Once upon a time I interviewed Bill Cosby. At the time, it was a pretty big deal. It was several years before accusations started to surface and, if I’m being completely honest, it might have been an interview I dined off of for a while. When people asked if I had interviewed anyone famous, I usually led with Cosby. He was America’s Dad, a legitimate superstar. I felt no shame.
Until I did.
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It’s been a long time since I engaged with Bill Cosby’s work. For obvious reasons, episodes of his television shows and appearances no longer saturate the syndication circuit. But we were a Cosby family. The first comedy routines I memorized were from my parents’ collection of Bill Cosby albums. I still have some of those records. But I never listen to them. Not ever.
And I wasn’t bothered by closing the door on Cosby. The things he was accused of and the things he was convicted of were truly reprehensible – the work of a monster. But I loved the dentist routine, and the sabretooth tiger with a lisp. I also loved his work in education, his dedication to using his fame and influence to make the world a better place. I wanted the good doctor without the monster. I wanted Jekyll without Hyde. But they are the same person. They always were.
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So it came as some relief to me to discover this struggle over the dichotomy of Cosby, over the push and pull of his public personal and private life, was not unique to me. Recently I came across W. Kamau Bell’s limited documentary series “We Need to Talk About Cosby.” Devoured in a single sitting, the four hour-long episodes trace the comedian’s professional history while juxtaposing what the public saw with a dark predatory trail that seemingly started during his earliest days of standup. More than that, it’s a show that is very much about fans – fans like me – coming to terms with the idea that what we saw and what was true were often very different things. It’s not easy to watch, particularly when the focus shifts to the testimony of the women Cosby is accused of raping. But like all bitter pills, there is some relief that follows. Cosby kept me on the phone for 30 minutes talking about Chinese food, and I loved him for it. I didn’t know better. Now I do. But at least I’m not alone.
“We Need to Talk About Cosby” is currently streaming on Showtime.
Here’s some other things that have caught my eye:
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Eels – Extreme Witchcraft: The California act Eels has always only really been musician Mark Oliver Everett. Other musicians have cycled through over the more than 30 years of the band’s existence. Perhaps the most celebrated of these is John Parish, best known for his work with PJ Harvey. In 2001 Everett and Parish paired to make Souljacker, considered by many – myself included – to be something of an Eels highwater mark. So I was excited to hear that the pair had reunited and expected more of the dark distortions and deconstructed blues that were Souljacker hallmarks.
What I missed both artists’ dedication to the left turn. While there is still some of Souljacker DNA spread across Extreme Witchcraft, it is a very different record. Clearly inspired by Everett’s recent divorce it feels less destructive and more accepting. These are songs about being alone and learning to accept what that reality means. What’s most remarkable about Extreme Witchcraft is its ability to drawn from the many Eels styles – heavy rock, acoustic pop, engaging psychedelia – without making the record feel discordant or forced. It’s worth checking out.
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Did You Get My Text: I like podcasts with some structure, some sort of anchoring idea I can understand and serves as a conversational foundation. Did You Get My Text – a weekly conversation between comedian Patton Oswalt and his wife actress Meredith Salenger – has none of that. It’s just a conversation about their work and lives together. Nothing more. It should be terrible.
But it isn’t.
Instead, it is remarkably entertaining, enlightening and often informative. It all, I believe, comes down to chemistry. This is a couple that, while often disparate in interests and viewpoints, really enjoys talking to each other and have a combined comedic flair requires neither him nor her to do the heavy lifting. It’s a really funny, and sweetly sentimental, peek behind the curtain at what appears to be a fully functional household.
An update: Plans are progressing on a revived and revamped celebration of original music from the greater Augusta area. Branding is being discussed. Partnerships are being firmed up. Pretty soon it will be time to play the music and light the lights. So, if you are an Augusta area act with original songs, start putting those files together. We want to help you get heard. More details to come.
Steven Uhles has worked as professional journalist in the Augusta area for 22 years, and his Pop Rocks column ran in The Augusta Chronicle for more than 20. He lives in Evans with his wife, two children and a dog named after Hunter Thompson.
