Cosby 7.4
WEB-EXCLUSIVE: The evolution of Bill Cosby, now 74, continues at the OC Fair's Pacific Amphitheatre.
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Bill Cosby was every bit a national treasure as he sat in an unadorned chair on a rug next to a small table, box of tissue and a waste basket. It was all he needed to fill an otherwise dark and empty Pacific Amphitheatre stage at his August 6 show.
An audience of the widest possible age demographic sat in the cool evening air laughing for over two hours as Cosby – master standup comic, pioneering TV star, author, pitchman, and occasional social critic – simply told stories like a friend in your living room.
Sure, the stories have changed over time. First it was about being a kid with his brother, Russell, then being the father of five – “because we do not want six!” he famously joked. Years have passed, tastes have changed and despite the murder of his only son and a bruising of his image in a paternity case, Cosby has stayed unquestionably true to form. Now the stories lean to being a grandparent and the inherent humor in being 74 years old.
Despite opening with a surprising piece about the medical and recreational uses of marijuana, his children and his wife remain regular targets, almost additional lines to jokes performed long ago.
“I don’t like the children,” he said. “They’re old people and still haven’t paid us the money back.” The joke got one of the biggest roars of the evening, with Cosby acknowledging the moment of artist-to-audience bonding by pumping his fist in the air.
It doesn’t take long to realize why he can still pack a house of such diversity in such troubled times. You don’t go to see Bill Cosby to court the provocative or taboo. You don’t go to hear someone speak truth to power. Bill Cosby doesn’t just make us laugh, he makes us feel good. And that is a treasure still being discovered. Even at 74.
