Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Wiendish Fitch]

All right, I'm wading into choppy waters, but I have to get this off my chest...

Even if he were 100% innocent, I think that Bill Cosby is absolutely nothing special as a performer. I thought Fat Albert was dreary and preachy AF, with horrendous animation. The Cosby Show was boring and unfunny. Cosby's stand-ups were, at best, only sporadically amusing, but in the most vanilla way possible. Cosby isn't even a very good actor (leave the mugging to Stan Laurel, you annoying hack!).

God bless Eddie Murphy, he had Cosby's number way back when.

 

[DearEvette]

My UO:  Three episodes into Loki and after hearing all sorts of loving hosannas about how wonderful and awesome Sylvie is... I am underwhelmed.  I mean, she is ok, but given all the squeeing going on about her I expected to be blown away.  But she was ... fine.  Just a another character who was frankly, imo, elevated by her interactions with Loki.

Owen Wilson's Moebius and Tom Hiddleston's Loki remain the two most charismatic characters in this for me so far by a mile with Wunmi Mosaku's B-15 coming up on third.  I was more affected by the actress who played C-20 than I was by Sylvie. 

[Ohiopirate02]

28 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

All right, I'm wading into choppy waters, but I have to get this off my chest...

Even if he were 100% innocent, I think that Bill Cosby is absolutely nothing special as a performer. I thought Fat Albert was dreary and preachy AF, with horrendous animation. The Cosby Show was boring and unfunny. Cosby's stand-ups were, at best, only sporadically amusing, but in the most vanilla way possible. Cosby isn't even a very good actor (leave the mugging to Stan Laurel, you annoying hack!).

God bless Eddie Murphy, he had Cosby's number way back when.

 

Dont forget Richard Pryor.   Of course, Richard had no time for any of the Cosby respectability bullshit.  

[WinnieWinkle]

2 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Cosby's stand-ups were, at best, only sporadically amusing, but in the most vanilla way possible.

I don't think I ever saw him do stand up but I have to say some of the records he released, I am guessing in the '60s, were really funny.  Or certainly at the time I was listening to them when I discovered them in my parent's collection I thought they were great,  In terms of his career this would have been after I Spy and before The Cosby Show.  

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

My UO:  Three episodes into Loki and after hearing all sorts of loving hosannas about how wonderful and awesome Sylvie is... I am underwhelmed.  I mean, she is ok, but given all the squeeing going on about her I expected to be blown away.  But she was ... fine.  Just a another character who was frankly, imo, elevated by her interactions with Loki.

Owen Wilson's Moebius and Tom Hiddleston's Loki remain the two most charismatic characters in this for me so far by a mile with Wunmi Mosaku's B-15 coming up on third.  I was more affected by the actress who played C-20 than I was by Sylvie. 

I have to agree. Sylvie only works because of well she plays with Loki—and let’s face it, Loki/Tom Hiddleston does great chemistry with everyone.

[ratgirlagogo]

8 hours ago, WinnieWinkle said:

I don't think I ever saw him do stand up but I have to say some of the records he released, I am guessing in the '60s, were really funny.  Or certainly at the time I was listening to them when I discovered them in my parent's collection I thought they were great,  In terms of his career this would have been after I Spy and before The Cosby Show.  

Yes, his glory days were the 60's as far as I am concerned.  He was the Jackie Robinson of TV, the first Black actor to play a leading role on a dramatic series (I Spy) and to win three Emmys for it. Those old records are really funny and the ORIGINAL Cosby Show in which he played schoolteacher Chet Kincaid was miles better than the Huxtable show in the 80's.  By the 80's he'd already become too puffed up and self important to even want to be funny.

My anger and disappointment about Cosby derives from my vivid memories of his 60's work.  If that didn't exist, I would feel about him the way I feel about Kirk Cameron : that a guy from a show I didn't care about and never watched turned out to be an asshole.

 

[JustHereForFood]

14 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

All right, I'm wading into choppy waters, but I have to get this off my chest...

Even if he were 100% innocent, I think that Bill Cosby is absolutely nothing special as a performer. I thought Fat Albert was dreary and preachy AF, with horrendous animation. The Cosby Show was boring and unfunny. Cosby's stand-ups were, at best, only sporadically amusing, but in the most vanilla way possible. Cosby isn't even a very good actor (leave the mugging to Stan Laurel, you annoying hack!).

My confession: I have never seen a single episode of his show, or I think anything he ever was in.

And speaking of said show, I always found it strange that some shows were called XY show, where XY is the name of the main actor and not the character. As a child, it confused me a lot and as an adult, I just think that everyone with such a show must have a giant ego, which is repulsive to me. Ugh.

[ifionlyknew]

14 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

The Cosby Show was boring and unfunny

I agree.  It was your standard sitcom about a family who just happened to be an upper middle class black family.  I have re watched tons of shows from the 80s and have never once wanted to re watch the Cosby Show.  

3 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

By the 80's he'd already become too puffed up and self important to even want to be funny.

Smug is the word I would use.  Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor and later Christ Rock were all so much funnier than him.  

[biakbiak]

12 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

who just happened to be an upper middle class black family. 

I am not suggesting anyone like it or think it’s funny but representation does matter and it was literally the first show to show that as a normal and regular thing.

[BlackberryJam]

14 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

I agree.  It was your standard sitcom about a family who just happened to be an upper middle class black family.  I have re watched tons of shows from the 80s and have never once wanted to re watch the Cosby Show.  

Smug is the word I would use.  Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor and later Christ Rock were all so much funnier than him.  

What I appreciated about the The Cosby Show was that it portrayed a Black family as upper middle class, not just poor, struggling, scraping to send even one kid to college. However, I never watched it become it was a sitcom, and as a rule, I hate sitcoms. 

Still, Fuck Bill Cosby and everything about him

[ifionlyknew]

4 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

What I appreciated about the The Cosby Show was that it portrayed a Black family as upper middle class, not just poor, struggling, scraping to send even one kid to college.

This is exactly why it was considered groundbreaking and rightfully so.  But the writing and acting wasn't anything to write home about.

[biakbiak]

17 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

Still, Fuck Bill Cosby and everything about him

I guess this is my unpopular opinion is fuck Bill Cosby for his rape of 60 plus women and the people including our justice system (then and now) that enabled him but his show and ADW literally inspired so many people by giving them representation or in the case of A Different World show them possibilities  that I can’t say fuck everything about him. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by biakbiak

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

I am not suggesting anyone like it or think it’s funny but representation does matter and it was literally the first show to show that as a normal and regular thing.

I think that alone, quality notwithstanding, was important. It wasn't #1 for most of the mid to late 80s without acquiring a wide wide audience. The plots were all fairly run of the mill sitcom, and I think that was the point. Although, 'I got made fun of in school because we're rich'. 'Who's we?' Is a brilliant joke. Warner I think was probably the best actor on the show. 

I'd go so far as to say the first 6 episode run was the best of the series. That was where Theo did the 'can't you love me for me?' monologue when Cliff confronted him about poor grades. It was live, and the audience started to clap. Cosby waited a beat, and the proceeded to rip up one side Theo and down. There's bits here and there I think were fresh, but the main series run was standard sitcom plots. 

1 hour ago, BlackberryJam said:

What I appreciated about the The Cosby Show was that it portrayed a Black family as upper middle class, not just poor, struggling, scraping to send even one kid to college.

You wouldn't have been able to do that show in the late 70s. The era really opened that avenue. 

He also did Picture Pages on PBS/Electric Company when I was a kid. They would cut that in with a Fat Albert episode. 

54 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I guess this is my unpopular opinion is fuck Bill Cosby for his rape of 60 plus women and the people including our justice system (then and now) that enabled him but his show and ADW literally inspired so many people by giving them representation or in the case of A Different World show them possibilities  that I can’t say fuck everything about him.

I think that kind of sums up our times. Everything is a mess. 

[Shannon L.]

42 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I think that alone, quality notwithstanding, was important. It wasn't #1 for most of the mid to late 80s without acquiring a wide wide audience. The plots were all fairly run of the mill sitcom, and I think that was the point. Although, 'I got made fun of in school because we're rich'. 'Who's we?' Is a brilliant joke. Warner I think was probably the best actor on the show. 

Yeah, there were some moments of genius tucked into an otherwise ordinary sitcom structure.   But, it was an important show because of it's representation of a wealthy black family. My mother didn't like him at all, but I did and I'll admit that I will always find his Noah and the Ark routine, as well as parts of "Himself" funny.  But overall?  Fuck Bill Cosby.

[ifionlyknew]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I guess this is my unpopular opinion is fuck Bill Cosby for his rape of 60 plus women and the people including our justice system (then and now) that enabled him but his show and ADW literally inspired so many people by giving them representation or in the case of A Different World show them possibilities  that I can’t say fuck everything about him. 

It's a question of can  you still appreciate the art if the artist is a rapist.  Or in Michael Jackson's case an accused pedophile. Or in Christ Brown's case an abuser of women.  For me I have deal breakers and the three I just mentioned are on that list.  I wasn't a fan of Cosby before all this so I don't have a problem say Fuck Bill Cosby but for others who did enjoy his show and comedy it's up to them if they can still enjoy the things he has previously done.

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

What I appreciated about the The Cosby Show was that it portrayed a Black family as upper middle class, not just poor, struggling, scraping to send even one kid to college. However, I never watched it become it was a sitcom, and as a rule, I hate sitcoms. 

Still, Fuck Bill Cosby and everything about him

Agreed.  Added to that I will say that in retrospect I appreciate that the kids were written and said age appropriate things. They weren’t written as wise sages or overtly smirky with just the right zingy comeback(well until Cousin Oliver, Olivia came along). I knew several Denises and Vanessas and Theos. 
 

And even though Cliff and Claire were affluent professionals, the show still managed to insert specific cultural  references about black folks parenting. I will forever love the scene of Claire reading Denise for filth for talking disrespectfully because that felt relatable as hell.

Otherwise, yes, fuck Bill Cosby all day long and fuck a legal system that in trying to get a win in shady ways managed to cheat a bunch of women out of their well deserved justice.

[biakbiak]

28 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

 

It's a question of can  you still appreciate the art if the artist is a rapist.  Or in Michael Jackson's case an accused pedophile.

I never suggested that I was enjoying it now, or even did at the time,  but ignoring that he literally changed countless peoples lives for the better by giving them a voice or a path forward is reductive. He also changed many lives in horrific ways that should never not be talked about. In many cases the reasons why he was so beloved let him do such damage. One can acknowledge the former without “celebrating” or continuing to support him. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by biakbiak

[ABay]

20 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

My mother didn't like him at all, but I did and I'll admit that I will always find his Noah and the Ark routine, as well as parts of "Himself" funny.  But overall?  Fuck Bill Cosby.

"Riiiiiiight...what's a cubit?" We had at least one of his albums when I was growing up and that was on it. There was also the Chicken Heart routine. They were hilarious to child me. And I loved I Spy. Loathed with the heat a thousand burning nuns  both Fat Albert and The Cosby Show. I thought the Huxtables were terrible parents.

Summing up, fuck Bill Cosby

Edited July 2, 2021 by ABay

[DoctorAtomic]

51 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Added to that I will say that in retrospect I appreciate that the kids were written and said age appropriate things. They weren’t written as wise sages or overtly smirky with just the right zingy comeback(well until Cousin Oliver, Olivia came along). I knew several Denises and Vanessas and Theos.

Even if the kids were bratty, it was what a 12, 14 y/o would say. 

Warner had said that he played Theo in an initial reading that way (overly smirky), and Cosby said, 'do you really talk to your parents like that?' So, he changed his approach. 

[Stats Queen]

What makes me personally sad and mad is that Bill Cosby was so influential and seemed like such a wonderful human being. 
To find out what he did for so many years was so heartbreaking, especially for those that he abused and misused.

It was so hard for me to wrap my mind around it for a long time 😢😢I also feel bad for his victims in the early days of his popularity; it was a period where any report of harassment/abuse was frowned upon. Because of his stellar persona, these women suffered in silence.

[Hiyo]

Quote

Yeah, I loved that Sharon was the power broker. I mean, come on, if ever there was a role that Emily Van Camp is good at playing, it’s the morally ambiguous anti-hero. Hello… Emily Thorne… Revenge…?

Quote

Thank you! I wanna see more of Sharon as the power broker because I think EVC is great at playing that type of character.

Yes to all of this.

Quote

She'll finally be interesting, hopefully.

This too.

[AstaCharles]

On 6/30/2021 at 7:47 PM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Dont forget Richard Pryor.   Of course, Richard had no time for any of the Cosby respectability bullshit.  

I dont recall Pryor's story. Growing up my friends and I would quote Eddie's bit on Cosby all the time: "Eddiieeee, I'd like to talk to yooouuu!" ..and "filth flarn filth!" 

Edited July 2, 2021 by AstaCharles

[JimmyJabloon]

UO- Loki as a character is just whiny and annoying. Don’t get the hype. Also I find the actor creepy, but that’s unrelated to the first point.

[proserpina65]

On 7/1/2021 at 12:19 PM, ifionlyknew said:

It's a question of can  you still appreciate the art if the artist is a rapist.  Or in Michael Jackson's case an accused pedophile. Or in Christ Brown's case an abuser of women.  For me I have deal breakers and the three I just mentioned are on that list.  I wasn't a fan of Cosby before all this so I don't have a problem say Fuck Bill Cosby but for others who did enjoy his show and comedy it's up to them if they can still enjoy the things he has previously done.

I never liked most of Michael Jackson's music and cannot stand Chris Brown, so that's not a problem for me.  I did love Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and thought a lot of Cosby's stand-up was funny.  I still do, but I haven't actively tried to watch/listen to either in years, so I don't know how much of a struggle it would be for me to separate his comedy from him.

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't looking for Michael Jackson songs, but if one pops up on the radio, I'm not going to turn it off. 

 

[Ohiopirate02]

On 7/2/2021 at 10:21 AM, AstaCharles said:

I dont recall Pryor's story. Growing up my friends and I would quote Eddie's bit on Cosby all the time: "Eddiieeee, I'd like to talk to yooouuu!" ..and "filth flarn filth!" 

In that Eddie Murphy clip, after Eddie talks about his phone call from Cosby he then talks about how he called up Richard Pryor to tell him.  Richard's response is,"tell Bill he can suck my dick" before telling Eddie that as long as people are paying to see Eddie and laughing then Eddie should keep on.  

[proserpina65]

On 7/2/2021 at 4:26 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't looking for Michael Jackson songs, but if one pops up on the radio, I'm not going to turn it off. 

 

I do turn it off.

Edited July 6, 2021 by proserpina65

[Archery]

My UO:  Bill Cosby’s Himself is in the Comedy Trilogy, along with Murphy’s Raw and Pryor’s Live On The Sunset Strip. It was funny then and is funny now, and a whole lot of folks can still recite it from memory. Also, The Cosby show was often genius, and deserved every Emmy it won. It anchored NBC’s Must See TV Thursday night, pioneered TV for black people, and provided a little education on black culture for non-black people. 

[DrSpaceman73]

I haven't watched the Cosby show in years or listened to his comedy routines in a long time.   And I probably wouldn't watch if given the chance not because of what he did but because the 80s sitcoms I just dont relate to as much anymore.  

 

But I do think you can recognize someone for their genius and at the same time acknowledge even their extreme faults.  It's an old age question not just with actors but all famous people.  To ignore cosbys contributions to racial equality in entertainment would be naive.   

People are complex, not stock characters to be idolized or pilored with no in between.  

[cleo]

I think the thing that makes the Cosby Show difficult to watch for me is that his character and the show was part and parcel of this moral, family values bullshit that he covered himself in on and off the set; he used it very successfully as a cover for being a serial rapist.

I personally find it hard to watch bc of that and I can't just look at it as a separate work. Also the dissonance be the show and who Cosby actually is, is too jarring.

In other cases- I don't avoid everything if the actor is a POS. It really depends on the situation. I do try to avoid letting them profit from me though.

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by cleo

[Blergh]

35 minutes ago, cleo said:

I think the thing that makes the Cosby Show difficult to watch for me is that his character and the show was part and parcel of this moral, family values bullshit that he covered himself in on and off the set; he used it very successfully as a cover for being a serial rapist.

I personally find it hard to watch bc of that and I can't just look at it as a separate work. Also the dissonance be the show and who Cosby actually is, is too jarring.

In other cases- I don't avoid everything if the actor is a POS. It really depends on the situation. I do try to avoid letting them profit from me though.

 

Same here! I REALLY enjoyed Mr. Cosby's work on The Electric Company, then Fat Albert and finally The Cosby Show but, as long as he's breathing, I'm not going to watch any of them on cable, DVD's or streaming which would chance him reaping monies via my viewing. Nowadays, I only seek out non-Cosby Electric Company shows on that site that rhymes with Blue Foob due to the above-mentioned dissonance. Yes, it's sad that I can't enjoy these shows that were a vital part of my childhood and youth but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make to show that I care about actual crime victims far more than my own personal entertainment options. 

[Mabinogia]

I think it is important to acknowledge that Cosby, specifically through his show, did a lot of good along with all the bad. The world, and people, are not black and white and it scares me how black and white it is becoming. No person can be summed up by the worst, or the best thing they've done but are a culmination of all the things they have done, and just because, Bill Cosby turned out to be a rapist doesn't mean he wasn't also a great comic, or that he didn't help black entertainment by creating a show that portrayed an affluent black family, which was sadly rare on television.

The idea of whether to continue to enjoy the things they did or not is such a tricky one. I don't think there is a wrong or right answer. Yes, watching Cosby Show is benefiting him, but it's also benefiting all the people who worked with him who knew nothing of who he really was. I'll admit I'm evil and say it, I wish he'd just die so we could appreciate the show without feeling guilty about supporting him. 

[JustHereForFood]

My new UO: I don't care for the Olympics. Not just this year when I think it is a huge risk because of covid, but in general, I don't give a single fuck about people competing in sports. And since I just learned that there is also horse racing in Olympics, which I didn't know as I don't watch it, I would like to expand on that: I don't care if consenting adults decide to dedicate all their lives to a specific sport, but please leave the animals out of it. The same goes to any dog shows, or any other competition that involves animals. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

Bill Cosby turned out to be a rapist doesn't mean he wasn't also a great comic, or that he didn't help black entertainment by creating a show that portrayed an affluent black family, which was sadly rare on television.

I do sometimes struggle with Cosby products.  He was a great comic back in his day.  His comedy records were very funny, if I remember correctly.

The Cosby Show broke barriers.  But as important as it was for opening the door for things that came later, it's surprisingly not very rewatchable IMO.  However, it led to A Different World which I do find relevant, rewatchable and a more significant show.  But that's largely due to Debbie Allen's vision. 

[WinnieWinkle]

31 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

And since I just learned that there is also horse racing in Olympics, which I didn't know as I don't watch it, I would like to expand on that:

I don't think they race horses per se - Equestrian sports at the Olympics - but I suspect you wouldn't like what they do do either.

[DoctorAtomic]

No, it's the jumping over the gates and things like that. 

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

The Cosby Show broke barriers.  But as important as it was for opening the door for things that came later, it's surprisingly not very rewatchable IMO.  However, it led to A Different World which I do find relevant, rewatchable and a more significant show.  But that's largely due to Debbie Allen's vision. 

I would agree. Cosby Show was important but mediocre IMO. it was important and will be remembered more for the barriers it broke than for being a great comedy. 

Different World was more interesting to me and I liked the mix of characters better so I'd rewatch that over CS any day. Also Debbie Allen rocks! (please, if she supports BC, which I don't think she would, don't tell me. I've lost enough people I used to admire. I can't afford to lose another one!)

[WinnieWinkle]

40 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I would agree. Cosby Show was important but mediocre IMO. it was important and will be remembered more for the barriers it broke than for being a great comedy. 

Like a lot of sitcoms (most shows really I guess) it was best in its first few years.  The pilot episode was particularly good and has some lines that were in common usage in my family for years.  That said I don't think Cosby himself was what made it great - the entire cast worked well and I felt that the three younger children were brilliantly cast and genuinely good actors, not just relying on the cute factor to get by.

[Zella]

2 hours ago, WinnieWinkle said:

I don't think they race horses per se - Equestrian sports at the Olympics - but I suspect you wouldn't like what they do do either.

Yeah horse racing is most certainly not an Olympic sport and never has been. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 6/25/2021 at 4:09 PM, kiddo82 said:

Agree on the quantity of podcasts but The Office Ladies is really good.  When a friend of mine told me about it I initially balked.  I'm not an Office super fan and the idea of a rewatch podcast seemed like an undertaking I wasn't up for.  Fast forward a year or so later and I was bored so I gave it try.  It's very insightful, in regards to both the show and the business in general, and Jenna and Angela are terrific hosts.  They also get soundbites from cast members or guest stars for specific episodes.  Or they just go off on tangents about random stuff that popped up in the epsidoe like Carvel Cakes and Fudgie the Whale.  Now, do we need a The Office Ladies podcast?  Certainly not.  But am I happy it exists?  Yes I am.

I like Office Ladies (especially for the second hand behind the scenes King of the Hill info). But at the same time it does seem like every actor who can't find work but was on a successful show is now copying that Podcast model. And it is super annoying.

On 6/25/2021 at 7:26 PM, kariyaki said:

Yeah, I loved that Sharon was the power broker. I mean, come on, if ever there was a role that Emily Van Camp is good at playing, it’s the morally ambiguous anti-hero. Hello… Emily Thorne… Revenge…?

I liked Sharon Carter's evil turn. She now has a chance to maybe be an interesting female MCU villian, instead of like instead of like the 6th most interesting MCU lady spy who can fight but doesn't have powers (for now, I bet that number drops after seeing Black Widow).

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

No, it's the jumping over the gates and things like that. 

Isn't the jumping over the gates timed? Making it a race? Either way equestrian events are the dumbest of all Olympic sports. The horse is doing all the work, with the rider basically the trainer. Yet in any human sport the trainers don't get medals. Not to mention it is ridiculous to send horses around the world to compete in events like this.

[kiddo82]

3 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I like Office Ladies (especially for the second hand behind the scenes King of the Hill info). But at the same time it does seem like every actor who can't find work but was on a successful show is now copying that Podcast model. And it is super annoying.

That I do agree with.

[Bastet]

Some of Clair Huxtable's rants were epic - thanks mostly to Phylicia Rashad's delivery - and the "real world" episode of The Cosby Show where they disabuse Theo of his "no problem" ideas about supporting himself with no education or skills to speak of is a classic, but I can't dissociate enough to watch.  I had some of the early seasons on DVD, but gave them away years ago.

I do still use a line or two from his old comedy albums, that have been part of my family's internal lexicon for so long they feel more like ours than his; I don't get taken out of the moment saying/hearing them.  But the rest, it's just unpleasantly distracting.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Isn't the jumping over the gates timed?

It's timed, but they're not all in the field at the same time like an actual race. Each competitor goes one at a time. It would be like a track event with everyone running separately rather than together, so I wouldn't define that as a race and I've never seen the word used within that context either. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Zella

[JustHereForFood]

12 hours ago, WinnieWinkle said:

I don't think they race horses per se - Equestrian sports at the Olympics - but I suspect you wouldn't like what they do do either.

Fair enough, I used the term "horse racing" loosely, meaning equestrian sports in general, but my point still applies. I don't get this desire to compete and win, that so many people seem to have to an absurd degree, in my opinion sports should be fun for people doing it. But if people decide to do this on their own free will, whatever, knock yourself out, I'm just no going to watch it. But I don't like it when people involve animals in that stuff, since they cannot technically consent and I very much doubt that they care about winning over other animals.

And now that I think about it, this sort of applies to children as well (as I understand, in some disciplines they have to start training very young), since the question whether they decide themselves that they want to compete, as opposed to being persuaded (or forced) by their parents, can be hard to answer. And I don't mean just sports now, but also all sorts of competitions, like beauty pageants. To me, when parents enter their kids into such things, it just perpetuates this toxic idea of competition.

[Blergh]

46 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Fair enough, I used the term "horse racing" loosely, meaning equestrian sports in general, but my point still applies. I don't get this desire to compete and win, that so many people seem to have to an absurd degree, in my opinion sports should be fun for people doing it. But if people decide to do this on their own free will, whatever, knock yourself out, I'm just no going to watch it. But I don't like it when people involve animals in that stuff, since they cannot technically consent and I very much doubt that they care about winning over other animals.

And now that I think about it, this sort of applies to children as well (as I understand, in some disciplines they have to start training very young), since the question whether they decide themselves that they want to compete, as opposed to being persuaded (or forced) by their parents, can be hard to answer. And I don't mean just sports now, but also all sorts of competitions, like beauty pageants. To me, when parents enter their kids into such things, it just perpetuates this toxic idea of competition.

I don't disagree with you re competitors under 18 but I think at age 29, it's safe to say that Miss Jessica Springsteen is a functioning adult who chose to compete in the Olympics.  I understand she started riding at age four but I've never heard the slightest whisper that she's been pressured or exploited to do so by her parents. It seems she opted to do this somewhat like Princess Anne in wanting to master a skill in which one's parent's fame has absolutely nothing to whether one can get a horse to make a jump- or not! 

[Jane Tuesday]

1 hour ago, JustHereForFood said:

I very much doubt that they care about winning over other animals.

My uncle was a horse guy, an old cowboy. His favorite mare was a quarter horse who had been used in a few local races before he owned her.

In his older age, he took up trail riding. The old girl just would NOT let another horse get abreast of them. If someone tried to ride beside them, she would speed up faster and faster to stay in front, no matter what he did. LOL

She lived out her golden years on our farm, and I saw it play out in the pasture dozens of times. She did not lose, whether it was a race across the field or being the first to the water trough.

She may have been an outlier, but it definitely happens. No, they don't care about ribbons and looks-based competitions, but pure speed is a different story.

(As an aside, we buried her in a place of honor. She was beloved.)

That said, I don't care to watch equestrian events. (Or rodeo or racing, too be clear.) It all seems like a waste of a good horse somehow. 

[DoctorAtomic]

13 hours ago, WinnieWinkle said:

That said I don't think Cosby himself was what made it great - the entire cast worked well and I felt that the three younger children were brilliantly cast and genuinely good actors, not just relying on the cute factor to get by.

To be fair, Cosby had a hand in casting the children too and the initial direction of the show (not just cute kids) was his vision. 

12 hours ago, Bastet said:

Some of Clair Huxtable's rants were epic - thanks mostly to Phylicia Rashad's delivery - and the "real world" episode of The Cosby Show where they disabuse Theo of his "no problem" ideas about supporting himself with no education or skills to speak of is a classic,

Is that the bit where they give him the monopoly money as his 'monthly salary'? They take it away as they go through monthly expenses. At the end Cliff asks if he's going to have a gf, and Theo says 'Of course!' and Cliff proceeds to swipe the rest of the money from him. 

I think the show lost something when the kids just aged because naturally they'd be leaving the house. The theme of parenting was basically over. 

[Katy M]

40 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I think the show lost something when the kids just aged because naturally they'd be leaving the house. The theme of parenting was basically over. 

That's true of all family shows.  Then they try to artificially keep the show going by having all the kids staying home while going to college.  Yes, of course, that happens.  But not all kids. And especially not supersmart ones.  Like we're supposed to believe that Alex P Keaton was perfectly happy going to No-Name U all four years?

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

nd since I just learned that there is also horse racing in Olympics, which I didn't know as I don't watch it, I would like to expand on that:

Horse racing?  That's not in the Olympics.  There are equestrian events: dressage, show jumping and three day eventing (which combines dressage & stadium jumping with a cross country jumping course), but none of these involve horses racing against each other, just against a clock in the jumping events.  Not that you can't still dislike equestrian events for whatever reason you dislike them.  Just wanted to clarify what is actually included in the Olympics.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

13 hours ago, Zella said:

It's timed, but they're not all in the field at the same time like an actual race. Each competitor goes one at a time. It would be like a track event with everyone running separately rather than together, so I wouldn't define that as a race and I've never seen the word used within that context either. 

A race against the clock is still a race. Skiing/bobsleigh events at the winter Olympics are typically one at a time but those are still races. Even in the summer Olympics, Usain Bolt might be racing against people next to him, but he is also racing against the times people in other heats posted. It might not be what people think of when they think horse race, but the jumping over fences thing is still a race.