InhisPoundCakeSpeechBillCosbyarguesthattheblackfamiliesshouldtakeresponsibilityto

improvetheirownliving.Cosbyclaimsthattheblackfamilyisfallingapartandthishascaused
severeconsequencestotheblackcommunity.Hepointsoutthatthewhitepeoplearenotstayingin
thewayoftheadvancementofblacksbutitistheblacksownmisdeadsthathaveleftthemlinger.
InthebeginningofhisspeechCosbytellshisaudiencethatheistalkingaboutthesepeoplewho
crywhentheirsonisstandingthereinanorangesuit.CosbyistalkingaboutBlackpeoplethatare
inprison.ButitisimportanttonotethatCosbyistalkingtoanaudiencethat,probably,doesnot
havesonsordaugtherswearingorangesuits.
Cosby'sspeechwaspronouncedonMay17,2004,tocommemoratethe50thanniversaryofthe
U.S.SupremeCourtDecisioninBrownv.BoardofEducation,whichendedthesegregation
betweenblacksandwhitesinpublicschools.TheeventwasorganizedbytheNationalAssociation
fortheAdvancementofColoredPeople(NAACP)andwascelebratedatConstitutionHallin
Washington,D.C.Theplaceandtheoccasionofthespeechsupplyenoughevidencetosupposethat
feworevennoneofthekindofpeoplethatCosbywasspeakingaboutwereintheaudience.
BecauseasCosbysaidhimself,theydonotevenknowandalsoarenotinterestedinlearningto
speakandwriteEnglishproperly.
Cosbywasprobablyspeakingtoanelitewelleducatedgroupofpeople,whichbyarecordingsof
thespeechatleastpartofthemseemtoaggrywithCosby'sideas,becausethereareclearlyalotof
applauses.TomakehispointsCosbyappealsmostlytoemotions,withsomewelltimedironic
commentsthatproduceslaughterandbutmostofthetimeitseemsasifheappealstohispersonal
authority.Therearen'tmanyexamplesoflogicalarguments.
Firstofalllet'sstartwithsomeexamplesofemotionalappeal.Cosbysaysthat:Wecannotblame
whitepeople.Whitepeoplewhitepeopledontliveoverthere.Theycloseuptheshopearly.The
Koreanonesstilldontknowusaswelltheystayopen24hours.Cosbyisgreatcomedianand
usessomeofhismagicinthespeech,likeinthisshortjoke.ButeventhoughitisajokeCosbyis
tryingtomakethepointthatitistimefortheblackstostopblamingthewhitepeoplefortheir
situation.AnothermomentwhenCosbyappealstoemotiontolightenuptheharshmessagehewas
whenhetalksaboutthepoundcake,whichultimatelygivesnametohisspeech.Cosbyshamelessly
says:Peoplegettingshotinthebackoftheheadoverapieceofpoundcake!Thenweallrunout
andareoutraged:Thecopsshouldnthaveshothim.Whatthehellwashedoingwiththepound
cakeinhishand?Iwantedapieceofpoundcakejustasbadasanybodyelse.Anormalperson
couldsaythatandseemextremelyoffensivebutthetonethatCosbyusesdoesnotmakeitoffensive
butfunny.Cosbyalsousessomelighterhumourwhenhetalksaboutthehowparentsarenotwell
connecetedwiththeirkidstoday.Intheneighborhoodthatmostofusgrewupin,parentingisnot
goingon.Intheolddays,youcouldnthookyschoolbecauseeverydrawnshadewasaneye.Just
readingthepassagemaynotseemcomicbutagainwhenCosbyspeaksthisthereisacleara
difference.
EventhoughtherearecomicmomentsinthespeechCosbyspeaksinaserioustonemostofthe
time.Heseemstobeoutragedandsaysastonishedthat50%ofblacksdropoutofschool,buthe
doesnotpointasourceforthatnumber.Cosbylamentsthatnolongerisapersonembarrassed
becausetheyrepregnantwithoutahusband.Nolongerisaboyconsideredanembarrassmentifhe
triestorunawayfrombeingthefatheroftheunmarriedchild.Cosbyassumesthevoiceof
authorityforgoodcustoms.Thecomedianalsorecordsthatthingswerenotlikethiswhenhewas

growingup.Imtalkingaboutthesepeoplewhocrywhentheirsonisstandingthereinanorange
suit.Wherewereyouwhenhewastwo?Wherewereyouwhenhewastwelve?Nobodylaughs
afterCosbymakesharshquestionslikethisone,butitisimportanttorecallthatthemotherand
fatherofthosewhoareinprisonareprobablynotintheaudience.
OneofthefewmomentsthatCosbytriestoarguewithreasoniswhenhesetstheexampleofBlack
Muslims.
intheCosbysaysastonishedthat.Ontheotherhandherecallsthathe
CriticsoftenchargeBillCosby,inhisBrownanniversaryspeech,withbeatinguponaneasymark:
poorblackpeople.Wrong.Thecriticsaretheoneswhoveerofftarget.Cosbyrepeatedlyaimedhis
fireattheleadersoftoday'spopularblackculture,whichisoftennotjustcreatedbyblackartists,
butmarketedandmanagedbyblackexecutives.(25)
Cosby'spointisthatlost,poorblackpeoplehavesufferedmostfromnothavingstrongleaders.His
chargeisthattheseleadersculturalandpoliticalmisinform,mismanage,andmiseducateby
refusingtoarticulateestablishedtruthsaboutwhatittakestogetahead:strongfamilies,education,
andhardwork.(25)
OneofCosby'ssharpestdartsthrownatthecurrentcivilrightsleadershithomeafewmonthsafter
hisConstitutionHallspeech.HewasatatownhallmeetinginDetroittospeakdirectlytoblack
Americansinoneofthenation'sblackestcities.Hewantedordinaryblackpeopletohearfromhim
directlyabouthiscommentsattheBrownanniversarygala.Whenhereflectedontoday'sblackcivil
rightsleaders,Cosbyessentialyasked,Whyareblackleadersmakingthecaseforblackcrack
addictstogetsoftersentences?(29)
JuanWilliamsEnoughNewYork:ThreeRiversPress2006Print