I have seen B.B. in concert numerous times. What a great guy, it seems. I saw him in Milwaukee and his D string broke while in the middle of a riff. He adjusted and never missed a beat. Once he was able, he replaced it while barely looking at it. All the while, he was telling a story. He gave the broken string to a lady in the front row. It was how seamless he handled it that was so impressive. My wife and I still bring it up from time to time.
Lucy is just an extension of him, a means to communicate.
A person who abuses another, especially the powerless, is a notch less than human.
My favorite - a collaboration with U2 and Bono...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT3rXNPGFOM