Should Imus Get the Boot?

[dan4vols]

I'm for going back to the John Wayne good ole days where you could speak your mind at the risk of a overhand right to the mouth. This business of political correctness is crazy. While I'm against name calling in general, to be at the point in a society where you say 1st letter in the word only (n word example) just to keep from offending someone IMO is ridiculous.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I'm not a regular Imus viewer but I occasionaly tune in if I've been told that there is going to be a guest in whom I have a particular interest, particularly Americana musicians. I do think that the more contrite Imus tries to be, the more he will alienate his politically incorrect audience. I have a feeling his show will not be on MSNBC a year from now.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

The whole thing is ridiculous. If people don't like what he says then don't watch the show.

 

[MemphisVol]

1st: The Bill of Rights is about protecting people who offend us in the short term in the name of the long term- the means are more important than immediate ends. The "Freedom of Speech" laws are there to protect us from our reactions to the assholes, not the lemmings among us.

2nd: Shouldn't Al Sharpton's self-serving exploitation of racial politics for nothing but his own aggradizement be considered racially offensive, too?

3rd: Didn't having Imus and Sharpton together on one radio program at the same time actually cause our country more brain damage, figurative and literal, than any individual comments either one of the two spazzes might have made before or after?

 

[orange+white=heaven]

Unfortunately, I suspect that his ratings are loving the attention

I noted with interest that MSNBC will suspend Imus. Starting next monday...:whistling:

Make sure you pull those numbers this week, while you're hotter than a branding iron, Don. Then we'll punish you and your poor taste.

 

[cd12]

I noted with interest that MSNBC will suspend Imus. Starting next monday...:whistling:

Make sure you pull those numbers this week, while you're hotter than a branding iron, Don. Then we'll punish you and your poor taste.

I hear that John Rocker will be his replacement!

 

[Vol Mania 21]

Sharpton and Jackson blow things way out of portion, and no I'm not talking about this Imus situation, I'm talking bout other situations in the past. Them 2 make me sick, they are more racist then anyone else in the public eye

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I hear that John Rocker will be his replacement!

Talk about a guy who got baited and used by the media. I had the opportunity to meet Rocker when he was with the Macon Braves/off season Mercer student and then again post 7 Train comments when a buddy of mine hired him to appear in a low budget horror movie. He was a typical good ole' boy, but he never struck me as a racist.

 

[orange+white=heaven]

Talk about a guy who got baited and used by the media. I had the opportunity to meet Rocker when he was with the Macon Braves/off season Mercer student and then again post 7 Train comments when a buddy of mine hired him to appear in a low budget horror movie. He was a typical good ole' boy, but he never struck me as a racist.

'Billy, I'm not baiting you I promise. Just an honest question. These days, who overtly does strike the average onlooker as a racist? I mean skinhead type groups aside. Most folks one meets of a day anymore, you never really come upon circumstances that would reveal a person who held deeply racist views. At least in my own workaday life, I never do...

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

'Billy, I'm not baiting you I promise. Just an honest question. These days, who overtly does strike the average onlooker as a racist? I mean skinhead type groups aside. Most folks one meets of a day anymore, you never really come upon circumstances that would reveal a person who held deeply racist views. At least in my own workaday life, I never do...

As far as the naked eye goes, it would be pretty hard to spot someone who is not publicly endorsing racist views, like a KKK member or the skinhead you posit. I am around a lot of people, not necessarily friends of mine, but acquaintences, neighbors and the like, who occasionally say things that are MUCH more racially insensitive/offensive than what Imus said but I also know some of those folks to be kind, charitable people. So, do a few unkind words negate a history of good works and friendliness to people in general? It seems like for the reactionary media, the answer is yes. For me it's a harder question to answer.

 

[GAVol]

I'm not a regular Imus viewer but I occasionaly tune in if I've been told that there is going to be a guest in whom I have a particular interest, particularly Americana musicians. I do think that the more contrite Imus tries to be, the more he will alienate his politically incorrect audience. I have a feeling his show will not be on MSNBC a year from now.

The apologies have gotten a little silly. I heard some clips from Sharpton's show and it was pathetic listening to him kowtow to that complete publicity whore.

 

[volfan2024]

Personally I don't pay any attention to the guy.But as far as him getting fired, I disagree.Why?Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle have made a living off of making fun of white people and I think they are funny as crap.Also at the end of the tape Imus said "The Tennessee Girls are pretty".He didn't say the Tennessee white girls are pretty.He also has a foundation for sick youth that has a 10% black enrollment.I guess I'm just so far past all this racism crap in my life I think it is pathetic that alot of people still let it drag on but not Imus.He's just an idiot.

 

[allvol123]

I noted with interest that MSNBC will suspend Imus. Starting next monday...:whistling:

Make sure you pull those numbers this week, while you're hotter than a branding iron, Don. Then we'll punish you and your poor taste.

He is starting the punishment next week because they are allowing him to do his scheduled charity telethon this week. Whistle away though.

 

[allvol123]

The apologies have gotten a little silly. I heard some clips from Sharpton's show and it was pathetic listening to him kowtow to that complete publicity whore.

The last person an accused racist would need to apologize to would be Al Sharpton.

Apologizing to Al Sharpton will hurt his ratings more than any statement he ever made.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Personally I don't pay any attention to the guy.But as far as him getting fired, I disagree.Why?Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle have made a living off of making fun of white people and I think they are funny as crap.Also at the end of the tape Imus said "The Tennessee Girls are pretty".He didn't say the Tennessee white girls are pretty.He also has a foundation for sick youth that has a 10% black enrollment.I guess I'm just so far past all this racism crap in my life I think it is pathetic that alot of people still let it drag on but not Imus.He's just an idiot.

I tend to agree with you, while at the same time I realize that as someone who has never really been on the recieving end of racial discrimination, at least not in any meaningful way, it is a whole lot easier for me to let it go than it probably is for a person who has traveled a different road than myself. I don't like this kind of stuff. I think it divides us much more than it heals wounds or educates, but it seems to be what the majority want and if you complain about it too loudly then they'll just denounce you as a racist as well.

 

[cd12]

This just prolonged the guys career!

 

[orange+white=heaven]

I tend to agree with you, while at the same time I realize that as someone who has never really been on the recieving end of racial discrimination, at least not in any meaningful way, it is a whole lot easier for me to let it go than it probably is for a person who has traveled a different road than myself. I don't like this kind of stuff. I think it divides us much more than it heals wounds or educates, but it seems to be what the majority want and if you complain about it too loudly then they'll just denounce you as a racist as well.

Much truth in this post.

 

[lawgator1]

Talk about a guy who got baited and used by the media. I had the opportunity to meet Rocker when he was with the Macon Braves/off season Mercer student and then again post 7 Train comments when a buddy of mine hired him to appear in a low budget horror movie. He was a typical good ole' boy, but he never struck me as a racist.

There are different degrees of racist. There's David Duke racist, and then there's Imus racist. The former view minorities as inherently evil or lazy and therefore valued less as members of society. The latter view minorities as characterized by stereotype. The strereotype may be good or bad, i.e. black athlete are fast or "nappy-headed," Hispanics work hard for very little money, etc. Objectively, the latter is not as sinister as the former (subjectively they are because they are based on overgeneralizations and ignorance).

However, there is a tendency to start to relate physical characteristics and societal conditions with the human nature of the group you are talking about, and that's what's really bad because there is no universal human nature among any group. Taking the word "ho," which we would presumably all agree is urban slang and an insult, and then adding "nappy-headed" to it is basically to make a physical characteristic of the girls' hair some sort of indicator that they are inner city thugs or prostitutes or what have you.

That's where the insult is, in my opinion: its taking a physical characteristic which may be generally observed and then associating it with an insult.

 

[cd12]

Take it all away and what do the rap artist have to spew about?

 

[allvol123]

So per your definition LG, the movie "White Men Can't Jump", would be a racist title for a moive?

 

[lawgator1]

So per your definition LG, the movie "White Men Can't Jump", would be a racist title for a moive?

Well, now that's an interesting question. I'll have to think about it some, but my initial reaction is that it is, though not nearly as offensive as calling the Rutgers women "nappy headed hos."

The really ironic thing is that if you called the movie the reverse of that title, i.e. "Black Men Can Jump" then there'd be a firestorm of controversy, particularly because of the relationship between the characters being basketball players and down-on-their-luck con artists.

Very interesting question there allvol.

 

[allvol123]

I just find hypocrisy all over this issue. I do not see Sharpton or Jackson waging a battle with the rap industry over the way they describe women. Seems more convenient for them to call Imus a racist, even though he may not be one. I really hesitate to ever call anyone a racist, even if a comment they make may have some racial tones to it. I would prefer to leave it to the individual to identify themself as a racist, if you are going to hold a belief you might as well be proud of it.

 

[lawgator1]

I just find hypocrisy all over this issue. I do not see Sharpton or Jackson waging a battle with the rap industry over the way they describe women. Seems more convenient for them to call Imus a racist, even though he may not be one. I really hesitate to ever call anyone a racist, even if a comment they make may have some racial tones to it. I would prefer to leave it to the individual to identify themself as a racist, if you are going to hold a belief you might as well be proud of it.

There is definitely a lot of inconsistency out there on this subject and the Imus situation does indeed highlight that, I agree. It is a very complicated set of issues.

I had not thought of the argument that the misogynistic overtones of some rap music places a duty on those protesting racism to also protest rap. I suppose that when one views oneself as a victim of stereotyping then there is indeed an obligation to avoid affirmatively doing it, too.

 

[cibai]

There are different degrees of racist. There's David Duke racist, and then there's Imus racist. The former view minorities as inherently evil or lazy and therefore valued less as members of society. The latter view minorities as characterized by stereotype. The strereotype may be good or bad, i.e. black athlete are fast or "nappy-headed," Hispanics work hard for very little money, etc. Objectively, the latter is not as sinister as the former (subjectively they are because they are based on overgeneralizations and ignorance).

However, there is a tendency to start to relate physical characteristics and societal conditions with the human nature of the group you are talking about, and that's what's really bad because there is no universal human nature among any group. Taking the word "ho," which we would presumably all agree is urban slang and an insult, and then adding "nappy-headed" to it is basically to make a physical characteristic of the girls' hair some sort of indicator that they are inner city thugs or prostitutes or what have you.

That's where the insult is, in my opinion: its taking a physical characteristic which may be generally observed and then associating it with an insult.

Yes Law, but arguably the second type although appearing more innocuous is much more dangerous. Very few people would defend a David Duke, there are plenty of people defending Imus though, plenty in this thread alone.

 

[allvol123]

Yes Law, but arguably the second type although appearing more innocuous is much more dangerous. Very few people would defend a David Duke, there are plenty of people defending Imus though, plenty in this thread alone.

I am only defending his ability to speak freely, not the words he spoke. Although I really don't find them near as offensive as some I guess. He was trying to be funny I assume and went too far. I doubt the comments he made resulted in the death of someone, even indirectly. Sharpton has instigated far worse that has resulted in deaths. Seeing somone go on Sharpton's show to apologize for something as lame as this just riles me up.