I'm a pretty open minded person. I'm a former reporter and believe in free speech; Free speech that doesn't endanger other people. I do think there are limits to what constitutes free speech... I believe there's a big difference when someone makes an off the cuff joke and when someone spews hate-filled slurs. In the case of Don Imus, I think he made a very badly ill advised joke.
I think it was stupid as hell for Imus to call the Rutgers Women's Basketball team names. But I also know that he was kidding about it. And I know that he's a crusty old man who says pretty much whatever he wants to because he knows he's listened to by millions of people across the country . That doesn't make it right for what he said. He was stupid for what he said. But it still was a joke and not a hate-filled slur like it's being characterized.
Too many people though -- including Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson -- are taking his comments out of context and making it seem like Don Imus hates black people everywhere. It was not a racial slur. It was a joke. Imus is an ignorant fool, but it still was a joke. I used to listen to Imus a lot, so I'm well aware of all of the work that he and his wife do for children with cancer - about 50% of which are minority children. Why is this fact mentioned only by Imus? Why do people in America care more about words than actual actions that are done by this man to improve the lives of kids with cancer? It seems to be an epidemic in our society. People pay less attention to a president who sends thousands of troops into Iraq for a meaningless cause and more about what a politician says about how we should get our troops out of Iraq because they are fighting a meaningless cause.
When it comes down to it I think that too many people in this world are way too damn politically correct and can't take a joke. Each and every single day, they take things out of context and blow it up in the world perpetrated by instant blogs, the Internet, YouTube and the blow-everything-out of proportion media.
And because of all of the outrage, Imus apologized for hours on his show today. He went on the Al Sharpton Show. And then tonight, NBC News suspended him for two weeks because of his comments. NBC was bowing to political pressure, plain and simple. They knew they had to do something. And because Imus brings in millions of dollars a year to the station, they didn't ask him to resign or fire him -- which was ridiculously being asked for -- but decided to suspend him. Maybe it was appropriate because Imus's comments were inappropriate. But it still was just a joke. That's just my opinion...I could be wrong.
As anyone who reads my blog knows, you know that I love to post pictures with my blogs. Well, I'm not going to post an actual picture of Imus, because I heard if you do, after anyone views the photo, has their computer screen melt.. I don't know...maybe it's just a rumor that I read on the Internet.
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2 comments:
Tony...tony tony! Totally wrong here. I'm actually shocked that you are on Imus' side here. You can sugarcoat almost any racial slur made public as a "joke." It was a blatant racial slur broadcast to millions of people. As a popular on-air radio personality he has a responsibility to his listeners and his employer, as such he should be fired for such comments. He said the entire team was a group of "nappy headed hoes."
You are totally missing the point here. I listen to IMUS and know what type of humor he brings to the table and he has to be accountable for his "joke." Otherwise other radio personalities could hide behind their "jokes" when shit hits the fan. If he was black and made an comment on that same level he would have been long gone. In fact he brings so much money in, his employer had to be poked and prodded to even get a suspension. This is not fair to these girls, their coach or the Rutgers program.. How does a basketball player playing in the NCAA final get characterized as a "ho?" Did you bother to ask yourself why he was even motivated to say that? I will never listen to him and I hope he never works in radio again. This is an outrage. It's scary to predict what type of ignorant comment would warrant an automatic suspension.
Well... the greatest tragedy in the person who posted this inane comment on your blog is that this person listens to Imus.
He is a joke and a man that looks evil just by looking at him.
The fact is that he made a horrible and stupid joke.
The Rutgers women should feel hurt and maligned because it was a personal attack on them... as human beings, but for everyone else to get their panties in a bunch is just plain inane.
Who cares if he gets fired or not? The man is 2000 years old and 4 people listen to him... including the self proclaimed Chosen 1.
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