In some respects, I understand the impulse driving our society’s fascination with celebrities. When we find a work of art entertaining or moving, it seems natural to want to transfer those feelings onto the people who produced that work of art, and actors, musicians and auteur directors are often the most visible players in the artistic process.
But until recently, I’ve always felt that any attempt to probe into the personal lives of celebrities was actively harmful to the art they helped create. I don’t know about you, but the last time I went to see a Brad Pitt movie, I was conscious from the minute he appeared on screen that I was watching Brad Pitt playing a character. Enjoyment of any film requires suspension of disbelief, which is significantly lessened when your first thought upon seeing a character is, “Hey, I wonder how Angie and the kids are doing?”
However, my long-held belief that inquiry into celebrities’ personal lives is inherently detrimental has been challenged in light of the recent scandal surrounding Bill Cosby. Best known for starring in the hit TV series “The Cosby Show,” which aired from 1984 to 1992, Cosby is also highly regarded for his work as a stand-up comedian, author, producer, educator, singer and activist. He is also, according to the 16 women who have publicly accused him over the past few months, a serial rapist.
Although alleged victim Andrea Constand filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby that was subsequently settled out of court in 2006, the public paid little attention to the charges leveled against the beloved actor until a video featuring comedian Hannibal Buress calling out Cosby for being a rapist went viral this October. On Nov. 10, Cosby’s PR team sent out a Tweet asking viewers to create their own memes featuring images of Cosby. This PR stunt backfired when Twitter users took advantage of the generator to create memes with references to the rape allegations superimposed on pictures of Cosby mugging for the camera. Over the past month, repercussions have continued to roll in: Several colleges have disinvited Cosby from fundraising events, talk shows and venues have cancelled upcoming appearances, TV Land has stopped airing re-runs of “The Cosby Show,” and Netflix and NBC have dropped plans to produce new shows featuring Cosby.
While celebrities such as R. Kelly, Mike Tyson, Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have gone on to have successful careers after facing allegations of sexual abuse, the overwhelming public condemnation of Cosby’s actions appears to signal the end of his career. But though Cosby’s future prospects certainly look dim, I think it’s more interesting to consider the effect that his actions will have on his legacy. None of us will ever be able to watch an episode of “The Cosby Show” without being acutely aware that Cosby is an alleged rapist. And you know what? That’s perfectly fine, because sexual assault is a serious crime that deserves severe repercussions. Our ability to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy a television show is far less important than achieving justice for sexual assault victims.
I still find it hard to tolerate people who obsess over what outfit Jennifer Aniston wears when she shops, and I still think all conversations about Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s offspring are tiresome and frivolous. But conversations about crimes committed by celebrities are not tiresome and frivolous, and even I have to admit that our fascination and engagement with celebrities’ personal lives can be productive if it encourages us to call out stars for their bad behavior. As long as society subjects celebrities’ crimes to the same level of scrutiny that we apply to their everyday lives, I’m willing to trade my suspension of disbelief for the greater personal accountability of our stars.+
