ABC gets this. Perhaps one day they will nab that #1 spot from CBS. 

What are your two favorite shows on ABC? How do you think the two new ones will do?

The Appeal Of Side Pieces

I decided to reboot my piece on side pieces I penned back in 2014. Hope you enjoy.

Many women have played the role of mistress for years and years. Two of the most notable "side pieces" in the modern era are Marilyn Monroe and Monica Lewinsky. One ended up dead and nude in her bathroom, and the other became rich and famous and backed away.  Then you have wives such as Jenny Sanford from South Carolina who made millions from book deals based on their philandering husbands.

Television and the media are starting to portray this behavior more. In the past on TV, Scandal, Being Mary Jane and the now canceled Single Ladies have all involved a lady who is a married man's sidepiece.

It appears to be some appeal in being the other woman. Karrine Steffans sure enjoyed it for a while, even having a brief career in porn.

Present day, 2017, Bernice Burgos is now the current hot sidepiece. Many are aware that rapper TI's marriage is falling apart. Well he definitely has his next woman in line. Burgos can be found on Instagram and other places as her poolside photos went viral recently.  She is very easy on the eyes, but probably wouldn't be getting as much attention if she weren't linked to a celebrity

Women seem to get caught up in the fantasy, the chase, the adventure of being with a man that isn't theirs or they can't have all the time. One cannot be mad at the media for exposing this sad truth.

To these women: if you ever got this man, how do you think he will treat you? Some old dogs can't learn new tricks, and need to be left in the alley.

Top 10 Signs You May Be A Scandal Addict

It seems two of my more popular topics in the past year have dealt with addiction and Scandal. Yes the show has grown more in popularity in its third season, gaining more and more fans. Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington are simply on top of the world right now.

There are many signs that you may be a Scandal addict or fanatic and here are a few right here. 

1. You talk about it constantly on social media, especially during the episodes, every single moment. #Scandal has become one of the more popular topics on Thursday nights.

2. You write blogs, notes, blurbs about the show. Guilty as charged.

3. Your Halloween costume was Olivia Pope and you were immediately recognized by her trademark white coat.

4. You collect every print media piece (People, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and Ebony) regarding Scandal and/or Kerry Washington. 

5. Olivia Pope isn't the only character you know and dissect like a biology frog.

6. You and your circle of friends have formed your own team of "gladiators"

7. You watch all the old episodes on Netflix and your DVR, repeatedly, so not to miss anything.

8. Not only are the main characters discussed but also plots, storylines, potential characters, and such. It's a new type of social media/barbershop chatter.

9. Your career ambition has suddenly become being a political fixer. 

10. You begin to talk and act overly dramatic like the cast, with accompanying background music.

So are you a self-admitted Scandal addict as well?

Scandal Review

Network TV dramas seem to be improving and even including more people of color. Ice T in Law and Order: SVU, Tarajii Henson in Persons of Interest. Now you have Kerry Washington in ABC's Thursday night thrilling drama Scandal, currently in its second season.

The main character is Olivia Pope, based on a real attorney. Pope, played by Washington, along with her team of other attorneys and a former assassin, work closely with the President and the White House to fix and cover up various scandals and situations. There is a different one weekly, but they are all intertwined. Each character is multi-dimensional and has a backstory that unravels throughout the series.

I decided to check this out after seeing social media blow up about it from 10pm-11pm every Thursday night. And I was extremely impressed. I still have to catch up on the beginning of this season, and all last season. But I feel engaged thus far. So much that although I DVR the episodes, I don't use the bathroom, get on my phone, or even move when the show is on. It is that intriguing and well written by Shonda Rhimes, one of the minds behind another ABC hit, Grey's Anatomy.

This is not a black show or another clique' crime drama. It is just a good television show period, and is very realistic. However I feel the show's potential is limited being on network television. We can only imagine the storylines and scenes Rhimes could create if the show were on TNT, AMC, or a premium channel.

I have had favorite dramas in the past: The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and the short lived American Dreams. I would put Scandal beside any of those. ABC now needs to realize what they have and promote and nurture it in the same fashion they did Grey's and Lost. Scandal can have a substantial shelf life and be a modern classic if promoted properly. The fanbase is already established and growing.

Therefore I highly encourage anyone not watching Scandal to give one episode a try. If you like it,  catch up on this season and last season via Hulu, Netflix and other outlets available. Quality, buffoon free television does still exist, as evidenced by Scandal.