Cosby Author ‘Sorry’ A Little Too Late
The author of the Bill Cosby biography has issued a not-so-official “sorry” over Twitter this week, but is it too late for apologies?
Mark Whitaker, who has extensive experience in journalism and news media, wrote and published a biography called Cosby: His Life and Times, which was released just this past September. While the book received so many great reviews at first, people are now quite angry since Cosby sexual abuse allegations have come to the forefront once again after fellow comedian, Hannibal Buress, called out the 77-year-old Cosby a “rapist.” Since Burress’ set in Philadelphia where he brought to light these allegations, more victims have come forward including outspoken supermodel, Janice Dickinson. It seems that new victims come out every day.
Whitaker’s book touts Cosby’s many achievements and paints him more as the lovable father, Cliff Huxtable, and quotes some of Cosby’s famous friends. Amazon, who has published some of the blurbs, shares how Jerry Seinfeld feels, or maybe felt at this point, about Cosby, “If anyone ever told me I had to stop idolizing Billy Cosby, I would say, ‘Sorry, but I’m out of this religion.'” There are also quotes from famed comedian Billy Crystal, Mary Tyler Moore, and the New Yorker.
The biography, published by Simon & Schuster, was once included in Amazon’s best books of September list but now ranks 13,711 on Amazon’s booklist. Reviewers on the site are sharing their outrage with one woman remarking, “In a fair world, this book belongs on the same shelf as Jerry Sandusky’s Touched…Mark Whitaker is deplorable…” She is not the only one outraged.
David Carr, a New York Times reporter, began the discussion with the author, Mark Whitaker, on Twitter just this past Monday. Carr calls out not just Whitaker for idealizing Cosby but many more, referring to himself and other media outlets as “Cosby enablers.”
Calling Out Bill Cosby’s Media Enablers, Including Myself http://t.co/9gl5YmeZpN
— david carr (@carr2n) November 24, 2014
Whitaker, the author of the incomplete Cosby biography, quickly retweeted Carr, saying that he was “following new developments” and would “address them at the appropriate time.” Many think that now is the appropriate time to tell the whole truth about Cosby and to stop ignoring these victims.
@carr2n David you are right. I was wrong to not deal with the sexual assault charges against Cosby and pursue them more aggressively.
— Mark Whitaker (@Marktwhitaker) November 24, 2014
@carr2n I am following new developments and will address them at the appropriate time. If true the stories are shocking and horrible.
— Mark Whitaker (@Marktwhitaker) November 24, 2014
Whitaker spoke to The Huffington Post back in September when his book was first published and addressed why he purposely did not include all of the allegations, of which at that point there were 13. Whitaker stated that, “In these cases there were no definitive court findings…and I just felt at the end of the day, all I would be doing would be, ‘These people say this, Cosby denies this…'” The author also mentioned that there were other things he left out of his biography, but people aren’t interested in other things.
People are still very angry and are apt to be for a while due to how long these victims have been silenced and how many there are. And so while the Cosby author has finally issued his “sorry” it may just be too late.
[Photo Courtesy of Mr. Scott King]
