Can you separate the art from the artist? That’s a question that is presented to so many film and TV fans nowadays, as we begin to learn a lot of the terrible actions that many celebrities have been getting away with behind the scenes for years. And perhaps no one is more shocking, in that regard, than Bill Cosby, who is the subject of the new docuseries, “We Need to Talk About Cosby.”
READ MORE: Sundance 2022 Preview: 20 Must-See Movies From The Festival
As seen in the trailer for the new series from director W. Kamau Bell, “We Need to Talk About Cosby” stems from a series question that so many people struggle with—what do you do when America’s TV dad, Bill Cosby, is accused of being a serial rapist? How does that change his impact on the world, specifically in terms of Black culture? And when you go back and look at everything, was he being creepy for decades before all the news broke out? None of these have easy answers.
“We Need to Talk About Cosby” is set to make its world premiere at this year’s Sundance before hitting Showtime on January 30. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
A four-part docuseries directed by W. Kamau Bell, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT COSBY wrestles with the conversations of the #MeToo movement, focusing on Bill Cosby’s descent from “America’s Dad” to alleged sexual predator. The series explores the complex story of Cosby’s life and work, weighing his actions against his indisputable global influence through interviews with comedians, cultural commentators, journalists and women who share their most personal, harrowing encounters with Cosby. Through archival footage, Cosby reveals who he may have been all along – the antithesis of the principled, public figure who became a hero, not only to African American people but to all people. Peeling back complex layers of the African American icon, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT COSBY offers viewers the chance to reconsider his mark in a society where rape culture, toxic masculinity, capitalism and white supremacy is shaping how we re-evaluate sex, power and agency.
