A few hours before Bill Cosby’s face was being stickered over by a rogue street artist on U Street, Eddie Murphy skewered the comedian in his first on-stage stand-up in nearly three decades.
After being awarded the 18th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center on Sunday night, Murphy launched into a bit asking if they’d requested Cosby (who won the award in 2009) to give the trophy back.
“He then launched into an impression of a foul-mouthed Cosby refuting such a demand, further jabbing at the contrast between his clean image and the horrifying accusations of sexual assault that more than 50 women have made against him. Ironically, Cosby twice turned down the Twain Prize before accepting it, because he was unhappy at the “profanities used” in the 1998 ceremony celebrating the inaugural winner Richard Pryor.”
Last year, the Kennedy Center honored Jay Leno; and previous recipients include Carol Burnett (2013), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Will Ferrell (2011), Tina Fey (2010), Bill Cosby (2009), and the late, great George Carlin (2008).
You can catch the beginning of Murphy’s set at the 2:30 mark. The ceremony will air on PBS on November 23.
Rachel Sadon