I'm not a big fan of Don Imus. His stock in trade is being obnoxious, rude, egotistical and self-serving. But he's made a career of it and a lot of fans listen to him every day.

He has been allowed to get away with outrageous comments mainly because he is a hip liberal who "gets it". He, like others, are given a pass because he supports many liberal causes and lets many liberal newspeople, authors and celebrities on his show to rant.

So I have to ask myself...why now? Why after all these years do so-called Black leaders and the media decide it's time to take him down?

Who would benefit from the removal of Imus from his position of power and influence?

Here are the two I have come up with:

1) Hillary Clinton.
I haven't listened to his show for a long time. But I seem to remember that Imus was not a big fan of Hillary. This attack job on him looks like the type of backstabbing technique she is famous for. Using her influential friends to destroy someone. Perhaps she felt threatened enough by Imus to have his influence and possibly career evaporated before the election.

2) Proponents of Anti-Talk Radio.
Those wishing for the return of the "Fairness Doctrine" might be using Imus as their poster boy of why talk radio nees to be reigned in. If radio stations, they argue, won't prevent talk radio hosts from spewing hate on the air...then the gov't must step in and do it. It's interesting who they slected as their first target... a fellow left-winger.

So what is behind this? Did Imus really go too far this time? Is is just race-whining.. or something else?

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 10:58 AM. Reason : .]

4/10/2007 10:45:16 AM

I was wondering this:

Both (MS)NBC and CBS (Radio) have banned/suspended him for 2 weeks

Is the intention of this primarily to:

1. Give a halfassed apology to appease things temporarily, then hope people will have forgotten 2 weeks later?

or

2. Give in to temporary pressure for whatever reasons, but not fire him because due to the national coverage of the story, it should help ratings when he does come back on the air?

4/10/2007 10:48:22 AM

I think we should just put him and sharpton in a small room together for a few hours and let 'em take each other out.

Quote :

"then the gov't must step in and do it."

what do ya know, more government regulation....

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 10:52 AM. Reason : .]

4/10/2007 10:51:43 AM

I missed what he said.

4/10/2007 11:25:16 AM

Quote :

"On his "Imus In The Morning" show on April 5, 2007, he referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." He was talking to Sid Rosenberg with Sports Talk on the phone about the Women's NCAA Championship game. Imus started out talking about the Rutgers team as, "some rough girls from Rutgers. They got tattoos," and then went on to call them "some nappy-headed hos." The conversation then went on to compare the game to (Rutgers versus Tennessee) "the jigaboos versus the wannabes"

4/10/2007 11:28:53 AM

this is really some tinfoil hat shit. he's said racist things before and gotten in trouble for it. not this bad, but it's happened. this time it got out of hand and he got punished for it. what is there to say? and wasn't it the republican administration who was demanding a more "balanced" public television/radio a couple of years ago?

4/10/2007 11:34:33 AM

So now he is in full apologize vehemently to Sharpton/Jackson yet nothing is good enough for them mode?

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 11:41 AM. Reason : he]

4/10/2007 11:35:48 AM

how did imus get punished for this? 2 weeks paid vacation? oh noes!

4/10/2007 11:41:50 AM

I find it amusing that no womens groups are pissed off.

So apparently, you can call a bunch of women hos (which I'm sure none of them are actually prostitutes), but you throw in "nappy-headed" (which it is a possibility that some of them may have hair that would qualify as "nappy", I don't know we'd need pictures) and suddenly its unacceptable.

So it is ok to call women names, as long as they aren't black women. Gotcha.

4/10/2007 11:46:23 AM

Go on, kiss it. Apologize.

4/10/2007 11:49:10 AM

^^

Quote :

"Women also came to the Scarlet Knights' defense Tuesday, insisting that the flap over Imus' remarks was not solely about race. "There's no question that this was so wrong on so many levels: racist, sexist, misogynistic," said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. "

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 11:50 AM. Reason : doh ^^]

4/10/2007 11:50:15 AM

why is "nappy headed" a black identifier and therefore a racist comment? I don't know about anyone else, but when I hear nappy headed I think of dreadlock sporting hippies, not black people.

4/10/2007 11:50:59 AM

^^ Ok, that wasn't in any of the previous posts. But has he been forced to apologize to any womens groups yet? My point is, you get a lot more flack for some mildly racist comment versus a statement that is clearly degrading to a woman.

4/10/2007 11:58:35 AM

I think he generally apologized to all groups he offended. That quote was from an article on CNN fyi, nothing from the post so I wasn't saying you should of known that.. just informing.

I do agree though, Sharpton and all the black leaders get their panties in a wad over a statement that was probably racist ("nappy headed" gimmi a break) but more sexist than anything. But very little is said about the sexist part of it.

4/10/2007 12:04:04 PM

maybe Imus shouldve nutted up when he was on Sharpton's radio show yesterday and asked him why its ok to call white people devils and things like that

4/10/2007 12:06:55 PM

Or at least ask Sharpton how he can be a reverend in good standing while he refuses to forgive him despite several apologies.

4/10/2007 12:08:52 PM

I think Imus' troubles are a simple case of the responsibility of free speech. Sure, you can say whatever you want, but if you're dumb enough to say something as stupid as he did on the air, you shouldn't be surprised when you've got advocacy groups calling for your head.

My guess is that MSNBC and CBS are going to have him lay low for a while. If things subside, then they'll bring him back. If things get worse (sponsors start pulling out for example), then they'll probably take an axe to him.

4/10/2007 12:13:38 PM

which brings me back to this

Quote :

"Both (MS)NBC and CBS (Radio) have banned/suspended him for 2 weeks Is the intention of this primarily to: 1. Give a halfassed apology to appease things temporarily, then hope people will have forgotten 2 weeks later? or 2. Give in to temporary pressure for whatever reasons, but not fire him because due to the national coverage of the story, it should help ratings when he does come back on the air? "

4/10/2007 12:17:43 PM

Quote :

"then they'll probably take an axe to him. "

then hopefully we'll get a decent morning show on 850.

4/10/2007 12:17:46 PM

I've listened to what he said how he said it... and honestly I think this is being blown WAY out of proportion. It was said in a joking non-menacing way. The redneck was trying to act black with a typical racist statement spoken by thousands of blacks all the time. Blacks being a general term refering to ALL black people.

This PC bullshit is getting to me. You don't ever hear about all the racist statements said by prominent black people in similar positions. Now... if he had said "Them ashey nappy head niggers" then yes. That would DEFINITELY deserve the backlash he is experiencing.

I agree what he said wasn't funny. I've never been a fan... but he doesn't deserve this. Period.

4/10/2007 12:21:22 PM

How many of his listeners give a shit? If he still gets the same ratings(which I am guessing are good) why would they pull him? Because some thin-skinned jerk-offs get in a hissy fit about one sentence he has spoken over how many years he has been on the air?

Tyranny of a vocal minority. Let the ratings speak for themselves, people don't like it they can boot him off the air by not listening...

4/10/2007 12:29:24 PM

Quote :

"1. Give a halfassed apology to appease things temporarily, then hope people will have forgotten 2 weeks later? or 2. Give in to temporary pressure for whatever reasons, but not fire him because due to the national coverage of the story, it should help ratings when he does come back on the air?"

i'd say it's both

4/10/2007 12:54:16 PM

Imus should have told them to fuck off, its free speech, its not racist and if you don't like it, go suck my dick. The other "shock jocks" (Imus started as a shock jock too) of Stern and O&A are both saying the same damn thing, he shouldn't have apologized.

He shoulda asked Al Sharpton about fucking Tawana Brawley and why we should have any respect for Al Sharpton. But he really should have never taken the invite to the Sharpton show. He shoulda done like Rudi did, and never entertain shit with Al Sharpton. Don't give him the power over you. If there was such outrage about this, when Sharpton had a rally in front of the Chicago NBC building Monday (ironic since Imus works out of NYC not Chicago) they would have had more than about 50 people show up. I guess all the other outraged black people were at work already, right? Or maybe it was too early for them to get up.

I think its bullshit and I hate the PCing of the American airwaves to this safe, unfunny, unoriginal drivel. At least with satellite and the impending merger I will have fucking Stern, Opie & Anthony, and Ron & Fez to listen to some edgy material instead of this bland, family friendly, make you fall asleep at the wheel and drive into a bridge abuttment garbage that they are trying to force down our throats on terrestrial radio. Fuck PC and apparently fuck the First Amendment too.

BTW, I thought it was funny that Whoopi would condemn Imus for being insensitive and racist, yet when somebody brought up the fact she defended Ted Danson for doing racial comedy in blackface and asked her the difference, she immediately hung up. This double standard in society today makes me want to fucking vomit on the liberal PC police.

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 1:13 PM. Reason : ]

4/10/2007 1:12:26 PM

First off lemme say that I don't even like Imus.

This is such bullshit and hypocritical of Sharpton. I can't wait till that man has passed on. He does nothing for no one, only helps himself.

I had no idea that "nappy" had racial connotations. Good thing I didn't pull a Randall from Clerks II (with his porch monkey usage).

4/10/2007 1:16:46 PM

oh good grief isn't there any real news. Who cares what Imus says anyways. If they really wanted to punish him they'd stop talking about it, that only helps his show in the long run.

4/10/2007 1:17:21 PM

Quote :

"Who cares what Imus anyone says anyways."

4/10/2007 1:19:25 PM

Funny little fact, his studio is less than a mile from my apt at Astoria-Kaufman studios. Hope there aren't any angry blacks disrupting my neighborhood

4/10/2007 1:20:33 PM

I consider myself somewhat liberal and even I agree this is horseshit. Imus has said a lot more controversial things than this. As for Sharpton, he shouldn't even be allowed to speak based on his role in the Tawana Brawley hoax.

4/10/2007 1:21:06 PM

What's it with black people and this racism issue? They want it to end, but keep drawing it out by bringing attention to every little detail. Everything would be so much better if you guys started acting like asians. We don't go around making whiny baby remarks and take hissy fit actions because some redneck thinks we're short and bad at driving.

Racism is a norm. You'll even find it in Asia where everyone is asian. It's just how people are. Look at the world, we're evil in nature. By bringing national attention to the fact, you're just throwing fuel on the fire.

4/10/2007 1:21:29 PM

^Exactly. When Azns get down, they just go to the beach and blow their brains out.

4/10/2007 1:42:17 PM

^ come on now.

4/10/2007 1:44:27 PM

but in the end this is all stupid. this is a private company they can listen to whomever they choose and fire/suspend whomever they choose.

4/10/2007 1:56:41 PM

i dont even get how "nappy headed hos" is racist to be perfectly honest

[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 2:02 PM. Reason : maybe its cause i listen to three 6 mafia or something]

4/10/2007 2:02:23 PM

I hate Imus and his show


but this is bullshit

someone in the media needs to call out Sharpton for his crap

4/10/2007 2:10:53 PM

Quote :

"The conversation then went on to compare the game to (Rutgers versus Tennessee) "the jigaboos versus the wannabes""

This is the far more offensive part IMO. The few stories I read about this did not mention it, but a quick Google search confirms he said it. "Nappy headed hos" is hardly worth making a big deal about, but "jigaboo" is an ethnic slur and he should've known better.

4/10/2007 2:28:13 PM

Quote :

"What's it with black people and this racism issue? They want it to end, but keep drawing it out by bringing attention to every little detail. Everything would be so much better if you guys started acting like asians. We don't go around making whiny baby remarks and take hissy fit actions because some redneck thinks we're short and bad at driving. Racism is a norm. You'll even find it in Asia where everyone is asian. It's just how people are. Look at the world, we're evil in nature. By bringing national attention to the fact, you're just throwing fuel on the fire."

4/10/2007 2:36:29 PM

I agree on the fact that if nobody else (including Sharpton) associated black people with nappy headed, it would not have been interpreted as racist. Tying an insult back to a race due to interpretation does nothing to help us "overcome modern day racism" or whatever else they are crying.


But "jigaboos" might have been racist. No?

4/10/2007 2:36:46 PM

People get offended too easily in this country.

Guys like Al Sharpton are a relic from another time, when race-based politics were the norm and civil rights were still a debated issue.

Nowadays he doesn't have much left to do except overreact whenever someone makes a racially insensitive comment about blacks.

4/10/2007 2:39:03 PM

jigaboos is way more offensive in my opinion than "nappy headed hos"

i mean shit i tell my mama she a nappy headed ho

4/10/2007 3:12:24 PM

Quote :

"People get offended too easily in this country."

exactly

i wonder if i should call some white "reverends" if a black talk show host had called the tennessee team a bunch of "straight haired sluts"

4/10/2007 3:36:59 PM

Quote :

"Go on, kiss it. Apologize."

Once again South-Park is relevant

did any of y'all see the press conference around lunchtime today?

4/10/2007 5:17:00 PM

Quote :

"I consider myself somewhatvery liberal and even I agree this is horseshit."

What he said was stupid, and it clearly offended some people, but it's not like he was saying it in a hateful way or anything. I dunno. Get the sand out of your collective vaginas.

4/10/2007 6:15:03 PM

It must be a slow news/sports day because this is the leading story on ESPN right now.

I agree with others, Sharpton and Jackson have both made racist remarks in the past, as if they're some authority or the leaders of blackdom everywhere.

What Imus said was stupid, there's no doubt about that. But the backlash is bigger than the actual comments. Imus says crap like this all the time with regards to people's looks and such.

4/10/2007 6:40:27 PM

Quote :

"i wonder if i should call some white "reverends" if a black talk show host had called the tennessee team a bunch of "straight haired sluts""

hahaha

isn't it the truth though

4/10/2007 6:46:17 PM

Quote :

"People get offended too easily in this country."

/entire debate

4/10/2007 6:46:54 PM

Quote :

"He has been allowed to get away with outrageous comments mainly because he is a hip liberal who "gets it". He, like others, are given a pass because he supports many liberal causes and lets many liberal newspeople, authors and celebrities on his show to rant."

Imus isn't a liberal. he may have voted for kerry in 04, but he isn't a liberal.

4/10/2007 7:49:31 PM

he voted for kerry...wow, wouldnt have guessed that...he endorsed mccain for 2008

4/10/2007 8:19:00 PM

Jackson and Sharpton are quickly becoming satires of themselves.

4/10/2007 8:51:01 PM

^becoming? I think they have for a long time. They just make things worse.

4/10/2007 8:53:46 PM

Where do they get the money to fly around to all the weekly racial crises?

Also, "Why Is the Show "Imus in the Mourning" Upsetting Liberals So?"




[Edited on April 10, 2007 at 9:05 PM. Reason : .]

4/10/2007 9:04:28 PM