Naked Bill Cosby Statue Unveiling Takes Place in St. Pete

As news about comedic entertainer Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual misconduct continues to make headlines, one young artist feels it’s time to reveal a new depiction of the man in sculptures at the Television Arts and Sciences Halls of Fame in North Hollywood and Orlando.

Rodman Edwards, 15, would like to see the “America’s Dad” sculptures replaced with his own Cosby rendition “Fat Albert Cries for Dr. Huxtable.”

To that end, Edwards plans to unveil a proposal for the creation of his sculptures later this month at St. Petersburg’s Cory Allen Contemporary Art showroom. If created, the sculptures would be cast in bronze and would feature a naked rendition of Cosby with a “saddened Fat Albert” covering up his unmentionables. They would replace the busts current on display at the Halls of Fame.

“As a fan, I think I just felt compelled to depict two of Bill Cosby’s creations at odds with each other, because Bill Cosby seems to be at odds with what I always thought Dr. Huxtable stood for,” Edwards, who was 14 when he came up with the idea for the proposal, was quoted in a media release as saying.

See Also:

• Florida Woman Joins List of Bill Cosby Accusers
• Michigan Woman Accuses Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault

Edwards’ full proposal goes on display at the Cory Allen Contemporary Art showroom in St. Petersburg starting Feb. 20.

Allen represents the young artist, who hails from California by way of Connecticut. The display in St. Petersburg will feature a model of what the statue is intended to look like when complete, Allen told Patch.

“Rodman captured Cosby’s real character,” Allen said in a media release about the opening. “I think this is a more appropriate statue than the one depicting America’s Dad at the TV Hall of Fame.”

Whether the Hall of Fame will agree to display Edwards’ work remains unknown, but Allen says statutes have been taken down before.

“Joe Paterno’s statue was taken down following the 2011 Penn State sex abuse scandal,” he said. “Maybe the TV Hall of Fame and Disney should take note,” added Allen, referring to Disney World, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences east coast location.

Cosby has been under fire for quite some time as the 77-year-old faces allegations of sexual assault from women all across the country. Accusations have come from at least 15 women to date, according to WBUR, including the latest out of Connecticut. A Florida nurse has also stepped forward accusing the entertainer of drugging and assaulting her.

The unveiling of “Fat Albert Cries for Dr. Huxtable – Proposal for TV Hall of Fame” takes place Feb. 20. The showroom is located at 2121 2nd Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. For more information, visit Cory Allen Contemporary Art online.

Image courtesy of Cory Allen Contemporary Art

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