158TH ANNUAL CANFIELD FAIR Not a Cos for controversy

Cosby voiced some support for the men of the world.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Comedian Bill Cosby took the stage before a packed audience Sunday at the 158th Annual Canfield Fair in a much milder form than other recent public appearances.
In May, Cosby, at a Constitution Hall event in Washington commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, spoke out about areas of concern he sees in the black community.
He talked about the lack of parenting skills by some black parents and the willingness of some parents to buy $500 sneakers instead of learning materials for children who cannot speak proper English.
The comments were the catalyst to national discussion and led some people to lambaste Cosby for his remarks.
Cosby addressed the topic again in early July at a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition & amp; Citizenship Education Fund annual conference in Chicago, where he discussed the irresponsibility of young black parents who allow their children to hear rap music laced with four-letter words, and that many young blacks, unable to read and write, are "going nowhere."
Comments
Gloria Marshall of Struthers and Roberta Berry of Youngstown, who attended Sunday's performance at the fair, said they were well aware of Cosby's comments and in complete agreement with what he said and his clean form of comedy.
Both women are longtime Cosby fans. Berry has attended other local Cosby appearances and watches "Cosby Show" reruns nightly.
But some fairgoers had not heard about Cosby's comments. They just wanted to get a look at the longtime comedian.
Don and Linda Waltenbaugh of Warren weren't aware of the controversy regarding the comedian's words this summer. A family of five and about to grow, the Waltenbaughs are more interested in the side of Cosby known for taking a comedic look at family life.
"We have three kids and one on the way. If it's not on Nickelodeon or Disney, we haven't seen it," said Don Waltenbaugh regarding Cosby's comments.
The Waltenbaughs were not alone. Jill and Ed Geidner of Grove City, Pa., had heard only small mention of the previous comments.
Ed Geidner said they came to see Cosby at the fair because, simply put, "We just like Bill Cosby."
Cosby brought no controversy to the fair. The man sometimes called America's favorite dad delivered a few jokes tailored to the fair, then took the audience on a comedic journey through family life.
Sunday's show
Cosby first said he had been brought to the stage to save the male of the human species because the male is a victim -- not having received that which was promised.
He said men, as babies, are told they can look forward to someday becoming men. What men are not told is that with marriage they will eventually become their wife's oldest child, he said.
Cosby started with marriage, and with intermittent laughter from his audience, moved through every aspect of family life including childbirth, child rearing and what he called a question from the wives men should answer carefully -- "Would you marry another woman if I died?"
Staying true to form, Cosby brought laughter to the grandstand at the fairgrounds without a single four-letter word or off-color description.
Small children to the elderly took in the show and eventually left with a smile.
jgoodwin@vindy.com