Bill Cosby scandal: Prominent East Coast women weigh in
Four prominent East Coast women share their thoughts on the Cosby scandal
Comedian Bill Cosby has yet to face any criminal charges, but more than 15 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.
On CBC's Mainstreet on Monday, four prominent East Coast women weighed in on the Cosby scandal.
Mary Walsh, Barb Hamilton-Hinch, Michele Byers and El Jones pondered whether a person can listen to old Cosby records, or watch reruns of The Cosby Show, and laugh along in good conscience. Here is what they had to say
Mary Walsh, comedian and actress
"What would happen to me is, I wouldn't be able to enjoy them because all that other stuff would immediately leap into your mind. I mean, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on the Golden Globes doing that, 'I put the pill in the person and the person in the,' doing that Jello pudding pops voice. And you know, it all doesn't seem so funny."
Barb Hamilton-Hinch, assistant professor at Dalhousie
"I would sit down and still take a message or lesson from his shows if I was with my children and talk about what I grew up with and what his message is, the positive messages that were coming from the show. His character was a very positive role model."
Michele Byers, sociologist at Saint Mary's University
"Would I not let my kids watch The Cosby Show because of what I know now about Bill Cosby? I don't think so. I'm sort of with Barb on this. I think that The Cosby Show offered all kind of interesting teachable moments. Now, this is part of that."
El Jones, Halifax's poet laureate
"I do a lot of art with prisoners. People that are convicted, and I certainly wouldn't judge their art based on their crimes — but I would say for me, the difference is that those are people already paying a price in terms of already being held to consequence and they deserve a chance to come back into society. They're not people like Bill Cosby that have been untouchable."