How The Cosby Show Changed the Way I Watch TV
What I am about to describe is not common in everyday language and as of now, it doesn’t even have a proper home on UrbanDictionary.com.
On Sunday night I missed game two of the Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals. My excuse was good: I went to see Conan O’Brien at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Patheticutt. I committed to the tickets months ago and had five other people with me. No regrets.
But what was I to do about the game? We would be entering the arena around tip-off, so the only updates available would be via my phone and the pale-faced, geek loving people around me. Was that the right way to enjoy a game? Maybe a game in February - but this was the Finals. This was Celtics-Lakers.
Nope. I couldn’t do it. I was going to have to watch it live later. I was going to have to Cosby the game.
On December 6th, 1990, in an episode titled “It’s Your Move” the writers of The Cosby Show gave birth to the act of missing a live event, avoiding all updates, and watching it on tape later. Elvin, Martin and Theo (before he left for the game) had to help Sondra’s friends move during an Eagles-Giants playoff game. Despite their best efforts to get out of it, they would have to settle for a taped copy Cliff had made. And if you don’t know who any of these people are I feel bad for you. Seriously.
They succeeded. They Cosbied. People had been Cosbying for years, including my father, but this might be the most famous portrayal of the act, so why not name it after the show that gave it to us?
Twenty years later, I succeeded in doing the same thing and it felt great. But Cosbying an event isn’t what it used to be. You’d think technology would help something like this, but it ends up being your biggest enemy.
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