News > Culture > Don Imus is an Asshole

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MONDAY APRIL 9 2007 3:00 PM

Last Wednesday, during what should have been a happy week for the womens basketball team at Rutgers University, radio host Don Imus decided it was a good time to be an incredible asshole. On his morning radio program, Imus called the team nappy-headed hos setting off a wave of controversy that has led many to call for his firing.

What he said was terrible not only because of its content, which was despicable in its own right. It was even worse because of its target, a group of 19- to 21-year-old, largely black women from a nearby state university who had just accomplished something wonderful and unexpected by reaching the Final Four. What do you tell these women now, who did absolutely nothing to deserve such shameful scorn, to face such horrendous racist remarks?

And though this never will happen in a million years, Imus should be fired for it today actually, yesterday just as the National Association of Black Journalists demands.

Many people might ask, Is it really such a big deal? Isnt this what shock jocks do? But Imus is more than just another shock jock. His radio show is simulcast on MSNBC. He regularly hosts the most influential people in politics and media on his program. Tim Russert of Meet the Press and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, specifically, are frequent guests on the show. Shouldnt we expect better of them, if not Imus himself?

After all, this isnt the first time Imus or a member of his team has pulled this sort of thing. His former producer, Sid Rosenberg was fired for saying that cancer-stricken singer Kylie Minogue ain't gonna be so beautiful when the bitch got a bald head and one titty. Rosenberg also said that Venus and Serena Williams were better suited for National Geographic than Sports Illustrated. Of course, since nothing is too outrageous or fucked-up for an Imus associate, Rosenberg wasnt fired for long, and was actually in the studio on Wednesday when Imus made his Rutgers comments. Imus himself, remember, has been a racist for a while, calling PBS commentator Gwen Ifill a cleaning lady at one point.

Today, Imus is pretending to be contrite, apologizing on the air, and planning a trip to Al Sharptons radio format. He claims that he is a good person, and makes a vague sort of plan to change his programs tone.

"Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," he said on his nationally syndicated radio show Monday morning. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean it's going to be what it's been for the next five years or whatever."

Imus said he was "embarrassed" by the remarks, in which he referred to the mostly black team as "nappy-headed hos." He said he had made the comments in the course of "trying to be funny," but he was not trying to excuse them.

On Thursday, the day after the comments, Imus tone was much different, telling his audience that people should not be offended by some idiot comment meant to be amusing. That was before the media firestorm, of course. Now hes sorry. At least, that is, until the next time.

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Comments

ckdexterhaven

USA

December 2005

APR 11, 2007 02:38 PM

neverender said:

wildswan said:

scottishrob said:
Lets hear it for free speech.

That's so funny that you're saying that, 'cause you kinda look like the type of dude that would head down to the radio station with a shot gun if someone defamed your teenaged daughter on the public airwaves.

hahah, nice job speaking out against racism and then stereotyping scottishrob based on his looks.

Seriously, isn't that exactly what Don Imus did.

wildswan

I'm lost

June 2006

APR 11, 2007 02:44 PM

BernardShakey said:

neverender said:

wildswan said:

scottishrob said:
Lets hear it for free speech.

hahah, nice job speaking out against racism and then stereotyping scottishrob based on his looks.

Seriously, isn't that exactly what Don Imus did.

A 'whoosh' moment for you as well MR.Shakey?

mydogfarted

Oakland, NJ

June 2003

APR 11, 2007 02:47 PM

wildswan said:

mydogfarted said:

wildswan said:
Why are some of you uh. . . people going out of your way to defend the indefensible? Imus isn't even making some of the assertions you guys are making. Can you really be that insensitive and daft?!

Your attempts to obscure the issue and shift blame is disgusting!

Here's where I find real humor... Whoopie Goldberg going after Don Imus. Anyone else remember her defending her then boyfriend, Ted Danson, for showing up at an event in black-face and doing extremely racist humor?

How can you say "indefensible"? The first amendment gives him the right to say anything he likes. It's up to his employers to decide if they want to continue to give him a place to say it.

People also forget there is a context of speech. There was ZERO intent of hatred in his voice. Shit, I know I've heard "Nappy headed ho' " used in several tv shows and movies. Would I be racist for quoting Ving Rhame's line from Pulp Fiction "... I'm gonna get some hard, pipe hittin' niggers to get mid evil on Mr. Rapist's ass."? Is Quentin Tarantino racist for writing that in the script?

If Imus gets fired, can I start a movement to have Chris Rock/Steve Harvey/Cedric The Entertainer/Bernie Mac banned from ever working again for referring to white people as 'Cracka, which is derived from Whip Cracker - the name for the person who "drove" the slaves to do work. My family has been in this country less than 100 years and never owned slaves. Why is it ok for me to be called a cracka?

In other words, you can be that insensitive and daft.

How is that insensitive? Granted I hate most of the human race simply because we are a horrid, destructive "virus" on the earth...

What is daft about questioning the double standards of American society?