Bill Cosby punch line: ‘You have to be careful drinking around me’
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Version 0 of 1. More than two dozen women have accused Bill Cosby of drugging them. In many of their stories, Cosby’s accusers said he offered them a spiked drink, and they later woke to find they had been sexually assaulted by the comedian. On Thursday night at a stand-up show in London, Ontario, Cosby — wearing the “Hello Friend” sweatshirt that’s served as his uniform for much of his “Far From Finished” tour — made a joke about the allegations. Richard Warnica, a journalist for National Post, was there and tweeted through the show. This is what he witnessed: “You have to be careful about drinking around me,” Cosby just said to a woman in the crowd. Loud gasps from the audience. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 “You have to be careful about drinking around me,” Cosby just said to a woman in the crowd. Loud gasps from the audience. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 The gasps then changed to cheers and applause. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 The gasps then changed to cheers and applause. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 Some context from before. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 Some context from before. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 A woman in the front row got up to go get a drink. Cosby asked her where she was going. She asked him if he wanted a drink. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 A woman in the front row got up to go get a drink. Cosby asked her where she was going. She asked him if he wanted a drink. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 He said no, he already had one (a bottle of water). Then he continued “You have to be careful about drinking around me.” — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 He said no, he already had one (a bottle of water). Then he continued “You have to be careful about drinking around me.” — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 Security just pulled a man out of the crowd in London. “You are a rapist!” he yelled at Cosby on the way out. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 Security just pulled a man out of the crowd in London. “You are a rapist!” he yelled at Cosby on the way out. — Richard Warnica (@richardwarnica) January 9, 2015 Despite the interruptions, Cosby closed to a standing ovation from the half-full arena, Warnica reported. The joke was especially jarring because Cosby isn’t known for trafficking in dark comedy. In fact, he was famous for policing younger comedians who he thought cursed too much, or were too raunchy. Though Cosby denies the tale, Kelefa Sanneh recalled one episode of policing, retold by Eddie Murphy in his stand-up act: During Cosby’s nineteen-eighties heyday, though, he seemed untouchable, and younger rivals, especially African-American ones, bristled at his dominance. In the 1987 concert movie “Raw,” Eddie Murphy told a story about Cosby calling him up and urging him to use less profanity in his act, for the sake of his young fans, including Cosby’s own son. Murphy recalled being so offended that he telephoned Richard Pryor, who offered some defiantly un-Cosby-like advice. During Cosby’s nineteen-eighties heyday, though, he seemed untouchable, and younger rivals, especially African-American ones, bristled at his dominance. In the 1987 concert movie “Raw,” Eddie Murphy told a story about Cosby calling him up and urging him to use less profanity in his act, for the sake of his young fans, including Cosby’s own son. Murphy recalled being so offended that he telephoned Richard Pryor, who offered some defiantly un-Cosby-like advice. Pryor’s advice is unpublishable in a family newspaper so you’ll have to use your imagination. But, who knows — maybe for his next show, Cosby will reboot his old Spanish fly joke. |