Will Bill Cosby’s Upcoming Hanover Performance Cause Controversy?
Saturday, November 22, 2014
"As the performance venue, our contract is with the promoter, who rents the building and contracts with Bill Cosby to perform," said Lisa Condit with Hanover Theatre. "We think it’s very likely that the promoter (or Cosby himself) will cancel this performance, which would be far preferable to us as it would not open us up to legal action."
Condit continued, "Our audience and our image in the community are of the utmost importance to us, and we ask your patience to bear with us as the situation plays out."
Cosby Caught in Firestorm of Controversy
On Friday, Business Insider recapped some of the professional ramifications Cosby has incurred so far in light of multiple sexual assault allegations. Cosby has not been found guilty in the court of law, but did settle a civil lawsuit stemming from sexual assault allegations in 2006.
"While Cosby has never been criminally charged with sexual assault, these accusations have hurt his career recently. Netflix has indefinitely delayed the release of a Cosby stand-up special, NBC stopped development on a new sitcom starring Cosby, and TV Land is going to stop airing reruns of "The Cosby Show," wrote Business Insider's Pamela Engel.
The tickets listed on Hanover's website list the prices as $43, $55 and $75, depending on seating location, for the upcoming Cosby show.
"When faced with allegations of criminal conduct it's common that legal counsel recommend that you not comment. However, in the case of Mr. Cosby--someone that is vocal on many issues--his silence could be taken as a sign of guilt," said Beal. "A strongly worded statement of denial and an explanation that he expects to be vindicated by the judicial process, would help to fill the void that is currently being filled by speculation and rumor. The current attempts by his lawyers to run interference are not helping his situation."
Advocacy Group on the Record
Debra Robbin with Jane Doe Inc, a statewide membership sexual and domestic violence coalition, pointed to what she viewed as the most important voices in the conversation -- the victims.
"I think we should be listening to the survivors voices," said Robbin, Interim Executive Director for Jane Doe. "I think its empowering when it's safe for survivors to come forward. I think what's most important is that we're in era that sexual assault is in the public discourse. I think it's important for survivors to feel that they're heard and believed. And this isn't one individual, it's multiple women."
"It not only speaks to the behavior of a perpetrator, but a serial predator, and I think what is also an important indicator is that survivor voices are so prominent here," continued Robbin. "He'll only be a public persona if people pay money to see him. If the public doesn't support him, he won't have an audience. From a social norms and accountability perspective, I would remind the public that the legal arena is just one arena -- there's many reasons someone doesn't press charges, or someone's found innocent or guilty, it's not always the reality of what happened. We're confined by that."
"I saw recently a recording of a performance that he did several years ago, where he talked about women being drugged. I think it was something about "Spanish fly," said Robbin. "People were laughing. And that has nothing to do with him or who he is, but it's the topic. But I think someone doing a routine like won't soon be tolerated any more."
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