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Topic: Should Imus Be Fired For 'Nappy 'Hos' Comment?
| Author | Message |
| tmark58 | Posted – 4/9/2007 9:52:05 AM | show profile Do football for Fox When Rush Limbaugh said something about Donovan Mcnabb getting preferential treatment, because he was black, there was outrage. He was fired. Now MSNBC does not have the guts to take action. Sit back and see how this plays out. watching Imus GROVEL for his survival is hilarious!!!!!!!!! Does anyone think, that after this, people are going to LAUGH along with Imus? Hey I'm so smart, and everyone else is stupid. Right Bernard? What politician is going to "make funny" with Imus now? I doubt Hillary or Obama will be on the phone. MSNBC protect us from evil - help us with Gonzalez and Iraq- we need you!!!!!!!!!!! |
| PR Hack | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:02:02 AM | show profile Doesn't Matter Fired or not -- that's a decision for his employers. What's important to understand here is that this man is a closet racist. "Nappy headed hos" is not a phrase he made up on the spur of the moment. It's something he's said over and over for a long time, generally behind closed doors, in the company of like-minded friends, or by himself. He keeps this and phrases like it in the closet, but there's always the risk they'll pop out at an unexpected time, when his guard is down. That's what just happened. Living in the South, I've known people like this all my life. Some of them have, at some time in their lives, made conscious decisions to stop using the racist phrases of their childhood, understanding that, in addition to being something they didn't believe, these phrases had become a "habit" and could embarass them at any time if they didn't break the habit. So to those who say Imus isn't a racist, I say you're wrong. He most definitely is. He's just kept it in the closet until now. Should he be fired? I honestly don't know. There are a number of so-called "slippery slopes" here in terms of speech, media and censorship. Just think, though -- rules on speech. Good or bad? If this, then what's next? |
| cjohnson9 | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:02:42 AM | show profile Imus Did anyone fire Al Sharpton when his racist comments led to the murder of that New York store owner several years ago? No. He suffered no consequences. There was no outrage directed at him because too many people were afraid of him calling them "racist" for criticizing him - even though he directly contibuted or maybe even caused a man to be killed. Imus has apologized several times for saving a stupid thing. That should be enough. |
| gawrondeb | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:02:45 AM | show profile Tolerance Anyone who listens to the Imus show knows what kind of humor he employs. It may not be funny to everyone, but it is not directed to one racial group in particular. Mr. Imus has stood up, taken responsibility, admitted that he should not have made the comments, apologized and opened a dialog on the subject. That is a lesson many could learn from. |
| dave20 | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:17:17 AM | show profile Don't fire Imus He used humor in an extravagant way. Can't anybody take a joke any more? Next thing people will be calling for the impeachment of David Letterman for poking fun at the President - of the United States. |
| RockinRonD | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:35:16 AM | show profile | email poster He's Made Amends By devoting most of his Monday morning program to offering his continual sincere and heartfelt (I believe) apology to the Rutgers team and maintaining that it would not happen again because he's learned from this colossal blunder, Mr. Imus has more than made up for his admittedly stupid mistake. Invariably there will be a tide of people clamoring for his ouster. To them I say get a life. Imus is NOT a racist. Nor is he, for that matter, a journalist, but a comedian and on-air satirist. Enough. If you don't like his style, turn the dial or switch the channel. There are genuinely evil people in this world we should be focusing on--the group that is presently in the White House for one. |
| husted | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:54:10 AM | show profile Give the Guy a Break So what he made a rascist statement. Get a life people. Maybe he made that statement because it was true. I've known many women basketball players who slept with men on the side because they thought they could because of who they were. If you are going to deny this guy freedom of speech, then go to Sirius Satellite and demand Howard Stern be taken off the air. He is worst than Imus and shoots off his mouth everyday. Also, do you notice the critics and complainers are black. Black people should be used to it by now. They had to deal with it for years. So what else is new, right. I say let the man have his say. Remember, sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Keep that thought in your mind and you'll be better off. |
| janetoladyr | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:57:03 AM | show profile | email poster Imus He has been carrying on like this for years and years and years. Let him go. He's poor white trash and I hope Media bistro sends these comments all of them to MSNBC 'Nuf said. |
| chip | Posted – 4/9/2007 10:58:26 AM | show profile | email poster Maybe suspended, maybe fined, but certainly not fired. It goes to intent. For anyone who has ever done a talk show, you know sometimes what sounds funny in your head is not that funny when it comes out of your mouth. |
| egonm206 | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:00:28 AM | show profile Should Imus be Fired For "Nappy Hos'" Comment? I rarely watch Imus, can't stand his persona. If they had a photo next to the word "Jerk" in the dictionary, his picture would describe it perfectly. No, I don't think he should be fired, after all, he really didn't say anything "out of line" with contemporary common "culture" in America. It's Al Sharpton again, chasing "windmills", even if they are only small fans... |
| clydedinkins | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:01:54 AM | show profile | email poster Should Imus be fired? To All: Without debating the issue, I state my position. 1. Imus should be immediately fired! 2. Show producer Bernard McGuirk should be immediately fired. 3. Radio WFAN's license should be revoked. 4. Imus, McGuirk and WFAN should be fined. Only an inferior race and people allows this direct racism against them - this blatant insult and disrespect to black females and the black race. The litmus test: Either Imus goes or the black race-African Americans are inferior, pathetic second-class citizens. Clyde Lenny Dinkins Irvington, NJ |
| A~ | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:05:41 AM | show profile I think what's relevant here is Imus's history of being a misogynist bigot, not necessarily these comments. I could see Chris Rock making a similar joke and people would think it was funny. For example, if I stood up and said "niggers are loud in theaters" I'd be bitch-slapped. When Chris Rock says it it's funny. (And I do consider him funny.) But the difference is Chris Rock is making a point about bad behavior in the black community, and how black people hate it, too. Don Imus is just a mean conservative dickwad with profound "women issues" to work out that rivals those of your typical Talibani PS - I like that person like "Guy" can say what he wants on this liberal board. If I got on Lucianne.com and said ANYTHING that diverged from the status quo of that right-wing circle jerk, I'd be banned immediately. That's how the right rolls. It's pretty consistent that if you go on a right-wing forum and say anything "liberal" they will ban your IP address instantly. So it's nice to see that we allow this person to spew his bile. I welcome it! Enjoy your freedom of speech my friend. In the world you're promoting white power would shut out everyone else. Be glad there are groups like the ACLU defending NeoNazis' right to offend non-whites and Rush Limbaugh's right to hide his drug abuse problems. I LOVE AMERICA! |
| hank | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:06:47 AM | show profile Get a life, clyde. |
| hank | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:11:14 AM | show profile All of you should get lives, lives like mine - balanced, with just the right amount of racial hate and misogyny. |
| tmark58 | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:12:49 AM | show profile Hey Imus - call Bob Grant for advice Anyone remember Bob Grant saying "bad" things. He went groveling to Al sharpton - thought AL was his buddy. Al threw him off the boat. Just priceless watchning Imus grovel. He knows that paying for a nanny in CT costs money. You think that Hay on the ranch is free. It's all about the money. MSNBC - you go girl - why don't you put Ron Reagan on in the morning - or call Geraldo - he'll come back |
| benjamin.farber | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:35:00 AM | show profile | email poster They don't respect anyone Here is the truth they are windbags (all of them!!) that can't get enough of their own voices, they live and breath the adage "no publicity is bad publicity". Any radio host whether it is Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Don Imus, Bill O'Reilly (and 100 more) get air time because the American audience demands it, simple as that. It is not against the first amendment, to slander others but it shows a lack of class and understanding. He could say I'm sorry but those are just empty words, what does he truly think? These "opinions" are reflecting the polarized nation we live in. Where it more important how much we earn and what we look like than what is in the content of our souls, MLK (Jr.) is crying where he is. |
| EEA888 | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:38:09 AM | show profile Stones and Glass Houses I agree that Don Imus's comments about the Rutgers basketball team were ill-advised and, considering the team's age, even cruel. But Don Imus is not a bigot. His is an equal-opportunity-insult program, and he give no one a pass. He delivered a graceful apology this morning. And that should be it. But the other bigots will be satisfied with nothing short of his head. Let those extremists go to the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer and tell them the party's over. Ditto for the work he's done forr SIDS, Autism and heaven knows what else. Imus will appear today on Al Sharpton's raido show. Would anyone be offended if Imus raised the Tawana Brawley case? He won't of course...under the Stones & Glass Houses rule. Rev. Sharpton should familiarize himself with that statute. Do we really live in a world where a mistake followed by an apology is not good enough? Are we so intolerant of mistakes that their makers must have their lives ruined? It must be an amazing feeling to have that attitude, for it indicates a certainty that you'll never make a mistake. |
| NoHos in my House | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:40:21 AM | show profile | email poster A World of Double Standards Free speech aside, our airwaves are governed by the FCC, where I presume there are rules against hate communications and sanctions for broadcasters and companies that air them. So #1, the FCC must weigh in and levy heavy fines for the vitriol that Imus et al spewed. Secondly, heavier hitters than Imus have been fired for less -- for example, Howard Koszel was sacked from Monday Night Football for saying, "Look at that monkey run!" and it was construed as racial bias. And finally, in the very least, it is clear that Imus et al need diversity training. Subject them to it and they'll learn why sensitivity in broadcasting, combined with good judgment, is necessary to make our world a better place. |
| tmark58 | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:40:57 AM | show profile | email poster Open Letter to King Al Oh King Al - sharpie, please show forgiveness to I Man - he is sorry - you oh King the ruler of truth - thanks for coming out of the Brawley mansion - to help decide his faith. The I man has promised he will stick to jews, gays, and the catholic church, and not go near your cause again. By the way did you bury James Brown yet? |
| thinker | Posted – 4/9/2007 11:43:33 AM | show profile hello? this is nothing. what about rap? We're not hearing any up in arms about the awful, disparing, violent portrayals and calls to racism/sexism displayed in rap music. Imus, from what I've seen is very fair, openminded, a little gruff around the edges, but clearly not a bigot. Anytime I see a rap video on tv it shocks me, and listening to the words is even more horrifying? why is the A.A. community not trying to shut these guys up? They are doing much more harm than a careless remark by a liberal, not-predudiced guy. Lets refocus and critcize those who really are making it hard for A.A. women! |
| hfleming | Posted – 4/9/2007 12:02:09 PM | show profile | email poster Absolutely not It would be an absolute disgrace for Don Imus to be fired over his comments regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, for the following reasons: 1. The show is meant to be humorous and the comments were not out of character with those made regularly about a host of individuals and groups. 2. The "jigaboos vs. the wannabes" comment was actually referencing dialogue written by Spike Lee for School Daze; hence, even if that comment is considered inappropriate it at least reflects an engagement in African American culture. 3. A far more igregious sin by Imus is letting his wife drone on about her pet projects when she appears on the show. Yes, I suppose she's doing a lot of good work but she is an awful bore and slows the show down something awful. |
| chuck.rathmann | Posted – 4/9/2007 12:02:48 PM | show profile Remarks amount to slander First of all, I find it amazing that people are more upset about the "nappy-headed" remark than they are about this poor misguided fool referring to the Rutgers basketball team as essentially being prostitutes. This goes beyond racism, and is a culturally universal insult that should simply not be tolerated. Furthermore, the term "ho" taken literally would seem to imply participation in illegal activity, and openly stating that someone is in effect a prostitute could therefore be considered slander. If Imus is fired, he will only pop up on another broadcast medium. Rather, we need a more enlightened listening public to go elsewhere for their talk radio fix. As the Arbitrons plummet, Imus would be fired in due course. But just as a democracy produced the leaders that a people deserve, so does a free market produce the media that people deserve. So in short, we have met the enemy and he is us! |
| michaeljsebastian | Posted – 4/9/2007 12:06:50 PM | show profile | email poster What the world needs now is a new Lenny Bruce ... There are sooooo many problems the media and civil rights groups should be focusing their attention on other than Don Imus. It's a huge, pointless distraction from all that's really important. Should he be fired? Who cares ... If you don't like him, don't listen to him. |
| stewartg | Posted – 4/9/2007 12:08:45 PM | show profile BET, MTV & VH1 How different is this from what I hear on BET, MTV and VH1 or Hot 97? I too think that the language is deplorable but why isolate this one? it is not amusing, humorous or funny! I don't listen to his show and therefore don't know the tenor of their other discussions. |
| Opencity | Posted – 4/9/2007 12:10:27 PM | show profile Can the bum! That's not entertainment. It's pure, down and out racism. It's about time the dismally unfunny Imus (who has a long history of racist "humor") was sent on a one-way trip to his ranch. |
