Oh Imus...

[Jenksismyhero]

What does everyone think? Sponsors pulling out left and right, a department head of CBS calling for his firing, MSNBC dropping his show, all the politicians saying they'd never speak to him in a thousand years and demand he be removed...

 

Overreaction? Slow news week? Off with his head! What say you?

Edited April 11, 2007 by Jenksismybitch

[Jenksismyhero]

http://newsbusters.org/stories/rosie_defen...ml?q=node/11950

 

 

Wow. Hell has frozen over. I completely agree with Rosie O'Donnell.

 

*ducks in fear of lighting*

[Balta1701]

I think we are all better off when these types of people don't wind up getting time on the airwaves and encouraged by the media establishment. And it's not just Imus.

[Kid Gleason]

Never liked Imus, but this is all ridiculous. From what little I have heard, Imus is a jerk, but not a bigot.

[Rex Kickass]

If he wants to be taken seriously as a political "kingmaker" he needs to leave the lame shock jock act at home. It hasn't been funny in 15 years.

 

For what he's said and other things he's said in the past, I wouldn't call the MSNBC broadcast an appropriate venue for him. I don't think he should be fired from his CBS show over this however.

[Gene Honda Civic]

I think it's hypocritical.

 

Imus has been doing the African American athletes are monkeys shtick for years. What changed in the last week?

 

Exposure that's it. Imus was making Advertisers, MSNBC, & CBS money with his crap for years. Making a small fortune off of racist jokes is OK, but getting huge exposure for doing the same thing apparently isn't alright.

[Kyyle23]

While I think what he said was reprehensible, stupid, and racist, it has really gotten a lot crazier than I thought it would be. I expected lots of scorn and apologies and threats of action, but i am surprised.

 

I honestly dont think Imus is racist, he just happened to say a racist thing. It might not make any sense, and it might not make it any better, but I dont think he is a hateful racist man.

[mr_genius]

lol

 

the best part is that Imus is the top news story for what he said. oh yes, this is BIG NEWS! weee!

[Texsox]

I was wondering if Imus had played a clip of a black comedian mentioning hos, if he would have received the same career death sentence.

 

I understand the "Mariotti" effect. I am like you so I can say something offense and you will laugh vs. I am not like you so if I say the exact same thing I'm the anti-Christ. I understand it, but I am starting to distance myself from the PC crowd. What happens to Imus should happen to the next person who makes similar statements, regardless of their color.

[StrangeSox]

lol

 

the best part is that Imus is the top news story for what he said. oh yes, this is BIG NEWS! weee!

 

Echoes my brief thoughts on the subject.

 

People who b**** about the media being biased need to focus on the more important issue: The media is just incompetent.

[WilliamTell]

I think what he said was terrible, but I've heard worse by him and by many others in the past. I think there has been an over reaction about this, if the media decides to target any story, it goes flying.

[T R U]

I didn't find anything wrong with what he said..

 

Mainly for the fact that is absolutely RIDICULOUS the way they are handling this. First of all, it was in jest. Secondly, if a black person had said it there wouldn't even be this big of an explosion over it.

 

This stuff only becomes a problem when a white person says it. Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, etc make racial jokes all the time yet they are on Comedy Central all the time. Same with all the other comedians who do the same thing, what makes Imus trying to make a joke any different? I just don't like the fact that people hardly make a fuss over when someone of that race makes a crack about their race but when it comes out of the mouth of someone who is not of that race its the end of the world.

 

I am tired of turning on the TV and seeing this story all over the place because he said "nappy headed hoes"

 

give me a break

[WilliamTell]

Mainly for the fact that is absolutely RIDICULOUS the way they are handling this. First of all, it was in jest. Secondly, if a black person had said it there wouldn't even be this big of an explosion over it.

 

 

That's the problem with America right now, and it's true to a certain extent. The only black person lately that has been outcasted was Tim Hardaway, but that was with sexuality, not on being racist.

[T R U]

That's the problem with America right now, and it's true to a certain extent. The only black person lately that has been outcasted was Tim Hardaway, but that was with sexuality, not on being racist.

 

With all the complaining the Rutgers coach did about the remarks being racist and degrading women blah blah maybe they haven't tuned into some of the rap/hip hop songs that have been played on the radio for decades.. The same stuff that Imus said has been said for years and years and this is like the first time I have seen it blown up like this..

 

I don't see them complaining about rappers or comedians, so why is it getting huge air time now? Because an old white man said it as a joke.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Shadows

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

This is just further proof of the double standard that exists in America. Blacks and Hispanics can say whatever they want to whenever they want to but if a white person says someting like that he's this evil person that deserves to have his career ruined. Typical political correctness bulls*** is what this is.

[NorthSideSox72]

I didn't find anything wrong with what he said..

 

Mainly for the fact that is absolutely RIDICULOUS the way they are handling this. First of all, it was in jest. Secondly, if a black person had said it there wouldn't even be this big of an explosion over it.

 

This stuff only becomes a problem when a white person says it. Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, etc make racial jokes all the time yet they are on Comedy Central all the time. Same with all the other comedians who do the same thing, what makes Imus trying to make a joke any different? I just don't like the fact that people hardly make a fuss over when someone of that race makes a crack about their race but when it comes out of the mouth of someone who is not of that race its the end of the world.

 

I am tired of turning on the TV and seeing this story all over the place because he said "nappy headed hoes"

 

give me a break

You didn't find anything wrong with what he said?!

 

Idiots like Imus should be able to be idiots on the air if they choose to (as long as its not on publically-funded airwaves). So I think whether or not he gets fired should be up to MSNBC, and its a matter of what kind of station they want to be. If they want to be taken seriously as a news channel, then Imus should be shown the door. If they just want viewership any way they can get it, then keep him around. Its just a business decision.

 

But on a personal level, how anyone can not find anything wrong with what he said is beyond me. What he said was classless and racist, and it was a slimey thing to say. It makes me dislike him even more than I already did. And that dovetails right into the business decision - what audience does MSNBC want? That ultimately should be the deciding factor for them. If its my decision, knowing that MSNBC seems to want to be taken seriously as a competitor for CNN and the like, then I would have fired Imus straight away.

 

As for Nuke's double standard... it does exist in some cases. But to be clear, if again I were running MSNBC, I wouldn't ever have morons who spout that crap on anyway, regardless of race.

[southsider2k5]

Race issues are every so much fun, they really bring out the hypocracy of the race card in America.

 

Think about this for a second, the two people who are most publically leading the charge against Imus, are two notorious racists themselves. Jackson and Sharpton both are on record as having said racist statements against Jews, but look at what they do now... They both lead religious and race-based organizations. Why aren't they willing to resign their positions to show how much they believe that racism is always wrong? Why isn't anyone really calling for them to do exactly what they are asking of Imus?

 

If you stop and look at the way the situation is being handled, its a part of the reason that racism still simmers in the US. You would expect people someone leading a religious organization to offering forgiveness to someone who has publically apologized on many occasions, and is asking to meet with the people he directly hurt, to apologize to them in person as well. You would also think that someone who is the leader of a race based organization to be trying to use this as an educational opportunity to address the latent racism that still exsists today in American society, by reaching out to someone like Imus and trying to make an example that the only way to overcome stereotypes and hate is through education. Instead they are totally both focused on the punative aspect of things. Its this hypocracy and double standard that totally invalidates the legitimacy of organizations like the ones Jackson and Sharpton run with a lot of America. Until you stop drawing lines in the sand, and become consistant on this issue, nothing is going to change.

[NorthSideSox72]

Race issues are every so much fun, they really bring out the hypocracy of the race card in America.

 

Think about this for a second, the two people who are most publically leading the charge against Imus, are two notorious racists themselves. Jackson and Sharpton both are on record as having said racist statements against Jews, but look at what they do now... They both lead religious and race-based organizations. Why aren't they willing to resign their positions to show how much they believe that racism is always wrong? Why isn't anyone really calling for them to do exactly what they are asking of Imus?

 

If you stop and look at the way the situation is being handled, its a part of the reason that racism still simmers in the US. You would expect people someone leading a religious organization to offering forgiveness to someone who has publically apologized on many occasions, and is asking to meet with the people he directly hurt, to apologize to them in person as well. You would also think that someone who is the leader of a race based organization to be trying to use this as an educational opportunity to address the latent racism that still exsists today in American society, by reaching out to someone like Imus and trying to make an example that the only way to overcome stereotypes and hate is through education. Instead they are totally both focused on the punative aspect of things. Its this hypocracy and double standard that totally invalidates the legitimacy of organizations like the ones Jackson and Sharpton run with a lot of America. Until you stop drawing lines in the sand, and become consistant on this issue, nothing is going to change.

Jackson and Sharpton may be "leading the charge", but who cares? I agree, its just two idiots going after another idiot. Why do we care what any of the three of them say?

 

I think the way to make diminish racism is to not make race an issue. To continue the analogy from before, if I'm running MSNBC, let's say for a second I don't really care about being a serious news outlet, and I want some goofy talk TV crap like Imus on my channel. OK. Mr. Imus, you go right ahead and make an ass of yourself. Jesse Jackson calls and says he's offended? OK, Mr. Jackson, you're known to be a racist jerk too, so we'll give you some air time as well. More money for me. But I'm not firing anyone.

 

Its about treating everyone with the same respect. If you don't want jerks in the room, then remove all the jerks regardless of race. If the jerks make you money, then by all means, keep them around (as long as taxpayer dollars are going to your racist jerks, which is a little different).

[whitesoxfan101]

I still don't understand how this is "racist". I think Imus deserved significant trouble due to the fact that saying "nappy headed hoes" (and it wasn't on accident, he said it more than once) is extremely sexist, but to say it's racist is a stretch. After all, in that same convo, he talked about how pretty the Tennessee team was, and they only played 1 white girl. Should he have got in trouble? Yes, but what he said was sexist for sure, and debateably (at best) racist.

 

I think his history of what he's said is what is going to get him fired and what lost him the MSNBC simulcast though. Also, this country has more black on white racism than it does the other way around, BY A MILE, but I'm a racist for saying that. The sooner african americans decry the "leadership" of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and quit making the kind of comments about whites that whites get killed for making about blacks, the sooner we see more racial progress.

Edited April 12, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[Texsox]

We embrace that double standard around here every time Jay Mariotti publishes a column that

A. Repeats what everyone here is saying

-and-

B. Is negative

We can say it because we are "fans" (same group) , he can't because he's not a fan (different group).

 

Now if we can embrace that on such piss ant stuff like is Bobby Jenks a good closer, we have to embrace it on something as important and life altering as racism in America. So I understand that aspect. And Imus is intelligent enough to understand the current climate in America. So he can't be surprised, he should have been more careful.

 

I would like to see the Black community, by whomever has some credibility with the younger population, clean up all those comments. They have targeted people from outside their community first, ok, you have flexed your muscle, you've been getting people fired for decades, now look within and clean that up as well. It removes the hypocrisy and sends a clearer message.

[whitesoxfan101]

http://www.kansascity.com/159/story/66339.html

 

COMMENTARY

Imus isn’t the real bad guy

Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.

By JASON WHITLOCK

Columnist

 

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

 

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

 

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

 

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

 

The bigots win again.

 

While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

 

I ain’t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

 

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

 

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

 

It’s embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.

 

I’m no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.

 

But, in my view, he didn’t do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That should’ve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, it’s only the beginning. It’s an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.

 

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.

 

Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

 

But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.

 

In the grand scheme, Don Imus is no threat to us in general and no threat to black women in particular. If his words are so powerful and so destructive and must be rebuked so forcefully, then what should we do about the idiot rappers on BET, MTV and every black-owned radio station in the country who use words much more powerful and much more destructive?

 

I don’t listen or watch Imus’ show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that it’s cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that they’re suckers for pursuing education and that they’re selling out their race if they do?

 

When Imus does any of that, call me and I’ll get upset. Until then, he is what he is — a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when you’re not looking to be made a victim.

 

No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. There’s no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.

 

Actually, Whitlock is just a rac....oh wait, he's black?? Darn, can't just fire him and make him go away for having this opinion. He's especially right about Rutgers, that self promoting press conference they held yesterday pretending to be hurt was an embarassment to their entire school.

 

Regardless of what Imus said and what should happen to him, if you are THAT offended over what somebody says, your the loser, period. This isn't 1961 where a racist comment could actually lead to you getting lynched or something. And in terms of the gangsta rap battle in racism, it is unwinable with as much money as that genre of music makes, unfortuately.

[Kid Gleason]

How bad was what he said? Well, when Michael Richards had his meltdown, quoting it in the papers looked like this:

 

"N****R!"

 

And on the TV and radio sounded like this:

 

"BEEP!"

 

What Imus said has been printed as this:

 

"Nappy headed ho's"

 

and has been printed as this:

 

"Nappy headed ho's"

 

Something funny is going on here.

 

I personally think his word choices there are silly.

[NorthSideSox72]

So ultimately, it was a business decision. Advertisers pulled out, MSNBC wants to be taken seriously and not be looked at as just shock jocks, interviewees like Obama refuse to return... so those things combined to one conclusion - fire Imus.

 

Sounds about right to me.

 

Now as for the media hos (yup, I called them hos) like Jackson following him around until he's never on the air again (which won't work), hey. Let them waste their time. I could care less.

[Texsox]

Too often we are trying to act like we are "suppose" to and not how we really feel. A REP makes a mistake, DEMs jump on them. Gore talks about the environment, and REPs have to attack. We *have* to. It might not be how we really feel, but we *have* to. It's expected.

[Jenksismyhero]

So ultimately, it was a business decision. Advertisers pulled out, MSNBC wants to be taken seriously and not be looked at as just shock jocks, interviewees like Obama refuse to return... so those things combined to one conclusion - fire Imus.

 

Sounds about right to me.

 

Now as for the media hos (yup, I called them hos) like Jackson following him around until he's never on the air again (which won't work), hey. Let them waste their time. I could care less.

 

 

This is the joke that is MSNBC: They hired the guy precisely because of the shocking things he says. Ten million people this week thought to themselves "Imus who? Hmm, I should check that out." He has said far worse in the past and MSNBC loved it. How can you buy that this was a business decision? WHO WOULD STOP LISTENING BECAUSE HE SAID THESE COMMENTS? 10 people? 20 people? Give me a break.

 

And that's the point. The reaction to this story is completely ridiculous. The media has taken it over. And why? Two words: White guilt. White people for some reason have to WANT to feel like this is the worst crime in the history of man. White people WANT to act (pull out their sponsorships, fire employees [http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_101163705.html], call for his firing, etc) this way because it makes them feel good, like they're somehow helping the cause. People jump on this bandwagon of slamming Imus because it makes them look good (

 

Which begs the question, do people even care? Do normal, everyday people care what he says? Or does the media 'create' these situations to get people interesting, to get people attracted to stories about it? If you polled the black community, how many would be hurt by these comments? How many people would sincerely care what the hell this Imus guy said? I bet less than 10%. Yet this is all we hear about. Morons like Jackson and Sharpton continue to stir the pot and impede any sort of progress we've made towards racial equality and acceptance. But to me the bigger morons are the white people who feel obligated to make something like this a story.