So are the influences.
Nothing ironic or quotidian here, though.
The topics in Carmichaels line of sight are monumental and sincere.
Credit: Chris Haston/NBC
*The nights other episode, The Funeral, was a thematic compliment to Fallen Heroes.
The catalyst for the story was rather sly, given the charges against Cosby.
He grew up onThe Cosby Show;it was part of his identity.
He wanted to see a living legend in action, possibly for the last time.
Lets be honest: this is kind of his farewell tour, he said.
Who knows how long hes going to be alive?
But when she saw the name on the tickets, she saw a dirty word.
There was nothing clean, not-mean, values-y about Cosby, not anymore.
She made it clear: no meant no.
That was about to change.
Isnt that what you would want if you were accused of something?
Or would you want the Internet to decide?
(She didnt cite examples, but my TV-saturated imagination filled in the blank with FXsThe People vs. O.J.
Simpson: American Crime Story.
)Maxine seemed convinced Cosby was guilty; Joe insisted they use the word allegedly.
Im sure NBC made the same insistence, too.
Who should get the benefit of our doubt: Cosby or his accusers?
What roles do personal feelings, past experience, and bias play in our armchair litigating of this case?
Can should we separate art from artist?
Does fandom represent an endorsement of character?
(An interesting question to consider during an election season of imperfect candidates.)
(Has there ever been a singer with the last name Brown who didnt hit a girl?)
It began when Nekeisha arrived and revealed she knew nothing about the charges against Cosby.
But after reading about the allegations against Cosby (55 women?!
), she sided emphatically with Maxine.
Nekeisha then explained why she didnt own an iPhone herself.
You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and like who you see, she said.
(Sounds like someone just sawSteve Jobs.)
She said this seemingly oblivious to the fact she had just used one.
Siris voice was even used.
Im curious to know how Apple got comfortable with being involved in this episode.)
By the halfway point, I did begin to worry that the episode was becoming slightly unfair to Maxine.
While it seemed to side with Maxines where-theres-so-much-smoke-there-must-surely-be-some-fire logic (55 women?!
), she also was receiving the brunt of the hypocrisy point.
And why was the debate divided along gender lines?
(As if Maxines objections to Cosby were all about rehabbing Jerrods character.
That was some serious male narcissism there.)
And it was ugly, another queasy joke about rape horror.
But there were metaphorical broken flashlights for everyone in the episodes final act.
Joe then bought an expensive coat for Cynthia on sale, from the back of some dudes car.
She accepted his gift, unbothered by the fact it was ill-gotten goods.
Jerrod followed through on his proverbial one-night stand with Cosby.
He was led by selfishness, not code.
I kept thinking, was it wrong to laugh?
Was it wrong to be there?
Then I started to think about all the things you said.
So congrats, Maxine.
You ruined my idol for me.
Maxine wasnt going to be demonized for her righteousness, and she got a line full of wisdom.
Cosbys failings are his failings, not ours.
His fans arent guilty by association; rather, hes put them in a gross, unfair position.
Its not my fault.
and its not your fault, said Maxine.
Its Bill Cosbys fault.
He ruined his own reputation.
Jerrod, a child of Cosby, hurt and baffled by his father figures betrayal.
In the end, though, he took on Maxines outrage and let his accusers get the last word.
The unstated theme of Fallen Heroes was adultery, in various forms.
He imagined him reduced to doing mattress commercials.
ButThe Carmichael Showconfronts us on our hypocrisy about hypocrisy.
I find myself thinking: How am I like Cynthia?
Where do I draw the line?
Do I take it far enough?
Because I like my iPhone.
Its how I watchHouse of Cards.
Fallen Heroes covered a lot of ground in 22 minutes and covered most of it very well.
So I feel like an ungrateful, hyper-critical ass for wishing it could have covered a little more.
Are we easier or harder on the moral failures of black stars?
I was surprised Bill Clinton wasnt pulled into the mix.
Finally, Fallen Heroes could have addressed the issue of cultural forgiveness.
Now heres a potential double standard.
We wonder ifThe Cosby Showcan or should be enjoyed anymore given what we know about Cosby.
Does anyone wonder the same thing aboutSeinfeld?
Why or why not?
They were flawed apologies, for sure, and the Internet tells me that many people doubted his sincerity.
Still: there was an attempt.
Should that have been acknowledged?
My quibbles and wants are hardly criticisms.
They speak to the value ofThe Carmichael Show, a lovely little flashlight for murky times.
