Monday, April 09, 2007

Save Imus?

Unless you live under a rock you've heard the outcry from the Black Community this week concerning Don Imus and his recent remarks about the Rutgers Woman's Basketball team. If by some reason you haven't go here for the story.

Anyway, now the Black Community is outraged and calling for his job and I'm getting emails from NOW (The National Organization of Women) asking me to join their email campaign to have Imus fired from his job.

A few points I must make.....

1. Don Imus is a jackass. Always has been, always will be. I think what he said was disgusting and insensitive. With that said, he has every right as an American to say whatever he likes. It's called "freedom of speech" and the only thing it doesn't protect you from is PERSONAL taste. Imus has every right to say what he did and you have every right not to like it. However, you have no right to try and take away his livelihood because you don't agree with it.

2. I'll bet 90% of the people calling for his job today weren't even listening to his show when the comments were made. If he didn't need your support in the first place why should he or MSNBC care if they have it now?

3. The same people calling for his job are the very people who supported the Dixie Chicks last year and cheered when they won five Grammy Awards last month. The Chicks were slapped down and boycotted, threatened and almost lost their right to make a living because people didn't like something they said. You can debate the "level" but in the end it came down to people simply not liking what they said. Same thing, different day.

4. I heard a black sportswriter calling for the FCC to remove Imus from the air. For what? Did he curse? Say anything that violated FCC guidelines? No, he said something that offended you. The FCC doesn't have time to run around protecting people's feelings.

5. Al Sharpton is calling for Imus' job. Al Sharpton! One of the most corrupt people walking the planet. I'll tell you what Al, I will support your war on Imus as soon as you apologize to the Police officers in the Tawana Brawley case.

Saying you're sorry should work both ways.

6. As George Carlin once pointed out... "The Radio has TWO dials. One switches it off, the other changes the station!!!"

7. Imus is preaching to the choir every morning. In fact, his audience has increased by 33% during the past ratings period. His been saying this type of shit for YEARS and YEARS! People find it funny. Just because I'm not one of them doesn't mean I have the right to take away their chosen form of entertainment. No matter how disgusting I may find it. Again, personal taste.

8. I'm getting tired of the "leaders" in the black community that come out to condemn this type of speech while ignoring the current weeks hot rap cd. The one that came out using this exact same language against women of color. The black community in general needs to stop acting with "shock" and stop being "offended" every time a white person refers to them using language they LEARNED from black produced media. Hell, the first time I heard the "N" word just thrown around freely was on a NWA record when I was 12 years old. That word wasn't allowed in my house growing up. My mother wouldn't have it. The first time many white kids in these last two generations learned that language was when they bought a rap album, watched a stand up special, or watched a movie featuring it.

If I, as a white person, ran around selling and marketing records where I called every white man I saw a "honky" or white women "Cracker Ass, stringy-hair sluts" I wouldn't act "shocked" when it became a part of American pop culture. In fact, I would have only myself to blame.

9. I'm getting REALLY tired of white people finding this type of stuff funny! While the black community needs to do a better job representing themselves white people need to do a much better job just KNOWING better. This type of garbage is not funny. Those young women didn't deserve to be made fun of in that manner.

Ultimately, is it okay with me if Imus loses his job someday? Of course.

However, only when people make a choice to stop tuning in on their own. Not because some political group threatens his station or some black leader threatens the sponsors of the program. White men, the majority of his audience, need to step up and say "enough is enough"

In the end, all this backlash does is further prove we haven't come half as far as people like to believe we have in regards to race in this country. The fact that Imus has a huge following after years of this type of behavior only illustrates the point. Simply making it "go away" doesn't help solve the problems or work towards the solutions. We need people like Imus to serve wake up calls to those turning a blind eye to reality. He helps keep the conversation alive.

After all, simply choosing to pretend people like him don't exist doesn't make it so.

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15 Comments:

Blogger B. said...

Yes, Imus is an idiot. I agree with everything you say. I think you and I are both very thankful for freedom of speech and people just need to choose who and what they are going to listen to. I don't find the need to boycott things that are offensive. For example, I don't like the Dixie Chicks and what they stand for, but they make good music, so I listen to it. Many Christians also boycott Disney World because they have the gay parade and other events, but I would still take my kids there. Does that mean I support the gay parade? Nope, just means we want to ride some rides. ;)

5:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmm... Nappy Headed Ho's... sounds like NIGGER to me! Everybody knows racism is still very alive and kicking, and it always will be, because hate will always exist.

2:42 AM  
Blogger Papamoka said...

You are 100% correct when you describe him as an ass. He has called himself worse in the past and on the air. I find his comments offensive but then again every other sentence out of his mouth is "Shock Jock" material.

I'll still be listening to his show in two weeks and I can bet hard earned money on it that he will still be apologetic to the folks he offended.

Great post!

4:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

However, you have no right to try and take away his livelihood because you don't agree with it.

No, I have that right. As do you.

5:37 AM  
Blogger Mr. A said...

You have the right?

Why?

Because you are offended? Get over yourself. I'm so sick and tired of everyone in America thinking their personal feelings should matter.

If something offends you on the radio/TV change the channel....

Pretty simple

2:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

While Imus has the right to say anything he wants, when he says it on the public airwaves, I have the right to let advertisers know I will boycott their products if they support this kind of hateful, hurtful racist trash. If that means I'm taking away his livelihood, then perhaps one shouldn't earn his or her livelihood by spewing racist insults.

I don't listen to Imus' show. I don't have to to recognize his words are wrong. Even though he does wonderful, charitable things. Even if he only ever said one thing like this ever (which isn't the case, ask Gwen Ifel), his insults to the women on this basketball team let each Black member know that nothing they have achieved in their lives matters; to some members of the media, they will always be "nappy-headed hos" and can be reviled as such.

The comparison to the Dixie Chicks doesn't make sense. The Chicks were attacked for a political stance; Imus mocked an entire race of people. You really can't see the difference?

6:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with your comments. I have never liked Imus, but I think that stems from Howard Stern. Lets see, I don't like Imus...I do not listen to Imus. What a concept.

I think Al Sharpless is a COMPLETE ASS and that he does more to harm the African American population than anything else. He is a 2 faced, lying P.O.S. BUT he is also allowed to have his say, no matter how much I disagree with it... Again, I don't like Al Sharpless...I do not listen to Al Sharpless.

The BIG difference between Al & Imus is that (after some prodding and bad media) Imus took complete responsibility for what he said, even so far as to go on Al's radio to apologize. Has Al EVER taken responsibility for the Twana Brawley issue. Here are a few other "incidents" that were the result of Al's "fight against racism":

--Racial agitator and Founder of the National Action Network
--Incited an anti-Jewish riot in Crown Heights in 1991 in which a Jewish student was lynched
--Convicted of libel for his role in the Tawana Brawley hoax
--Incited anti-Semites against Freddy's Mart which was burned by one of Sharpton's followers killing seven people.

This man is a disgrace to ALL races. At least Imus was man enough to take responsibility for his hate-speech ON Al's radio show.

8:54 PM  
Blogger Mr. A said...

"The comparison to the Dixie Chicks doesn't make sense. The Chicks were attacked for a political stance; Imus mocked an entire race of people. You really can't see the difference?"

I think I pointed out a difference when I mentioned the "level" of the speech in question.

My basic point remains.... People in this country have this expected right to be protected against any type of speech they simply don't like. That's not the point of the 1st admendment... It's there protect ALL TYPES OF SPEECH! Especially unpopular speech.

Your right that the Dixie Chicks aren't the same thing. They actually had it MUCH MUCH worse than Imus does right now. They received death threats...

In the end we are talking about the same thing. People saying things that are unpopular to a group of people. Racial or political it still is just unpopular speech.

I agreed with The Chicks and defended them here. I disagreed with Ann Coulter and defended her here. And I certainly disagree with Imus but also will defend his rights here.

At the very least I'm consistent with my stance. Freedom of speech shouldn't be subjected to personal taste.

You have every right to not listen to his show and not buy products from companies that advertise on it. You can express yourself freely in any way you see fit. However, this idea that someone can "demand" another person's job because they don't agree with them is absolutely insane.

There's plenty of people I could do without in America. Hell, all of Fox "news" could go off the air and I'd be a happy guy. However, I would never demand that it did. I would simply exercise my right not to watch.

9:42 PM  
Blogger No1ofConsequence said...

As always, when trying to make my poinbt about a complicated issue, the great Aaron Sorkin says it better than I:

From The American President:

America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's
gonna put up a fight. It's gonna
say, "You want free speech? Let's
see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising
his right to burn that flag in
protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
------------------

The First Amendment can't just protect the speech we like. It has to protect all speech, or it protects none.

7:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG IMUS WAS GOING TO GET FIRED BUT OVER POLITICAL THINGS HE SAYS ABOUT CHENEY BUSH AND THE REST OF THE GROUP AND HE MAKES HIMSELF HEARD ,THIS WAS A WAY TO GET HIM OFF THE SHOW PERIOD
IMUS IS AN ASS YES MOST OF THE TIME BUT HE HAS COPD ,,AND I KNOW PEOPLE THAT HAVE IT SAY STUFF OUT LOAD AND HALF THE TIME THEY DONT KNOW WHY OR WHEN THEY SAID IT BECAUSE THE OXYGEN ISNT WORKING ,,,,,,,,
BUT TO FIRE SOME ONE FOR SAYN A SLURRED WORD THAT WOULD BE TO FIRE HALF OF TV ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
BOY I WATCH FOLKS ALL THE TIME CALL EACH OTHER THE N WORD AND MORE AND HOS AND BIATCHES ALL THE TIME
SO WE KEEP FIRING ANYONE THAT SPEAKS OUT ON TV ,WHAT WILL WE HAVE LEFT BUT LIMBAUGH THE DRUG ADDICT ,TUCKER THE RETARDED BOY THAT IS PAID TO SAY WHAT EVER THEY TELL HIM TOO OR ORIELY THE WORSE RACIST IN AMERICA
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS GONE IN AMERICA

10:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh boy where to begin. I've been hearing the free speech argument being tossed about a lot lately in reference to Imus. Yes Imus has a right to say whatever he wants, no matter how stupid. However, what the first amendment DOES NOT do is say that we must provide him a platform to say what he wants. If MSNBC or WFAN want to fire Imus, they are FULLY ENTITLED to fire him based on what he said. They are not in any way, legally or morally, obligated to provide him a vehicle to spew racist or hateful comments. That being said, that's what he's been doing all along, so he probably should not be fired for this. Now if all the advertisers pull out and it is their free speech right to not sponsor this ass clown, then the company has a business reason to fire him.

Al Sharpton - apologize for blasting the Duke lacrosse players? It will never happen.

Racism is a complicated matter in this country and if you want to really stamp it out, it should be met with equal disdain across all groups. Right now it seems there are only a few "protected" groups that will cause outrage. Then there are others for which there is no retribution whatsoever for remarks made against them - white people, asians, indians, arabs, the list goes on. For those who blasted Imus I just hope that you are equally appalled by similar jokes made by Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, and others... (by the way, if you are going to say well they are comedians, well Imus is supposed to run a comedy show, even if it's not funny).

11:38 AM  
Blogger hotwire said...

your point 3 and 5 are spot on - nice job.

2:29 PM  
Blogger JT said...

Here's the deal. People say stupid shit all the time. I find lots of stuff funny, maybe things I shouldn't, but I also find somethings offensive. I don't not push my views on others - but believe in the right to voice my views, even if the world thinks they are wrong.

Honesly, I don't give a rats ass what Imus said or didn't say. I don't listen to Imus because I think he's a moron and even if I did agree with anything he might have said over the years, doesn't matter, I don't like him, so I don't listen.

My only issue with all this stuff is children because children are not born racist, or judgmental, or anything like that, it's all learned/taught behavior. As a mother of three - I don't not want my children hearing such garbage, so, how do I deal with that in the land of the free? Well, it's simple, it's out there and I'd be a fool if I thought my teenagers or even my 10 year old hadn't heard about what Imus said, so It's my job as a parent to deal with it and make sure they understand that Imus can say what he wants, but that doesn't mean it's right and we dont have to listen to it if we don't want to.

I guess my point is - being politically correct really defeats the purpose of living in a free society. Yes, we have to have laws, rules and we need to obide by them, but if you what to hate me because I'm white, a woman or just because I have a big ass, go ahead, I don't care.

1:45 PM  
Blogger Jenny G said...

Everyone has already pretty much said what I think. I agree with you 100%, as usual: if you don't like something, turn it off. I'm also pretty sure that Imus was fired as more of a business move than an actual caring about his remarks move. The stations don't want to lose sponsors. This has given Imus more popularity than he has had in ages. Al Sharpton is an anti-semitic shit stirrer.

12:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I'm "old" and I've listened to IMUS for 30 years and heard him insult just about everyone walking the face of the earth ... but I stand firm on his "right to say it," even if I cringe at some of it. Now, the important point I'd like to make: When Catrina hit, IMUS was leading the band everyday pointing out that help would have arrived a lot sooner in a rich, white area -- and he was right! His ranch for cancer kids doesn't just serve WHITE kids, it serves ALL kids -- what has "Reverend" AL done for sick kids lately? Not to mention his raising millions for Hackensack Hospital and Autism Research. Does one thing have anything to do with the other? Yes, it does. This man said a stupid thing -- and hurt some innocent "victims" of his remark, but I do not believe for one minute that he is a racist, nor do I believe that he owes AL SHARPTON or JESSE JACKSON spit.

5:33 PM  

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