‘Cosby Show’ episode features Cliff Huxtable drugging partygoers with mystical barbecue sauce

Bill Cosby's name became inextricably linked with Quaaludes this week following the unsealing of damning 2005 court documents, but it turns out that his Cosby Show character, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, enjoyed drugging people himself — only with barbecue sauce.

In a 1990 episode of Cosby's eponymous show, the Huxtable family invites friends to a barbecue that Cliff decides to spice up with a bit of his special (and apparently mystical) barbecue sauce. Which, of course, serves only to covertly make people cooperative and sexually aroused — you know, like that Spanish Fly stuff Cosby joked about in 1969.

It's a strange premise to begin with, sure, but things really start to get weird around the 20:53 mark of the episode.

At that point, Mrs. Huxtable tells Cliff that "it certainly is nice to see them work things out for themselves," in reference to the guests who had been arguing about women's issues upon their arrival.

Cliff's response, of course, is now sort of chilling:

"They haven't worked out anything for themselves. It's my barbecue sauce … Haven't you ever noticed after people have some of my barbecue sauce, after a while, when it kicks in, they get all buggy-buggy? Haven't you ever noticed that after one of my barbecues — and they have the sauce — people want to get right now?"

The remainder of the episode revolves around son Theo attempting to hire a stripper for his brother-in-law-to-be's bachelor party. The whole thing, as a result, is a creepy exercise in ruined nostalgia, especially given the developments in the Cosby situation this week.

Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by more than 40 women. He has never been charged with a crime in connection with the alleged assaults, though the LAPD is currently investigating one of the allegations.

[Vice]