Charlie Bird, who became famous for coming out as gay after his time as BYU’s viral “Cosmo the Cougar,” recently posted about his marriage and wedding celebration with his husband, Ryan Clifford. In the post, Bird uploaded a picture of the dance floor with Cosmo the Cougar performing to the crowd.
The posts spanned across social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.
Cosmo the Cougar can be booked for private events, but it is unclear if Bird paid for the appearance. Could someone have lent one of the University’s costumes for the event? Possibly. Could Bird have somehow retained a costume from his time here? Less likely, but equally problematic.
The BYU Communications Department and the Cosmo the Cougar rental have not responded for comment.
At its core, this issue comes down to the value of symbols. Does Cosmo symbolize viral videos and SportsCenter highlights, or does he symbolize Brigham Young University and its tradition?
The invocation of school symbolism and even religious symbolism and language can be problematic for those attempting to understand the true value system of the institution.
If Cosmo appears at an event, is it an endorsement of the event? Surely it is when Cosmo attends a basketball game.
So we ask the reader, should Cosmo have attended Charlie’s wedding?
Written by: The Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
