Jason Whitlock on the Don Imus mess

Today's second Ouch! and this one hits even harder.

Comments

[seeker]

BTW, I think this whole Imus thing is stupid - I mean, he's a shock jock. They're going to fire him because he said "nappy headed ho's"???

Sure, it's insulting, but I've heard much worse from Chris Rock or Howard Stern. Gimme a break. This is racial grandstanding, and I agree with the guy you linked to. Also, check out this from the transcript of Glen Beck's show on this subject:

Don Imus is a guy who has been offending people from all walks of life for three decades. I don`t know Don Imus, but I don`t think he`s a racist. I really truly believe -- I think he hates everybody equally, including himself. He is basically your bitter old uncle who you kind of ignore when he says a bunch of crazy stuff at Thanksgiving. The only difference is this guy is getting paid millions of dollars for it.

But here`s the scary thing that I think everybody is missing in this. If Imus ultimately gets fired for his remarks, how does that affect our First Amendment rights? Don Imus is not Mel Gibson. He`s not a guy that you always thought was nice before he made a bunch of hateful remarks on the side of the road.

Don Imus was never nice. What he said was offensive, but who did this surprise? If Imus goes, who`s next? Is it Keith Olbermann? Is it Rosie O`Donnell? Is it me? Is it you? Who needs to be shut up next?

We need to stop forcing people to shut up and, instead, we should start appealing to people`s better nature and say look, man, that wasn`t cool and let the system work.

You know what? If you don`t like my opinion, if you`re screaming at your TV right now, don`t try to get me fired. Change the channel. It`s the American way of doing things.

[seeker]

BTW, the reverend Al Sharpton, whom I am not a big fan of, made a nice discrimination between the need for justice and forgiveness. I mention this because many anti-Christianists have cognitive dissonance when you talk about the need for justice AND forgiveness - they think if you are for justice, then you are not being forgiving. But this is just the limit of simplistic thinking.

[Aaron]

I don't really agree with Glen Beck's statement. Don Imus isn't losing his first amendment right to free speech. He is (possibly) losing his job paying him millions of dollars to say things. There's a big difference. He still has the right to say "nappy headed ho's" about whoever he wants to, but he doesn't get paid to say it.

It's the same problem I had with the Dixie Chicks. They said some controversial things, then people got angry about it and voiced their opinions. Then the girls complained they lost their freedom of speech because country stations weren't playing their songs anymore. Nowhere in the Constitution are you granted the right to a billboard top 10 song or a cushy radio gig.

Don Imus doesn't have to shut up. He just might not get paid to do it.

Having said all that, I think it is crazy that so much has been made of this and the racial (and personal) grandstanding of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who have both made serious mistakes in the past including saying racially insensitive things, makes me sick.

[Silver Hallide]

BTW, I think this whole Imus thing is stupid - I mean, he's a shock jock. They're going to fire him because he said "nappy headed ho's"???

This situation is a little stupid, but don't make the mistake of categorizing Imus as a shock jock. How many shock jocks can you honestly say consistently host politicians on their show? Not that many. Imus has long since transcended his shock jock status and has been for some time been THE place to go for politicians to talk about controversies they have stirred up:

• Cheat on your wife and get caught?
  
• Utter a racial slur and get overheard?
  
• Get caught for ethics violations?
  

You go on Imus' show and talk about it. I don't want to single out any particular political party on this one (all sides have done it), but in the last 18-24 months many major politicians on the Republican side have done just that with Imus show because it is safe play (just like doing Larry King).

That in of itself is not a bad thing, but then you throw this verbal dust up with Imus and put it in the context of his show being a media vehicle for politicians and you can see why this may be problematic for him. He is far from a shock jock, but a mainstream guy like Larry King. If Larry King uttered these same words you can bet your bottom dollar people on both sides of the fence would be calling for his head too and not hiding behind shock jock status as a defense.

Again, the whole situation is stupid. But it is problematic for politicians that have or may continue to use his show as a vehicle for publicly cleansing their sins. I mean, would you want to be associated with a guy that has the appearance of being a racist if you held political office? Probably not.

- Silver

[seeker]

He is far from a shock jock, but a mainstream guy like Larry King.

Well, let's not insult the great Larry King, I wouldn't put them in the same league. I'd say going on Imus's show is more like going on Jerry Springer or Montel than Larry King Live.

I mean, would you want to be associated with a guy that has the appearance of being a racist if you held political office?

Exactly, but it's not like anyone should be surprised that someone like Imus, who's got a history of using insulting humor on his shows, would say something like this.

And I think the original article got mentioned above got it right - grandstanders like Sharpton aren't really doing their communities much good by jumping on something like this, while their own communities are self-destructing on crack, absentee fathers, and misogynistic rap music. Juan Williams has it right.

[seeker]

Here's a nice post from the Huffington Post

Imus Got His Trash Talk Pass Yanked, Now Yank it for Blacks Who Talk Do The Same

[Silver Hallide]

I think the following comment from Norman Lear is indicative of the state of media and this whole Imus fiasco:

I would defend with my life Don Imus and everyone else's First Amendment right to utter what I might consider the most offensive -- BUT where is the leadership, in this case at NBC and CBS, that legislates: "Go get us ratings, be provocative, but this is our network, you work for us, this and this we will not tolerate; here are the lines you will not cross. Cross them and you are out of here!"

Well said. This is an example of the networks that carry these people driving for ratings and nothing more. Period.

- Silver

[Silver Hallide]

I think this pretty much kill this topic (or maybe not):

CBS cancels Don Imus radio show

So, bottom line, he is gone. Look for him to follow Howard Stern to Sirius or XM. What is interesting behind the firing is the amount of revenue CBS Radio derived from Imus' show annually: 20 million.

[seeker]

from drudge:

DON IMUS: When will Al Sharpton be apologizing to them?

(LAUGHTER)

CARLIN: I'm unaware of such a press conference.

IMUS: I'll be darned...

[Sam]

Seeker,

Odd that you'd link to that particular Glenn Beck comment, or comment on any of this in general. Aren't you for cleaning up the airwaves? Isn't Imus's dismissal exactly the sort of thing that you regularly advocate? Or is it only allegedly anti-Christian material that should be kept off the air?

[seeker]

When have i *ever* intimated such a thing?

[Silver Hallide]

Let the "Imus Me too" firings begin:

During CNN Appearance, Al Franken Calls On CNN To Fire Glenn

Some recent low-lights from Glenn Beck:

The anti-gay slur “faggot” is nothing more than “a naughty name.” [1/23/07]

“[Hillary Clinton is] the stereotypical bitch.” [3/15/07]

“What happened to the Duke lacrosse team was practically a lynching without the rope. And for the first time in my life, Mr. Oreo Cookie without the chocolate on the outside can understand why people celebrated when O.J. Simpson was acquitted.” [1/15/07, using a racial slur for African-Americans that refers to “being black on the outside and white on the inside]

“I wonder if I’m alone in this — you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims’ families? Took me about a year.” [9/9/05]

“And that’s all we’re hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we’re seeing on television are the scumbags.” [9/9/05]

There's more on this with the link above. It just goes to show that there is plenty of this going on within the broadcast industry. Full Stop ( ;) Seeker).

Enjoy the meal.

- Silver

[Aaron]

Silver, I think I agree on with you for the most part on what you have said. We may have different interpretations of the events, but it is clear that what Imus said is prevelant in broadcast media, especially in radio.

I also already told someone I was waiting for the announcement of Imus to join Stern on XM or Sirus. It'll be a few months to wait for the stink to blow away some and then it will be happen.

[Sam]

You regularly rail against media which you deem to be innappropriate. See your broadsides against hip-hop, for one small example. I believe you also chafe at what you describe as unfair depictions of Christians in the media. And of course, you regularly oppose "pornography" making it onto the airwaves. You're no different than the people who want(ed) Imus off the air, you just do so for different reasons.

[Chad]

1. Jason who?

2. This malcontent is what we call a “Go-To Guy”. You know, he’s one of those Blacks that Whites go to for quotes, when they need some credibility in a race argument or discussion.

3. And for the most earth shaking moment in Lou Dobb’s history, jolly ol’ Whitlock looks into the camera and assures Black people, that there isn’t a “magical” White man controlling everything. Thank God for Jason Whitlock, he’s opened my eyes and now I’m saved. What this Ass-Hat fails to see is that just as there is no “magic White man”, there isn’t a “magic Black man” either. There is no one Black leader in the Black community, Thank God.

4. What I saw on Lou Dobbs were a bunch of handpicked Uncle-Tom’s trying to rain on my parade, by saying things like we need new leadership. In light of the fact that a revenue-generating cash cow/ radio legend like Don Imus was just forced out his job, I think our leadership is doing just fine, lol.

[seeker]

See your broadsides against hip-hop, for one small example.

Sure, but when have I ever suggested that these guys should be forced off of the air? You see, I still think your "religious conservatives are fascists" stereotype is kicking in. I, nor Aaron or Daddypundit, to my knowledge, have ever stated that the solution to profane culture was to make it illegal.

Why, we've never even mentioned making porn illegal - regulation is just fine. And for some things, like music and video games (and maybe broadcast media), labeling seems fine.

You keep seeing devils where there are none, that's why you get confused by our behavior. You immediately jump to the conclusion that we are being inconsistent and/or disingenuous, but instead, you fail to understand our world view, and our hierarchy of values.

You see, we value free speech, which is why we are not for punishing people who say offensive things unless they are inciting violence (think "my local mosque").

We may need to protect our vulnerable children from certain types of dangerous media (like graphic sex, violence, porn or profane language), but regulation or labeling allow for both free speech and protecting children.

The other thing that is going on in the Imus case is blatant racism on the side of black leaders and those who haven't taken the misogynistic rap artists (as just one example) to task. I mean, come on, which is worse, calling some innocent and fine women "nappy headed ho's" or calling them "b*tches" or glorifying the pimp lifestyle?

Sure, Imus is a tasteless, offensive, uncharitable jerk. But he's getting ripped on way out of proportion, esp. when you consider things other people in the media say.

Just the other day, Chris Rock called the President of the United states a RETARD, and everyone laughed. I didn't see the ACLU say anything about mocking the disabled, or about him being racist, etc.

Anyway, back to your point. We're not calling for any kind of censorship, and quite honestly, Christians aren't the ones doing the censoring - it's the politically correct, liberal secularists who want to keep ideas OUT of the public schools in their selfish and misguided anti-religionist, Darwin worshiping, promiscuity promoting, homosexual mainstreaming agendas that are the oppressive hand of big brother these days.

[Aaron]

Actually Chad showed his ignorance of Jason Who? by calling him a "go-to-guy" or "a handpicked Uncle Tom" (which isn't that a pretty racist, derogatory term?). Whitlock is a very well-known sports columnist who goes after everyone. I disagree with him about as much as I agree with him.

Do you honestly grade your leaders (I hate even using that phrase) on whether they can kick out old radio hosts off the air? What good did that do you personally? How were you or anyone else bettered by Sharpton and Jackon forcing Imus into retirement? If that's your goals for leaders, I'm afraid you don't have very high standards.