Phylicia Rashad on Cosby's Release- Page 3

Posted: 6/30/21 at 10:32pm

HogansHero said: "This is not the first nor will it be the last time that the friends and families of a monster are blind to what the person did. We have another example contemporaneously. She just seems too intelligent to be doing this; it's not a close call."

Sometimes the victim themselves are blind. Sometimes victims defend their own abusers. And in those cases people are usually very forgiving of the victim because they understand that it's not the victim's fault, that the victim has often been conditioned to not see it for what it is.

I think this is closer to that. I don't think Rashad is entirely in her right mind here, and I think a little more empathy and a little less outrage is called for.

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 6/30/21 at 11:41pm

ctorres23 said: "HogansHero said: "This is not the first nor will it be the last time that the friends and families of a monster are blind to what the person did. We have another example contemporaneously. She just seems too intelligent to be doing this; it's not a close call."

Sometimes the victim themselves are blind. Sometimes victims defend their own abusers. And in those cases people are usually very forgiving of the victim because they understand that it's not the victim's fault, that the victim has often been conditioned to not see it for what it is.

I think this is closer to that. I don't think Rashad is entirely in her right mind here, and I think a little more empathy and a little less outrage is called for."

Frankly, your little gaslighting act is wearing thin.  Get a new schtick.  

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 6/30/21 at 11:46pm

I don't think anyone's pointed out yet in the thread that she tried some damage control a few hours later, this time with the comments on--and people are certainly commenting.

https://twitter.com/PhyliciaRashad/status/1410336268995776518

Updated On: 6/30/21 at 11:46 PM

[SoCalDirector]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 12:50am

She didn’t do any damage control. If you read the replies they’re angrier than ever now. The only ones who were supporting her believe he was innocent and the women were guilty. That’s like Trump supporters saying he is sent by God.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 12:55am

As others have mentioned, Rashad is a deeply intelligent person. I remember seeing her give a live interview at Signature along with Condola, and it was like magic listening to the two of them spout beautiful, poetic wisdom. It was like watching a play, but it was just them speaking off the top of their heads. 

Eloquence, and careful articulation of ideas, are skills that she has in spades. So I think we can assume that if she had more to explain, she would and could explain it. Which is why it feels like such a punch in the gut to see her Tweet this tactless statement, with a crude, tone-deaf follow-up that does nothing to actually help her cause.

I have a certain degree of empathy for people who are blinded by denial and circumstantial bias, but that empathy only goes so far, and doesn't put her above criticism - she is an intelligent adult woman with her own mind. 

As for "she is not the criminal here." Yes, I agree it's important to keep things in perspective, and not let Rashad's comments eclipse the actual, physical harm done by Cosby. But Cosby's actions are "old news" - we're all on the same page there, so there's little need for discussion. Rashad's comment just happened today, so it's natural that people would want to discuss it more than they want to discuss Cosby himself. And I don't necessarily think she deserves to have her acting career ruined because of this. But "she is not the criminal" doesn't mean she didn't do something wrong, and it doesn't mean that she isn't still causing harm in a less direct way. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 12:57am

SoCalDirector said: "She didn’t do any damage control. If you read the replies they’re angrier than ever now. The only ones who were supporting her believe he was innocent and the women were guilty. That’s like Trump supporters saying he is sent by God."

I said she tried. I certainly didn't say she accomplished it.

[SoCalDirector]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 2:06am

Howard University has responded to Dean Rashad.

 

https://twitter.com/HowardU/status/1410429657455988737/photo/1

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 2:42am

ctorres23 said: "HogansHero said: "This is not the first nor will it be the last time that the friends and families of a monster are blind to what the person did. We have another example contemporaneously. She just seems too intelligent to be doing this; it's not a close call."

Sometimes the victim themselves are blind. Sometimes victims defend their own abusers. And in those cases people are usually very forgiving of the victim because they understand that it's not the victim's fault, that the victim has often been conditioned to not see it for what it is.

I think this is closer to that. I don't think Rashad is entirely in her right mind here, and I think a little more empathy and a little less outrage is called for."

this reeks of incredible condescension: Rashad must be batty if she thinks the things she has said she thinks time and time and time again. I know it is very hard to believe a friend is guilty of something unseemly/outrageous/evil. Ive been there, and I am as guilty as anyone of explaining it to myself in my own mind in a more forgiving, biased light.

this aint that. shes publicly lauding the man for getting out of prison on a technicality. there was no vindication of mr. cosby. there isnt a shred of doubt injected into the testimony of his victim(s). (am i wrong that Cosby has admitted on the record to slipping quaaludes to dozens of women?). 

we can appreciate her talent while calling out her moral turpitude and gross insensitivity. you seem to have found a more offensive path: strip her of any agency at all and chalk her views up to "oh, she just crazy." not a good look.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 3:16am

All the intelligence and eloquence she has exhibited in the past she seems hellbent on torching it now. I don’t care if “technically” she is right or however those who support her actions frame it. She demonstrated woeful misjudgment as a Dean of school with a large population of female students. And yes she may not get fired or reprimanded, but she is dealing with university students who are activists. She will hear their voices. They will react to her. They may protest. They may boycott. They may demand conversation with her. It is possible there could be healing in this or she may step down if the students are unrelenting. Students will decide her fate. Time will tell.

Updated On: 7/1/21 at 03:16 AM

Posted: 7/1/21 at 10:24am

Zion24 said: "this reeks of incredible condescension: Rashad must be batty if she thinks the things she has said she thinks time and time and time again."

I don't mean to be condescending. The point I was making is that people very close to abusers, up to and including their victims, can be blind to the abuse. If it's happened to you, I expect you'd understand this. We usually don't maliciously blame victims for that kind of thinking, and I don't think others who are under the same misconception should be targets of viral attacks the way Rashad currently is.

I don't mean she's batty. That's my fault for using the phrase "in her right mind". People can be totally sane in almost every aspect of their lives while still having a blindspot to obvious abuse (see also: NXIVM).

[EthelMae]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 12:19pm

Stop Tweeting everything that pops into your head. Take a breath and think, “do I really need to post this now?” Haven’t we learned that from the countless others who have stuck their foot in their mouths?

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 5:10pm

EthelMae said: "Stop Tweeting everything that pops into your head. Take a breath and think, “do I really need to post this now?” Haven’t we learned that from the countless others who have stuck their foot in their mouths?"

Agreed.  Rashad seems so calculated and collected, and her tweet felt impulsive and self-destructive.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 10:06pm

Agreed, I’ve learned from this site. No one needs to hear your negative opinion. Or in this case, controversial opinion.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/1/21 at 10:34pm

ctorres23 said: "Zion24 said: "this reeks of incredible condescension: Rashad must be batty if she thinks the things she has said she thinks time and time and time again."

I don't mean to be condescending. The point I was making is that people very closeto abusers, up to and including their victims, can be blind to the abuse. If it's happened to you, I expect you'd understand this. We usually don't maliciously blame victims for that kind of thinking, and I don't think others who are under the same misconception should be targets of viral attacks the way Rashad currently is.

I don't mean she's batty. That's my fault for using the phrase "in her right mind". People can be totally sane in almost every aspect of their lives while still having a blindspot to obvious abuse (see also: NXIVM)."

fair explanation but i still think you're giving her way too little credit here. she isnt a victim of Cosby's, just a champion. 

[troynow]

Posted: 7/2/21 at 7:46am

MTC is set to announce a cast change.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/2/21 at 1:34pm

Grooming is a real thing. Abusers often manipulate people around them to seem like a swell dude. That's probably what Bill Cosby did to her -- he was probably always respectful to her, so she would be groomed to think he could do no wrong.

Her tweet was really awful, but it also (IMO) shows how effective abusers can be at grooming.

[Larry6417]

Posted: 7/2/21 at 6:07pm

How stupid is she? Cosby free. Rashad canceled. I don't think she'll ever be hired in the theatre again.

What a shame. One accusation and you can question it, but 60??!!

Who's next?

[Lisalemann]

Posted: 7/3/21 at 1:38am

Yeah - I was thrown by that - kind of shocking.  But actually - as despicable as he is - it was a miscarriage of justice according to our legal system.  The prosecutors should have spent more time and got more evidence that wasn't related to that civil deposition.  In all honesty - it's prosecutorial misconduct - which hurt ALL the victims.  On her response - if you look at his actual testimony - he doesn't actually admit to anything other than procuring the Quaaludes- which were regarded differently to people who were adults in the 60's compared to now and having "consensual relations" with the victims.  I think - in her mind - being in denial - she sees him as a womanizer - but not a rapist - not unlike how many people were when the first Weinstein accusations came out. 

But one of the main accusations that they used for the case - which legally they shouldn't have used due to the deal in the civil prosecution - that was clearly the one that tipped it over the top for many people - as Andrea Constand is gay - and there is no way he could claim to have "seduced" her.  I understand that Phylicia Rashad likely feels indebted to Cosby for her career - but she has got to see by now what is what.  Her actions are very strange...particularly as someone noted earlier that she turned off responses on her tweet when she sent it so she KNEW how it would be received.  Very weird.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/3/21 at 9:51am

And now (as if there were an alternative) Rashad has apologized and promised to take steps to "educate" herself. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/02/us/phylicia-rashad-howard-letter/index.html

Make of this what you will. Although in general I am a skeptic, I am also, in general, a believer in redemption. Trust but verify. 

[BJR]

Posted: 7/3/21 at 10:44am

Indeed, there wasn't going to be an alternative. Not if she wants to keep her Howard job.

Worse than an actor in a play who may be asked about it during promotion, her job as Dean of Howard's School of the Arts would mean students *will* be bringing their allegations of assault to her next year. It's not a hypothetical, as the numbers tell us. Her being publicly dismissive of 70 allegations against one man is the kind of thing that doesn't inspire confidence you'll take the allegations of one student seriously.

I, too, believe in redemption. It may not change her feelings about Cosby, but at least allow her to understand why her emotional, knee-jerk public response was so hideously insensitive.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/3/21 at 10:35pm

i'm all for redemption AND i hate the idea that we can't employ/enjoy people with odious views. Wagner still sounds good. MJ was a musical genius. Rashad can ACT.  hope this blows over.

BUT lets also not play along with This Game. Shes a brilliant, educated woman. She is going to educate herself about... rape being bad? The 60+ accusers? What information does she need that she doesn't currently have? My eyes roll hard with this one.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/3/21 at 11:32pm

JDonaghy4 said: "i'm all for redemption AND i hate the idea that we can't employ/enjoy people with odious views. Wagner still sounds good. MJ was a musical genius. Rashad can ACT. hope this blows over.

BUT lets also not play along with This Game. Shes a brilliant, educated woman. She is going to educate herself about... rape being bad? The 60+ accusers? What information does she need that she doesn't currently have? My eyes roll hard with this one."

Exactly. The woman is 73. She’s well educated and worldly wise. What pray tell is she going to do to alter her consciousness at this point in her life and career? Let’s just say she is covering her #*%. Her opinions won’t change but she will pretend they do to keep employed. But let’s not fool ourselves she is silently being crossed off the lists of many creatives since she did this. Add her to list of Cosby casualties. 

Updated On: 7/3/21 at 11:32 PM

[JayElle]

Posted: 7/4/21 at 12:15am

Zion24 wrote in part.."(am i wrong that Cosby has admitted on the record to slipping quaaludes to dozens of women?). "

No, you're not wrong...Cosby admitted it on Larry King Live.

[David10086]

Posted: 7/4/21 at 12:41am

I’m more interested in the miscarriage of justice which freed Cosby this week than I am in Rashads wacky response. I’ve never been a fan of hers, as I find her very over-rated ( never saw her in person only on TV).

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/21 at 1:11am

David10086 said: "I’m more interested in the miscarriage of justice which freed Cosby this week than I am in Rashads wacky response. I’ve never been a fan of hers, as I find her very over-rated ( never saw her in person only on TV)."

Her response was indeed ridiculous but she is a fine actress. TV, especially the part of it for which she is known, is not a good measure of anyone's acting ability. (Some might argue that inferior acting with garbagey sitcom material suggests a good rather than bad actor lurks behind it.) Regarding the court action freeing him, it was not a miscarriage of justice, as regrettable as it was that the court had to let a monster free, but that's the way our legal system works and I would think that, were you on the other side of the bar, you'd want the court to do exactly what it did here: enforce the contract that the prosecutor entered into. If you want to blame someone for what transpired, focus on the idiotic Bruce Castor, the prosecutor.