MSNBC has caved in to pressures from The Reverend Al Sharpton and The Reverend Jesse Jackson and has suspended Don Imus’ show, Imus in the Morning.
It seems that Imus and/or one of his staff called the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team a bunch of ‘nappy headed hos’. For this, Sharpton and Jackson have been protesting, marching and demanding Imus’ head on a platter.
Here’s the thing. That’s Imus’ shtick. My Beloved Curmudgeon thinks Imus is hilarious and so I get ready for work every morning with Imus’ show in the background. I think some of his stuff is funny. I think some of his stuff sounds mean. Some of it I don’t get at all. All of it is just a morning shock-jock show that’s been around for 30 years.
If you heard the exchange that lead to the comment that has been misquoted repeatedly on the air, you would know that Imus and his crew were discussing the upcoming game. They were talking about the Rutgers women having tattoos and looking ‘rough’. Was that nice? No. Was it what Imus usually does on his show? Yes. What is racial? I doubt it.
The news headlines have gone from Imus insulting the Rutgers women’s basketball team to him insulting all Black women.
I have heard Imus and his crew insult everybody at one time or the other. I didn’t know that anything was off limits for him to insult, make fun of or laugh at. Apparently, there is.
Which brings me to Rosie O’Donnell. Why is no one demanding she be taken off the air or punished for her hate-filled rants? She insults everybody, picks fights with whoever she doesn’t like, makes viscous fun of Asians and is in general disgusting. She is held up as an example of tolerance and free speech.
Imus seems like a basically nice guy and almost always backs up and apologizes when he says something particularly mean sounding. Rosie never apologizes and makes up ‘facts’ to back up her hate-filled rants.
I know Sharpton and Jackson haven’t had anything to march over in a while, but they seem to be reaching on this. I’m not defending Imus, he’s a big boy and can defend himself. He plays in the mud and gets dirty sometimes.
What standards are used to determine what is over the line and what isn’t? What can television personalities insult and what should they steer clear of? Are there some groups that are okay to insult? For instance Rosie’s traitorous remarks and making fun of Asians or Jesse Jackson referring to New York Jews as ‘Hymietown’. Are there others that no one should mention if they look ‘rough’, such as women’s basketball teams?
Someone should clarify the rules of what is protected under free speech and what is considered an offense that will get you terminated.
I just don’t understand the double standard.
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From Jim Rose says we’ve created a ridiculous culture:
First off, why do people keep legitimizing Al Sharpton? What kind of screwed up world do we live in where you have to run to him to get forgiveness from the black community? If anything, it’s a huge insult to all African-Americans, as though kissing the feet of a racial demagogue is enough to make anything up to them. Second, Imus is such a joke as a “shock-jock.” He’s been doing his “edgy” shtick for years, but every time someone cries foul, he folds like a deck-chair. Some edge. I’m not saying what he said was okay, but if he’s so shocking he would have told everyone to F-off. Instead we get this stupid-ass dog and pony show where a hack radio host has to apologize for making a racial remark to one of America’s most renowned racist.
There was just a news story on TV that Imus has been ‘temporarily’ yanked from the air. It’s amazing how effective the PC censors can be.
April 10th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
well, gee, dogster, starting from such an unbiased position, eh? Don’t let those talking points emails get in the way of reality.
dissent is not patriotic: its just dissent, especially when it has no facts backing it up or is simply from a position of hate.
to be fair, simply backing bush is not patriotic, either. u should look up the definition of patriotism.
also, u should read the previous posts on rosie. saying that 9-11 was an inside job is not dissent-it is insanity and a cry for attention
BSC: Well said Teach :). I don’t know how many posts I’ve started about the new definitions for words. Like patriotism = dissent. The dems seem to be getting a whole new vocabulary going.
April 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Dear Reactionary Rhea - Remember when Sharpton concocted the RAPE allegation against WHITE NY City police officers? Hymie Town from the lips of Shakedown Jackson?
If you’re a minority - vulgarity can spew from your mouth - and you’re considered an ACTIVIST, but if someone is WHITE - double standards, eh? Racist Rhea, your party endorces the KKK since West Virginia’s Robert ‘Sheets’ Byrd is your Pro-Tempore now, eh? IMUS can make it anywhere and I hope he leaves the Demorat talking point blue state stations at NBC and MSNBC. The FOX NEWS CHANNEL will take Imus in a heartbeat! Racist Rhea - Ho Ho Ho to you and yours and Merry Conservatism sweetheart! - Power of the First Amendment of the US Constitution & Freedom of Speech, even to crackers! ROMNEY & GIULIANI in 2008!!
April 11th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Don needs to be fired..and ur a fool or just ***cant relate*** to his racist and sexiest remarks. Its not the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time he’s made remarks and this time it’s gone too far. He always get away with his bad remarks on air. Hell, if someone on air with millions of viewers called his kids stringy haired trailor trash women..you cant say u woudnt be outraged!!! So dont bash Al and Jesse b/c theyre bringing it to light and the AA and other communities feel the same way…IMUS went over the line..if he feel that way about AA or women behind closed doors..say it there..not on the air…ALL IMUS DID WAS PUT HIS NAME OUT THERE…HE’S TRYN TO SET THE BAR HIGH FOR OTHER NEWS CASTERS/RADIO DJ’S CAN HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY HORRIBLE RACIAL/SEXIST COMMENTS LIKE HIM WITH ANY CONSEQUENCES!! Imus must go!!!
April 11th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Don Imus has done nothing more that most black men.. I mean most young black men I know do call their girlfriends or woman Ho’s. So what the difference? You don’t see anybody running to help a white man if they think he has been done a injustice do you? No you don’t. I think most woman have been called a Ho once or twice in their lives wheather they knew it or not. I mean the way rap video’s are now it’s no wonder this happens so much. It’s become just another figure of speech now a days. Use to if someone called your mother or sister a Whore,they get the crap beat out of them,but not today.
Rap video’s are a good example of degrading Black woman or any woman in general more than anything else that I know of. Just look at one and you’ll see what I mean. They have lyics about woman being Ho’s and most of them include having sex. The girls are half dressed more or less and are shaking and gyrating all over and up on the rappers. I’m not saying all rappers degrade the woman but most do. Mr. Jackson and Mr Sharpton need to do something about this first before jumping on the band wagon and raising hell over the comment Imus made. What kind of image are these x rated videos teaching the young boys of today. 1. To treat a woman anyway you want to. 2. Call her any nasty and degrading names you want. 3. Expect her to be used and abuse by them. 4. Have babies with as many woman as they can and then expect the woman to support them(alot of the time). Just leave Don Imus alone and give him his show back. If every man that ever called a woman a bad name where to be shot,then we wouldn’t have any men left now would we??
April 11th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
OK, Dowhatyagottado, let’s say I agree that Don needs to be canned. People have been fired for less. So, what about Jesse and Al Sharpton? They both have a long history of racist remarks and activities, and, last time I checked, no one has died over what Imus has said.
How about Robert Byrd? He is the only person who has been intimately involved with the KKK, and has said many racist and bigoted things. Yet he serves in the US Senate. Should he be fired?
April 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I’m concerned about the double standard here. Imus opened his big mouth - but so what? The Rutgers Team and their coach gave away their own VALUE by even acknowledging what Imus said.
On the other hand, why does Imus have to apologize to Al Sharpton? Mr. Sharpton tried to ruin the Prosecutor’s reputation through supporting lies and inuendo during the Brawley case years ago. Also, what is the black community so worked up about when they continue to kiss the ass of the black rappers who constantly demean women and anything worthwhile with their crappy songs? I mean, it is a true horrible double standard. ]
Also, Chrysler had a commercial with Lee Iacocca and Snoopy Dog - the same Snoopy Dog who has in the past in his rap songs demeaned women a lot worse than the off the cuff comment of Imus.
I would like someone to address these issues. It seems that it is made into a race issue, when it’s not. Where are all the naysayers when some of the horrible rap stuff is played on the radio? Where is Al Sharpton? Where is Jesse Jackson?
Why do they not try to get these “black” rappers who repeatedly rap about raping women, calling women hos, killing people, drugs, etc.? What’s up with that?
It just proves that Jesse and Al are happy that there are race problems because that’s how they make their living. IF they really cared, they would do something about nasty black rappers who preach drugs, murder, rape and Hos.
April 11th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
()-) ()-) P-) |-) ?:-) :O Congratulations on addressing the double standard.
Snoop Dog, or whomever he is, starred in a Chrysler commercial with Lee Iococca about a year ago and no one blinked an eye. However, I did. I (little ole’ me) thought what a bunch of crap that was - kissing a known thug just to get the black people to buy a Chrysler. How disgusting. Lee Iococca was kissing Snoops black butt, but Lee Iococca was being paid for it — just like Snoopy baby. Yuck to both of them. And yuck to CBS for letting this go on about Imus and pandering to the blacks who hate a white man for saying what they allow their “heroes” like Snoop Dog and other rappers to say every day. Boooooo
Snoop Dog and his other rapper friends have a HUGE double standard going. I’m so happy you questioned that double standard on your show last night. We were sitting in our living room cracking up. It’s soooooo convenient to call someone a Ho when you are a black man calling someone a Ho. Ooops, I forgot, the black men only call the poor women Ho’s who don’t go to college and are after the black men for their money.
Hey, black man, black women who go to college also go after black men for their money. Oh, by the way, so do white women. tee hee.
What a crock of SHIT. I am so disgusted with this entire scenario going on about what Imus said. Who gives a flying leap about what Imus said? When a black man says those nasty, horrible things about a black women no one blinks an eye. A black women who has her Value intact, will not blink an eye and give Imus the time of day. It’s not just what Imus said, it’s what is said every single day in this country by black people against black people and no one in the black community has the guts to stand up and say it’s wrong. I suspect, gee whiz, that it’s because a black man may be saying detrimental and demeaning things, but that’s ok, because he is black. Wake up, Idiots, It’s not OK because he black, or white or yellow. It’s not OK, because it’s demeaning to women altogether - and their families, and their sons, and their daughters. What did Aretha Franklin sing? RESPECT. That means that Chris Rock, Snoop Dog, and all the rest of you creeps have to SHUT THE FUCK UP and stop dissin your own women and girls, and ours.
Frankly, you all know Imus didn’t mean it with hate. If you want to admit it or not, he said it with humor and without rancor. You know this. Imus made a stupid mistake. He should stick with insulting those who need to be insulted - like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Snoop Dog — those people either ignore what is said, or refuse to take any action because they can make some $$ out of it. At least Don Imus helps black kids, he helped black people during Katrina. How many people did Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson or Snoop Dog help? If you want to talk about Al, or Jesse, they just cried fowl about how the white man didn’t help enough, but did they really help? I doubt it. I doubt it that Snoop Dog did a darn thing about it to help “his people”. Why should he or they? Nothing can be personally gained for them monetarily.
Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, stand up to your pulpits!!!! You should be condemning all the rappers (black and white, yellow and brown and green) who belittle women, and men and people. PERIOD. The fact that you don’t make a big deal out of it leads me, and a lot of other people perhaps, to think that you both LIKE the fact that there are race problems in this country. Really, aren’t you becoming fat cats directly because there are race problems in this country, and it is very profitable for you?
You, Al, defended TO-WAH-NEE when you knew she was lying and you actually said the Prosecutor in the case (at the time) was one of the perpetrators. Also, wasn’t it you, Al, who were trying to make some type of a cocaine deal years ago, but you got caught? WHO-WEE, now isn’t that just nice?
Also, Jesse, let’s face it, your checkered past and problems are hard to disregard when you set others up to a higher moral responsibility than you adhere to yourself.
Why is it that some black people just want to get their revenge on a white person like Imus for being stupid, when in every day life, over and over, years and years, black people can malign other black people (i.e. Rappers like Snoop Dog) and no one utters a single sound — although your own young daughter may be being raped down the street
by some young black man who literally believes it’s ok because Snoop Dog said it was?
GET REAL people. It almost makes me want to cry.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Unfortunately black people are very angry nasty people and this is an example. Asians would not fight back at Rosie O’Donnell though Donald Trump did.
White people are afraid of black people and carry a false guilt toward them. There is a book written by Shelby Steele (a black author) on how black and white people destroyed civil rights.
Now back to my opening statement, my opinion and freedom of speech and will not back appologize if we don’t wear the same shoe size! I will give reason to why I feel this way. First of all, look at all the racist, degrading lyrics in some rap music over the years! How else can I think differently? Look at Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson not taking their own inventory of prior racists statements about other groups! They are opportunists and to prove my point, they have not made ANY comments about the black woman who accused 3 Duke boys of rape! The case was dropped because it is a false accusation and time will reveal more truth. Al & Jesse did NOT give any further examples of racism they so easily accused Imus of being. He does a lot of good for communites including children with SIDS and cancer, but does NOT distinguish black children from white children with these illnesses.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:14 am
HD..ur comments are ignorant…what..white ppl dont get angry??? If Imus make money for charity..cudos to him..cause he’s not on the air means he still cant do it?? What he said was racist and i totally see that u cant understand it..cause u cant relate!! So please..go stick ur head back in ur *so called peferct world* u seem to live in. This is just a steppn stone to start regulating certain words that cant be said or displayed thru the airwaves..its doesnt matter what color u are..
April 13th, 2007 at 8:23 am
For some odd reason…*white people* not all but many seem to think that Al sharpton and Jesse Jackson speak for all AA ppl!! They def. dont speak for me..I dont agree with what they say all the time..and most of the time..hell i really didnt start to notice Al sharpton until like 3 years ago….and i do feel there’s somewhat of a double standard…i dont buy or listen to rap music that degrade women..which i hate!! If a black man said nappy headed ho’s on the radio his azz should be fired just like Imus. And about that case with those Lacross players..i really doubt that every AA person believe those boys were guilty cause i sure as hell didnt. The lawyers wanted to make an example out of ppl and it happens ALOT..not just to whites.
What Imus did was wrong..and it just makes it open for other radio personalities to say the same words..just like the DJ that was fired for having a contest for ppl saying the words Imus said! And i do feel they need to attack music lyrics and words….just cause ur in the same race doesnt make it acceptable to use those sexist words..but Imus said racist words thru the airwaves that was a (personal attack) against the team..and u have politicians that say crap just like Imus and get away with it..its a double standard against..whites..blacks..and people with money..