Bill Cosby: Lost, Stolen or Strayed? - Paperback

by Matthew C. Stelly (Author)

This book, "Bill Cosby: Lost, Stolen or Strayed" is not like any other book written on the man who is considered "America's Dad." This book is not only a review and analysis, but also a sociological, psychological and anthropological examination of a man who appears to have never really given a damn about Black people other than to work with the system to exploit them and to make fun of them through cartoons, comic recordings, movies and on television. This book recalls the 1968 movie that Cosby narrated, "Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed" and raises that question, focused on Cosby's own life, some half century later. That documentary, considered by many to be "militant" is transcribed and analyzed in-depth, along with the man who wrote the script, Andy Rooney of "60 Minutes" fame. Also in this book is a look at Cosby's standup comedy and his Saturday morning cartoon show, "The Cosby Kids." This writer offers and hopes to have proven that there have been few cartoons as degrading and insultingly "coonish" as the Cosby Kids and what they presented to black and white America. This book touches on the Autumn Jackson controversy, where child's out of wedlock child tried to extort $40 million from him and on the death of his son Ennis. Using legal analysis this writer views Ennis' death as a cover-up of sorts and raises issues not raised elsewhere. Then it's on to TV and the silver screen. The latter is represented by five randomly selected movies: "Man and Boy" (1972¬¬), "Uptown Saturday Night" (1974), "Let's Do It Again" (1975), "A Piece of the Action" (1977) and "Leonard Part 6" (1987). At the end of the book are sections addressing the concept of being "lost, stolen or strayed" and a section dealing with his wife Camille and her views on black business. In closing a discussion of what psychologist Roderick W. Pugh called "the we-ain't-ready syndrome: " and two of Cosby's degrading lectures: the "Pound Cake" speech of 2004 and his presentation to the graduating class of Temple University in 2012. Then, the issue of the sexual abuse allegations and selected views of what "black celebrities" think of the case. After being found guilty I ask, "What now for America's Dad?

Author Biography

Matthew C. Stelly is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee working on a degree in Urban Education and Community Policy. He holds three Master's degrees: Urban Studies (1982), Urban Education (1983) and Political Science (2000). He is working toward his doctorate in Community Policy/Urban Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is the former editor of the Milwaukee Courier newspaper, former director of the Great Plains Black Museum and the Plano (TX) African American Museum, and lead archivist for The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in Dallas, Texas. Stelly has more than 2,500 articles in print and has won two national essay competitions. He is the founding director of the largest African-American neighborhood group in Nebraska, the Triple One Neighborhood Association and Parents Union. He is publisher and editor of the Triple One News, a two-time nationally recognized newsletter. He is the father of five children - Mandla, Malik, Clariece, Charisse and Shannon -- and remains actively involved in community organizing and neighborhood development in several cities, including Milwaukee and Omaha.