Will Bill Cosby’s Upcoming Hanover Performance Cause Controversy?

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

Comedian Bill Cosby, who has been subject to an increasing number of sexual assault allegations, is scheduled to perform at the Hanover Theatre on February 6 -- but whether or not it will happen will remain to be seen.

"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.

Will Cosby perform in Worcester come February?

Andy Beal, who is the author of Repped: 30 Days to a Better Online Reputation, told GoLocal that he viewed the intersection of Cosby's legal and public relations advice as being problematic for the performer.

"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."

Related Slideshow: Infamous Talk Radio Controversies

Prev Next

Arbitron Ratings Scandal

In 2008, radio host John DePetro found himself in the midst of a ratings controversy. The Boston Herald reported,

The briefly stellar ratings of controversy-dogged-talkmeister John DePetro’s Providence radio show tanked yesterday after a whiff of scandal forced Arbitron to reissue its spring survey of listener-dial habits.

In the 6 to 10 a.m. weekday slot occupied by the self-proclaimed “Independent Man” on WPRO-AM (630), “the reissue ranked WPRO at number nine” among valued 25- to 54-year-old listeners, “down from the number four rank in the original release,” program manager Paul Giammarco and station market manager Barbara Haynes announced in a joint statement.

Prev Next

Sexual Harassment Claim

In 2012, DePetro was sued by a WPRO colleague for sexual harassment.

Producer Dee DeQuatro said DePetro invited her to lunch before driving to a house and making sexual advances.

DePetro denied the allegations.

Prev Next

Candidate Name-Calling

DePetro was fired from Boston radio station WRKO in 2006 for calling then-gubernatorial Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross a "fat lesbian."

Prev Next

Office Scuffle

The Providence Journal's Mike Stanton reported on an altercation in 2009 between DePetro and radio host Ron St. Pierre.

DePetro said he was hit -- and scratched -- in the eye with a balled up paper with a staple thrown at him by St. Pierre.

Prev Next

Buddy's Return - to Radio

After five years in prison for racketeering conspiracy from 2002 to 2007, former Mayor of Providence Buddy Cianci returned to the public eye with a radio show on WPRO.

While controversial, Cianci's continued popularity has people wondering if Buddy might just make another run for Mayor in 2014.

Prev Next

Chafee's Talk Radio Ban

Upon taking office in 2011, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee announced that he would not appear on talk radio shows and barred state employees in agencies and departments that report to him from doing the same during work hours.

Prev Next

Dennis and Callahan

WEEI sports radio hosts John Dennis and Gerry Callahan were suspended in 2003 when they referred to an escaped gorilla as a "Metco gorilla" waiting for a bus to Lexington -- with Metco being bus program that buses inner-city students to suburban schools.

Boston's http://www.wcvb.com/Radio-Station-Gorilla-Remarks-Spur-Advertiser-Concerns/-/9849586/11281756/-/5lg3o9z/-/index.html#ixzz2nbPAwzd2" target="_blank">WCVB reported that advertisers Dunkin' Donuts and Blue Cross pulled back station support in light of the incident.

Prev Next

Severin Suspended

WTKK's Jay Severin was fired for making comments about sleeping with female employees over the years.

Radio Ink reported on Greater Media's reaction to the incident.

"Greater Media today ended its relationship with Jay Severin. Our company has always encouraged a free and open dialogue on a variety of issues and topics, and we will continue to be guided by that principle. But we also demand that our on-air talent maintain an appropriate level of civility, and adhere to a standard that respects our listeners and the public at large.

Prev Next

Imus' Racial Remarks

in 2007, nationally syndicated talk show host Don Imus called Rutgers women's basketball players "nappy-headed hos." Imus was suspended -- then fired -- by CBS Radio.

Five years later, Imus was back on the national radio circuit, as reported by New Jersey.com

Prev Next

Rush Limbaugh

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is no stranger to controversy; his latest remarks prompted the Democratic National Committee to call on Republican leaders to boycott the Daily Caller, which defended Limbaugh's remarks in an article entitled, "Liberals want to stop men from checking out women."