The people in Virginia can vote,” Cosby said, lowering his voice as if it were a well-kept secret. “They can’t do that in Washington, D.C. That place is strange. You don’t have a vote.”
Cosby’s thoughts about the small Fairfax County town are just a precursor to what audiences can expect when he arrives for his 8 p.m. show.
The 75-year-old who has starred in many hit movies and television shows, including the groundbreaking and long running NBC sitcom, “The Cosby Show,” is insightful, hilarious and, just as important to those paying between $25-$42 to see him, he is entertaining. In fact, after a recent show in Hawaii, journalist John Berger said young comedians and wannabe-comics should take note.
Cosby did a show that clocked in at twice the length of many comics’ sets, and had the crowd roaring with laughter throughout the evening.
Instead of using the four-letter and six-letter and 12-letter words that so many comics rely on, Cosby used his skill as a character actor to create a cavalcade of characters that percolated through his storytelling— love sick men, a cunning resident in Maui, angry parents, two seven-year-old boys aghast and sickened by the thought of touching tongues with a girl and, of course, his wife of 49 years, Camille Cosby.
The award-winning comedian who created the “Fat Albert” character, reiterated his concern for America’s youth and parents, saying everyone has to do a better job.
“We cannot be afraid to address our children,” he said. “Your children are walking the streets loudly and using profanity and this is anger stuff. They get on buses and disrespect the elderly and it used to be a saying from parents that they didn’t raise anyone like that. That’s because children knew that their mother and father didn’t allow them to go around disrespecting [their] elders.”
Cosby lost his only son in a carjacking more than 15 years ago and he often preaches about the importance of the family circle.
It is not unlike his Heathcliff Huxtable character on “The Cosby Show.” And, like they did with Dr. Huxtable, many people listen when Cosby speaks.
Over the past century, few entertainers have achieved Cosby’s legendary status. A Philadelphia native, Cosby’s successes span five decades.
He has had several best-selling comedy albums, eight Gold records, five platinum records and five Grammy Awards. His role on television’s “I Spy” made him the first African American to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking TV’s racial barrier and winning three Emmy Awards.
And, no one can be more impromptu than Cosby. “So what,” he said, attempting to sound tough and ready to rumble when he was introduced to a reporter. “Nobody’s scared of you, I’ve been up early and ready for you,” he said, laughing.