It’s the “Fat Albert” opening to the greeting that really sells it, right?  Bill Cosby offered a belated Instagram message to all of America’s fathers to let us know that he’s thinking of them today — while serving his sentence for sexual assault. Oh, he also wants everyone to know that America’s (Perv) Dad is #FarFromFinished:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByywSzknUEU/?utm_source=ig_embed

The video is a bizarre non sequitur to the supposed purpose of the Instagram post:

Included in his message, which was also posted on Instagram, was a 1968 video of Mr. Cosby talking about racism and slavery during a CBS black history month special.

“After slavery was over, America kept breaking up the black man’s family and that’s some awful history to teach,” Mr. Cosby, who was 31 at the time, says in the video. “This country has got a psychological history — there was a master race and there was a slave race. And though there isn’t any political slavery anymore, those same old attitudes have hung around.”

Hey Hey Hey indeed. Is this for real? The Instagram message got pushed out through Cosby’s blue-checked Twitter account, so it certainly seemed real:

Hey, Hey, Hey…It’s America’s Dad…I know it’s late, but to all of the Dads… It’s an honor to be called a Father, so let’s make today a renewed oath to fulfilling our purpose — strengthening our families and… https://t.co/TPEFC9iTZe

— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 17, 2019

USA Today confirmed through Cos’ spokesman that it’s real, and it’s spectacular. Cosby wants to promote a group called “Man Up”:

But his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, told USA TODAY that Cosby requested a Father’s Day message be posted from him.

Wyatt said Cosby wanted to support a group called Man Up.

“Mr. Cosby’s (message) consisted of telling these men who have been incarcerated for many years, but are up for parole soon…to…take the word “disadvantage” and remove the “dis,” and start focusing on the advantage,” Wyatt said. “That advantage is to be better fathers and productive citizens.”

There’s no problem with the message. It’s the messenger that has some jaws dropping today. Just calling himself “America’s Dad” is cringeworthy enough even without the prison context. Someone seems to be missing the limelight, as well as the popular perception.

On top of that, the “Man Up” message for a man convicted of drugging a woman and sexually assaulting her — and accused of doing the same to several others — is a few too many hypocritical straws too many. Twitchy curated the best immediate responses, but they’re still rolling in. These two cut right to the point of Cos’ hey hey hey hypocrisy:

How many fathers have you hurt by violating their daughters? How many of them want to have ten minutes with you in a locked room?

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 17, 2019

https://twitter.com/ColleenDoran/status/1140439820331880448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

CBS tried reaching out to the Man Up organization, which thus far has no response. They may be too busy cringing themselves and waiting for the fallout to dissipate. In the future, perhaps Cosby can help Man Up best by keeping his mouth shut about it.