As the number of women accusing Bill Cosby of being a sexual predator increases by the day, the iconic comic's wallet is taking a hit.
TV projects with NBC and Netflix have been nixed or postponed. TV Land pulled "The Cosby Show." At least three venues have cancelled comedy dates he had previously books.
But for now, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre's upcoming May 2 show with Cosby is still on. Prices are $71 to $91.50 apiece. There are plenty of tickets available right now. Tom Rowland, the marketing director for Cobb, said he has nothing to add beyond the fact the promoter is handling whether the show goes on or not and as of this afternoon, it's still on.
His last show in Atlanta was at Cobb June 28, 2013.
I've interviewed Cosby twice, first in 2008 before he headlined the Fox, and another time in 2011 before he performed at Ferst Center. He was a bit grouchy in 2008 and got impatient when I asked him about Tyler Perry. He directed me back to questions he wanted to answer. He was more pleasant in 2011, though I suspect it's because I kept the questions squarely on him.
And though there were stories about his alleged sexual exploits in 2005 and 2006, I didn't recall any of them so I didn't ask. (And given his disposition with reporters, I can't imagine it would have gone well if I dared.)
Here are highlights from 2008:
Thoughts on Atlanta: "The city is super special to me. I had two daughters who went to Spelman --- didn't graduate. A son went to Morehouse. He did graduate."
On his early work: "A 9-year-old came backstage in Seattle a few years ago. He started reciting one of my stories from one of my first comedy albums 44 years ago. What I focused on was the writing. I thought, 'Wow, this is great writing!' "
On Barack Obama: "I'm not concerned with whether or not he becomes president. But he is a wonderful example for all teachers who are dealing with kids who don't get it yet about what education can do for you."
On hip-hop: "There's a responsibility that goes with it. One would hope that the delivery of words inspire youth to embrace education, embrace true love. There's no need for us to accept the devaluation of the black body and mind. This is not a form of survival."
On Tyler Perry: "I met Mr. Perry twice. He is an example for people who want to get into show business. He kept believing in his work. He used his business mind and protected his work. People who are trying to write or direct should take information off Mr. Perry's Web site and follow that. Because it's all there!"
On what he was eating during the interview: "Two egg whites, turkey bacon. It's all that's here. My wife has taken everything else away. No bread. No coffee."
From 2011:
As fans who have heard his classic comedy albums, seen him live or watched his seminal TV shows, Cosby does not partake in "spice, " nor does he keep up with the Kardashians or any particular "Real Housewife."
In other words, the content of his two stand-up shows scheduled for Oct. 23 at the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech will be definitively anti-Kathy Griffin.
"In a reality show, " Cosby said, "the only reality is these people are not actors. Somewhere there's a producer saying to somebody, 'Listen, can you just slap her? Just say whatever you want to say. We need spice! We need to raise the viewers' dopamine level! Keep people angry and keep them watching?"
As a sports fan, he still watches ESPN. ("How did the Falcons blow that 14-0 lead?" he asked.) But he cited his favorite network as Link TV, which focuses on global perspectives on news, events and culture and is available on Dish and DirecTV. "It does wonderful, emotional programs, " he said. "They are people of great integrity. It's not manipulated. It's about human beings and it's global. It's not reality people. It's real people."
Cosby, now 74, has never shied away from telling the truth as he sees it, whether it's about education, crime or hip-hop music. He'd make a fine replacement for Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes."
The stand-up comic said he dabbled with the cursing devil at the Hilton in Las Vegas in the 1970s. Richard Pryor, who was as blue as it comes, was in his heyday and Cosby felt pressure to "spice" it up with a few choice four-letter words at his 8 o'clock show. "I ran off maybe eight of them, " Cosby said. "I didn't enjoy it."
Barron Hilton, the hotel magnate, met with Cosby afterward. Hilton had received a note from a nun. In a city packed with burlesque and nudity, she and her group of other nuns had paid to see Cosby because they trusted he would keep it clean. She wrote that they became "very sad" when they heard him curse and left the show early. "We are going to pray for you, " Cosby said they wrote. "We will revisit another time and hope you can make us smile and laugh."
A chastened Cosby never cursed on stage again. Not that he's a nun himself. He doesn't deny cursing in private. "If I'm joking with friends of mine, yes, we'll tell dirty jokes to each other, " he said. "But not with the grandchildren sitting around."
Cosby stays busy doing comedy shows almost every weekend. And that means plenty of time in hotels, which led to an interesting hobby: He collects robes.
Recently, he was at a hotel he won't name. He liked the robes and bought two from the manager. He got on a plane to leave town but bad weather forced him to return to that same hotel for an extra night. The night manager met with Cosby and spied the two robes.
"Nobody told him I had purchased them, " Cosby said. "He looks at the robes. He looks at me. I started laughing. I knew what he was thinking and I said it. 'A millionaire stole two robes! America's father is a robe thief!' I told him to call the day manager to confirm that yes, Mr. Cosby paid for the robes. Guess what? They gave me my money back!"
Cosby may not be a robe thief, but he is writing books again. His first comedy tome in nearly a decade, called "I Didn't Ask to Be Born (But I'm Glad I Was), " comes out Nov. 1. Per his style, he keeps the vocabulary simple, along the lines of Mark Twain and John Steinbeck.
"I'm telling you, this book is funny, " Cosby said. "You can read it and hear my voice. When I write, I have time to describe things in a way I can't do
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