History Creator / BILLCOSBY

* AluminumChristmasTrees: A lot of people thought the "Chicken Heart" routine was a fake ''Radio/LightsOut'' episode that Cosby made up just for comedy purposes. There was indeed an actual episode of ''Lights Out'' called "The Chicken Heart" and it actually was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_OD_jUnYNM surprisingly rather creepy.]] Be sure to have your Jell-O prepared!

Naturally, in 1969, the next step was ''Series/TheBillCosbyShow'' -- no, not '''that''' one, the one that featured Cosby as Chet Kincaid, high school gym teacher. No, really, it ran two whole seasons. He even sang the theme song.

His last fling at prime-time television was the 1996–2000 sitcom ''Cosby'', in which he played a lovable ''elderly'' curmudgeon in a scenario loosely based on the Britcom ''Series/OneFootInTheGrave''. However, the episode most remembered by fans was a fourth-wall-''destroying'' episode in which Cosby's character dreamt that he was Alexander Scott from ''I Spy'' (complete with guest appearance by Robert Culp), and Cosby's wife dreamt that she was a character in ''The Cosby Show''.

* OralFization: In his "Mr. Ike and the Neighborhood TV Set" routine, he describes a time during his childhood when he briefly became fascinated with a neighbor's habit of chewing tobacco. It lasted until he tried a wad for himself (given to him by said neighbor), accidentally swallowed the juice, and threw up.

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage. On March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined a request from the district attorney to review the state court's decision, leaving the conviction overturned. Still, on June 21, 2022, he was found guilty in a California civil trial of sexually assaulting Judith Huth in 1975 when she was 16, awarding her half a million dollars in damages and further damaging his already tarnished reputation.

Cosby's diverse range of material has netted him four UsefulNotes/{{Emmy Award}}s and nine Grammy Awards for his many albums... and a Razzie, for ''Leonard Part 6''. He has written best-selling books, hosted comedy festivals, and – most recently – campaigned publicly against what he perceives as a lack of ambition and drive within the African-American community. This last role has earned him considerable controversy, mitigated somewhat by sympathy after the murder of his only son, Ennis, in 1997.

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage. On March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined a request from the district attorney to review the state court's decision, leaving the conviction overturned. Still, on June 21, 2022, he was found guilty in a California civil trial of sexually assaulting Judith Huth in 1974 when she was 15, awarding her half a million dollars in damages and further damaging his already tarnished reputation.

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage. On March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined a request from the district attorney to review the state court's decision, leaving the conviction overturned. Still, on June 21, 2022, he was found guilty in a California civil trial of sexually assaulting Judy Huth back in 1975 when she was 16, awarding her half a million dollars in damages and further damaging his already tarnished reputation.

* CallBack: Cosby's story about him and Weird Harold going to see ''Frankenstein'' ends with them getting scared on the way home and trampling a wino. A later story he tells of him getting run over by a frightened Fat Albert ends with him in the hospital room next to "a wino who'd been run over by a pair of kids, and we both agreed that frightened children were dangerous."

* CombatMedic: He had a routine where he talked about training to become a US Navy corpsman because he thought the Geneva Convention's rules on medics in combat would keep him safe. Then, after completing training and being assigned to a Marine Expeditionary Unit, he was shown a film where medics get slaughtered by the enemy and realized that the big red cross on his helmet made him an even bigger target.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: In the ''200 M.P.H.'' story, he thinks the fire extinguisher in the car is there so that he can jump out of the car and help put out houses on fire and such.

* DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff: Exploited. In "To My Brother Russell, Whom I Slept With", Bill's father claims he has a belt that's nine feet long, eight feet wide, and is covered in meat hooks. [[LiesToChildren The way it's framed in the bit, it's obvious that there's no such belt]]. Not only that, but the threat doesn't work; Bill and Russell keep fighting among each other and getting in trouble in spite of the threat.

* PinkElephants: In his "Dudes on Drugs" routine, Bill mentions that alcoholics do not like going to Disneyland because the think they're getting the [=DTs=]. In another routine, he describes his father--who was an alcoholic and suffered the [=DTs=]--as the only man to have seen the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. There's only three of them now because he choked one to death with a paper towel

** ''My Father Confused Me -- What Must I Do?'' contains a number of obscure routines which seem to delve into issues a bit more oriented to black life, including one about "dudes on dope." One telling example is an early version of "The Dentist" delivered quite differently than his more well-known ''Himself'' version.

* TakeThat: In his "200 MPH" routine, he talks about when he bought a custom Cobra sports car from Cobra founder Carroll Shelby, that would go over 200 miles per hour. After a nearly lethal test drive that thoroughly unnerved Cosby (the engine was so powerful that Cosby felt as though he was taking his life in his hands when he drove it), he got as far away from the car as he could, and told the dealer, "Take the keys and this car, it's all paid for, and you give it to George Wallace."[[note]]The album was recorded in 1968, when noted segregationist George Wallace was running (unsuccessfully, as it would turn out) for President.[[/note]]

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage. On March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined a request from the district attorney to review the state court's decision, leaving the conviction overturned. Still, on June 21, 2022, he was later found guilty in a California civil trial of sexually assaulting Judy Huth back in 1975 when she was 16, awarding her half a million dollars in damages, further damaging his already tarnished reputation.

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, PA, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage. On March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined a request from the district attorney to review the state court's decision, leaving the conviction overturned.

William "Bill" Henry Cosby (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian famous for his versatility over his long career; he broke barriers for his fellow African-American entertainers, and was almost unanimously seen by Americans of all walks of life as a role model -- at least until 2014, after news of his crimes came to light.

William Henry Cosby (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian famous for his versatility over his long career; he broke barriers for his fellow African-American entertainers, and -- until 2014 -- was almost unanimously seen by Americans of all walks of life as a role model.

Cosby was charged with several sexual assaults, and was tried for two of them in June 2017. The case was such a matter of interest in the Philadelphia area that they bused in a jury all the way from UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} to Norristown (a western suburb of Philadelphia, where the trial was held because it is the seat of Montgomery County, PA, where Cosby lives and is alleged to have committed the assaults) to ensure a fair trial. This trial ended up with a hung jury, so the judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was held in April 2018, in which Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He received a sentence of three to ten years in September 2018. However, on June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [[OffOnATechnicality overturned his conviction on a technicality]].[[note]]While in a civil case with the woman whose charges were also used in the criminal case, he admitted to drugging women in a deposition. However, when he did this, he did it under a promise from the prosecutor that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it but with no formal agreement. The testimony was used in the criminal case, so the court found he was deprived of his fifth amendment right against self incrimination.[[/note]] He became a free man the same day, and subsequently announced that he has plans to write a documentary about his case and then return to the stage.

'''Series'''

'''Films'''

'''Comedy albums'''

'''Books'''

* GreyGoo: Mentioned in a retelling of the old radio serial ''Lights Out'' and its "Chicken Heart" episode. The routine is probably [[WeirdAlEffect far better known]] than the original audio drama.

William Henry Cosby (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian famous for his versatility over his long career; he broke barriers for his fellow African-American entertainers, and -- until 2014 -- was seen by Americans of all walks of life as a role model.

** From the same routine: “And we sat there and looked at each other and we said… (whispering) ''"Ice cream!"'' (Beat) “'''ICE cream!''' We gonna eat '''ICE cream!'''”

* SuddenlyShouting: From the sketch ''Tonsils'': "Well, listen, man. When the nurse leaves, I'll talk to you about that ice cream later... cause we're gonna eat a '''MESS''' of ice cream, Jack."
** From the same routine: “And we sat there and looked at each other and we said… (whispering) “Ice cream!” (Beat) “‘’’ICE cream’’’! We gonna eat ‘’’ICE cream’’’!”
* TakeThat: In his "200 MPH" routine, he talks about when he bought a custom Cobra sports car from Cobra founder Carroll Shelby, that would go over 200 miles per hour. After a nearly lethal test drive that thoroughly unnerved Cosby (the engine was so powerful that Cosby felt as though he was taking his life in his hands when he drove it), he got as far away from the car as he could, and told the dealer, "Take the keys and this car, it's all paid for, and you give it to George Wallace."[[note]]The album was recorded in 1968, when noted pro-segregationist George Wallace was running unsuccessfully for President.[[/note]]

** Cosby recalls in one story about how his mother caught him and his brother repeating some curse words that they heard from their father, only to have her yell at them, "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?" Cosby then vows to never say that to his own kids. And keeps that vow, until his young daughter (maybe first-grade age) hikes up her dress at the dinner table and shouts, "See my titties?" Cosby's response? "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?!?" Then he escalates it by going to see the school's principal the next day, figuring she learned it at school.

* ''Film/BillCosbyHimself'' (1982)

* ObfuscatingStupidity: In ''Himself'', Bill suggests this is the attitude many fathers take towards things they don't want to do.
-->"Fathers are the geniuses of the house. Because only a person as intelligent as we could fake such stupidity. Think about your father! He doesn't know where anything is! You ask him to do something, he messes it up! ... That's a genius at work! Because he doesn't want to do it! And he knows someone will be coming soon to stop him from doing it! ... So you see, we are dumb, but we are not so dumb. It takes great courage and work to keep from working."

* OneWingedAngel: Played straight:
-->"I've often heard of people having a conniption, but I'd never seen one. You don't ''wanna'' see 'em! My wife's face...split. The skin and hair split and came off of her face so that there was nothing except the skull! And orange light came out of her hair and it lit all around! And fire shot from her eye sockets and began to burn my stomach! And she said, '[[ItMakesSenseInContext Where did they get chocolate cake from!?!?]]'"

* PrecisionFStrike:
** Cosby is known for being very clean in his comedy both in the content and the language, but he will occasionally swear to emphasize a point. From "Himself":
-->"I asked a friend, 'What is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful?' And he said 'Well, it intensifies your personality.' To which I responded, [[SophisticatedAsHell 'Yes, but what if you're an asshole?']]"
** Cosby also says "shit" at one point in that same skit, which is perhaps the only time he ever said that word onstage.
* PunctuatedForEmphasis: As part of his "Natural Childbirth" routine, when he talks about his wife actually giving birth:
-->"Then my wife stood up. In the stirrups. [[BrickJoke Grabbed my bottom lip.]] And said, 'I! WANT! MORPHINE!!!'"
* RecordedAndStandUpComedy: Which eventually turned into "sit-down comedy", as Cosby took to performing while seated in a chair.

* RunningGag: Throughout ''Bill Cosby: Himself'', his kids answering nearly every question with "I don't know" is referred to as "[[ChildhoodBrainDamage brain damage]]". This becomes a BrickJoke on ''Those of You With or Without Children, You'll Understand'' a few years later.

* ShoutOut: A meta example. In a skit on ''Bill Cosby: Himself'', Cosby uses his Mushmouth voice for a dentist patient who has just taken Novocain.
* SillyWalk:
** In one of stand-up routines, Cosby talks about how every boy in his neighbourhood had to have their own "cool walk". He demonstrates his and, while the full effect is lost on the recorded version, the audience's reaction gives a good indication of exactly what this looked like.
** Another routine has him demonstrate several different ways that people walk when they're drunk.
* SoundtrackDissonance: The opening segment of ''Bill Cosby: Himself'', on the original release, was a parody of Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just the Two of Us" sung by Cosby himself, titled "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvq9LbRes80 Just the Slew of Us]]". On the original VHS and 1990s cable releases, it was replaced with an example of this trope: a slow, somber ballad called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOm5Bjye5K0 It Was a Good Idea at the Time]]".
* SuddenlyShouting: In "Bill Cosby: Himself", Cosby discusses having to make breakfast for his children at 6 AM. He randomly shouts certain words:
--> '''Cosby''': So I got up. Needless to say, I was angry. And I went downstairs without putting on my robe. Standing there in my pajamas, and I'm talking to myself. I said, "Get these, go down and cook breakfast, but it's six o'clock in the morning", and I slam the pans down. '''Blam!''' On the stove. I slam them down and go to the refrigerator and look around and I get to the damn '''bacon''' and the '''sausage''', cooking breakfast, six o'''blam!!!''' in the morning, and I grab the- [[SubvertedTrope you have to be careful with eggs.]] '''Got'''! to have to cook '''breakfast'''! '''Boom!'''
** Also, from the sketch ''Tonsils'': "Well, listen, man. When the nurse leaves, I'll talk to you about that ice cream later... cause we're gonna eat a '''MESS''' of ice cream, Jack."

* {{Unishment}}: The "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast" routine. Bill screws up making breakfast so badly that his wife sends him to his room. Seeing as how it was 6 in the morning, and she had woken him up to make breakfast in the first place, Bill was more than happy to go. In fact, Bill even suggests [[ObfuscatingStupidity he did that on purpose]].
-->"So you see, we are dumb, but we are not so dumb. It takes great courage and work to keep from working."

* WhenIWasYourAge:
** During ''Himself'', Bill mentions that his parents have now become grandparents, and his father will willingly give out money to his grandchildren -- but when Bill was his children's age, in response to any request for funds, the same man "would tell [Bill] his life story. And this man ''never'' told a happy story. For 50 cents, there never was happiness!" Among other things, Bill recalls his father saying something along the lines of the usual: "I had to walk five miles to school! Uphill! Both ways! In 5 feet of snow! And I was thankful!"
** Also, no matter how his father suffered, he'd always say, "And I was thankful to get it!" For 30 years, Bill claims his father told him, all he had to eat was dirt. "And I was thankful to eat that dirt!"
** At another point, Bill recalls asking his father for a dollar for his school picnic. His father replied by explaining how he once killed a grizzly bear with his loose-leaf notebook.

* {{Gasshole}}: ''Himself'' closes with a skit about how fathers are the only people in the house who are allowed to pass gas. He says that his father used to do it and blame it on invisible animals, which his brother Russell was dumb enough to go looking for. The last line of the special is him stating that his father's game was "pull my finger".

* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt33zqib2qk At least according to his act.]]

* HypocriticalHumor: "Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal object. Then you sit in their chair, and the first thing they grab is an iron hook."

* InsaneTrollLogic: "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast," wherein, having been woken out of a sound sleep to go feed the kids breakfast, he gives his kids the chocolate cake they clamour for after rationalizing that it's ''healthy'' for them — because, after all, it has wheat and eggs and milk. And when his wife demands to know why they are eating it for breakfast, his kids pipe up, "''We'' asked for [[BlatantLies eggs and milk! AND DAD MADE US EAT THIS!!!]]" So his wife sends him to his room. [[{{Unishment}} Which is where he wanted to go in the first place.]]
-->"[Men] are the geniuses of the house because [[ObfuscatingStupidity only someone as smart as we could fake such stupidity. […] We are dumb, but we are not so dumb. It takes great skill and work to keep from working]]."

* LamazeClass: The "Natural Childbirth" routine. Cosby seems to enjoy his role much more than his wife does, even doing "macho breathing" along with her and cheering, "Push 'em out, shove 'em out, waaay out!" Trying to apply this approach in the delivery room of the hospital, however, was rather less successful.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Invoked with the "Jeffrey" story, where, after Cosby and an airplane full of other people were terrorized by a four-year-old boy named Jeffrey for the entire flight, the kid fell asleep. The passengers took great pleasure in yelling "Goodbye, Jeffrey!" in the kid's ear, waking him up crying. This also extends to Jeffrey's poor, harangued mother, who came down the airplane stairs, handed the boy to his father...and then ''punched him dead in the face.''
--> [[DeadpanSnarker We don't know why.]] [[BlatantLies Jeffery's such a lovely child.]]
* LoopingLines: Happens at least twice on the album version of ''Bill Cosby: Himself''. A flubbed line about "brain damage" is re-dubbed, and in the "chocolate cake for breakfast" skit, his accidental reference to being awakened at 4 o'clock in the morning instead of 6 has the correct time of "6 o'clock in the morning" looped in from later.

* ''Himself'' (1982)

* {{Angrish}}:
** "Did you ever make your mother so mad that she forgot your name? 'Come here, [[RapidFireNameGuessing Roy—uh Ralph—Roquefort— Rutabaga]]—what is your name, boy? And don't lie to me, 'cause you live here and I'll find out who you are! Take a stick and knock your brains out!'"
** Later in the same skit: "I used to think my father was an idiot because the man could not complete a full sentence… Now I understand … had it've been a grown person, you'd have cursed: 'What the [[ClusterFBomb foul filth foul foul filth filth filth foul foul! And you're filth and foul!]]' But you talk to your child, [[CurseCutShort you censor yourself]], and you say, 'What the… Get your… I'll bust… Get outta my face!'"
* AnswersToTheNameOfGod: Inverted:
-->It was because of my father that, from the ages of 7 to 15, I thought that my name was Jesus Christ, and my brother, Russell, thought that his name was Dammit. "Dammit, will you stop all that noise?" And, "Jesus Christ, sit down!" One day, I'm out playing in the rain, and my father yelled, "Dammit, will you get back in here!" I said, "Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: During Bill's wife's labor pains. She stands up on the table in the stirrups, grabs Bill's bottom lip, yells at him for morphine, and tells everybody in the delivery room that his parents were never married.
* AwfulWeddedLife: He's brought it up a couple of times, though by all accounts, his marriage is pretty stable.
** "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast" is about Bill's wife Camille berating him into making breakfast for his children at six in the morning, and then getting mad when he serves them chocolate cake instead.
** "Oh, Baby!" is all about the differences between a young couple being recently married and an old couple who have been married for a long time. He admits that there are things that he and his wife are simply not doing for each other anymore. For instance, in the first year of marriage, he would climb up a mountain to make sure his wife is okay; now, he'd make someone else do it for him.
* BigShutUp:
** During "Natural Childbirth", as his wife gets hit with contractions and she demands morphine:
--->I said, "But dear!" ''[imitates Lamaze breathing]'' She said, "YOU SHUT UP!!! ''YOU'' DID THIS TO ME!"
** He also says this when he talks about his mother's [[HypocriticalHumor hypocritical]] parenting skills:
--->When a mother asks you a question and you try and answer, she tells you to shut up! "Day and night, night and day, work my fingers to the bone, and for what?" "I don't--" "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Shut! UP!]] When I ask you a question, you keep your trap shut! Think I'm talking just so I can hear myself ''talk?!'' '''''[[MortonsFork ANSWER ME]]!!!'''''"

* BrickJoke:
** He describes childbirth pains in "Natural Childbirth":
--->"Creator/CarolBurnett described what labor pains feel like. She said, 'Take your bottom lip and pull it over your head.'"\\
"Then my wife stood up. In the stirrups. Grabbed my bottom lip. And said, [[PunctuatedForEmphasis 'I! WANT! MORPHINE!!!]]'"
** The argument in "To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With" begins when Bill tries to claim ownership of part of a small bed. At the routine's end, after their father has forced Bill and Russell to stand on one spot all night as punishment for causing so much noise, Bill tries to claim part of the floor.
* BringMyBrownPants: "Grandparents":
-->''And mothers are always more interested in the condition of your underwear than your body if you're ever in an accident. And they tell you that; "I hope for my sake if you're ever in an accident, you have on clean underwear." Well, I thought that's what an accident was! Look; you're driving a truck. Here comes another truck, gonna hit you. Now, whether you hit the truck or not, you're going to have soiled underwear. Because first you say it, then you do it! Now comes your mother to the hospital: "Did he have on clean underwear?" "Yes, we found it in the glove compartment."''

* CorporalPunishment: He spoke quite frankly about how his children were disciplined through corporal punishment and even built an entire routine around it in "Himself", describing his wife wielding a yardstick like a samurai sword while he corralled the kids to make sure all were punished.

* DemonHead:
** His wife when he feeds his kids chocolate cake for breakfast.
--->"I've always heard about people having a 'conniption', but I'd never seen one. You don't wanna see 'em. My wife's face…''split''. The skin and hair split and came off of her face so that there was nothing except a skull. And orange light came out of her hair and it lit all around. And fire shot from her eye sockets and began to burn my stomach. And she said "'''''WHERE DID THEY GET THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE FROOOOOOM?!?'''''"
** In ''Oh, Baby!'', Bill talks about how his wife appeared to have become demonically possessed and spoke in tongues when he turned the light on at night because he had to go to the bathroom.
* TheDentistEpisode: ''Himself'' contains a portrayal of a trip to the dentist, complete with exaggerated facial expressions and sound effects.
* EditedForSyndication: In the late '80s, Creator/DisneyChannel aired "Himself" many times, but it edited out the more objectionable parts (most notably the "Jesus Christ and Dammit" joke near the end). The album version also eliminated the entire opening sketch on drugs, and hacked up a lot of the other segments (for instance, the "Natural Childbirth" segment fades in on the TitleDrop).

* TheDentistEpisode: ''Himself'' contains an exaggerated portrayal of a trip to the dentist, complete with exaggerated facial expressions and sound effects.

* RunningGag: Throughout ''Bill Cosby: Himself'', his kids answering nearly every question with "I don't know" is referred to as "brain damage". This becomes a BrickJoke on ''Those of You With or Without Children, You'll Understand'' a few years later.