Wednesday Comedy: Bill Cosby

Hey, hey, hey!

Many of us who were little kids in the 1970s knew of and liked Bill Cosby. His animated series, Fat Albert, was distinctive for being a cartoon presentation of African-American inner city kids. Each of the Cosby kids was unique and vivid, but none came off as fake or as a punchline. For an unfortunate contrast, see the way vintage cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny portrayed black people.

In the 1980s, I bought one of Cosby's stand-up comedy albums and liked it very much. I wouldn't say the jokes were straight-ahead funny, but I loved hearing the stories. Cosby's voicing was such that it helped me imagine the facial expressions he must have used.

The clip below was a favorite when I identified with the kids. It's still great now that I identify with the parents!