Bill Cosby: Comedian’s Career Still On The Rise Despite Rape Allegations

Bill Cosby is facing an onslaught of criticism after a fellow comedian re-ignited rape allegations from more than a decade ago, but despite the controversy, the 77-year-old Cosby shows little signs of slowing.

Cosby has a new Netflix special coming out later this month, his second comedy special in two years. Cosby is also developing a new half-hour sitcom for NBC.

The late-career renaissance for Bill Cosby comes despite a revival of some dark allegations, thanks to comedian Hannibal Buress. In a stand-up routine last month, Buress questioned why Cosby seemed to get a pass for his allegations.

“It’s even worse because Bill Cosby has the f***ing smuggest old black man public persona that I hate. He gets on TV, ‘Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the 80s. I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom.’ Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches.”

A number of women have come forward alleging that Cosby assaulted them. The comedian had his first accuser in 2000, but faced even more allegations in 2004, when 13 women stepped forward to accuse the comedian of having improper relationships.

Other media outlets took note of Cosby’s allegations, with many wondering why the American public and mainstream media seemed to care so little about the allegations.

Amid the controversy, Bill Cosby has seen his career remain strong.

To some, Cosby is even too bland. Comedy Central passed on airing Cosby’s comedy special last year, believing he did not fit in with edgier comedy like Tosh.0 and South Park.

“I’ve been there,” he said. “Understand me. I’m not putting that down, because it’s Comedy Central, and that’s the way they survive. But I’ve been there, man.”

“Let’s go to 1980… something. Tom Werner, Marcy Carsey, my partners, along with the William Morris office, we had an idea about a show about a family and the people are satisfied with their life. They get married and work hard to raise their children to give them the dreams that they have. They’re happy with their careers and occupations, and the wheels start to come off because of the behavior of the children. So the show is really about parenting.

“Can’t sell it. Because it’s coming at a time when a time when sitcoms where the children were smarter than the adults. It was sort of a child psychologist’s holiday. ‘Well, they’re just feeling their oats.’ Before child psychologists, people we’d say ‘They’re feeling their oats? Take the oat bag away.'”

But Comedy Central eventually relented and aired Far from Finished. It did so well that Netflix approached Bill Cosby for this year’s special, 77. And Cosby still has more comedy work to do, including a tour kicking off later this month.