Political Correctness: Make a Judgment

I cannot for a moment excuse Imus of racism. His remark was obviously contemptuous, and describing them as "hos" was about as deep as contempt can get. Referring to "nappy" heads an only be a reference to appearance, an appearance which is unique to people of their ethnic heritage. There are, of course, no separate races--however, the implication of a racial slur is clear (at least it is to me), and the contemptuous intent is also clear.

Imus will likely remain popular--as for "moving on," though, one can never escape that he reacted contemptuously to a group of people, with a vicious characterization which specifically insults women, and a reference which can only apply to women of that ethnic origin. You can't get beyond hateful contempt, it will always be there. Given Imus' age, i doubt that this will provide any lesson which can overcome a lifetime of secretly nourishing such a contempt.

Ok, I have a bit more of a problem with this, as it seems to show a pattern -- nappy-headed ho's being the icing on the cake. It's possible Imus got carried away while being in the company of people who clearly have a problem (in public anyway) with black women. You know that saying about lying down with dogs and all.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704040011

Well, while I still don't condone or defend the term Imus used--it was inexcusable and he admits it was inexcusable--I would look a bit deeper into the references cited by Mediamatters. I have not found them to be a particular careful source in their interpretation of existing facts.

There's not much interpreting going on in that citation so I don't have any reason to suspect it.

When I initially read Imus's comments, I thought he was actually saying that the girls looked rough and tough, and I didn't take that as malicious when directed toward basketball players. And for all I know, that is what he meant. But the other two on his show appear to have real issues. Granted, I don't watch or listen to his show so what do I know.

Unless the team is made up, excusively, of sluts with nappy heads; he was being racist.

Imus is an idiot. Does that really surprise anyone?

No, not particularly McGentrix, but let's not pretend that pronouncing him "an idiot" ties everything up into something that all us reasonable folks can digest and forget. If someone inconsequential in the public domain like, say, you - said something like he did, we could call you an idiot and drive on - no big whoop. Imus is the host of one of the most poular radio shows in history, that has regular visits from major political and media figures. Yeah, he's "an idiot" - and that doesn't suprise me - and although that may cover it for you - it doesn't for most others in this country, it seems.

Imus suspended
MSNBC gave Don Imus a slap on the wrist by suspending his show for two weeks.

Imus has a long history of flinging racial slurs at a variety of people. Before his latest attack on female African-American athletes, he screamed at New Mexico Governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson, "Imus called Richardson a "fat sissy" and a "fat baby" and then, in Spanish, invited the governor to kiss his rear end -- "Beso mi culo!"

Imus' so called comedy is tainted with racial slurs. He should grow up and be more creative, which may be beyond his comic talents.

BBB

Don Imus was born in Riverside, California. His father was an alcoholic and his family moved around the American Southwest a great deal. As a child, Imus escaped family tensions by reading books and listening to deejay Wolfman Jack on the radio. In high school, he was impeached as class president for behaving like a dictator. His parents finally separated during this time.

Imus served in the Marine Corps from 1957-1959. According to an interview in Vanity Fair, he dropped out of school while living in Prescott, Arizona and joined the Marines, transferring from an artillery unit to play the bugle in the Drum and Bugle Corps. According to the article, Imus received an honorable discharge, despite the time when he and a buddy stole the stars off a general's jeep and put them on their own vehicle.

Imus subsequently had a series of unsuccessful jobs as a miner, gas station attendant, railway brakeman and aspiring rock star.

BBB, "beso mi culo" can't be right. That says "I kiss my ass." Well, maybe it was a confesson.

I'm following Free Duck's train of thought...

I'm not sure, myself, that no whitey ever can say such a thing, say, about a longtime pal where respect is clear beforehand, in some kind of personal taunt trading, but I'm creeped out with the "company he kept", just like blasts in pathologic blood smears... the get along sling **** thing reveals a lot, if only getalongness.

On the other hand, I don't listen to Imus, though I've heard him once or twice, years ago, and I'm not sure - there might have been an element of the sardonic going on there. I don't pick that up, though. But maybe that was the tenor of it. Is this even not so much or not entirely anti-black, but anti-Les with overtones of racism?


Further, it has been in the news here fairly recently that Gov. Richardson and Imus are back on good terms. Richardson has trouble enough without a notable supporter virtually electrocuting himself.

Set said...



I would disagree with this statement.
Two of the people calling for his head now have both made racist statements,and they both seem to have won the approval of the masses.

This in no way excuses what Imus said,and I do think he should be suspended for a short time for it,but lets be real about the situation.

It is possible to make racist comments and move on afterwards.
I give you Jesse Jackson and his "hymietown" remark,and everything Al Sharpton said about the Tawana Brawley affair.
Both of them made extremely racist statements,yet both of them have "moved on" to become the leading spokesmen for their respective causes.

So,while Imus is an idiot and a fool for his comments,I do believe that he will "move on" and continue his carreer.

This brings up showbusiness as such, and its mix of hyperbole and comedy and the serious.

So... me, for example. I got all mad at Slappy years ago for digs about midgets. At some point I caught on that was in the humor forum, doh. But I still don't like the digs, even out of the humor section; I just get over myself, in that I also think, at the same time, that anything can be fodder for humor, and maybe healthier for it.

Was this a humor toss or a deeply felt bias expression? I don't know, as I'm no Imus expert. In any case, molto stupido, missing antennae.

I just noticed BBB's comment, which fills me in a bit.

LOL besa mi culo

I'm probably being a bit too conspiratorial here, but I suspect that Sharpton and Imus are working together to increase their exposure. They both thrive on publicity in whatever form it takes.

Like the staged debate between O'Reily and Geraldo Rivera.

Imus should pay reparations to that team.

So far nobody here on A2K is defending Imus for what he said. We all think it is off limits humor and indefensible. But there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who gets fired or demoted or whatever over things like this. Some people make outrageous, obscene, racial, whatever remarks and are criticized but not punished. The matter drops and everybody moves on. Others aren't forgiven for a single offense and it destroys their career.

I am no Imus fan and other than pausing very briefly if he happens to have an interesting guest on when I'm zipping through, I don't watch or listen to him. But all things considered among the unacceptable and outrageous stuff that gets said or that passes for 'entertainment' these days, this was relatively mild by comparison and was obviously not intended to be malicious in any way.

Who among us caught up in a moment or in a spirited conversation has not said something we needed to apologize for? And being a crude dude is encouraged in some circles these days. I hate that too, but it is nevertheless the way it is.

Personally, I think his public apology was sufficient. It would be a classy thing if he also sent over flowers and a sincere personal apology to the young ladies, but that should end it and would be a more persuasive lesson to others than everybody getting all in an uproar and overreacting and creating resentment in other ways instead of being constructive.

This is unlikely to become an uncommon issue, however.

A SHOCKER! JOCKS WON'T ZIP IT
BY DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, April 10th 2007, 4:00 AM

Neither the outrage over Don Imus' "nappy-headed ho's" crack nor the sight of a subdued and uncomfortable Imus making an apology tour seems likely to tone down his fellow edgy radio hosts.

Imus yesterday promised that his own show will change and some topics will become off-limits for humor, like, presumably, women's basketball teams.

But the JV and Elvis show on WFNY (92.3 FM) was already making "nappy-headed ho" jokes yesterday, and JV said it's almost impossible to draw strict content lines outside of Federal Communications Commission-prohibited areas like cursing.

"You're going 100 miles an hour on radio," he said. "You want to have fun, you're just making observations - how someone looks, how they talk."

Almost anything said in that kind of free-range context, he suggested, will offend somebody.

He and Elvis said their reaction to the Imus flap was, "What's the big deal? It's a joke."

Bob Grant, famously fired from WABC in 1995 over a comment about the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, said yesterday the freedom to say controversial things is essential, but also inevitably leads to verbal missteps.

"Everything doesn't come out the way you want," he said. "There were many times when I'd be going home and say to myself, 'What the hell did I say that for?' But that's the pace you work at. That's what people don't take into account."

Howard Stern of Sirius Satellite Radio, no fan of Imus but a big fan of unrestricted content, yesterday mocked Imus' apology.

"He's apologizing like a guy who got his first broadcasting job," said Stern. "He should have said, 'F--k you, it's a joke.'"

Whoopi Goldberg, morning host on WKTU (103.5 FM), wasn't laughing.

What Imus said "p---ed me off," she said. "But when you talk like he does, it comes back to bite you in the butt. How do you explain you're not a racist?"

Still, she said, "Firing isn't the issue. He didn't do anything illegal. Just morally reprehensible."

Morning hosts Amy Goodman and Deepa Fernandes on WBAI (99.5 FM) both featured segments condemning Imus' comments, and the Jeff Foxx show on WKRS (98.7 FM) urged listeners all morning to flood Imus' bosses with complaints.

And Bob Pickett of WKRS spent the morning outside MSNBC studios in Secaucus, N.J., urging workers to support Imus' dismissal.

On the other end, Opie and Anthony of WFNY, who have a friendly rapport with Imus, mostly joked about the case.

Anthony said a black host could have said what Imus did, criticizing what he called "a double standard."

Imus also picked up an endorsement from Star, ex-morning host at WQHT and WWPR.

"Don Imus is a national treasure," said Star, "and people better get over it."
SOURCE

He'd probably get more support if he didn't look like a scrotum with ears.

Or was black.

I am more pissed about "hos"--and the gender angle. Nappy headed isn't a problem for me--my family used to use that term when our kid's hair is not groomed...

Referring to the women's team as hos pisses me off in a major way.

Bastard.