The cracked cover of the "Cosby Show" on Ebony's November issue addresses the Bill Cosby scandal, according to The Washington Post.
"The Cosby Show" was beloved by many before Cosby was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women over decades. Americans loved the show's positive portrayal of an African American family with a mom who was a lawyer and a dad who was a doctor.
Now that the comedian is facing sexual assault allegations from more than 50 women, the loving image of the nuclear African American family is tarnished, reported CBS News. Ebony questions whether the show's role model, Cliff Huxtable, can be separated from the man, Bill Cosby.
"We understand that this is a loaded image. There's no question that there has been a fracture to this idea and perhaps to this ideal. So, that is what we want our readers to really think about, take away from," Kierna Mayo, editor-in-chief of Ebony, said in an interview. "For us, you know, as in the magazine staff, we really have been thinking long and hard, particularly in this last week since this issue has been out, about implications and whether or not black people were really ready to have the conversation."
"We're hearing a lot of support, and we're hearing a lot of criticism because of the sensitivity of the family itself. And people want to make sure that we are not saying that you can't separate the two," Mayo added.
In the magazine, Renae Bluitt, consumer brand expert and creator of the "In Her Shoes" blog, is quoted on why the legacy of "The Cosby Show" is so important.
"Every black girl and boy growing up in the '80s looked at Cliff Huxtable as their 'dad in their heads.' No one wants to imagine his or her father committing any of the acts that Bill Cosby has been accused of," Bluitt said.
Malcolm Jamal Warner, who played Cliff's son Theo on "The Cosby Show," clarified his comment that "the legacy of the show is now tarnished" on "The View." Watch the video clip below.
Hollywood's most celebrated black actor has not been charged with sexual assault. However the allegations coupled with the charged Ebony cover of a cracked family photo has caused many conversations about Cosby and "The Cosby Show's" legacy, reported CNN News.
