logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
41m 11s

The rise and fall of 'America's Dad'

NPR
About this episode
At the height of his career, Bill Cosby was one of the most famous men in the United States. He was the biggest and highest paid star in the country, and with his image plastered on billboards, advertisements and television, many people felt like they knew him. Of course, few people really knew Bill Cosby. And many of the people who had seen who he was up close would be traumatized for the rest of their lives.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Aug 20
How Trump's D.C. takeover criminalizes homelessness
On August 11, President Trump announced his intention to "rescue" the nation's capital. A central feature of his plan involved using federal officials to remove people experiencing homelessness from the city — people that he listed alongside "violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals ... Show More
39m 27s
Aug 13
Statelessness, but make it funny
Mo Amer is the creator and star of the hit Netflix comedy series Mo. It's a first-of-its kind Palestinian-American sitcom with a fraught plot line about the American immigration system and the hope to return, at least for a visit, to his family's homeland. We talk to Mo Amer what ... Show More
30m 42s
Aug 5
Hot weather kills. Who gets protected?
The heat disproportionately kills poor, elderly and people of color. So on this episode we're focusing on the lives of those impacted, from roofers in Florida to prisoners who live and die in cells that feel more like ovens in Texas. We’re asking why so many people are dying from ... Show More
32 m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2020
Bill Cosby and One World Together
Bill Cosby has been denied early prison release due to his legal status. One World: Together At Home was one of the biggest concerts and it honored all in the front lines for COVID-19. From Lady Gaga to Jimmy Kimmel, it raised $128 million. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt ... Show More
7m 7s
Mar 2021
celebrity culture
A lot of us grow up wanting to be famous, but is fame really all it’s cracked up to be? Having gotten a little taste of popularity in her own world, Emma talks about what it’s like having a following and being in the public spotlight. Plus, what it’s like for other major celebrit ... Show More
1h 15m
Jan 2020
America's Dad | 1
Bill Cosby spends much of his childhood in a North Philadelphia housing project. He ends up getting his start in an unexpected way, quickly rising to fame. Decades later, one morning in January 2005, Andrea Constand wakes up sobbing from a nightmare. 
36m 49s
Sep 2017
E59: Bob Crane Pt. 2
People across America knew Bob Crane as a famous actor. Many others knew him for his sex scandals. And somebody knew him as a person they wanted dead. But when everyone knows who the victim is, it’s a lot harder to nail down a suspect. Carter and Wenndy investigate; was Bob bludg ... Show More
27m 54s
Jul 2021
The Big Britney Spears/Bill Cosby Mix-Up | 7/1/21
Stu and Pat discuss how Bill Cosby was released from prison, but Britney Spears’ plea to end her conservatorship was denied. Tragedy struck Florida when a condo building collapsed, and of course climate change is being tossed around as a possible cause. Democrats have been wrong ... Show More
2h 4m
Jul 2022
Surprising Former Careers of the Famous
Did you know Abraham Lincoln was an infamous, trash-talking wrestler? Ronald Reagan spent his younger years saving people from drowning (and throwing rocks at them) as a lifeguard. And before Norma Jean became the iconic Marilyn Monroe, she built drones during World War II. In to ... Show More
48m 13s