https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...by-arrives-Pennsylvania-court-sentencing.html What he did was terrible and he deserves jail but somehow I'm not jumping for joy, the whole thing just makes me sad. Maybe because I watched his show and believed his hype....I even saw him live a few years ago in Monterey. He was one of the good guys....guess not. Maybe I'm just too sympathetic because of his age. How do you feel about the sentence?
I have mixed feelings. I know I am supposed to be outraged but I still feel a little bit sorry for him. He got three years so, with time off for good behavior, he should be out in a year and a half. He's legally blind, 81 years old and in failing health. It's going to cost a lot to look after him for three years. I would have given him house arrest and let him pay for his own care. He still maintains his innocence. What if he was just caught up in the MeToo movement?
IMO the things that he did were wrong and he deserves some type of punishment for them. The thing that I can't reconcile is the part that some of his victims played in all of this. IMO there is no doubt that he was attempting to exploit these women but I also believe that they were attempting to exploit him. Being alone popping pills and drinking wine with a randy old married man is simply not a great way to advance your career and waiting decades to report it adds no value/veracity to the claim. Very sad that so many people were harmed in all of this and in the other high profile cases in the news these days. I don't know how we can bring a basic human need/desire like sex out of the shadows and drop the centuries of baggage surrounding it so it can no longer be used as a weapon or source of shame in our society. IMO if a sex crime is committed it should be reported without fear/shame like any other illegal activity.
Of course he didn't admit it but I don't think he was railroaded either....he did rape some of these women. He did admit to putting quaaludes into some drinks and taking advantage of some of the women....at least that what I remember from the trail. I also agree with Bea about some of the victims. What he did was very wrong though but I can't help but feel sorry for him....I have a diffrent image of him in my mind....that's the problem.
Think a lot of these people in Hollywood think they are above the law and finally the law caught up to them. I had most of all his comedy records and like the guy but we also have to do the right thing.
The atmosphere has been attested to, even by a number of actresses. Most of his accusers were probably groupies who got a kick out of getting attention from a celebrity. Much of the #Me-Too movement has been people who tried to use sex to advance their careers and then regretted it years later. When you have people admiring you and chasing you all the time, one develops an attitude that you can do whatever you want. Many of his accusers are from decades ago and said nothing to anyone at the time of the incident. He probably did bad things and took advantage of people, but I suspect that many of the accusers were open to such activity at the time and rued their decision later.
I do think that he was caught up in the MeToo movement but, of course, that doesn't mean he wasn't guilty. To a point, it saddens me that people are being arrested or ruined today for things that were considered business as usual at the time. We've all heard about casting couches and sleeping your way to the top and, while it's disgusting that women were in a position that they felt they had to do that in order to get ahead, applying the standards of today on the actions of yesterday seems wrong, to some extent. However, I think Cosby was found guilty of drugging these women, and I don't know that this was ever considered to be okay, although getting them drunk was once an accepted practice in some circles. To me, Bill Cosby is the person he portrayed himself to be and, while it seems that this was not actually the case, I can't help but think of him that way. It seems odd that he would not have been able to find a sex partner without drugging her, given his stardom, pull within the movie and television industries, and the funds at his disposal, but apparently this is what he chose to do, and he is paying the consequences. Apart from his family, I am sorry for his co-stars who will be losing out on syndication royalties as fewer outlets will be airing reruns of his movies or television series.
I think he should have been put on house arrest too to save us taxpayers some money. At his age and with his serious health problems it would be the best thing to do in my opinion. I also think he should have to pay some restitution to those he abused and have to put up the money to start a Foundation to help women who are sexually abused like that. We have to remember he was acting in those shows...but he was not acting when he sexually abused those women. And I do believe he is guilty of that.