Don Imus made some totally unacceptable statements about the Rutgers' women's basketball team, which I won't repeat. He said they were "humor" gone wrong, no, they were out and out racism. Sure, Imus should be able to say what he wants, the problem is that he sells a product - words - for a company whose product consists of words and reaches a lot of people. He should get thumped for it, by his company, his audience, his advertisers, and others affected. But when Al Sharpton piles on a calls for his firing and states that apologies aren't enough, I begin to think I'm living in an alternate universe. Why? Tawana Brawley.
In 1987 15 year old Tawana Brawley disappeared and was found 4 days later in a garbage sack covered in dog feces with racial epithets scrawled on her. She claimed a gang of white policemen abducted her and raped her. Al Sharpton and others hopped aboard, claimed to be her "advisers" and managed to make statements that ended in a 1998 $395 million defamation suit victory for former prosecutor Steven Pagones. The whole mess was driven by race, black Tawana and white Pagones and Sharpton and Brawley's deceit.
I listened as Sharpton laid out Imus, be of no doubt, he had a scalping coming, and then brought in his daughter and asked Imus if she was a *** (no it's rude). At that particular moment I thought I might puke, I'm sure his daughter isn't but he has no grounds to complain about another man's speech. He used his in the most despicable manner to ruin men (and their families) dedicated to public service in order to advance Al Sharpton. He's pig. So is Imus. But pigs calling down pigs for being pigs is either too comical for belief or so sad and twisted as to bring tears. Imus betrayed himself as a racist, Sharpton has profited from being a racist for decades, one is somehow worse than the other? Maybe the Romans had the right idea, sew these two in a bag together and toss them in the Tiber.
Here's what's worse than those two, the media feeding frenzy about their meeting, like principle meets evil and dominates. Cough. Choke. We get "news" from these nitwits. I'm sorry, if I'd been covering that story I'd either have been laughing my butt off about it or foaming at the mouth - I'm still not sure which reaction this junk deserves. You decide, but I'm sure not going to pick sides between two self-serving pricks.
I don't like those *isms, whether it's race, sex, religion, nationality, what ever. I don't use them, I make an immediate determination about those who do, and I never let that stuff color my judgements of character or policy issues. I was raised to believe that racism and classism were uncivilized and stupid, I've extended my childhood teachings to include prejudice of any sort, but I'm afraid that also leaves me felling pretty intolerant of people like Al Sharpton and the media shills who puff him up.
10 comments:
What really did Imus say that wasn't true? If black america and rap choose to use these phrases, it is there own fault. Rappers complain that their art isn't understood. They claim that they are just telling the "TROOF." But suddenly when they get their own lingo reflected back at them, they take offence? The very same women THEY call "HOES" are suddenly now virtuous and worth of respect? Give me a break. I hate the lying liars and the scum that support their drek for politcal gain. No matter what color they are. Imus is a nutcase, but certainly no more racist than the very same BLACK MEN who gave our world such names to begin with. I say that 50 cent and Imus deserve each other. THey are one and the same. Both liars, both hypocritical shills. The real WHORES are the ones that use this sort of language for financial gain. And Sharpton is one of them as well. King of the Fools.
I'm not a rapper, I don't sympathize with them and you've made my point, it's stupid and uncivilized, whether it's Imus, Sharpton, or .....
All of the nationalities and races in the US have had a hand in the shaping of American English and US Slang, we're all responsible for the words and how we use them, I deliberately didn't use them, it's plain rude. I bang nails for a living with guys who do the same, the language can get pretty rough, that's not all that good on a jobsite, I can speak plainly and straightly here without using foul or rude language - right up to needing one for special emphasis. If it is used very sparingly, it gets your attention otherwise it's just another word.
It's unlikely that one of the lady athletes from Rutgers or their families would read this column, but there is absolutely no need to rub salt in the wound by repeating what Imus said.
BTW Anyoldmous, please give yourself a name of some sort, it makes is easier than Anon 8:41.
The shrillness of indignity is the idenity of both Imus and Sharpton. Decipering the content of their screaming is, in itself, futile.Imus is a jerk-off loud-mouth and has support from the same type jack-asses that listen and believe Rush Lambough. Al Sharpton, on the other hand, is the screamer who resonates with the uneducated black men/womem who wish to blame society on all their ills. The Blacks of this country certainly need a spokesman and a guardian of their freedoms..but loud-mouth Sharpton isn't the one.
Look at the bright side. Imus might have knocked Anna Nichol off the tube, 6 weeks late but maybe we can now move on to another idiotic American soap opera. Steve Culley
Imus' comments were racist and sexist. He should be fired, not given what amounts to a two-week vacation. Sometimes I forget that "Talk Show Radio Host" and "Complete Jerk" are often synonymous.
rhea,
Would you kill Freedom of Speech, because of one Bozo? How much of the Constitution would you want re-written? Hysteria tics are never an answer. Just turn him out and if enough people do this he will soon be unemployed.
Imus staying or getting fired isn't about free speech, he can write his own blog or stand on a street corner or whatever and say as he pleases. In this case he has an employer whose business is words and he's paid for that product, if the employer doesn't like the words - too bad; bye, bye.
Zumbo got the same deal, wrong set of words that the employer didn't feel the need to support.
Stupidly, media keeps ringing Sharpton in, wrong color racism I guess.
The point is, the employer hires a person who can bring in the money. That is why he will not be fired. 2 weeks from now Imus will be back as ever with his crowd of non-thinkers cheering for him. I'm sure his contract is much like Stern's with a freedom of speech clause. This was not " Fire In a Theater" like it or not and stupid it was, it is not grounds for firing.
What it comes down to is what his two employers are willing to have associated with their brand name. MSNBC let him go yesterday and CBS today. There is a world of difference between free speech and compensated speech, compensated speech doesn't differ one iota from compensated nail banging. I cannot afford to have shoddy workmanship, it's a firing offense, I'll pay for a mistake but not shoddy work. Imus did shoddy work for MSNBC & CBS Radio, so they said bye bye. If he wants to find an employer who'll pay for what he does, he probably can, just not as much as his previous bosses, or he could always do what I do, I won't get fired for this blog's speech since I'm it. I also get paid exactly squat.
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