Cardi B is No different than Bill Cosby!

“Cardi B is no different than Bill Cosby!” Now if you made up your face and automatically got defensive I suggest you keep reading.  

We all are aware of the heart wrenching and distasteful sexual assault accounts executed by our exiled TV personality Bill Cosby. The #MeToo movement soared in numbers and support as the stories came out about Mr. Cosby luring women, drugging them and taking advantage of their body and willpower. It took some of us a while to face the reality of the charming Mr. Huxtable character. In the process, most of us held him accountable for his past actions and  justice was eventually served.

   Cardi B admitted through her Instagram live 3 years ago that she used sexual agreements with men to drug and rob them. She claimed she needed to do what she needed to in order to survive. Her apology and explanation was given at a more recent date, which she stated that she was not proud of her actions.

   Initially the sincerity of her apology and my overwhelming sense of empathy led me to accept her as the exception. Why should she be held accountable for wanting to survive and succeed through her given circumstances? Who was I to judge and better yet to say that I wouldn’t have done the same in her shoes?

 These were all the questions I often used in debates against men who often loved to highlight the double standards in our society. Two interesting points that helped shift my perspective was the idea of choices and the concept of a violation in a different context.

   Bill Cosby had a choice just as Cardi B had one. The idea of a right and wrong choice can be viewed objectively in Cardi’s case, but her outcome could have been completely different. When any person promises a service they have no intention of providing that is a violation. She mislead her clients that she was both a stripper and sex worker when she only in fact fulfilled the role of only stripper/entertainer. A more accountable choice would have been to look into protecting oneself when entering that line of work or better yet refraining from it all. In addition, drugs were used to eliminate the conscience of her “customers” ultimately giving her full control of the situation.

As much as it’s hard for any of us to admit in life, there is a difference between having no choice and picking the easiest choice when the hardest choice doesn’t get fast results. Some people know the difference and act accordingly. Others choose to ignore the difference and choose the choice that will most likely produce fast results  at all cost.
   This article is not to pass judgment on Cardi’s past or any women in her position; but there are many parallels to her and Bill Cosby’s stories. They both drugged people. They both took advantage and committed a violation when they did not need to. I do empathize with Cardi B and the lifestyle she was a part of. Currently she is moving forward in her career and family life being the best mother and wife she can be. I commend her hard work and success. However, if she was given the opportunity to correct the past, I’m not sure that she would take back those occurrences especially because she felt it was necessary for her survival.